Canyonlands and More

Hi all,
 We knew when we came to Moab that we would have plenty to do but we may have underestimated.
Saturday was a drive to just explore the area. We drove down scenic Hwy 279 following the Colorado River. Along the way we stopped at some roadside Petroglyphs. We stopped and checked out a dinosaur track that was embedded in a rock slab. We also hiked a road into a large canyon. This road ends about 17 miles down, we then continued our drive north along the Colorado River on Hwy. 128.

 We did see some rafters running the river and stopped to enjoy a tailgate lunch. We ended the drive at Castle Creek Winery sampling the offerings.) I am not much for wine but Wendy did find a sweet wine she liked.
 Sunday was a rare rainy day. Our only venture out was to the Hole In The Wall.

Now a museum, it was a 5000 square foot home and restaurant dug in sandstone by Albert Christianson.
 It had begun as a alcove for his sons in 1945 then expanded in size over time to be a diner and eventually a complete 14 room home. Neat features included a fireplace which required drilling down 65 feet for the chimney and a rock bath tub. He had planned to build a stairwell to a deck on top but passed away before it could happen, he was only 53. His wife continued to live there opening a gift shop and selling tours of the home until she passed away in 1974. Their remains are laid to rest in a small alcove near the home.
 Monday started out at a very cold 30 degrees but with clear skies we headed for Canyonland National Park. Canyonlands is a huge 337,598 acre mix of canyons, mesas, buttes, arches, and rivers.
 The park is divided into 3 sections by the Colorado and Green Rivers. The areas are The Maze (to the west), The Needles (south), And Island in the Sky (on the north). There are no roads connecting the 3 areas and visiting the Maze requires high clearance 4 wheel drive.
 We visited Island in the Sky. It is a huge mesa at 6000 feet above sea level with the Colorado River running 2000 feet below. There are 34 miles of road with numerous lookouts which all seem to offer stunning views.

Mesa Arch

Green River

  Not done yet we had passed the entrance to Deadhorse Point State Park so on the return trip home thought why not.
 The story to Deadhorse was early cowboys would round up mustangs and drive them to this point. It had a narrow neck of land that blocked off made a natural corral. For some unknown reason horses were left in the corrals to die of thirst.
 The park offers a full hookup campground with biking and hiking trails. Some along the rim offering Colorado river views.