With a gradual recovery of my health taking hold Carla and I setup an evening boat ride on the Colorado River with Rick and Judy as a thank you for all the support they provided while I was out of commission; Rick helping Carla with the R.V, Judy by making delicious meals for us, and the use of their pick-up to run the many errands required.
The boat ride started with dinner in a banquet hall next to the Colorado River at dusk. Tall older men in cowboy hats greeted us with friendly Western hospitality; then we had a lovely meal. Then on the jet boat that held 140 people in rows of seats. We had some earlier rain but not a drop all through the boat ride. As we gently made our way upriver we received a geology lesson by our entertaining guide; he also pointed out an immense stone crocodile, images of fish on the cliffside, he said it was a rockfish, and several visages, one looking like W.C. Fields. Making the turn to go back down river we were accompanied by a land vehicle that had enormous lights that lit up the canyon walls as the history of creation from the Bible was told, and for all appearances the face of God seemed to be looking out from the rock face as it was brilliantly lit, and the history of the native peoples in the area as well as early pioneers and desperadoes was told as we gently floated downstream. All in all it was an entertaining and unique view of the canyon.
In the morning we broke camp and made our way toward Fruita, now a state park and once the site of a small settlement of a few intrepid families. Located in a narrow valley of red rock, a small river made it possible for early native peoples and later pioneers to plant crops and supplement game for their living. The early native peoples preceded the Hopis, whom the Hopis called the ancient ones, and for some unknown reason they left the area. A Mormon settlement of few families planted orchards and supplemental crops and lived by bartering their goods for grain and other essentials. By WW II they too left the area.
This was a charming little valley, but after a night’s stay it was clear that the cottonwoods were causing allergic reactions for Carla and we left it. Having been separated from Rick and Judy in Moab Carla and I headed out to places unknown. One of the great things about a motorhome, if where you are does not suit you then you simply fire up the engine and off you go to better places.
We travelled on to Escalante and found a lovely state park in which to stay overnight. In the a.m. we were on to further places unknown. A thought we had earlier was to go the Bryce Canyon, but the weather was rainy and cool and the altitude there is very high. However as the highway brought us near to the National Park we felt a pull to enter in.
We climbed up to 8-9,000 feet in altitude and were immediately charmed by the locale. The long needle pine trees and rocky terrain reminded us of Dronagiri in India where Babaji initiated Lahiri Mahasaya. Carla’s allergies were clearing in the mountain air and we found a lovely spot in which to camp. We drove the two lane road to one magnificent vista after another. Not so much a canyon as a series of amphitheaters Bryce seemed to be created to delight and astound its viewers.
No artist has ever had a palette filled with such colors. Oranges, reds and golds are magnificently vibrant with varying shades and hues, but all the colors are intense and rich. Hoodoos rise up from the height of a man and on up to 150 feet tall with varying thickness layer after layer, like a totem pole. While there is nothing I sense specifically spiritual in these cliff formations, their eye catching beauty and chiseled looks inspires the mind to appreciate what Mother Nature can do. Quite often either Carla or I will automatically and quietly proclaim, “Oh God Beautiful!”
The combination of thinking of Babaji, the feeling of clean air, and the remarkable beauty that lies outside our door makes us think we will tolerate the periodic rain showers and the cold nights for a while longer. That and the days this weekend are predicted to be filled with sun if we are here long enough.
Being in Nature’s Cathedrals is a big part of what drew me to this part of the world. Here at Bryce I feel a wonderful fulfillment of the feeling of clean energy and abundant beauty that God meant for us to experience on this pilgrimage.
Picture: Bryce National Park
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