We packed up and left the campground by 9:00. We drove a short way to the Dead Horse Point Overlook to see the Colorado River from above – we had seen the overlook from the river below during our raft trip. The Point is on a peninsula of mesa with a narrow neck. According to legend, it was used as a corral for wild mustangs, with a rough fence at the neck. Cowboys chose the horses they wanted and left the others to die for some reason we can’t imagine. We hiked the 5 mi. East/West Rim Trail, with lovely views of the Colorado River and the canyon walls. We also saw the cliff used in the final scene on “Thelma and Louise.” Our river guides had pointed it out during the rafting trip.
After lunch we started driving to Capitol Reef. It was hot, sunny, and windy. The landscape seemed to change at every turn of the road. We saw lots of dirt devils and strange rock formations sprouting out of the flat desert sand. We were starting to dread our next stop after all these hot, dry experiences, but the Fruita campground in CRNP was actually wonderful. It is located in an oasis with lots of shade trees and an apple and pear orchard open for picking. This site was originally settled by Mormons, and they planted the fruit trees. The park service runs wonderful ranger talks; we learned about frogs, lizards, and snakes, fossils, and geology. It was lovely and cool at night, and we slept well. The only issue was the bathroom light again; this one was on a motion sensor, so it kept flashing on and off.
Roz and Dan on the road 