CANYON COUNTRY - ESCALANTE AREA + KODACHROME STATE PARK

Driving from our motel in Tropic, with country & western restaurant (mediocre singers each night) and outdoor breakfasts,

we visited more colourful canyons, State Parks and scenic highway 12.  Kodachrome SP was indeed named by National Geographic after Kodak company because of these amazing colours

Apparently we camped here for a night in 1995, according to diary, but don't seem to have any memories of it - must have been scenery saturated!!!

Million Dollar Road

From here we took the scenic highway 12 for 100 miles of dizzying views.  Now I nearly have the hang of videos these might give a bit of an idea, but turn the sound down!  Must find how to block sound on camera video!

"Before the Highway 12 route was built, traveling through this region was slow, hard work. As late as 1940, Boulder (Utah) still received its mail by mule train for part of the year. The Civilian Conservation Corps had completed the Hell’s Backbone Road between Escalante and Boulder in 1933, allowing vehicle traffic in summertime. But when winter snows closed that road, the only routes between the two towns were wagon trails through the canyons…In 1935, the Civilian Conservation Corps crews began to build the Lower Boulder Road, now part of Highway 12. Nicknamed the “Million Dollar Road,” the road took five years, backbreaking effort, ingenuity, and many tons of dynamite to complete. Crews blasted through sandstone ledges down to the Escalante River and up Calf Creek Canyon. On June 21, 1940, jubilant community members celebrated completion of the first all-season automobile road between the two communities.”

Then arrived at next Airbnb for 4 days at Torrey near to Capitol Reef NP

Peace and quiet by the river with these views.  We stocked up (although there were lots of breakfast stuff left for us and some wine) at grocery store that we remembered using when we camped in the park.  Laundromat still the same and restaurant too.  Might be using both again!