Got up early the next morning to head over to Escalante!
We made a quick stop at Mossy Cave and it was so beautiful, the red rocks were shining in the sun and there was still snow in the cave! It was a gorgeous morning and it was a great little hike.
We got into town about noon, and were ready and raring to go for more adventures! We first went over to the Heritage Center where Dad gave us a great tour and everyone just loved seeing how wonderful the center had turned out. So much information and everyone soaked it up.
We drove around to some local sites, Calf Creek, Boulder, Hogsback, and the Pertrified forest, where if we had only hiked a teeny bit more we would have actually seen some things!! It was still beautiful! We also stopped at Slot Canyon Inn and she took us on a little tour of her bed and breakfast and we also got to see the Indian Petroglyphs on the rocks there. We finished the day at Cowboy Blues for a great dinner! We spent the evening relaxing and enjoying having such a nice "resort" to stay in!
The next morning was our big trek to the Hole and we left about 8 in the morning, with sandwiches packed and cameras charged! The drive was about 2 hours on a pretty bumpy and precarious road but good old Dad got us there lickety split and my car actually survived the road! Although we were doubtful at times!! Dad is quite a driver! We enjoyed visiting the whole way out and having such a great tour guide was an added bonus! We stopped at Devils Garden first and had a little time to hike around at enjoy the intersting formations, and also use the last bathroom for several hours!
Next stop was Dance Hall Rock....really amazing place! Its where the pioneers gathered to dance and sing and enjoy one another's company, a fun happy place for all. The rock was massive! It was here that we met up with several county commissioners who were also making the trek that day and Judi Poll overheard one of them saying--"You should really talk to Jerry Roundy, he is the true expert on this whole area" She couldn't help but speak up and say "Excuse me, but he is right over there...!" That was so fun, and Dad was sooo glad to be able to talk to them and explain how important it was to have the road graded and kept open and driveable for people to go visit the Hole, and it was really meant to be for us to be on the trail that particular day and to meet up with all of them.
Now off to the Hole, we kept driving and driving thinking we may never make it but sure enough off in the distance, I said--"is that is??" And sure enough we had made it and to top it all off we had the Mormon Tab playing in the car and the song happened to be Faith in Every Footstep! It ended just as our car pulled up to the rock! It was breathtaking to see the blue waters of Lake Powell against the deep red rocks and the sun was shining and the day was perfect in every way. I can't post all the pics that I would like but these few will have to do.
You can see the crevice to the right of the trail marker as we approach.
While we were there Dad told us the story of the last wagon down the hole, and it was actually pretty emotional, a very cool story and great way to end the experience.
We all came back in awe of what was accomplished on this trek and had so much fun being together and enjoying the experience with each other. We spent the evening relaxing at the campfire and rode around the property on the four wheelers, where I was so glad that Stacy was around to do the driving! There were a bunch of deer on the property, that made Gaea excited! In fact, everything made Gaea excited! It was just so great on every level, everyone had a spectacular time and we all want to do it again!! SOON!
