We got to spend the entire day in Capitol Reef National Park. But first, I woke up at 7am and went outside to watch the sunrise brighten up the red rocks. It was lovely having a balcony with such a gorgeous view. We went into town to get some breakfast and picked up some Subway sandwiches for lunch. Second day in a row having Subway for lunch. It’s convenient but I’m already starting to get tired of it.

We headed into the park, which is only a few minutes from Torrey. We headed straight to the visitor center so I could grab a map and information regarding the park and the trails that it has to offer. The ranger suggested 2 moderate trails for us: Hickman Bridge and Cohab Canyon.

First we did the petroglyph walk, which is right off of the highway. And it’s beautifully shaded under lovely trees. I went back there to photograph it once it was in more light. See if you can tell a difference between the morning and afternoon photos.

Then we did the Hickman Bridge hike. I was not feeling very well – I have a bit of a stomach virus or something (Montezuma’s revenge?). But I pressed on, and so did my mom. We made it up the mile, and it was well worth it. The trail takes you under the arch, and it’s so awesome. The trail has minimal shade though, so we definitely got sweaty.

We ate lunch on this pretty lawn area prior to going to the Gifford House. The Gifford house was cute. We got pies and I got some lovely salsas. And we had some homemade ice cream. The ice cream and baked goods are made in Torrey, handmade though. Tasty.

Then we did the lovely scenic drive. It was gorgeous, as expected. The wash crossed the road several times. And Capitol Gorge was closed due to flash floods from yesterday or earlier this week. But Grand Wash was open. So we took the dirt road. There was another arch there in the distance. At the end of the dirt road, there was like a 3 mile strenuous trail to the arch. No thank you.

We then went to one of the only orchards open in the park right now in the Fruita District, Jackson Orchard, to pick fresh apples! It’s all you can eat fruit inside of the orchard and then it’s $1/1 lb for all that you take home. Sweetness.

Then our last stops were Panoramic Point, Goosenecks Overlook, and the Sunset Point Trail. They were all so beautiful. And the rocks were definitely getting that orange glow.

We headed out of the park at like 6:30pm and got some pizza in Torrey. Then we headed out. It was such a frightening drive to Fillmore. We nearly ran over a deer a couple of times. The scariest was when I saw its silhouette ahead of us, and I repeatedly told my mom, “slow, slow, slow, SLOW.” She almost came to a stop just in time for the deer to trot in front of us. I almost ran into one last night heading from Torrey to our hotel last night. Freaking deer. Yikes! Giving me a freaking heart attack!

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