Leaving Bryce, we decided to take the scenic route on our journey north. Sometimes called the National Park Highway, U.S. 89 links seven national parks across the Mountain West. In addition, fourteen other national park areas, mostly national monuments, are also reachable from this backbone of the Rockies. National Geographic named U.S. Route 89 the No. 1 Driver's Drive in the world.
Breakfast was in the darling town of Panguitch, first settled in March 1864, when a group of 54 Mormon families arrived.
Before the history lesson could begin, we had breakfast at the delicious and delightful Kenny Ray's Café.
We had a town view from our comfortable booth.
Due to the Black Hawk War, church officials decided the settlers should abandon the area, and they did so in May 1865. Five years later, Brigham Young decided it was time to try again, and new settlers arrived in 1871. While driving through town, we were thoroughly impressed (and awed) by the amazing homes everywhere. We found out that these settlers used kilns to process local clay into rose-colored bricks. Workers were paid in those bricks, which they used to build their own houses. History is so dang cool.
Panguith's most famous historical event is the Quilt Walk. When first settling, the winter's cold weather arrived early in the year, and the most of the settlers' initial crops were killed by frost before they could mature. At a crisis point, seven men left the community to seek flour and foodstuffs from surrounding communities. Heavy snow forced the abandonment of wagons and teams, and the men finished their rescue mission on foot, reportedly by laying one quilt after another upon the snow to maintain their footing.
Okay, so this was a must stop for us- Butch Cassidy's childhood home.
Of all Western outlaws, none are more fondly remembered in story and folklore than the Robin Hood of the West, Butch Cassidy - the alias of Robert LeRoy Parker. Parker was born 13 April 1866 in Beaver, Utah, and was raised by Mormon pioneer parents on this ranch near Circleville, Utah. While a teenager, Parker fell under the influence of an old rustler named Mike Cassidy. Parker soon left home to ride the outlaw trail. Well, we all know the rest of his history.
I'm a huge fan of the movie Cars. One of the sweeter characters is Mater, the rustiest, trustiest tow truck in Radiator Springs. He loves tractor tippin’, helping out stranded cars, and most of all, hanging out with his best friend, Lightning McQueen. Mater is great at driving backwards, because he doesn’t need to know where he’s going as long as he knows where he’s been. And how very cool was it for us to meet him in Gunnison, Utah?!
Before ending our day, we visited the town of Thistle. This ghost town was established in 1883. It flourished for a time as a farming and ranching community and became a major stop on the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad.
Then, in April of 1983, a massive landslide, the costliest in U.S. history, dammed two creeks, flooding and destroying most of the tiny town. Roofs became rafts and can still be seen strewn about the area. Only a few structures remain, and most can be seen from the road, including a red schoolhouse, a church on a hill, and a house half sunken into a bog.
“The gladdest moment in human life
is a departure into unknown lands.”
– Sir Richard Burton
posted under |
0 comments:
Post a Comment