With the colors and the majesty of the Grand Canyon impressed in you eyes and your soul we have just passed the small town of Jacob Lake; on the right you’d go back towards Marble Canyon and then Page; on the left you continue inside the Kanab National Forest in direction Kanab in Utah. When I organize a trip to the states, I here my friends tell me I go too much in the middle of the desert. Desert? If they see were I am they would think I’m in the North West instead of Arizona; not to mention the temperature, being that last night, in full August, it was barely ten (10) centigrade. A little over an hour drive and we will see the reddish horizone of Vermillion Cliffs; we stop at a vista point very famous on the Arizona strip, the Le Fevre Overlook. All the Vermillion forms a frame on the background of the small town of Fredonia.
The road is practically all straight and a little boring; crossing quickly Fredonia, nothing worth a stop. The hope is that Kanab is not too anonymous. As soon we pass Fredonia the scenery changes radically, finding ourselves in the middle of the butte that rise over the small Kanab Creek. The panorama has been used several times from Hollywood producers for the immortal scenery of western movies. I can imagine an endless number of Indians on the promontory. We arrive at Kanab in the early afternoon, just the time to visit the center were there is a feast of the local cowboys. Many groups of Mormons in the crowd, the women all dressed in blue with long skirts and caps on their heads; the men in dark suites and long beards. The whole zone from Fredonia, Colorado City and Kanab are ancient outpost of the Mormons; also remember that all the Utah is Mormon, very calm, educated and respectable people.
The center town is like a small Moab, with its stores for the tourist: from excursion and restaurants, specific dress and electronic stores. A town well equipped to pass a few days all comforts. There aren’t many lodges, but happy to have reserved a room, the line at the check in of my motel makes me understand that many must continue their trip to the closes town to find a bed. Happy not to have taken an “on the road” trip! We leave our luggage quickly; our afternoon is dedicated to the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, not far from Kanab. The problem is crossing from Arizona to Utah in one day, and getting used to the zone time which changes. It will happen to change zone time several times a day in the arch of a few miles. That’s why we will direct to Coral Pink Park, meaning that the extra hour we advanced in Utah, already made it 6 pm.
The street is so deserted, at the point that a little before the entrance to the park I had to get out of the car and push a few cows off the road, where they were relaxing in the middle of the pass. It had already happened to me years ago from Zion to Bryce, but it’s true that this corner of the planet the time is much slower. Before the park entrance we notice parked many motor quads; the nature of Coral Park is that with motors on four wheel train, is an amusement. A few dollars paid and we enter; just the time to get my camera ready and what do I find on my path? A beautiful example of rattle snake all curled on its self. A small step back for the surprise, but start to get closer to take a picture. I hate snakes, but to be honest they have a certain charm. After a few seconds he realizes I am bombing him with pictures and decided to go look for a place less crowed. In front of us Coral Pink in its entire splendor under the sun rays of the sun set. Set between the rocks of Utah, high red sand dunes that rise in the middle of the valley. When Mother Nature wants to surprise you, she does it in the best way and in unusual places. I can’t describe the beauty of the red tones on the dunes hit by the last sun rays setting. I enter on the red hills looking for a good point view to enjoy the horizone in a better place then the point at the park entrance. Some spots are clear with no prints of passages on the sand; in other you can see the tier prints of a dune buggy’s. Signs of snakes passing; yucca plants growing between the dunes, but the best effect is made of the sand lifted by the light wind on the dunes, enchanting. It’s a small park that doesn’t need much equipment but at the end of the day can gift you of big emotions.
Soon the day light is getting weaker and the shades are longer; better turning back towards Kanab, and to avoid not finding a place to dinner. We choose a place very nice with an enterprising owner. Not noticing our origin he starts reading the menu with a fast Californian talk. As always with much embarrass we try not to let him notice we don’t know much about American kitchen. We do our best to understand and choose a buffalo steak, with baked potatoes. Often I hear complaints from tourist, and hear them ask typical Italian dishes unusual to find. Besides the pasta not usual, its no harm to not eat it for 20 days a year, I must say I’ve always ate well in the States; from roasted fish in Florida to the steaks of the southwest, or the lobsters of New England to the exhalent Mexican plates. To be honest, on a tree week trip, I don’t remember I had more then once a hamburger for dinner. The secret to eat well in the states is to ask, where it’s possible, to bring you plates without “dressing”; then with a little oil and vinegar the plate is ready. The evening passes pleasantly chatting with an elder couple sitting at a table beside us. It is amassing how Americans socialize in restaurants, or public places. The night has set on Kane County, time to go to sleep; tomorrow will be another tuff day ahead. We will cross the scenic byway Utah 12, maybe one of the most beautiful streets in the world. |
