Desert Southwest, Part Two:

Day Three

After two long days of driving, we got up late and drove into the BLM office in St George to get information on the Parashant Gand Canyon National Monument. A volunteer there gave us everything we wanted to know, and provided a good map as well.

Afterwards, we took the Anasazi Trail in Santa Clara to see wonderful petroglyphs there, and discovered some great red rock views, too.

We then tried to see the Elephant Arch and Dinosaur footprints, but we had been warned that new subdivision construction made access a total mess. It was. We didn't bother. Instead we drove out into Warner Valley to see the famous dinosaur footprints.

They were quite amazing. And the drive out there and back gave us more amazing views-- well worth the 8 mile gravel road. 

And we were back to our Virgin River Gorge Camp in time for a nap and to make plans for the next few days--under the towering walls of the Gorge.

Day Four

We started the morning with a hike around the Virgin River Goroge, where we struggled to find the trail under the highway, but then hiked the Anvil and Hidden Canyon Trail loop. It was a sunny mornng and an enjyable hike, despite the highway noise.

As part of our exploration of the area, we drove up old gravel road that used to be route 91 for a few miles. And it was a good thing we did. As we were driving, we passed a couple about our age hiking along the road. When we passed them on the way back, we stopped to chat---and learned that they had lost a T-shirt somewhere along the way. Happily, only a few hundred yards down the road we found it and returned it to them, as they were hiking the wrong way trying to find it.

We bought a sandwich and ate lunch among the red rocks at Pioneer Park above St. George, then drove to our hotel in town for showers and a nap. We spent a couple of hours on the internet trying to find decent camping near Vegas--and failed. We finally booked an inexpensive hotel for two nights. We enjoyed a Viva Chicken Peruvian dinner in St. George and fell into the comfy beds early!