We Begin with a Grammar Lesson

As the passenger (I confess, I rarely drive),  there are a lot of duties I have. Navigator, playlist curator, reader of passing signs, interpreter of cultural flybys, and sounding board for the driver. Sounding board for what, you might ask.  Well, on this trip it has been a specific road sign we have seen over and over again:  Watch For Falling Rocks.  We have driven through many storms and today, the aftermath of those storms. The driver may have lost her cool after swerving around the nth pile of rocks on the road: " FallING rocks?  What are the odds of seeing a rock fall?  It should say "Watch For FallEN Rocks!!!"   And there, today, is your grammar lesson.   ;)

Today we headed out to a...canyon!  Weather was much more stable today, but there was still a flash flood watch on the river, so we headed out to Kolob Canyon. Please don't ask me how to say it. It looks straight forward, and I usually have phonics on my side, but I end up botching the vowels and adding another syllable (or two). Anyway, Kolob is actually still part of the Zion Park, but is North...(Never....Eat....Shredded...Wheat)...Northwest of Zion proper.  It's a thing; I'm directionally challenged.

Kolob Canyon was another beautiful surprise. It's amazing how the red rocks just rise out of nowhere.  You think you've seen the most beautiful scene, and then you go around the next corner.

After Kolob Canyon, we headed for a place to have lunch.  This morning we had purchased picnic items and some ice. And a styrofoam cooler.  Will we never learn? I mean, yes, there are greener choices, but there are also quieter choices. It was not too long ago we drove across the dirt roads of Nevada with a styrofoam cooler. Our trip to lunch took us across the dirt roads of Utah, just outside of Zion, in search of a ghost town.  We moved the cooler several times, only to have it squeak more each time. The final time, we moved the cooler from the way back to the backseat, and began driving.  With the back door open. It's not our first rodeo, but sometimes you wouldn't know it!!!

We rolled in to Grafton, and even though it is relatively close to the "freeway" it was so quiet, and did feel like a step back in time. Grafton was settled in 1859 as a cotton growing project. Severe flooding and troubles with local Indians caused the abandonment  of the town several years later. A restoration project has done a lot to preserve the buildings without destroying their historical nature.

The first stop in Grafton is the cemetery where the deaths were attributed to the unimaginable amount of child deaths that were common at the time, diptheria, Indian attacks, and a swing accident (?).  Even abandoned cemeteries have a presence.

Moments after reading about said tragic swing accident, I found my travel partner doing this:

Always the adventurer!

It was over 90 degrees, so after exploring, we enjoyed our picnic...in the car.  ;) Plenty of time to get sunburned tomorrow. 

24 hours of? You be the judge... ;)

The flash flood warning/watch has been lifted, so we're off to the Narrows tomorrow! Yes!!!!!