Day 16: We love Capitol Reef and don't want to leave

We enjoyed a slow start this morning. Ray treated us to pancakes, bacon, and eggs.

We went in to Capitol Reef. We loved it immediately. The Fremont River has created a lush oasis in this dessert. It is truly unbelievable.

In the 19th century Mormon settlers found this area so inviting and the soil so fertile that they established the community of Fruita. They built a one-room schoolhouse and planted orchards that have been preserved by the Park Service.

We stopped at a grassy picnic area with TREES!!! Wow! Grass AND trees! Haven’t seen that in a while. We walked to peek in the windows of the schoolhouse.

Behind the school house were massive boulders. Naturally Parker scrambled all the way up to the top where he could touch the rock face. A rock jumped out and bit his hand but other than that he suffered no injuries.


We had a big but brief rain while we chose to eat lunch in the RV. Then we went to the Gifford Farmhouse. It was built in 1908 and has been renovated. Cute little house. On one side is the restored house; on the other is the bakery!!! Homemade pies!!! Yum! I bought a personal size mixed berry pie. It was tasty. Preston got a Stewart’s lemon lime soda, Parker a Stewart’s Root Beer. They said they were the best they ever had.

We headed back to the RV Park but stopped first at the Coffee and Candy Store across the street. The boys had ice cream (since they hadn’t had pie). Ray and I got coffees.

Settled in for the night. Slept with the windows open it was so cool.