Isn't That Swell

Because we had gotten to Pando long before peak fall color, we headed for the San Rafael Swell, diverting our course for a few days. I finished topping off fuel, dumping and filling tanks and headed East while Al was finishing up laundry in Salina, knowing he could catch up. The winds were strong, especially through the canyons, but I got in line behind several semis on the interstate and happily chugged along with them at a putzy 30-35mph half of the way. I told Al that he may as well stop at the overlooks and waysides to see what information and vistas they offered, as it is easier for him in the truck than me in the motorhome.

I pulled off exit 131, drove about a mile on some pretty rough roads, then arrived to the area first and scouted around, picked a site very near coordinates 38.89396, -110.65336, turned on the tv and sat with the girls while we waited for Al to arrive to get level and set up. We had great internet speeds with T-Mobile, but even by the interstate, our AT&T phones had poor service. He was able to reach me with the walkie talkie for directions to my location.

The winds can be pretty strong, and it blows LOTS of dust, which made wiping down every surface inside a daily chore. There are enough junipers to give privacy, and beneficial for blocking the winds as well.

We did some walking around the area, taking in the sites of buttes and washes, and happened upon an old car that has been badly abused. I wouldn’t know where to start counting the hundreds or maybe even thousands of bullet holes in the poor thing. I wonder why it was abandoned, and for how long?

Our campsite was central for the exploring we did. There is much to see in the Swell, as you may have read in the last 4 blog posts, and we barely delved into all that is here. We were glad we came prepared as the nearest groceries and fuel would be in Green River around 40 miles away.

We had some beautiful sunsets, one very light rain, but mostly clear skies throughout our stay, and the night skies were great for stargazing. We did find other sites south of the interstate, possibly on Swasea Cabin Rd, that might be a little more secluded & sheltered from the winds and a little less highway noise, not that it was loud at all, but I would rule this location out if I came here again either.

Today, we lazed about for a while, talked with a fellow full-time RVer staying near us. We also drove the motorhome into town to dump & fill the tanks, get groceries, and stopped at the visitor center. Al made us some paninis for lunch and I cooked us some pasta with a tomato sauce and garlic croutons for dinner. My elbow, neck and shoulder have been aching a little spicier than usual this whole week, so I’d gladly welcome a few afternoon naps in the coming days. Tomorrow we hope to sit down and catch up on writing future blogs and cropping pictures, with which we are getting behind. It will be nice to slow down a bit again as the past couple weeks have been very full with activities. Looks like we are hunkering down here for another week to see what this annular eclipse on Saturday the 14th is about, maybe venturing out another time or two. We’ve got a large site with room for another couple RV’s or tents. Let us know if you’d like to come to Escalante Utah and join us!

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