August 25, 2020 Albuquerque to Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah

 August 25, 2020 Albuquerque to Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah

I awakened early at 4:30 and showered and did some menial tasks like clearing the dishwasher and awakened Suzette at 6:30.  I ate a breakfast of tropical fruit salad, yogurt, and granola at 7:00 while Suzette was enjoying her coffee and filling a thermos full of coffee for the trip. We then made three steak, potato, egg and cheese burritos that Suzette wrapped foil to nibble on the road. I  checked e mail and watched the pre-market activity.  After the market opened it looked like it was going down but we were packing and loading the Highlander.  We left a bit after 8:00 and after stopping for gas were on the road to Four Corners by 9:00.

                                                      Eating a burrito on the rode 

The only stops we made were at a produce stand north of Bloomfield where we bought an Italian cucumber, a Crenshaw melon that was so ripe it smelled fabulous, and a small personal melon. The other stop was a Gopher gas station, liquor and convenience store in Utah.

We shared two burritos and sips of coffee and water as we drove.

We saw this interesting formation that resembled a Buddhist stupa but one of many white limestone topped mesitas generically called a Navajo formation.

Dead Horse state Park is adjacent to a portion of Canyonlands National Park.  The views from its scenic viewing points are of the sinuous winds of the Colorado River above the Grand Canyon.  According to the information plaques, John Wesley Powell surveyed  this stretch of the Colorado River in 1869.

We rented a yurt for two nights.  Our main reason for choosing to go to Dead Horse was that it is a UNESCO Premier dark Sky viewing location.

I thought we would be dry camping, but the yurt was quite luxurious with a substantial queen sized bunk bed, an A/C unit pumping out 68 degree air, a gas grill and electricity with lighting and a fan.  Just across the parking lot are two bathrooms with flush toilets and a dishwashing station with non-potable water.

Asparagus, Onions, Cottage Fried Potatoes, and Shishito peppers sautéing, and steak

The table set for dinner with Caprese Salad

We arrived at 4:15 and before going to our yurt,  we drove to the visitors’ center and asked about Canyonlands.  We visited the observation deck located next to the river.  Then we drove to Dead Horse Point and enjoyed its incredible view of the Colorado River’s amazing sinuous course that you see often in ads and pictures.  

The sinuous Colorado River

We then drove to our yurt.

We were hungry so decided to fix dinner. I sliced two slices of onion and sliced two cloves of garlic into thin rounds and diced ½ of a large potato that Suzette sautéed in the skillet we brought.  Suzette wrapped a handful of asparagus in foil with a drizzle of olive oil and grilled the foil wrapped asparagus next to the steak and the skillet. I also cut a piece of French baguette and drizzled it with olive oil and wrapped it in foil and Suzette heated it on the upper shelf of the grill.

We opened a bottle of 2012 Wellington Merlot and sipped it while we cooked and drank with ice cubes for dinner.

I also made a Caprese Salad with one of the lovely tomatoes Suzette picked  in her garden at the Center. I sliced the tomato into five slices and inserted a slice of fresh mozzarella and fresh basil leaves I had picked this morning in our garden. I added some olive oil to a small bottle I had filled halfway full of Italian Balsamic vinegar to made a balsamic dressing that I used to dress the Caprese Salad.  

The steak and asparagus were well cooked but a little tough.  The Caprese Salad was sublime and the earthiness of the merlot wine went well with the steak and salad.  All in all an easy meal to prepare that was  delicious. 

 I ate a chocolate chip cookie for dessert.

After dinner we lay down for a nap and awakened at 9:15 and went outside to gaze at the sky, but it was partially overcast with clouds, so after a while we went in and decided to sleep and get up later.

One thing I noticed immediately is how clean the air is.  I am feeling better almost immediately.  

I went out at 11:00 to check and the sky was completely covered by clouds.  So much for our dark sky experience.

The fatal problem with Trump’s foreign policy is that he will not admit when he is getting manipulated and covers up the error of his strategy with lies instead of adjusting his strategy. Just two of many such failures are denuclearization of North Korea and the fiasco of withdrawing troops from northern Syria to let Turkey and Russia take control of that area and let Turkey and Russia decimate the now unprotected Kurds.

Trump also seems to be Putin’s lackey.  He is now withdrawing troops from Germany which may expose Europe’s Western flank to Soviet aggression while at the same time rejecting America’s commitment to defend Europe.

I am enjoying this vacation very much. The fresh air and luxurious camping are invigorating.  I see why so many people come hereto to hike.

Bon Appetit