Recently we traveled to southeastern Utah. The scenery there is unparalleled. We passed through Moab, and reached Monticello the first night of our trip.
We were excited to attend the temple there. The Monticello Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was built in 1998, completed in just eight months after it was announced by then-Church President Gordon B. Hinckley. It was the first of the Church's smaller-scale temples, built to serve Church members living in remote areas.
Our primary purpose of traveling to southeastern Utah was to visit Kathleen's brother Douglas and his wife Kerri. They own and operate Cadillac Ranch RV Park in the small town of Bluff, population 300, on U.S. Route 191. (No, the cadillac in this photo doesn't run--it's a park decoration!)
Cadillac Ranch RV Park is the premier RV way-station in this part of the state, boasting beautiful restrooms and showers, and even a dog park! To learn more about the RV park, click here.
The vistas are famous and gorgeous in this part of the state. Here, in Valley of the Gods, one can experience a mini-Monument Valley view of these unique rock formations.
Craig, Kathleen's older brother (right), joined us on this trip to see Douglas (left) and Kerri.
Goosenecks State Park, is located 25 miles west of Bluff. It sits 1,100 feet above the twisting San Juan River below. The river curves deep within the gorge and offers breathtaking views. This is one of three curves in the river that can be seen here side-by-side. It's believed that it took a few million years to erode the mile-thick section of rocks, and cut the canyon called "Goosenecks."
On Sunday we joined our fellow Church members in worship here in the Bluff chapel, across the highway from the RV park.
Bluff Fort is a state historical site. In 1880, 250 pioneers arrived here, concluding a six-month, seemingly impossible journey across the most inhospitable, impassible, yet breathtaking beautiful terrain. They built Bluff Fort, thinking they may be in danger of the Navajos.
Nurturing peaceful relations with the Indians, they then built houses outside of their original circle of cabins and raised their families.
This is the one original cabin of the fort, with the well that supplied the fort with water.
The rest of the cabins we saw of the fort are re-built replicas. Inside, we saw evidence of the resilience and strength of these early settlers of Bluff.
The early settlers in Bluff met and worshipped in this log meetinghouse, a replica of the original.
You can learn more about Bluff Fort by clicking here.
On our last day in Bluff, we walked along the San Juan River Trail to see the river south of the RV park.
The San Juan River runs at the base of these bluffs in the distance, about three-quarters of a mile from the RV park.
The river and mountains are quiet and peaceful. They are evidence of God's handiwork in southeastern Utah.
Thank you, Douglas and Kerri, for this opportunity to see Cadillac Ranch RV Park, and the spectacular sights of this area.
