Road Trip Adventures on Scenic Route 12

I had intentionally left a few nights open and without reservations so we could enjoy the freedom that the camper van offered us.  We could find a local camp site, we could pull off and disperse camp on national forest land or we could use our emergency card and stay at a hotel. The point was, I was trying to keep some spontaneity alive on the trip and the kids were all for it.  Martin, not so much.  

After Bryce the plan was to drive along the Scenic Route 12 on our way towards Capitol Reef and see what happened.  I will say, while Route 12 is 30 minutes longer, it is definitely worth taking the longer route: there are great views, a climb up through the mountains and descend into the canyons and you pass a lot of great Utah State Parks.  We opted to pull over and explore the Petrified Forest State Park for a break in the drive and a little hike. After the cold of Bryce Canyon, Petrified Forest offered a warm sunny afternoon with minimal crowds.  

After our hike, we stopped for coffee in Escalante (which is apparently known for their cute coffee shops and was recommended by both the Petrified Forest rangers and the lady at the front desk at Ruby’s) followed by our first attempt to camp off the grid at Calf Creek. Unfortunately (or thankfully) the campsites at Calf Creek were all full and in general, it didn’t look suited for our larger van.  So I casually suggested that we might want to keep looking and possibly go all the way to the next national park.  Both kids agreed and Martin took no convincing. 

As a side note: I was not 100% sold on the idea of camping in the wild (aka without some sort of toilet available) and more importantly, I wasn’t looking forward to a grumpy Martin who wasn’t sold on the idea of camping in the wild. So I had spent $25 earlier that morning to secure us a campsite at Capitol Reef for the night but I didn’t tell the kids. Again, trying to keep the adventure going. 

One hour later we were setting up camp at Fruita Campground and I was so thankful we made the decision to head directly to Capitol Reef.

Clyde

Petrified Forest State Park