Camp Day
Our first priority today was to make reservations for Ruby's Inn Campground, just outside Bryce Canyon National Park. We decided to bypass Escalante and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument to add some days around Bryce and Kanab, UT. During this trip, we are realizing we can't do the kinds of hikes that we used to do. Grand Staircase-Escalante is a very remote park that was never developed. Funding for campgrounds and facilities has been nonexistent. That is great for the serious hikers and canyoneers that find the park a paradise, but it doesn't provide a lot to do or places to stay for the more casual tourist. Enough of the places I planned for us are now beyond our comfort zone, that it was hard to set aside more than a day or two in the area. In the end, we dropped Escalante completely, and we may make a day trip from Bryce.
We drove the 5 miles to our favorite Phillips 66 station where we can get Internet and phone service to make our reservations. That also allowed us to get caught up on emails and the reactions to the Presidential debate.
When we returned, Carol walked over to Gifford House to buy a cherry pie. The Gifford House was one of the original homes of the homesteaders that lived in Fruita Valley. It was built in 1908 and remained a private home until 1969 when the Gifford family sold it to the Park Service. Today, the Capitol Reef Natural History Association uses it as a combination museum and store for its reproductions of utensils, household tools, and things like homemade aprons and dish towels. But by far, it's most popular items are its cinnamon rolls and pies. The cinnamon rolls were too sweet for us, but we were immediately hooked on the pies. We bought an apple pie one of the first days here, and we've bought a pumpkin, a cherry, and two more apples pies since. The mini pies are the perfect size for two people, so we've been eating them while we watch our evening movie. The Gifford House is just on the other side of the small pasture between the barn and the campground. There is a constant stream of families walking past our campsite to buy pies in the morning. One of the ladies told us they have sold 24 dozen pies in a day. At $6.00 per pie, that produces some serious revenue for the natural history association to re-invest in the park.
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