By Paul Rubio

 

A ruddy, rugged land imaginatively painted by the geological time clock, Utah boasts some of the world’s most unsurpassed natural beauty. Though the homophobic rhetoric of the LDS church and HBO’s Big Love have made Utah a household name for the GLBT community, there’s far more to the Mormon-centric state than meets the cautious queer eye. The all-welcoming, towering collections of weather-torn sandstone that have formed nature’s Wild West playground of canyons, arches, and promontories are indeed some of Earth’s most breathtaking landscapes. A land of “cowboys and Indians” comes to life traversing the great distances between hamlets dotting the sparsely populated state, with historic trading posts and random watering holes revealing glimpses of a time bygone. Rustic lodges dole out world-class luxury amidst the craggy, mountainous terrain. And trepidation of Salt Lake City fades after experiencing the silent GLBT revolution of the state capital, where a blossoming gay population is successfully making its way with a mini-gayborhood, awesome gay bars, trendy hotels, and plenty of fair-skinned hotties eager to unbutton their “magic underwear” (Google for added explanation).

 

Over the next few issues, we’ll be looking at some of Utah’s greatest natural wonders and points of interest for the intrepid GLBT traveler, from the stunning rock formations of Capitol Reef National Park to the Wild West’s Monument Valley to the impressive arches near Moab to pockets of big city sophistication in Salt Lake City! Get ready for Utah unleashed!

 

Capitol Reef National Park

In the heart of southern Utah’s canyon lands, Capitol Reef National Park (nps.gov/care) comprises 378 square miles of multihued canyons, ridges, buttes (pun intended), and monoliths, doling out spectrums of reds and oranges in coral-reef like formations you never dreamed possible.  These jagged edges of glowing sandstone, defined by a 100-mile long warp in the Earth's crust known as Waterpocket Fold, begin to take center stage heading towards the town of Torrey, reaching scenic Highway 24 roughly 3.5 hours south of Salt Lake City.

 

One of Utah’s lesser-known national parks, Capitol Reef is a prime opportunity for personal bonding with Mother Nature. In what feels like your own private land of canyons, ridges, and domes, Earth’s essence proves boundless - whether hiking the steep 3.5 mile trail to Chimney Rock, a weathered layered sandstone obelisk, capturing the sun’s late PM radiance at Sunset Point or traipsing through the beginner’s 1 mile path to Hickman Bridge, an impressive natural arch in a scenic side canyon far above the Fremont River. Blink quickly and you might miss the chipmunks, squirrels, birds, hawks, eagles, and lizards, eager to greet you or soaring above you. Or you might overlook the stunning petro glyphs, linking the park to its rich Native-American history.

 

More experienced hikers will be handsomely rewarded with Capitol Reef’s near-dozen moderate and strenuous hiking trails.  But even keeping to the Capitol Reef basics - the winding roads, hairpin turns and short trails of the park’s 10 mile paved “scenic drive” - you’ll experience exquisite rock formations producing an array of vibrant and contrasting earthly colors. Some of these rock formations have been weathered to resemble their given names of “The Castle” and “The Egyptian Temple.” These natural formations play out like works of natural art, easily venerated for hours and photographed ad nauseam.

 

Torrey

Post mind-boggling days exploring Capitol Reef, the superlative way to relax in comfort and share your Utah experience with other fellow travelers is an overnight stay or two at the nearby Lodge at Red River Ranch (redriverranch.com) along Highway 24’s Pony Express Route. Here, an old farmhouse has been transformed into a bed and breakfast with an irresistible “how the West was won” ambience and the full gamut of ultra cozy, period furniture circa late 19^th century. Come evening, the foyer and living room come alive with guests returning from the day’s outing, eager to indulge others in their stories. The Lodge at Red River Ranch offers breakfast, lunch and dinner for their guests at the dining room, the breakfasts particularly satisfying before hiking the beautiful trails of Capitol Reef or a day of ATV off-roading.

 

Hands down the best place to spend your evening in Torrey is at Café Diablo (cafediablo.net), with its fanfare of eclectic southwestern appetizers and dishes. Not sure how this innovative farm to table restaurant has fallen off the Anthony Bourdain radar, but the Rattlesnake Cakes, the Coconut Calamari and Marmalade Salad, and the Marinated Loin of Utah lamb are the stuff of Travel Channel-meets-Food Network dreams. Meals are capped with homemade ice creams and gastronomic ingenuity from the in-house pastry team. Of note, Diablo remains open only during peak season from mid-April to late October, so plan accordingly.

 

To learn more about Capitol Reef and travel in Utah visit www.CapitolReef.travel and www.utah.travel. Next week Utah Unleashed: Part II.