Ancient Lands Part 2

..in the second week, my husband Dan joined me in Bluff, Utah, and we stayed at the Recapture Lodge. The down-to-earth lodge has a great atmosphere and everything you need, including a pool. The owners live on site and happily advise guests on any and all sites to see. I’m sure they do this countless times a day, yet they clearly still enjoy witnessing the excitement in people’s eyes. We stayed in the room at the very end so we could set up our camp kitchen outside and not bother anyone with our culinary activities.

Coincidentally, the Ute Nation was holding their annual Bear Dance & Pow Wow in the neighboring town of Blanding. The festivities lasted three days, and we stopped in every day. I loved the sound of the drums and chanting, seeing the incredible outfits, and appreciating the amazing style. I had never been to a Pow Wow before. I ate far too many Navajo fry breads (sooo good) while watching the dances—and although I was too shy to join in, it looked like so much fun.

We took many day trips, and I was deeply impacted by Hovenweep—its beauty and mystery. It’s a set of ancient Puebloan ruins over an hour’s drive from Bluff. I even made Dan drive back again the same day so we could watch the sunset at that magical place…