…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 will happily advise you on any and all sites-to-see. I am sure they do that numerous times a day but they clearly still enjoy seeing the excitement in ones 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 next town over called Blanding. The festivities lasted 3 days and we stopped in every day. I loved the sound of the drums & the chanting, seeing the incredible outfits and appreciating some great style. I had never been at a Pow Wow before. I ate too many Navajo fry breads (sooo good) while watching the dances… and was too shy to join in but it sure looked like a lot of fun!

We did many day trips and I was deeply impacted by Hovenweap… by its beauty & mystery. It is a set of ancient Puebloan ruins over an hours drive from Bluff. I made Dan drive back again on the same day to watch the sunset at that  magical place…