While eating breakfast at our beautiful dispersed campsite, a cowboy with a truck arrived and delivered a new batch of cattle. Within two minutes, the cows were off to graze and the cowboy drove off with his loyal dog.

It was difficult to depart from this serene site and we had to take a picture of our morning view.

The drive on Hwy 12 and 24 is spectacular and we stopped several times to try and capture the beautiful rock formations.

We stopped at the Fruita visitor centre and watched a 20 minute video on the geological development and history of the people who have lived in this area. Fruita was a Mormon settlement at the junction of two rivers and is an oasis where fruit trees can thrive. The settlement is now a national park and visitors are encouraged to pick fruit in the orchards that are still maintained by the park. On the day we were there, Ginger Gold apples were ready to pick. Any apples you eat while in the orchard are free and any you want to take with you at $1/pound.

We also bought delicious pies, cinnamon bun and ice cream at the Gifford house. The Giffords were the last residents of Fruita.

A scenic drive takes you to a number of interesting geologic formations.

We continued on our way to Moab and drove through a mix of plains and attractive scenery.

We made it to Moab and had a wonderful steak/prime rib dinner at Suzie’s Branding Iron. One of Suzie’s specialities is fried bread with honey. Yum!

Our home for the night is at the Moab KOA.