Yesterday started out as a normal day. Then we got a call from friends who said they had reservations at the Recapture Lodge in Bluff, Utah, for Friday and Saturday to catch the Bluff Balloon Festival. (We had been thinking of coming over for a day trip.) He woke up sick and she wondered if we would like to pick up the reservations. After making sure we could park the dog safely and checking to see that sunny weather was forecast for Bluff, we went for it!
I had a meeting in Cortez, but we got off from the house at 2, went by way of Monticello and pulled into Bluff about 4:30. Checked in and immediately headed out to get sunset pictures of the red rocks and bluffs around Bluff. What a joy!
Checking population, I was surprised to find Bluff is about the size of Mancos; it seems smaller. It's an old Mormon community on the San Juan River, with old two-story stone houses. I understand it's changing, though, and it looks like it has grown a lot in this decade.
Anyway, they're expecting about 28 balloons, about twice what we get at the Mancos Balloon Festival. So, we're excited about going out this morning and watching the balloons against the red rocks.
Last night we had a Navajo taco dinner at the elementary school (best fry bread I've had in a long time ... not leathery and not too greasy) and watched some of the students perform Navajo and Spanish dances. Good crowd of balloonists and locals and others. Seated across from us were a half-dozen University of Utah students on a design-build project. They designed a house for a family on the res last semester; this semester they build it.
Then we settled in for a long winter's night. The Recapture Lodge is an old, rustic two-story motel (no phones in the rooms, no in-room coffee!) that fits the Bluff experience.
After the flight this morning, we'll see where the Jeep takes us. We're close to Monument Valley, the goosenecks of the San Juan, Comb Ridge, Cedar Mesa ... maybe we'll go up the Moki Dugway!
Coffee calls! tv
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