Naked Southwest

By midday it was time to push onward, northwest to Farmington for lunch in a dingy and empty (even the single employee left after serving us) pizza restaurant. After eating, we headed west to Shiprock, our last outpost in New Mexico before zipping through the northeast corner of Arizona and entering Utah. But there is much to distract the focused mind in this part of the world, so my somewhat less focused mind was quickly overwhelmed.

We had spent the better part of the afternoon observing the gas and oil wells, pump stations, carbon dioxide pipe receptacles, and the hundreds of petroleum company pickup trucks bombing along the highways at breakneck speed, presumably servicing this great network of fuel extraction. And the dizzying expanses of openness, the dry scorched land, the whimsical rock formations. Add to this intoxicating movie and amazingly colorful nearing toward sunset, and you might possibly grasp how we turned almost due south after Shiprock and headed almost an hour south before realizing our error. We laughed at ourselves, especially since we’d been enjoying the lowering of the sun… in the west… on our right!

Bearings recovered, we retraced our way to Shiprock, beat a hasty path through Arizona and then entered Utah within stone skipping distance of the Four Corners. The setting sun had reached the horizon, and we savored a splendid sunset as we rolled into Bluff, Utah. En route we had decided upon a lodging in Bluff and had called and reserved the very last room at Recapture Lodge. Although our guidebook only mentioned that it was a comfortable and friendly AAA motel, we didn’t have many choices and it seemed to offer the possibility of charm. We were not disappointed. We were welcomed by the owner who was as amicable as could be. We checked into our basic but commodious digs and took a long-overdue shower before heading off to dinner at the Cottonwood Steakhouse.

We had driven past this wild west motif bar-b-q restaurant on our way into town, and my mouth had been watering ever since. Of course, it was a little selfish since MHD is a vegetarian, but the proprietor at Recapture Lodge had assured us that there were a couple of fish choices. And besides, it was late and we didn’t have many options. Unfortunately, once we had tipped up our ice cold beers and settled into the rustic setting, our waitress informed us that the fish was gone. A salad was arranged for MHD and a double rack of ribs for me. Our desserts were some sort of ice cream and brownie sundaes and we drifted back to our beds with happy hearts and heavy bellies.

I love Bluff, Utah! When I lived in Santa Fe, a dear friend repeatedly told me that I should venture up to Bluff. She knew the town inside and out and seemed to regard it as a sort of spiritual second or third home. I never went… till now. And she was right! There is something singularly captivating about this little oasis of some three hundred people tucked along a bend of the San Juan River. It may be the old, wild west feel of the place. Or the three hundred foot tall red rock bluffs along the opposite side of the river. Or Fourteen Window Ruins tucked into a stadium-sized cliff in these same bluffs. Or the majestic red rock spires that rise skyward behind the Twin Rocks Trading Post. Or the extensive petroglyphs near the campsites on the way into town. Or the friendly, unpretentious citizens. Or the sunlight. Or the moonlight. Or…

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