Cedar Breaks National Monument

So you know how boring it was at the lake,

 with nothing to do, so we took a day trip to another of Utah's National Monuments.

Cedar Breaks National Monument used to be part of the Great Circle tour of southern Utah parks conducted by the Union Pacific Railroad. It had a lodge, built in 1923. The lodge was removed in 1972 due to deterioration. 

 The site of the lodge is being allowed to return to its natural condition.

 All that remains are the old water towers that supplied the lodge.

View from Spectra Point with Cedar City visible in the far distance.

 It's so nice that for us old folks there is no fee at any of the National Parks.

 We stopped at the Visitor Center and learned a couple of things.

 We learned that we better not try any strenuous trails here.

 And we learned how Cedar Breaks got its name.

 Views from the Visitor Center overlook.

 It's like a miniature Bryce Canyon.

 Birdie

 This is Sunset Overlook, but we were here in the morning.

 The colors will just be even more vivid at sunset.

 Do you see our shadows?

 This is Chessmen Overlook.

 Some of the formations look like a chess set.

 There are still some patches of snow in these higher elevations.

 This is the winter Ranger Station.

 A Flycatcher....Birdie knows what kind.

 Yellow-rumped Warbler showing off his best feature.

 We found a place to play in the snow.

 White-crowned Sparrow

 North View Overlook

 Me and Birdie

 Mountain Bluebird

 Brian Head Peak

 Mule deer

 We have reached the summit,

 And now we must go down...

 The village of Brian Head is a ski resort.

 Next was a very scenic drive down the mountain toward the town of Parowan.

 Steep and winding, but scenic.

 We turned on a road we had read about to Yankee Meadows and Vermillion Castle.

 Along both sides of the road were unique red rock formations.

We tried to guess which formations were supposed to be the "Vermillion Castle."

 We passed a campground and some hiking trails.

 We never did figure out the castle, and we turned around at what we figured was Yankee Meadows.

 Then made our way back to UT Rte 14, the road we traveled in to the campground with our RVs.

 I couldn't take pictures then since I was driving, so I did today as Birdie drove her car.

Back to Navajo Lake...guess I'll have to go kayaking again, lol.