Leslie and David's Wanderings: 26 May 2023 Kanab Area

We decided to explore some of the local sites to Kanab today. All four of us first tried out the local Mexican Food (Escobar’s) before picking up Lacy (Bill and Pam’s dog). We then headed north on US89. First stop was the Sand Caves. Located close to the road, Leslie, Bill and I followed the trail to the base of the slick rock. Leslie looked it over and decided it would not be a good thing to do to her knee or ankle. David and Bill climbed up the slick rock to the cave entrance. The caves are man made and were carved out in the 1950s. We explored the caves for a few minutes and marveled at the number of inscriptions people had carved into the wall and ceilings of the soft sandstone. We worked our way back down the slick rock without hurting ourselves and met up with Leslie for the walk back to the car. Pam and Lacy were sitting out enjoying the beautiful weather when we got back. Next stop was the Moqui Cave. Moqui Cave is a privately owned cave system which in its heyday in the 1950s was the only bar and dance hall in all of Utah. Now it is a privately run museum with Indian and Dinosaur artifacts and various mineral/crystal samples. A bit of a tourist trap, but still a fun stop. From there we drove further up US89 to the Belly of the Dragon. Originally carved out as a drainage tunnel for the highway, mother nature has carved the tunnel to her own design. It’s a short hike from the parking area and requires a little scrambling, but Leslie, David, Bill and Lacy walked the tunnel from end to end with the help of our cell phone flashlights. Our final stop was Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. We drove into the park, stopped at the gift store before we walked out to the observation deck to view the Coral Pink Sand Dune field. This is mostly an ATV playground and some folks were sand boarding one of the larger dunes. Not really feeling like climbing sand dunes, we headed back to Kanab.