south

Let me tell you an adventure story...

The Four were down at Huntington Lake for the little triathlon, and the old Mr. Announcer spoke a little about some dinosaur tracks and bones (!) across the highway, offering directions to anyone with interest. The croc-clad animal and adventure and grandpa enthusiast took his little self over and talked to Mr. Announcer, who said, Yes, I love this county, and would love to personally give you a tour of the specimens, tell me when you're ready and we will go.

It was time to go, and Mr. Announcer got his cooler loaded into his truck, which he asked the four to follow him in, and we will go across the highway, just a little drive to the bones. They Drove across the highway, onto a dirt road and they follower Mr. Announcer, now Mr. Tour Guide and he motioned for stopping to tell the four the plan. Are you a farmer's daughter? You drive like a farmer's daughter. We're going to drive here in a figure eight, out to The Wedge, then the track and the petroglyphs and the pictographs, then we'll come back across this spot and go that other way to the dino bones. Follow me, but don't worry, you don't have to eat my dust. I'll wait for you along the way.

It was hot and the four had the windows down on the dirt roads while they followed Mr. Tour Guide and it was a longer drive than they anticipated, but it was a good time. They already loved Mr. Tour Guide. He drove and they drove and he took them to The Wedge. No one told them what The Wedge was so they weren't prepared for this:

They wanted to climb down into the canyon and hike and play, but they had more adventures for the day, and Mr. Tour Guide said the rest would be good, too. One of the four asked his name. J.R. Nelson, Emery County Commissioner, and you can come down again, here's my card, come to my home and we'll take my four-wheelers here and we'll come back. I can't hike, I have arthritis, but we'll come back.

They hopped into their little cars again and drove, and Mr. J.R. The Cowboy Commissioner told them where they were going and said to follow and they were going to take a shortcut. Does your car run on gas? I forgot to ask if you have gas. They drove and they talked about J.R. Nelson because they already liked him a lot and maybe wanted him for a grandpa, even. "I bet he was the best teacher. I would like to have a teacher like J.R. Nelson. He's probably an awesome grandpa."

Then they were at the track and Mr. Nelson the Schoolteacher stopped to give them some health food and pointed the way and hiked behind them because they had to find the track themselves. They found it, but because Mr. Nelson the Schoolteacher showed it to them, really, because it was under rocks.

A true dino track. Allosaurus. Confirmed by paleontologists.

Back to the cars. On to the next spot.

An outlaw's John Hancock, and proof he stole cows that could have been Mr. Nelson's inheritance.

Then, here. Petroglyphs first, then pictographs. Then Mater and Honcho.

Does anyone know the difference between petroglyphs and pictographs?

Petroglyphs are carved and pictographs are painted, right?

Exactly.

(Three of The Four were not previously aware that there was an archaeologist among us.)

Mr. Nelson then took us to finish the figure eight drive with some dino bones. Real, confirmed by paleontologists. Would not have recognized this as bones without help:

Other things we spotted on the drive: antelope, mysterious tunnels.

Well, that's the tour. When we get to the highway, I'm going to turn left to go about 2 more miles to the Maverick, where' I'm buying drinks. If you go right, that will take you home. I'll know what you're doing by the way you turn.

Mr. Nelson, you know we're going left.

Okay, let's go.