August 26 - September 5, 2008 - After visiting Kanab and Alton, UT, on the eastern side of the mountains, we made the heart-
stopping climb and descent into Cedar City and went on up the interstate to Parowan. We had heard there was great boondocking
somewhere in Parowan Canyon but I couldn't figure out quite where it was on the map. We stopped in the Visitors Center to get
some help, and discovered the town was hosting the fun-filled Iron County Fair over Labor Day weekend in just a few days. Whie I
was busy studying the maps and local photos of the canyon to get my bearings, I barely
noticed Mark saying, "Hey, there's a 5K
race on Labor Day. Wanna do it?!" I must
have muttered something that sounded like
agreement, because the next thing I knew
Mark had filled out the race forms and was
reaching in his wallet for the entry fee.
Part of my confusion about the Parowan
Canyon roads was that I thought the
"Vermillion Castle" landmark would be a
building -- a real castle! Instead, it was a
series of red rock spires. Also, we soon
learned that although everyone
in the area knew exactly where
Second Left Hand Road was
located, there was no road sign
to help visitors find its tree limb-
shrouded entrance.
We camped at the top of the
canyon in a scenic meadow
surrounded by
mountains.
One day we got
the crazy idea
to ride our bikes
down 3,000 feet
into Parowan on paved First Left Hand Road and then climb back up on
the gravel 4x4 Second Left Hand Road. The mere 16 miles took us well
over two hours, and we were pooped when we got to the top. I kept
looking at my bike's odometer and telling myself, "3 mph is a very
respectable speed!" The views of Yankee Meadows Reservoir at the top
were well worth the effort, and we heard from several sources that the
fishing in the reservoir was excellent.
The Iron County Fair was a classic small town fair, and we wished we
had our little granddaughters with us. As the mayor said to us days
later when we met him walking down Main Street, "It is a little piece of
Americana." Attendance was much higher than in past years, perhaps
because people were staying home to save gas money. The rides were
packed, the kettle corn was delicious, and there were events and prizes
for everything imagineable.
There was live music and a vast display of beautifully crafted artworks,
from crocheted booties, to finely made quilts, to an elegant wedding dress,
to leggo pirate ships built by the kids, to pies, jams and cookies of all types,
to photographs of everything under the sun. Blue ribbons abounded, and
they were all well deserved.
As we wandered the
fairgrounds, we met all kinds
of characters. We are
learning to be a little more
brazen in taking photographs
of the fun people we meet,
and Mark captured the fair's
clowns, both two-legged and
four-legged, while I captured
Mark basking in the glow of
the Rodeo princesses, queens
and attendants.
The horseshoe championships were hotly
contested, with professionals stepping up to
expert throws, and the area was filled with smiling
people of all ages. The tractor display showed
farm equipment of all types from an earlier age.
Mark spotted one built when he was born in 1954
while another fellow noted one built in his birth
year, 1939. We had lunch with the tractor drivers,
learning a little about that hobby while we
munched pizza, and we got to know Red, Basil
and Alden, each of whom we had either seen
around town in previous days or spent time with in
the weeks following the fair.
There was a long train for the toddlers that snaked endlessly around the fairgrounds. The kids alternated between grinning with
delight and frowning in concentration as they turned their steering wheels around each corner. There were cries everywhere of
"Mommy, can I ride in that?" Meanwhile, the dads were busy admiring the muscle cars on display, hoods up, chrome polished,
each restored with loving care.
The fair went on for
three days, and we
returned on Labor Day
itself to watch the
parade down Main
Street. There were
floats, dance teams,
horses, fire engines, the
Rodeo Royalty on
horseback, local
politicians and candy
and toothbrushes thrown into the crowd. Parowan is the heart of Mormon Pioneer
history, as it was the first community settled, even before Salt Lake, and several
floats made proud reference to that heritage.
We left the fair contented and smiling. It had been a
perfect day and weekend, the best Labor Day that
either of us could remember. And -- oh yes -- we
each placed 2nd in our age group in the running
race, and paid the price with sore joints for a few
days afterwards!
We recovered from our race in Cedar City where we watched the Great American
Stampede Horse Parade (some pics and notes on our "What's It Like?" page), and
then we made our way on to Pioche, Nevada, which felt to us like the true heart of
the Wild Wild West.