Into the Gap

Before we take off to spend most of the summer out of the country, I wanted the chance to see some more of what Utah has to offer. Even after living here most of my life, I’m always surprised by how much I still haven’t experienced. And when we do decide to explore, I’m even more surprised by how quickly we can get there. 

This weekend, on our way back from a Memorial Day visit to Cedar City, we took a short detour to see the petroglyphs at Parowan Gap. It was a quick drive from I-15 with no traffic, easy parking, and for the most part, we had the place to ourselves. No hiking required, accessible to both young children and their grandmas.

Accessible with a little bit of help, that is.

Pictures don’t accurately capture the real texture, but that didn’t stop me from taking lots and lots of pictures:

Although some of the carvings were recognizable as animals, some were more cryptic and may have included directions. Some looked like a Chutes & Ladders game board. Alongside the 1,500-year-old petroglyphs, there were also some left by pioneers:

These were also very interesting, but as the carvings became more and more current, we started to notice the thin line between history and just plain vandalism.

This was especially true when we noticed a particularly tacky advertisement for one O.F. Waldram, D.O., Chiropractor. Come on, O.F. Seriously?

It was a lovely Memorial Day spent remembering lost loved ones and appreciating the art left by strangers over a thousand years ago. Going into The Gap also reminded me of this song from my childhood. My husband claims he has never heard it (impossible!), and watching this video kind of makes me wish I could block this whole time period from my memory too.