If You Build It, They Will Come

     About 50+ miles south of Moab is the town of Monticello, population around 1,000.  My purpose in going there was to attend the Monticello LDS Temple.

     Like a good Mormon woman, I attend the temple.  My goal is to get to all the temples in Utah.  Trying for every temple in the world is out of reach.  As this blog is open to the public, I know there are those of you who have seen the musical The Book of Mormon.  You may be wondering after seeing this musical how I can believe in my religion.  The writers of the musical like Mormons, they just think our beliefs are silly - silly is their word.  Then again, these guys make fun of everyone!  So, my question is who are they laughing more at - me and my beliefs, or the people who take their musical seriously?  HMMMM!?  (Oh, and by the way, I am Ivy League educated, speak several languages, and as you can see from this blog, I get around.)

      The Monticello Temple is one of the smaller LDS temples, and serves a population of ranchers, and others who just cannot get to the larger cities to visit a temple.  This area of Utah is sparsely populated.  One wonders if anyone would even go to the temple.

      My session was full, to the point of adding extra chairs to accommodate people.  If you build it they will come.
  Monticello now has two new hotels to accommodate those who cannot travel to the temple and back in one day.

The Trip Back to Moab


     In my Sunday best, what we wear to the temple, and my hiking shoes, I did some hiking and photography on the way back to Moab. Here is what I found:

Wilson Arch - named for Mormon pioneer, Joe Wilson, who had a cabin nearby in Dry Valley.

 

People climbing around Wilson Arch

 

 

 

 

Kitch and Cheesiness in the Desert

 

      Between Moab and Monticello is Hole N" The Rock  not to be confused with Hole In The Rock, another feature found in the area and used by the Mormon Pioneers. Hole N" The Rock was the brain child of the Christensen brothers, Lee and Albert.  Their father, or grandfather, I get confused here, had homesteaded the area.

 

      The brothers decided to make "America's Most Unique Dining Room" by blasting out an existing cave. During the uranium boom of the 1950s, the diner was a popular place for just about everyone.  Albert and his wife, Gladys, would eventually open a private dining/dancing club.  Later the 5,000 sq. foot home in a cave would serve as Albert and Gladys' home.

 

       The area around the home is home to much cheesiness, and makes for a great pit stop.  One can tour the home, which I did.  I was not allowed to take pictures.  The following pictures I got from Google Images.  Hole N" The Rock has its own website.

        Albert only lived in the cave home five years before dying of a heart attack.  Gladys would live on 17 more years.  National Geographic has rated this place as one of America's best roadside stops.

 



 

Albert was a real fan of this president.

The outside of the cave home.

This was once part of a Moab hotel, now closed.

The gravesite of Albert and Gladys

A real jeep is permanently parked on top of the monolith.