On the trip south from Moab to Hovenweep National Monument we came across the Hold N’ The Rock.  What a fun (and long) pit stop!!  We took a tour, explored the grounds, and visited the animals.

If you haven’t heard of this you should look it up.  A couple blasted, hand chipped and drilled their 5,000 sq foot house into a giant sandstone rock taking them 20 years to do so!  We went on a tour of the home (the wife outliving her husband and passing away in the 70’s) and it was absolutely outstanding!!  It was huge and every detail was thought of.  This couple were so handy bringing comforts into the home with such craft.  At one time during their lifetime they even created a diner in which the husband cooked and the wife served guests.  No pictures were allowed on the tour but it is something to see.

The grounds are also pretty fun!  It is basically a very creative and well thought out junk yard full of treasures of the past.  One of the pieces of artwork was a stunning bull made of old rusty metal parts.  I wish I could have put that thing in our front yard!

The girls rode on two old time “rides” for $0.50 that still worked!!  Super fun!

They also had a zoo there which housed a camel, sheep, buffalo family, lamas, pot belly pig, ox, emu, donkey, outrage, zebra and many more.  It was actually quite sad.  Many of them screamed and kicked at their enclosures.  All of these animals plus more lived in a space not much larger than the home we just toured.  I felt a bit guilty that we paid to be part of that.