Sounds like you had a wonderful time!
So glad you finally got to see some desert
to twist a phrase a little (can't see the forest for the trees) maybe you couldn't see the desert for the life!
By the way, Capitol Reef NP is not exactly small--the actual NP itself, which encompasses the "reef", is about 100 miles long. The preserve is 377.98 sq. mi. By comparison, Arches is 119.8 sq. mi. and Zion is 229.1 sq. mi. Bryce is the tiny one at 55.99 sq. mi.
Here are a couple of pictures
http://garden.org/thread/view_...
Please, throw some more in that languished thread! I just love the perfectly "landscaped" desert
