Look I am making a very late contribution to the blog!
A video of the Moki Dugway, a super cool road Josh and I drove during the trip.
Moki Dugway Video
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Friday, October 8, 2010
Day 10: Sunday, October 3, 2010: Vega$, Baby, Vega$
Day 10: Sunday, October 3, 2010
Vega$, Baby, Vega$
So, our final full day was upon us. No agenda today other than to pack up, find something to do for the 4 hours between check out time and check in time at the Excalibur. While showering, where I tend to do my best thinking, I realized Winger still hadn’t seen the Hoover Dam, and really wanted to. I suggested we pack up the jeep and head to the damn Dam. Winger was excited and seemed to have a bit of a spring back in her step.
We checked out, grabbed a bite to eat, and headed out to the Hoover Dam. The weather was MUCH different than when I visited 9 days earlier. It was nearly 100 degrees and not a cloud in the sky that Friday but today it was cloudy and very breezy. We parked on the Arizona side of the dam, and walked across to the visitor’s center and back taking some pictures along the way. Our timing, as would be a theme today, was perfect as it started to rain just as we were getting back to the car.
Along the way and on the way back, we tried to contact the company we rented our camping gear from to see if we could return it a day earlier. I was supposed to return it Monday morning as my flight wasn’t until 1AM Monday night/Tuesday AM. I was going to try to get home earlier if I could get the gear back Sunday… Unfortunately, we hadn’t heard anything back. The company was a few miles from the Damn, but was open by appointment only.
We stopped in Boulder City on the way back where the temporary Visitors’ Center for the Lake Meade National Recreation Area was located and after finding a parking spot (there was an art festival going on, and traffic was pretty tough), we visited some very eager rangers… it seemed as if they hadn’t had many visitors that day! I got my National Parks passport stamped, chatted a little with the people there, and then we hit the road.
The one remaining thing left to see in the area was Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area which was just to the west of Vegas. The National Parks Pass worked for this area too. Best investment of the trip, methinks! The drive to Red Rock was pretty incredible scenery-wise, mostly because of the clouds, and the way the sunlight was hitting some of the rocks/mountains. There’s a beautiful 12 mile scenic loop drive through the park and we stopped at most of the viewpoints to take pictures and relax along the way. If the weather wasn’t so ominous, we would have hiked a little bit, as Winger had her energy back, but that’ll have to wait until next time…
On our way out, Winger saw that the woman from Western Wanderer (the camping company) contacted her via email and said she’d be in until 5PM (it was just 3 at the time) so we drove back to Boulder City, and dropped off the camping gear. We shared some stories with the woman at Western Wanderer, and headed back to the city with a much lighter load.
We headed back to the Strip to check into the Excalibur. The Excalibur has on site parking, but as we found out, it’s a bit of a walk from there to the registration. We basically cleared out the car and brought everything we had left (or threw it in the garbage) into the hotel. The walk to registration was fun with all of my stuff draped on my shoulders and back. I needed a serious repacking. The hotel was enormous! We ended up in the first tower on floor 4 with an amazing view…. Of the wall of an adjoining section of the hotel/casino. That’s what $35/night will get you, I guess! I had to take everything out of my bags and duffel bag so I could re-pack everything. Upon doing this, I realized that I had lost the book that inspired this trip, and worked as a guide for us: Photographing the Southwest, Volume 1: Southern Utah. I looked everywhere for it, and even called the hotel we left that morning, and was pretty bummed about it. I actually realized it might be missing when we were at Red Rock, but really realized it when I went through everything. Bummer! The only other thing(s) I couldn’t find were a lens end camp and my camera body cap which I can replace hopefully inexpensively…
Winger left to wander up the strip as she had to get to bed at a reasonable hour (up at 4AM to take a cab to the airport and fly at 6:40, yuk!) I had to finish packing or I’d have gone insane. Eventually I got everything organized, and it was time to play!
I wanted to walk up to the Bellagio to catch the fountain show which they set off every 15 minutes. Made it up there early for the 8PM show. Its pretty cool, kinda hokey, but worth checking out. Took a few okay pictures (though a tripod would have been optimal, I didn’t feel like walking around with it)…
I walked back down the other side of Las Vegas Blvd and took a few pictures along the way. It was my first time on the strip, and it was fun to see the people wandering around (though I imagine in a few hours, after midnight, it might have been more entertaining), and of course the lights!
I got back to the Excalibur after a quick snack at a FoodCourt across the street, at about 9:15 to clean up and check out the Casino…. I won’t get into details about that, but I had a certain amount of money I was willing to lose… and I did. That’s all you need to know about that! I was out until about 12:15, I played a combo of Poker, Roulette and Slots, including putting my last $5 on 17 Black for Kristina and Lily… It was fun to check out the madness, and it’d be fun to go back with more time to relax/explore the city…..
Vega$, Baby, Vega$
So, our final full day was upon us. No agenda today other than to pack up, find something to do for the 4 hours between check out time and check in time at the Excalibur. While showering, where I tend to do my best thinking, I realized Winger still hadn’t seen the Hoover Dam, and really wanted to. I suggested we pack up the jeep and head to the damn Dam. Winger was excited and seemed to have a bit of a spring back in her step.
We checked out, grabbed a bite to eat, and headed out to the Hoover Dam. The weather was MUCH different than when I visited 9 days earlier. It was nearly 100 degrees and not a cloud in the sky that Friday but today it was cloudy and very breezy. We parked on the Arizona side of the dam, and walked across to the visitor’s center and back taking some pictures along the way. Our timing, as would be a theme today, was perfect as it started to rain just as we were getting back to the car.
Along the way and on the way back, we tried to contact the company we rented our camping gear from to see if we could return it a day earlier. I was supposed to return it Monday morning as my flight wasn’t until 1AM Monday night/Tuesday AM. I was going to try to get home earlier if I could get the gear back Sunday… Unfortunately, we hadn’t heard anything back. The company was a few miles from the Damn, but was open by appointment only.
We stopped in Boulder City on the way back where the temporary Visitors’ Center for the Lake Meade National Recreation Area was located and after finding a parking spot (there was an art festival going on, and traffic was pretty tough), we visited some very eager rangers… it seemed as if they hadn’t had many visitors that day! I got my National Parks passport stamped, chatted a little with the people there, and then we hit the road.
The one remaining thing left to see in the area was Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area which was just to the west of Vegas. The National Parks Pass worked for this area too. Best investment of the trip, methinks! The drive to Red Rock was pretty incredible scenery-wise, mostly because of the clouds, and the way the sunlight was hitting some of the rocks/mountains. There’s a beautiful 12 mile scenic loop drive through the park and we stopped at most of the viewpoints to take pictures and relax along the way. If the weather wasn’t so ominous, we would have hiked a little bit, as Winger had her energy back, but that’ll have to wait until next time…
On our way out, Winger saw that the woman from Western Wanderer (the camping company) contacted her via email and said she’d be in until 5PM (it was just 3 at the time) so we drove back to Boulder City, and dropped off the camping gear. We shared some stories with the woman at Western Wanderer, and headed back to the city with a much lighter load.
We headed back to the Strip to check into the Excalibur. The Excalibur has on site parking, but as we found out, it’s a bit of a walk from there to the registration. We basically cleared out the car and brought everything we had left (or threw it in the garbage) into the hotel. The walk to registration was fun with all of my stuff draped on my shoulders and back. I needed a serious repacking. The hotel was enormous! We ended up in the first tower on floor 4 with an amazing view…. Of the wall of an adjoining section of the hotel/casino. That’s what $35/night will get you, I guess! I had to take everything out of my bags and duffel bag so I could re-pack everything. Upon doing this, I realized that I had lost the book that inspired this trip, and worked as a guide for us: Photographing the Southwest, Volume 1: Southern Utah. I looked everywhere for it, and even called the hotel we left that morning, and was pretty bummed about it. I actually realized it might be missing when we were at Red Rock, but really realized it when I went through everything. Bummer! The only other thing(s) I couldn’t find were a lens end camp and my camera body cap which I can replace hopefully inexpensively…
Winger left to wander up the strip as she had to get to bed at a reasonable hour (up at 4AM to take a cab to the airport and fly at 6:40, yuk!) I had to finish packing or I’d have gone insane. Eventually I got everything organized, and it was time to play!
I wanted to walk up to the Bellagio to catch the fountain show which they set off every 15 minutes. Made it up there early for the 8PM show. Its pretty cool, kinda hokey, but worth checking out. Took a few okay pictures (though a tripod would have been optimal, I didn’t feel like walking around with it)…
I walked back down the other side of Las Vegas Blvd and took a few pictures along the way. It was my first time on the strip, and it was fun to see the people wandering around (though I imagine in a few hours, after midnight, it might have been more entertaining), and of course the lights!
I got back to the Excalibur after a quick snack at a FoodCourt across the street, at about 9:15 to clean up and check out the Casino…. I won’t get into details about that, but I had a certain amount of money I was willing to lose… and I did. That’s all you need to know about that! I was out until about 12:15, I played a combo of Poker, Roulette and Slots, including putting my last $5 on 17 Black for Kristina and Lily… It was fun to check out the madness, and it’d be fun to go back with more time to relax/explore the city…..
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Day 9: Saturday, October 2, 2010
Day 9: Saturday, October 2, 2010
Brrrrrrrrr!
Woke up to mid 30’s temperatures, easily the coldest night of the trip. I wanted to get up to Sunset point in Bryce to catch the sunrise, and we were up plenty early for it. It was the first and only time I was glad I brought a winter hat and gloves along for the trip! We grabbed the tripods and headed up to Bryce and were, I believe, the 2nd car there. The sunrise was absolutely beautiful with the clouds still looming from the day before, and the hoodoos of the Bryce Amphitheater started to glow when the rays of the sun hit them. It was a great sight and though I got some ok pictures, I’m not sure they did it justice!
Following the sunrise, we decided to drive the length of the park down to Rainbow Point and stop at all of the points along the way. The park reached 9500 feet, I believe, by the end of the drive, and it was still chilly but was starting to warm up. The overlooks/viewpoints down the 15 mile road to Rainbow Point were much different than the Amphitheater as the hoodoos and groups of them were much more spread out. More of a grand view, but still awesome, and impressive… The clouds made me really wish they had been there throughout the trip, as my photos would have been more impressive!
We got back to the tent and packed up for what would be the last time and headed on our way to Zion National Park, the final destination on our adventure.
Along the way, about a 2 hour drive, we talked about our options as it was clear Winger was still recovering from Thursday, and the temperature was quickly rising. She said instead of camping at the park (I had reserved a site at Watchmen Campground in Zion) that she would spring for a hotel and I could drop her off and explore the park.
We reached the park and drove in through the East Entrance, and it was a stunning view. The road is under construction and traffic picked up as we reached the big tunnel. The drive through the tunnel and into the canyon was spectacular. We stopped at the visitors center which was mobbed, and parking was at a premium. The park runs a shuttle service, mandatory to visit the scenic road into the canyon during peak months.
After checking out the book store/visitor’s center (the temperatures had reached mid 90’s), we left the park into Springdale, the town just south of the park, to see if we could find a reasonable priced place to stay for the night. Unfortunately, we learned there was a Marathon in St. George, and a big Red Bull event, along with a ton of families visiting the park, so rooms were at a premium. There was nothing within a reasonable price range.
I decided that I’d suck it up and we’d drive back to Vegas that afternoon. It wasn’t an easy choice because Zion was one of the places I really wanted to see, but Winger was hurting, and I didn’t want to leave her behind. I appreciated her offer to spring for a hotel and let me go up there by myself, but I didn’t feel right about it, and honestly, the place was so packed, and hot, I came to terms with it, and made the decision to head back a day early. Softening the blow was the news that the day before, according to our email, we got permits to hike the Wave in Arizona in January. If we can put a short trip together to do that and then visit Zion (in the winter!) that would make up for it 10 fold!
Other than the temperatures reaching triple digits (according to the car thermometer), the drive back to Vegas was uneventful until we got within 15-20 miles of the city and saw a crazy storm sweeping across the desert. The wind picked up and was extremely strong. Winger, already ill, was getting nervous, and we hit rain for the first time on the trip. Didn’t expect to see that in/near Vegas, but it was quite a site seeing blackness heading right towards us!
We made it to Vegas and checked into an Extended Stay suite thing east of the strip, and not in the best neighborhood, but it was a really nice room (actually rooms, separate kitchen/living room, etc) and cheap. Unwound and had some pizza for dinner and that was that….
Brrrrrrrrr!
Woke up to mid 30’s temperatures, easily the coldest night of the trip. I wanted to get up to Sunset point in Bryce to catch the sunrise, and we were up plenty early for it. It was the first and only time I was glad I brought a winter hat and gloves along for the trip! We grabbed the tripods and headed up to Bryce and were, I believe, the 2nd car there. The sunrise was absolutely beautiful with the clouds still looming from the day before, and the hoodoos of the Bryce Amphitheater started to glow when the rays of the sun hit them. It was a great sight and though I got some ok pictures, I’m not sure they did it justice!
Following the sunrise, we decided to drive the length of the park down to Rainbow Point and stop at all of the points along the way. The park reached 9500 feet, I believe, by the end of the drive, and it was still chilly but was starting to warm up. The overlooks/viewpoints down the 15 mile road to Rainbow Point were much different than the Amphitheater as the hoodoos and groups of them were much more spread out. More of a grand view, but still awesome, and impressive… The clouds made me really wish they had been there throughout the trip, as my photos would have been more impressive!
We got back to the tent and packed up for what would be the last time and headed on our way to Zion National Park, the final destination on our adventure.
Along the way, about a 2 hour drive, we talked about our options as it was clear Winger was still recovering from Thursday, and the temperature was quickly rising. She said instead of camping at the park (I had reserved a site at Watchmen Campground in Zion) that she would spring for a hotel and I could drop her off and explore the park.
We reached the park and drove in through the East Entrance, and it was a stunning view. The road is under construction and traffic picked up as we reached the big tunnel. The drive through the tunnel and into the canyon was spectacular. We stopped at the visitors center which was mobbed, and parking was at a premium. The park runs a shuttle service, mandatory to visit the scenic road into the canyon during peak months.
After checking out the book store/visitor’s center (the temperatures had reached mid 90’s), we left the park into Springdale, the town just south of the park, to see if we could find a reasonable priced place to stay for the night. Unfortunately, we learned there was a Marathon in St. George, and a big Red Bull event, along with a ton of families visiting the park, so rooms were at a premium. There was nothing within a reasonable price range.
I decided that I’d suck it up and we’d drive back to Vegas that afternoon. It wasn’t an easy choice because Zion was one of the places I really wanted to see, but Winger was hurting, and I didn’t want to leave her behind. I appreciated her offer to spring for a hotel and let me go up there by myself, but I didn’t feel right about it, and honestly, the place was so packed, and hot, I came to terms with it, and made the decision to head back a day early. Softening the blow was the news that the day before, according to our email, we got permits to hike the Wave in Arizona in January. If we can put a short trip together to do that and then visit Zion (in the winter!) that would make up for it 10 fold!
Other than the temperatures reaching triple digits (according to the car thermometer), the drive back to Vegas was uneventful until we got within 15-20 miles of the city and saw a crazy storm sweeping across the desert. The wind picked up and was extremely strong. Winger, already ill, was getting nervous, and we hit rain for the first time on the trip. Didn’t expect to see that in/near Vegas, but it was quite a site seeing blackness heading right towards us!
We made it to Vegas and checked into an Extended Stay suite thing east of the strip, and not in the best neighborhood, but it was a really nice room (actually rooms, separate kitchen/living room, etc) and cheap. Unwound and had some pizza for dinner and that was that….
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Day 8: Friday, October 1, 2010 - Back on the Road
Day 8: Friday, October 1, 2010
Back on the Road
So, Thursday was pretty much a wash. Crashed in the Days Inn from about noon until 9 Friday morning. I was feeling much better by the time bed time rolled around, and when I woke up, I felt much better, and ready to head down to Bryce Canyon. Winger was feeling better, but still not near where she wanted to be.
The most striking thing about waking up was that there were honest to goodness clouds in the sky!
We packed up and left Torrey around 9 and headed down Scenic Route 12 towards Bryce. Its not the most direct route, but it’s a can’t miss drive. The drive took us into the Dixie National Forest. The foliage was a lot different than we have in New England, not as many different colors, but it was still beautiful. Not to mention, there were open range cows EVERYWHERE. After passing through the forest, we found ourselves in the Grand Staircase Escalante. The change in landscape was pretty amazing, and we ended up driving on a narrow ridge with huge drop offs on each side. It honestly was hard to not stop every 5 minutes and take some photos. And there were plenty of pull offs to do that, but Bryce was calling.
We made it to Bryce around noon and found a campsite at Ruby’s RV and Campground just outside the park which would prove to be convenient.
After checking in at the visitor’s center and driving a bit, Winger determined that she wouldn’t be able to do too much walking around, as she was still wiped out from the sickness so after driving to a couple of overlooks accessible from the car (a theme we developed for a future Lazy Photography Travel Blog idea ;) ) I dropped her back off at the camp site, and returned to the park to do some hiking.
One thing to take into consideration with Bryce is the elevation. A lot of the parks are pretty high up but Bryce is mostly between 8-10,000 feet. I did a short hike into the Canyon called the Queens Garden Trail which was a total of 1.6 miles round trip. The trip in was all downhill which, of course ,meant the trip up was uphill. It was pretty impressive being amongst the hoodoos. I think that Bryce is my favorite, so far, of the parks, though its pretty small, and not that diverse. I met some cool people along the trail including a couple of dudes from Mass and Rhode Island. Took a break for some snacks (apple and cliff bar) and more water (I made sure to keep plenty hydrated after the previous issues) and hiked back up to the Sunrise point.
After grilling up some grilled cheese for dinner, we headed back into the park to check out Sunset point, but Sunrise point was where we watched the sun set.
Back at the camp site, you could feel the temperature dropping. I bundled up in a hooded sweatshirt and flannel pants and was pretty comfy…The goal for tomorrow was to wake up for sunrise at Sunset Point, pack up the tent and head down to Zion for our final stop….
Back on the Road
So, Thursday was pretty much a wash. Crashed in the Days Inn from about noon until 9 Friday morning. I was feeling much better by the time bed time rolled around, and when I woke up, I felt much better, and ready to head down to Bryce Canyon. Winger was feeling better, but still not near where she wanted to be.
The most striking thing about waking up was that there were honest to goodness clouds in the sky!
We packed up and left Torrey around 9 and headed down Scenic Route 12 towards Bryce. Its not the most direct route, but it’s a can’t miss drive. The drive took us into the Dixie National Forest. The foliage was a lot different than we have in New England, not as many different colors, but it was still beautiful. Not to mention, there were open range cows EVERYWHERE. After passing through the forest, we found ourselves in the Grand Staircase Escalante. The change in landscape was pretty amazing, and we ended up driving on a narrow ridge with huge drop offs on each side. It honestly was hard to not stop every 5 minutes and take some photos. And there were plenty of pull offs to do that, but Bryce was calling.
We made it to Bryce around noon and found a campsite at Ruby’s RV and Campground just outside the park which would prove to be convenient.
After checking in at the visitor’s center and driving a bit, Winger determined that she wouldn’t be able to do too much walking around, as she was still wiped out from the sickness so after driving to a couple of overlooks accessible from the car (a theme we developed for a future Lazy Photography Travel Blog idea ;) ) I dropped her back off at the camp site, and returned to the park to do some hiking.
One thing to take into consideration with Bryce is the elevation. A lot of the parks are pretty high up but Bryce is mostly between 8-10,000 feet. I did a short hike into the Canyon called the Queens Garden Trail which was a total of 1.6 miles round trip. The trip in was all downhill which, of course ,meant the trip up was uphill. It was pretty impressive being amongst the hoodoos. I think that Bryce is my favorite, so far, of the parks, though its pretty small, and not that diverse. I met some cool people along the trail including a couple of dudes from Mass and Rhode Island. Took a break for some snacks (apple and cliff bar) and more water (I made sure to keep plenty hydrated after the previous issues) and hiked back up to the Sunrise point.
After grilling up some grilled cheese for dinner, we headed back into the park to check out Sunset point, but Sunrise point was where we watched the sun set.
Back at the camp site, you could feel the temperature dropping. I bundled up in a hooded sweatshirt and flannel pants and was pretty comfy…The goal for tomorrow was to wake up for sunrise at Sunset Point, pack up the tent and head down to Zion for our final stop….
Friday, October 1, 2010
Day 7: Thursday, September 30, 2010 - Utah 2 - Gib/Winger 0
Utah 2-Gib/Winger 0
So apparently whatever we tried to put ourselves through yesterday pissed off our bodies. I didn’t sleep all that well last night and woke up feeling awful…Achy and feverish. That’s the theme of today.
Our goal today was to drive from Moab to Torrey, Utah and stop in at Goblin Valley State Park and Capitol Reef National Park.
We managed to get to Goblin Valley, and walk around for a little, but it was really tough. Following that, we headed for Capitol Reef, but by the time we got there, neither one of us was looking forward to exploring/photographing. The route we were on cut through the park and we managed to take a few pictures and stop in at the Visitors Center, but that was it for this park. By noon we were at a Days Inn in Torrey and though they don’t check in until 2PM, Winger managed to talk the woman at the front desk into letting us in early where we’ve spent most of the day sleeping…
After sleeping for 5 hours and getting some food, I definitely felt better. Hopefully in the morning we’ll be ready to head down to Bryce Canyon!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Day 6: Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - Humbling
Humbling
Tuesday morning Winger decided to sleep in, so I got up early to catch sunrise at Dead Horse Point State Park. I got on the road at about 5:45 and to the park around 6:30. Only one other guy was there at the time I arrived, and it was the most silent and peaceful time I’ve experienced in a long time. I found a spot to set up, away from the other guy and got some pretty cool shots of the river gooseneck and some trees in the foreground. I’m starting to compose photos better, get an idea in my mind instead of just fire away. While setting up, I managed to take a few moments to relax and enjoy the view. I thought of my dad and how much of the country he got to see in his day. We had talked about visiting some of the parks out here, but never got around to it.
I climbed back up a few rocks to head back to Moab and smashed my knee on some sandstone. Little did I know it was a sign of things to come! After paying the park entrance fee and using the bathroom at the visitors center (which didn’t open until 8, along with all of the bathrooms in the park, quick sidebar: if you have the option to go to the bathroom before leaving, do it, don’t ever assume they’ll be open!), I headed back to the Lazy Lizard where Wings was still asleep (I was somewhat envious, but I think I had the better morning!)
We decided Wednesday would be laundry day and Winger did all of the laundry for both of us at a Laundromat nearby while I took a nice nap.
Our goal for the afternoon was to head to Canyonlands National Park and find False Kiva, a class 2 archaeological site that isn’t listed on maps, or advertised, but the rangers are required to give you information on how to find it if you ask for it directly. I had read and seen about it on websites and in the book “Photographing the Southwest”, a series of books that inspired me and gave me ideas for this trip….
I had read that it could be difficult to find, and it was strenuous coming back from the site. I had no idea what we were in store for until we began the trek. We both realized that there are limitations to what we can do, and that neither one of us are in the kind of shape that would allow us to continue on the journey. Unfortunately, this didn’t come until we were 2/3 of the way there and realized that we’d have to climb back up a hefty slope of rocks and trees at elevation and in pretty high heat. It was humbling but we decided to turn around before continuing along a path that might have been dangerous. I don’t have any regrets, but am motivated to get back there! The ranger said that at least ½ of the people who look for it do not find it on their first try and we found it, and knew how to get there. I will be back!
After a precarious climb back to the top where we parked, we decided it’d be overlook stops in the rest of the park. We were both exhausted and wanted to head back home but we were in one of the most beautiful places in the area, and wanted to see some more sites. I managed to get a few decent shots of Grand View Point, the classic Canyonlands shot, and we headed back to Moab for an early night.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Day 5: Tues, September 28, 2010
Day 5: Tuesday, September 28, 2010
We decided that we’d just wake up whenever we woke up and hit Arches at that time…
For some reason that worked better than setting alarms. Who knew?
We decided that we’d just wake up whenever we woke up and hit Arches at that time…
For some reason that worked better than setting alarms. Who knew?
We headed back into Arches before 8AM and shot for the Windows section again. Our goal was to get a shot (seen above) that is a classic shot, though it takes some scrambling up some rocks behind the North Window that they don’t necessarily like people to do. I have really enjoyed climbing these rocks, though I don’t think its something I could see myself doing straight up the face of a giant rock… Anyway, we got a few decent shots, though I am getting frustrated with the lack of clouds!
Next up, we headed to the northern part of the park, the Devils Garden, and hiked up to Landscape Arch. It was a beautiful little hike, and the arch, I believe the longest in the world, was pretty awesome. Along the way, several people commented on my North Carolina State U T-shirt that I happened to have on, including a Virginia Tech alum who conceded that we’ll kick their butts In football this weekend. I said ‘I sure hope so!’ ha ha ha. Another couple asked where in NC I was from and seemed disappointed when I told her I wasn’t from there at all. Sorry lady!
After the nice little 2 mile hike, we headed back into Moab to grab lunch at the Moab Brewery. Our first restaurant meal in a few days. I had a delicious burger and some great French fries along with a beer from the brewery. No idea what it was but it was tasty!
Following lunch we headed down to the Lazy Lizard International Hostel and checked in for our two night stay in a cabin. It’s a pretty chill place with old hippies everywhere. (Winger insists its where old hippies go to die). Its got a bunk bed, a lamp, table, chair and electricity. Not much more you can ask for..OH its got A/C too, and in the last few days where it reached upper 90’s its welcome!
Speaking of 90’s, I spoke to my friend Steph back in Rhode Island and she commiserated about the rain they were getting back in New England. Believe me, I would have taken a little rain!
We rested up for a bit before heading back on the road. We got a pamphlet from the Moab information center that had some local Indian Art to look for and we headed up Potash road. It was pretty disappointing for the first few stops, but heading back towards town, we found a great display of art right along the road. Definitely worth a stop.
Our final destination for the day was Delicate Arch, pretty much the symbol of Utah and on most of their license plates. Due to the heat and exhaustion, we resigned to hiking the ½ mile to the Arch viewpoint rather than the arch itself to catch last light. The ½ mile was pretty much straight up and was pretty exhausting. The sun, elevation and fact that neither one of us are in really good shape was starting to catch up with us by the time we reached the viewing area. It was a pretty cool view of the arch and also the hundred or so people standing around the arch, they all looked like ants!
After the sun set, we headed back into town to grab some groceries and dinner at Paradox Pizza. Some of the best Pizza I’ve had in a long time, check ‘em out if you’re ever in town!
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