We made it to Moab // Day 4
We have now hit 4 National Parks on this trip! Some of them are more highly rated on our list than others, but feeling pretty good about how much we are covering and seeing and enjoying.
Morning Time
I'm always up first in this group - and so I was confident that I would catch sunrise but I was amazed at how pretty it was. The sunrise lights up the red cliffs so intensely it's pretty amazing. We grabbed breakfast at the hotel since they had comp-d it from the mixups the day before. Breakfast was a million times better than dinner would have been. Bacon was a home run - and let's be honest, that's what I really care about.
Capitol Reef
Capitol Reef is gorgeous - but really more of a driving National Park than a hiking one, at least in what we saw. There are a lot of signs warning you about flash floods and where is safe to park - so that was special. Thankfully there weren't any concerns for us. We drove down 50% of the 10 mile scenic road and turned around. The view driving back was so much better. You could see all the difference rock formations in more unique perspective.
Driving through Utah
So this was a slog - a beautiful slog, but seriously a slog. After we left Capitol Reef, we began this longer drive to the Moab area. I would never have been able to do this by myself, the anxiety of being alone in a rental car in the middle of the desert would have been too much. There was zero cell reception. We barely saw any cars for a couple hours. It was only when we got to Rt 70 that we began to see other people. My hypothesis is that they were all doing the reverse of us, leaving Moab for another park.
Canyonlands
I've never seen the Grand Canyon but I can imagine how impressive it is. After seeing Canyonlands, it must be wild. Canyonlands absolutely seems like a place for people who love adventure sports. Every car seems to have mountain bikes on the back of it - thankfully, we are walking people.
+ Island in the Sky // perfect stop to stretch your legs before driving.... a lot more...
+ Upheaval Dome // we only walked to the first viewpoint - but absolutely worth it. Maybe even walk to the second one.
+ Green River Overlook // Quick stop unless you want to hike for 45 hours
+ Mesa Arch // Really cool. It's not quite Arches of course but you get really close and it offers so interesting photography options. Also, a million people.
Hotel & Dinner
Tonight we are staying at the Red Cliffs Lodge in Moab. Saying "in Moab" feels like a lie considering this hotel is about 13 miles inside a canyon along a river bed. I nearly died when the GPS told us - but it is beautiful. Another oasis after a long day of driving. When you pull up you just see these huge red cliffs (duh), big moving river, and tons of horses. Kerrianne nearly leapt out of her seat over the combination of horses and a winery. Plus at check-in they give you a double chocolate cookie.
We decompressed from the day by settling into our room, saying hi to the horses, and gazing at the river. Jake wasn't allowed in the winery (dumb), so we just hung out along the river before dinner. The view from dinner was amazing. We closed out the day by playing Uno on our back patio next to a creek and watching The Office in bed.
Tomorrow? Arches! ... and a very late red-eye flight home
Morning Time
I'm always up first in this group - and so I was confident that I would catch sunrise but I was amazed at how pretty it was. The sunrise lights up the red cliffs so intensely it's pretty amazing. We grabbed breakfast at the hotel since they had comp-d it from the mixups the day before. Breakfast was a million times better than dinner would have been. Bacon was a home run - and let's be honest, that's what I really care about.
Capitol Reef is gorgeous - but really more of a driving National Park than a hiking one, at least in what we saw. There are a lot of signs warning you about flash floods and where is safe to park - so that was special. Thankfully there weren't any concerns for us. We drove down 50% of the 10 mile scenic road and turned around. The view driving back was so much better. You could see all the difference rock formations in more unique perspective.
So this was a slog - a beautiful slog, but seriously a slog. After we left Capitol Reef, we began this longer drive to the Moab area. I would never have been able to do this by myself, the anxiety of being alone in a rental car in the middle of the desert would have been too much. There was zero cell reception. We barely saw any cars for a couple hours. It was only when we got to Rt 70 that we began to see other people. My hypothesis is that they were all doing the reverse of us, leaving Moab for another park.
Canyonlands
I've never seen the Grand Canyon but I can imagine how impressive it is. After seeing Canyonlands, it must be wild. Canyonlands absolutely seems like a place for people who love adventure sports. Every car seems to have mountain bikes on the back of it - thankfully, we are walking people.
+ Island in the Sky // perfect stop to stretch your legs before driving.... a lot more...
+ Upheaval Dome // we only walked to the first viewpoint - but absolutely worth it. Maybe even walk to the second one.
+ Green River Overlook // Quick stop unless you want to hike for 45 hours
+ Mesa Arch // Really cool. It's not quite Arches of course but you get really close and it offers so interesting photography options. Also, a million people.
Tonight we are staying at the Red Cliffs Lodge in Moab. Saying "in Moab" feels like a lie considering this hotel is about 13 miles inside a canyon along a river bed. I nearly died when the GPS told us - but it is beautiful. Another oasis after a long day of driving. When you pull up you just see these huge red cliffs (duh), big moving river, and tons of horses. Kerrianne nearly leapt out of her seat over the combination of horses and a winery. Plus at check-in they give you a double chocolate cookie.
We decompressed from the day by settling into our room, saying hi to the horses, and gazing at the river. Jake wasn't allowed in the winery (dumb), so we just hung out along the river before dinner. The view from dinner was amazing. We closed out the day by playing Uno on our back patio next to a creek and watching The Office in bed.
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