Part One - Activities around Moab - Day 14, 15, 16 & 17 of our 30-day Southwest Grand Circle Caravan

Friday night, July 29th, we enjoyed a buffet dinner and a boat ride on the Colorado River with Canyonlands by Night Boat Tour. This is a family-owned, all inclusive, tour company that has been providing tours since 1963. It was the finishing touch on a perfect day. We enjoyed a cowboy-style dutch oven dinner, including BBQ beef, BBQ pork, BBQ chicken, roast beef, roast pork, cowpoke potatoes (with chunked potatoes, spring vegetables and cheese melted mixed together), sweet baked beans, corn, homemade rolls, a full salad bar, dessert, and endless soft drinks. You could purchase local beers or wines too! They offered 

After dinner, just before the sun was set. We headed out into the Colorado River to enjoy a slow moving evening ride on a flat bottomed boat, with a knowledgeable and entertaining guide who pointed out things of interest and designs to inspire your imagination. 

Here are a few .... 

The cartoon face

Older people see ET, the younger generation sees Stitch, from Lilo and Stitch.

Everyone can see the old man, but as we moved ... his nose got longer and his face changed, but I missed that shot!

The Canyonlands by Night was not what I expected. There were no colored lights or laser lights, it was an old-fashioned light show. They recommended to put away your cameras and enjoy the show, which is what we did. They told us, we were welcome to use the pictures from their web site. 

Photo courtesy of Canyonland Tours by Day or Night

Once darkness settles in, the show began with 40,000 watts of natural light illuminating the canyon wall. Lights, shadows, music, and narration make the stories of the canyon’s formation, creation, and history come to life on the walls above the river. The story told was learned from the early settlers of the area, the Catholic conquistadors, Native Americans, and Mormon pioneers. The stories included how the settlers of the area believed the area was created by God. Nice to see in this day and age. It has been one of the most unique sound and light shows and a highlight of the caravan so far!

Saturday we toured Dead Horse Point State Park with our friends from Parachute, Colorado. Dead Horse SP is one of Utah's most spectacular state parks.  The view from Dead Horse Point is one of the most photographed scenic vistas in the world.  It towers over 2,000 feet above the Colorado River. All of the overlooks provide breathtaking panorama of Canyonlands' sculpted pinnacles and buttes. It is hard to believe that years of geologic activity have created these spectacular views. As one of our friends said, after seeing theses views, even an atheist might change their mind!

The legend of Dead Horse Point states that around the turn of the century the point was used as a corral for wild mustangs roaming the mesa top. Wranglers herded them across the narrow neck of land and onto the point.  The neck was then fenced off with branches and brush.  One time, for some unknown reason, horses were left corralled on the waterless point where they died of thirst within view of the Colorado River.

Dead Horse SP is also the location of the filming of the famous scene in Thelma and Louise! We got close to the edge, but not too close! When we walked around, we followed the stones and paved rim trail. The park covers almost 5,400 acres … too much to walk! Of course, much of that is below you!

The most unique feature was the electric-blue bodies of water popping out from the red, rocky landscape. They were too perfectly formed to be natural ponds. Turns out, they are open air Potash ponds in the base of the canyon to the east. These man-made ponds are for collecting potash, a potassium-containing salt used in farm fertilizers. The potash is pumped from below the Earth’s surface into the ground-level ponds, where sun evaporates the pond water and leaves potash behind. The water is dyed an eye-catching blue so that it’ll absorb heat and evaporate more quickly, a process that typically takes about 300 days. Wow, I wonder how far along in the process they were when we saw the ponds?

Our friends, took us to the Hole in the Rock. When their kids were young, they stopped here before all the “tourist attractions” were added. It is along US 191 south of Moab. It is a historic 5,000 square foot home which began taking shape almost a century ago by the Christensen family. What began as a small alcove for the young Christensen boys to sleep in at night grew into a man-made engineering marvel 20 years in the making. 

The home in the rock, it boasts a fireplace with a 65' chimney, 14 rooms arranged around huge pillars and a deep bathtub built into the rock. It is truly a most unusual home in the dessert. Many of the original furnishings, Albert's paintings, Gladys's doll collection and many of the tools used to create this home remind you of the past. It took Albert 12-years to excavate the 50,000 cubic feet of sandstone from the rock. During this time he also completed his famous painting Sermon on the Mount and his sculpture of Franklin D. Roosevelt on the face of the rock above his home.

When Albert died in 1957, the home was not complete. Gladys's in keeping with his wishes and lifelong dreams continued to develop the property, opening a gift shop and giving tours of her home until she passed away in 1974. Gladys is laid to rest next to Albert in a small cove within the rock near the home.

The “tourist items that were added include some awesome metal sculptures, the smiley face, the jeep and the bull were my two favorites! 

There are some great neon signs. The Prospector Lodge was erected in 1954 to house the miners in the Uranium boom. It was torn down in 2001.

An “old time mining village” of sorts, a small zoo, a convenience store and gift shop. 

We found another Tow-mater ... our first was in Galena Kansas ... our second was at The Hole in the Rock!


Charlie found the jeep atop the rock especially interesting! However, he was not willing to climb the rock to get a better look!

On Sunday, we decided to stay close to home, rest a bit, get laundry done and do some “Back Road Adventures.” We headed to the south side of Moab and started turning down streets that looked like they lead into the rocks. We ended up heading toward the Golf Course on Spanish Trail. We were checking out the golf course and the homes. 

We discovered some petroglyphs on Westwater Drive. The panel runs from ground level up to approximately 30 feet on the high rock wall. 





The panel is from the Formative Period and you will be able to see human figures, canines, and other animals.

It is just too bad that people feel they need to deface these pieces of history!

Charlie had a hankering for a Whopper, so we found Burger King on 191 in Moab. After lunch, we ventured out the back of Burger King onto Kane Creek Blvd. We followed the road as it curved along and went straight past the municipal barns at the corner of 500 West.

There is a wetland preserve, yes … you read that right, a wetland preserve. Arcing around a slow bend of the Colorado River near Moab, the Scott M. Matheson Wetlands Preserve is a verdant haven in the arid, high country of the Colorado Plateau. 

A literal "oasis in the desert," the 895-acre preserve is home to an extraordinary variety of wildlife, including more than 225 species of birds. This watery world of trees and grasses offers the only shelter and forage habitat of its kind on this river system in Utah. 

There are no dogs or bikes allowed in the park. The two trailheads provide the major access points to the wetlands. The water levels are variable in the area, therefore, sometimes only the boardwalks will be above water and at other times the area appears dry.

We did much more in Moab, so stay tuned for part Two!

Day 15 of our 30-day Southwest Grand Circle Caravan - Arches National Park

We were extra lucky on this leg of our adventure, because we got to see friends from Parachute Colorado. We have not seen Linda and Don Moore for at least 15 or 20 years! With the invention of the internet and Facebook, we have stayed in contact ... which makes it easier to reconnect, when you do!

We came to Arches National Park to see balanced rocks, towering fins, spires and the world’s largest concentration of natural sandstone arches. 

How many arches are a large concentration? There are over 2,000 documented arches in the park, ranging from silver-thin cracks to spans greater than 300 feet. 

How do arches form? As erosion happens, a variety of shapes begin to appear. To be one of the park’s official stone arches, a hole must have an opening of at least 3 feet in any one direction. There is no requirement for width.

Is a window an arch? Yes, windows are arches that are particularly large, are located on a high wall or fin.

What about bridges? A natural bridge spans a waterway, or somewhere water once ran. Very few bridges exist in Arches National Park, but National Bridges has three tremendous examples of this feature.

These landscapes inspire awe at first glance, but if you take a closer look you will receive the greatest reward.

The park has over 76,000 acres of surreal geologic wonders that represent millions of years of the earth’s history exposed by water, ice and wind.

We followed a paved scenic drive that took us to many of the major viewpoints within the park.  The park’s rock formations delight all visitors, there are several easy trails providing opportunities to get out of the car and explore the arches up close.

We drove into the park and stopped at Park Avenue. Park Avenue makes me think of our many trips to NYC for military business. I can kind of see NYC in these rock formations.

Courthouse Towers do look like towers around the edges of a building.

Three Sisters, I prefer that name to the Three Gossips name. If you combine the two names, some men might say that it is a very fitting name! Women, not so much!

The Balanced Rock is another wonder, how long has it been there How long will it stay there? Probably longer than my great granddaughter will be alive! Only time will tell!

Garden of Eden

Look closely and you can see two arches, also known as Double Arch. See the King's crown in the background too? Yes, those little specks are people climbing around the Double Arch.

We walked up to and under the North Window. 

The view is amazing! 

We captured a father and his young daughter who climbed the other side of the arch to get a different perspective! They are in the big picture in the very center of the frame. For the close up shot I zoomed in, just for some perspective!

Turrent Arch

Wolfe Ranch is home to this humble, one-room cabin sits near the present-day trail head for the hike to Delicate Arch. We peered through the doorway and wondered, "Who lived here... and how? In 1898, a nagging leg injury from the Civil War prompted 69-year-old John Wesley Wolfe to leave his home in Ohio and seek a drier climate. He brought his oldest son, Fred, with him out west, and the two settled a 100+-acre property along Salt Wash, just north of the sleepy little village of Moab. 

The property had fresh water, enough grassland to feed a few head of cattle, and plenty of peace and quiet. For nearly a decade, they lived and worked alone on the remote "Bar DX" ranch. The scene changed in 1906 when John's daughter, Flora, made the westward trek with her husband, Ed Stanley, and two young children, Esther and Ferol. Appalled by the condition in which her father and brother lived, Flora demanded they build a new cabin with a wooden floor and real windows. 

John obliged, creating the small but sturdy cabin made of cottonwood logs that remains in the park to this day. 

He also constructed a root celler, irrigation dams, and a corral. All six family members lived and slept under the distinctive thatch-and-clay roof for just two years, when the Stanleys resettled in nearby Moab. 

The cabin passed through several more hands, including J. Marvin Turnbow, the first custodian of Arches National Monument. The final private owner, Emmett Elizondo, sold the property to the U.S. government for inclusion in the monument.

We viewed the Delicate Arch from the lower viewing area. Which means we were looking up at the Arch. It is amazing how small the people look that are climbing on or near this arch. Our friends have come here often and only made the hike to delicate Arch once!

We hiked out to the Landscape Arch. September 1, 1991 hikers thought they heard cracks of thunder in the distance. Park visitors resting under Landscape Arch heard popping and crackling noises overhead. They fled as small rocks tumbled from the slender 306 foot long span. Moments later, a 60 foot long rock slab peeled away from the arches right side. When the dust settled 180 tons of fresh rock debris lay scattered on the ground. Visitors are no longer allowed close to the Landscape Arch.

Double O Arch is just beyond Landscape Arch. I tried to get some blue behind the double O's ... but look closely and you can see the two O's.

Can't forget the wildlife ... what would a trip to a National Park be like, without the wild life ... Jack Rabbit was the animal at Arches!

From our campground, Archview ... we can see the Delicate Arch in the distance. It is not real clear, but we all know what it is!