Two Lane Adventures: Day 15 of our 30-day Southwest Grand Circle Caravan

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.