UTAH - DAY 10 - 9.30.23

It's moving day.  We don't have a clue where we're going.  I mean, we're going to Colorado, we just don't know where the first stop is going to be. 

It didn't take us long to get on the road today because we pretty much put anything away that we could last night.

We heard from a couple from Juniper Ridge, Chris & Cathy who happen to arrive in Moab yesterday.  I didn't know it until last night around 10:30 or I would have certainly reached out to meet up.

It was uneventful trip, thankfully.

I did get some going down the road pics, as if there was any doubt that I wouldn't.

We ended up in Cortez and are in a campground directly across from the Mesa Verde National Park.  We'll be here for several days as the next two don't sound like good sightseeing days.  It's very windy here and cloudy and looks like it could rain any minute.

It's an ok campground.  It's tier 'ed and basically a parking lot but they do try.  There is a pool and hot tub, a mini golf course, a clubhouse but we have no idea what's in there yet.  The only we've found that we don't like is the spurs that stick to the bottom of our shoes.  We've brought them in the trailer and I have stepped on two so far in my bare feet.  Ouch!

You can see part of the sign below.  It advertises as being "rustic luxury".  Do those two words even belong together?

We did stop for gas on the way in and we were pleasantly surprised to score a tankful for $3.91 a gallon.  Isn't it just pathetic that I write "we scored" and $3.91 in the same sentence!

We had to get a few things from the store and asked the fellow behind the desk where the closest grocery store was.  Turns out there's a Walmart!  There were none to be found in Kanab, Mt. Carmel or Moab in Utah.  

We made taco's for dinner and finished out the evening playing Farkle.

Can't wait to see if the weatherman is right about tomorrow.

 UTAH - DAY 9 - 9.29.23 (Part 1)

We both woke this morning raring to go after a good night's sleep.  We had a busy day planned after all.  

We found out that to see Arches National Park one must make a reservation for a specific time to enter the park.  One makes these reservations 3 months in advance.  One also has the chance to call at 6pm the night before for a reservation if there is room.  OR.... one can go any time before 7am or anytime after 4 pm.  The park never closes.  It's open 24/7.

We decided we would do Canyonlands first then Arches after four.

This is a national park I haven't been to before so Walt and I will get to share this one together as a first time for both of us.

I warned you there would be scenery overload today and I'm not going to disappoint.

The first five pictures were taken before we arrived at the Visitor's Center.  Remember, you can click on each picture to enlarge it.

The pup loves exploring too.  All these new smells!

Stopped at the Visitors Center because I had to get the stamp for our National Parks Passport Book.  Found one someone else had stamped laying on the desk all ready for me.  

I didn't get the name of this place until later in our visit.

Now it was time to do some serious sightseeing.   We did notice that in the distance everything seemed hazy and we asked a park ranger why that was.  He explained it was smoke from a fire in Colorado.

The colors changed so much from one section to another. Even the sky changes from area to area.

Walt is absolutely loving this trip. It makes my heart so happy to see him look at all of this in awe.

 

I took this picture simply because it was there and I liked it.

See the white tops on these hoodoos?  That is there because they're to protect them from rain.  Hoodoos are a soft rock and this harder covering is like an umbrella if you will.

There are no straight roads in this park.  It's all S turns and curves.

More photos of some amazing landscape.

SOLID ROCK!

This next picture is for our friend Wayne.  We know you like to work with rocks in the lapidary room so we thought we'd bring one home for you.  Wayne, try as we might, we just couldn't get it in the back of the pick-up.

So this was our day in Canyonlands National Park.  I did finally figure out the why they named the Visitors Center Island in the Sky.  The section we were in is like an island between two massive canyons and we were so high up,,,,well,,,,it was like an Island in the Sky.

UTAH - DAY 9 - 9/29/23  (Part 2)

After going home to get something to eat we headed back out to go see Arches National Park.  We were only about 10 miles from the entrance, so we didn't even leave until 4pm to give time for the 4 o'clock rush to clear out.

First stop was the sign.

The second stop was the visitor's center to get my stamp for the passport book.  That done, we were ready to go sightseeing!

More rock!

Around every turn there is a treasure to behold.

I am thankful for zoom lenses.

We are just in awe.

 

I wonder if the locals ever come to the National Parks.

Balancing Rock - simply amazing!

This stands at 128 feet tall.

More....

and even more...

Walt and I knew when we came to this park that to see some of the Arches up close and personal that there would be walking,,,uphill,,,involved.  With his legs and my back we knew this wasn't going to happen for us.  But oh how I wish we could have.

They are all so different.  Colors change.

Overloaded on scenery yet?  There's more!

I hope that you enjoyed your trip through Canyonlands and Arches National Parks.  If you have been here I hope our trip brought back good memories.

We saw this little shack as we drove home.  If it hadn't been for one particular thing that popped out at me we wouldn't have stopped.

The Delaware plate.

Tomorrow we move.