Friday, September 17, 2010

SW Road Trip: Arches National Park and 4X4 Trip



We woke up in Moab, UT and knew it would be a great day because there is so much to see and do. We sat down for breakfast to plan our day but couldn't decide what to do so we went to the Visitor Center and took their recommendations. It's what you do when you only have one day to do it all.

First on the list was a drive through Arches National Park with a short hike to Landscape Arch. It was already busy as we couldn't even find a place to park. This is the downside of popular parks. The upside is incredible views and landscapes.

To beat the crowd after our hike we drove off the highway and down a random dirt road. We thought we would be brave but lost our nerve when we saw the "road". So we turned around, left the park, and regrouped for the off-roading trail we had planned outside the park for later that day.




Once we refueled and regrouped we followed the directions we had been given and headed out of town. The pictures really say it all. It started out and looked easy enough but we were a little nervous for what was ahead. We were still learning how our Land Rover works off-road when navigating over rocks and up steep inclines. We really wanted to do it though because, hey, we own a Land Rover and we know it is sick of city streets. Plus, the vehicle has all these neat features provided exclusively for trips just like this one.

We started heading up and up and the road was narrow and going up and up and it was ROCKY. Don't forget there are people heading down and we needed to share the road. We were a little hyped up but when we saw that rock over the road we weren't sure. The only thing is, how would we turn around if it got to be too much? Well, we couldn't so onward we went. We made it and it was awesome. Fortunately, another vehicle came by and we were able to watch them climb the rocky road and gave us the nerve to barrel through. Sometimes it’s nice to watch how it's done and it totally helped.

The views were amazing and we felt accomplished. If you ever get to Moab you gotta do it. Either use your own 4X4 or rent one. You won't regret it.

This was a long day, we drove through Dead Horse Point State Park, Canyonlands National Park, and then drove to Cortez, Colorado to spend the night where we even had time to try some local brew and prepare for another day.