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.

SW Road Trip: Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef and Moab

I know what you're thinking about now. We looked at a lot of rocks!

and there's more...

We woke up from our very cold evening and didn't really warm up all day. The day was sooo cold. Bryce Canyon National Park and Capitol Reef National Park were on our schedule for the day. We also drove through the northern portion of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The pictures above were all taken along a 130 mile stretch. There were towers and plateaus, hoodoos, mountains and lakes, farms, fields, rivers, canyons, and valleys. The road was windy and up and down and it was unbelievably beautiful. The pictures are in order and at times it was literally snowing and icy then the sun was out and was rather warm.

This Scenic Byway 12 was so cool. We really want to go back. Even though my photos hardly do it justice and most were taken while I was in motion Chad and I were thinking we could stay there permanently. I'm getting behind the idea of owning an airplane more and more all the time. There is NOTHING for miles and miles and I know that this statement being made by a girl from North Dakota should hold some weight. There is NOTHING out there for miles and miles. But it's an awesome nothingness.



I have one picture of the Kiva Koffeehouse. It was worth the stop. The valley photo with the silver and green trees were the view from this coffeehouse and the owner/builder/dreamer of this place also built cabins in the wall of the canyon for guests to stay. What a neat place. Great coffee and local art and pottery for purchase at a reasonable price.

Bryce Canyon was a quick trip for us. There were not many ammenities in the area, most importantly no good coffee so we just stopped at the scenic overlooks and called it good. It was a good stop but not that exciting to be honest. I think cross-country skiing and snowmobiling or atv-ing in the area would be the way to go if you are going to visit.

Capitol Reef was a better stop. The rocks were so red and the spring green was beautiful. Since it had been rainy we had to be very careful driving through because of flash flooding. These places look so dry and desolate in some parts and then there are orchards everywhere in between. that is just one of the strange and unique characteristics of Utah that is rather captivating.

It's amazing that the parks in Utah are really close and you can see so much in a few days. We were able to see as much as we wanted that day and still make it to Moab for the night in good time. We were excited to get to Moab. This place is a real destination for outdoor enthusiasts and as much as we love outdoor sports and travel we look pedestrian to most of this town's patrons.

It was only the second weekend in May and all the hotels were full. If you want to rock climb, atv, raft, kayak, bike, hike, camp, sky-dive, get lost, or test your vehicle's off-roading ability this is the place. Plus, there is good shopping, restaurants, spas, resorts, coffee, beer, bloody mary's and more. We found an RV park to pull into for the night. For around $15-20 bucks we parked in a safe spot, had access to a bathroom and hot shower. Not a bad gig really. If only we'd had our beloved camping gear we would have enjoyed the Land Rover hotel so much more.