Moab

My entire motivation for even going to Utah was to visit the most important ladies in my life, in Salt Lake City. But more on that later. Moab is kind of on the way, and in our National Park Quest, it definitely was on the way. Zion and Bryce Canyon were definitely out of the way, so we had to settle for Moab and Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. Now when I say settle, what I really mean is holy shitballs this place is insanely beautiful. Who knew rocks were cool? Not me. But they are. Definitely.

One thing to note is that Moab is hot. I think I finally know what “hot as balls” means after spending 3 days in Moab. High 90s by 10AM is not fun and definitely not for our long-haired golden retriever. Most National Parks are not the friendliest for dogs, but Moab was just so hot that it made sense since the only logical place for our little family was in our tiny air conditioned car. It also did not help that we were in Utah during a heat wave, but that did not prevent us from seeing the beauty that is the rocky desert of Utah. One of the most amazing things about this trip has been seeing all the incredible nature that makes up our country. Now, we have definitely not seen everything as the USA is huge, but it really amazes me how drastically the country changes, and you really don’t get that unless you are experiencing the changes. Holy crap. Nature is cool.

We only got to do one actual hike in Arches because of our dog. We woke up really early and hiked the Delicate Arch, which is the huge arch symbolic of the state of Utah, and was definitely worth it. The hike is supposed to take 45-60 minutes to get to the arch, but we basically ran and did it in 30 because we left Ella in the tent at our campsite and by the time we were done it was already 85 degrees, at 8:30 in the morning.

Moab really is a beautiful place and had we been dog-less we definitely would have experienced more of this desert town. Except maybe next time we’ll try to visit during non-heat wave season. Moab in late July does allow one to learn some valuable lessons:

1. Elk burgers are delicious. We bought these at a meat farm in Rib Eye, Colorado – yes that is the actual town – and Steve cooked them up. So sweet and tender and I don’t feel bad at all that I ate elk. Ella was also very excited when she received bits in her food. I’m not sure she is going to be able to go back to normal dog food after this summer
2. Creek-side swimming is essential. When it is 110 degrees and you’ve been dragging your dog around all day, it is a good idea to find a creek for swimming. Luckily we found a secret creek/swimming hole. OK, not so secret because it was pretty crowded, but Ella didn’t care. She ran down to the water and just lay there for several minutes. Anytime Ella can find water, all is right with the world.
3. Frozen yogurt as a meal is absolutely acceptable. OK, this one is more of a life motto for me, but when it’s too hot to function you find some self-serve frozen yogurt, load it up with your favorite toppings (like mini gummy bears, mochi, and all the fruit) and just bask in the sweetness.
4. Utah has strange alcohol laws. Being Mormon-land, Utah has very strict alcohol policies, one of which is that they cannot serve you more than one drink at a time. Now this might seem normal, but think of all those times you order a drink and a shot at a bar, yeah you can’t do that here. While I’ve experienced this before, it was amusing watching the German couple across from us be very confused about this rule. I’ve also been carded every time I order a drink before. In the same bar. Utah is a strange place.
5. Hold on to your water bottles when hiking Delicate Arch. After a super speedy hike at 7 in the morning, it’s a good idea to take a break and sit on the ledge. It’s not a good idea to let go of your water bottle, tell your oblivious girlfriend to catch it, and then watch as it rolls down the mountain into a small grass patch. But Steve being that brave warrior he is climbed down the ledge — which terrified me — and got it back. It was definitely a little bruised and dented, but at least we still have all 6 of our water bottles.