First Day in Moab

We got an early start from Salt Lake City for our 260 mile drive to Moab, UT in which we back-tracked most of our drive to Salt Lake City.  It was nice to see some color in the hillsides.  After 4 hours in the car, it's also nice to know that each day's drive in the future will be shorter.  We arrived shortly after noon, had lunch, then headed for Arches National Park.  What we were NOT prepared for was the temperatures! Early forecasts predicted highs in the 60's or 70's  with many nights dropping into the 40's or upper 30's, so we packed warmer clothes.  When we arrived, the temperature in Moab was 81 and it later rose to 85!

There is one road into the park with a few side roads to see various features.  The scenery as you enter the park is amazing!  These pictures do not to it justice, as is true with most scenery.  We enjoyed seeing what we called "The 3 Wise Men" (top left), but the park literature calls 'The Three Gossips".  Also pictured are The Balanced Rock (top right), South Window Arch (middle left), Double Arch (middle right), Parade of Elephants  (bottom left) and Delicate Arch (bottom right).
Click on any picture to enlarge.  Check out the tiny people in the Delicate Arch photo! There are several short trails to walk, to get closer to some of the arches, but due the heat and our clothing, we only did minimal walking to various viewpoints.  We stopped at the Visitor Center on our way out to watch a short video where we learned  about how the arches are crated and eventually destroyed by natural forces as well as that there are over 2000 arches in the park.  All in all, it was a very good day. 

So that was our day today.  Tomorrow we stay in Moab and plan to visit Deadhorse Point and part of Canyonlands National Park.