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More in Moab, Utah

8/22/2020

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This is part fourteen in a series of posts about my visit through parts of Arizona and Utah in September 2019.
​(Click words that are bolded for more information.)
After our bus drive through Arches National Park, which you can read about here, we spent the rest of the day exploring Moab on our own. People come to Moab, Utah to visit the nearby National Parks, and they come for biking, hiking, driving jeeps, boating and rafting. Some come to ride in hot air balloons. No wonder Moab is called the "Adventure Capital!"
Wall mural in Moab, Utah Picture
A colorful wall mural
We enjoyed a quiet stroll along the Colorado River. Moab is just one town that the river meanders  through, ever southward, on its way to the Grand Canyon and beyond. Here its banks are lined with invasive tamarisk trees and other plants, a ribbon of green ​beneath the towering red hills.
Tamarisk along Colorado River in Moab, Utah Picture
Tamarisk lined Colorado River
Colorado River in Moab, Utah Picture
The Colorado River in Moab, Utah
We crossed over the river on a foot bridge to get a closer look at the red rocks. Was there a peek hole in the rocks, an unnamed arch high in the varnished cliffs? Yes, there is. Can you see it, too?
An arch in Moab, Utah Picture
Another arch
Colorado River in Moab, Utah Picture
A view from under the highway
Red and yellow wasps were buzzing in the heady fragrance of these flowering plants. And the milky white trumpet shaped flowers of Datura plants were open to the sun. Their unpleasant odor is a warning that although beautiful, ingestion of the plant is toxic.
Red and Yellow Wasp in Moab, Utah Picture
Red and yellow wasp
Datura stramonium, Jimson Weed flower Picture
Datura flower, also known as Jimson Weed
Earlier, we had a chance to see petroglyphs from the bus.These intriguing symbols left by an ancient people remain, mysterious messages carved into the rock varnish of the sheer rock face.
Petroglyphs in Moab, Utah Picture
Petroglyphs in Moab
Rock varnish in Moab, Utah Picture
Rock varnish
Petroglyphs in Moab, Utah Picture
I spy a bighorn sheep
Petroglyphs in Moab, Utah Picture
Humanoid figures carved in stone
Petroglyphs in Moab, Utah Picture
Dancing figures all in a row, Barrier Canyon style
Petroglyphs in Moab, Utah Picture
More bighorn sheep, top right
This petroglyph panel can been seen on Kane Creek Blvd. There are many other places to see petroglyphs around Moab. Most involve a hike.

​In this area centuries ago, people left pictures for others to see, pictures captured in rock. Today, people like me capture pictures with a ... 
Metal camera sculpture in Moab, Utah Picture
I spy a wrench and a screw driver
... camera.
​
Well, not with this metal camera sculpture made of hand tools and other odds and ends. But this unique camera certainly captured my attention, so I captured it with my camera!
Picture
There is much more to Moab, and we hope to see more of this area some day. Our next stop is Monument Valley, so come along for the ride!

​~ Debbie
If you missed the earlier stops, follow the links and enjoy the view. 

First stop - Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden 
here.
Second stop - Montezuma's Castle here.
Third stop - Sedona here.
Fourth stop - The Grand Canyon here.
Fifth stop - The Desert Watch Tower here.

Sixth stop - Glen Canyon and Lake Powell here.
Seventh stop - Zion National Park here.
Eighth stop - Between canyons here. 

Ninth stop - Bryce Canyon here.
Tenth stop - Utah's Scenic Byway 12 here.
Eleventh stop - Ancient Petroglyphs here. 

Twelfth stop - Goblin Valley State Park here. 
Thirteenth stop - Arches National Park here.
Fourteenth stop - Moab, Utah here.
Fifteenth stop - Monument Valley here. ​
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Arches National Park - Moab, Utah

7/11/2020

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This is part thirteen in a series of posts about my visit through parts of Arizona and Utah in September 2019.
​(Click words that are bolded for more information.)
Arches National Park Picture
Arches National Park is home to over 2,000 sandstone arches
Continuing our tour brought us to the town of Moab, Utah and its prime attraction - Arches National Park. The world's largest concentration of natural arches is located in this National Park. There are over 2,000 arches with openings that range in size from 3 feet to 306 feet. The park receives over a million visitors each year and the wait time to enter the park by car can be lengthy. One advantage of being on a tour bus was quicker entry to the park, but a major disadvantage was the lack of parking. I was disappointed that we were unable to stop at many of the overlooks and viewpoints due to no parking. But we were able to get out and walk around at a few stops, and of course, I took pictures of the stunning scenery. 
​
Besides a myriad of sandstone arches, other unusual red rock formations, hoodoos, spires, and balanced rocks dot the landscape of this National Park's almost 120 square mile area.
Arches National Park Picture
Unusual red rock formations in Arches National Park
Balanced Rock in Arches National ParkPictureBalanced Rock
Balanced Rock is a popular landform. Standing 128 feet high, the massive rock perched on top seems to defy gravity. There is a short trail that circles its base. The red rocks are a striking contrast against the deep blue sky. 

Along the trail, small man-made balanced stacks of rock called "cairns" have been made by park rangers. They add a harmonious artistic element that complements the towering structures of stone nearby, and they serve a useful purpose - marking the trail. But visitors to the park are prohibited from making their own cairns, which can cause confusion on remote trails and disturb the natural beauty that national parks are meant to preserve.
Rock cairn at Arches National Park Picture
Cairns mark the trail
Cairn in Arches National Park Picture
Cairn charm
From the Balanced Rock trail, the Windows Section of the park with more stone arches, including Turret Arch can be seen in the distance with the La Sal Mountains further beyond. The La Sal Mountains are the second highest mountain range in the state of Utah. With peaks up to 12,000 feet, these "Salt Mountains" were an important landmark on the Old Spanish Trail between Santa Fe, New Mexico and Los Angeles, California. On the return drive to Phoenix a few days later, we saw that the first snow of autumn had "salted" the high peaks of the La Sal Mountains.
Arches National Park view of the La Sal Mountains Picture
The Window Section with the La Sal Mountains beyond in the golden glow of a fall morning
That morning, most of the arches had to be seen from the windows of our moving tour bus, but we were able to stop and take the short walk to a beautiful arch "hidden" in a slot canyon shaded by two sandstone fins - Sand Dune Arch. The easy trail leads through deep rust colored sand and becomes quite narrow until opening up into a cathedral like room with a ceiling of blue sky. Sand Dune Arch stands alone. It was quite beautiful with golden sunlight streaming from above. 
Sand Dune Arch in Arches National Park Picture
Sand Dune Arch
Sand Dune Arch slot canyon in Arches National Park Picture
Within the slot canyon leading to Sand Dune Arch
Arches National Park Picture
A view of the moon adorning a ceiling of blue sky
Perhaps the most photographed arch in Arches National Park is Delicate Arch. With its opening of 46 feet high and 32 feet wide, this beautiful arch is the iconic symbol of the park and is the largest free-standing arch in the park. We viewed the arch from the lower viewpoint, which is one mile away. To get up close involves a 3 mile roundtrip hike up a steep slope of slickrock and takes 2-3 hours. Hundreds of visitors gather throughout the day from sunrise to sunset to take in the view, and some venture out at night.
Delicate Arch in Arches National Park Picture
Delicate Arch viewed from a mile away
Delicate Arch in Arches National Park Picture
Visitors come to Arches National Park to see Delicate Arch
Some of the nearby rocky hills were covered with a beautiful turquoise green layer of earth, a natural patina produced by minerals in the soil. 
Arches National Park Picture
Natural turquoise green patina
Here are a few more beautiful stone arches that we saw while driving through Arches National Park that sunny day in September 2019:
Arches National Park Picture
Several stages of arch formation
Arches National Park Picture
And a closer view of the arch on the left
Arches National Park Picture
Another arch in the park
Here is another view of Balanced Rock:
Picture
Balanced Rock from afar. See more of the turquoise green soil in the distance on the right.
We only spent a few morning hours in Arches National Park. Someday I hope to return and enjoy more time in this awe inspiring land of balancing rocks and stone arches. 

That afternoon my husband and I took a scenic walk along the part of the Colorado River that winds through Moab on its southward course through the canyons and deserts of Utah and Arizona through the Grand Canyon and beyond. You are welcome to join us in the next post! 

~ Debbie

If you missed the earlier stops, follow the links and enjoy the view. 

First stop - Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden 
here.
Second stop - Montezuma's Castle here.
Third stop - Sedona here.
Fourth stop - The Grand Canyon here.
Fifth stop - The Desert Watch Tower here.

Sixth stop - Glen Canyon and Lake Powell here.
Seventh stop - Zion National Park here.
Eighth stop - Between canyons here. 

Ninth stop - Bryce Canyon here.
Tenth stop - Utah's Scenic Byway 12 here.
Eleventh stop - Ancient Petroglyphs here. 

Twelfth stop - Goblin Valley State Park here. 
​Thirteenth stop - Arches National Park here.
Fourteenth stop - Moab, Utah here.

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Goblin Valley State Park, Utah

4/19/2020

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This is part twelve in a series of posts about my visit through parts of Arizona and Utah in September 2019.
​(Click words that are bolded for more information.)
Goblin Valley State Park Utah Picture
Goblin Valley State Park, Utah
It's been a while since the last post of this tour, which was about ancient petroglyphs in the Fremont River Valley of Utah. While that post highlighted the strange and fantastic pictures etched into a rock surface bordering a valley, this post is about strange and fantastic rock shapes carved into a valley of red dirt.

Goblin Valley State Park is not as well known as the other canyons that I've written about in previous posts, but it is well worth visiting this remote spot which is located between Capitol Reef National Park and Arches National Park. Unlike the towering spire hoodoos of Bryce Canyon, the hoodoos of Goblin Valley are smaller sandstone formations that resemble mushrooms or the not so nice creatures of fairy tales called goblins. It's interesting that the old German, Norse, and English word for goblin all convey the idea of a hollow or cavity in a cliff, rock, or earth. In J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, three trolls turned to stone at sunrise, and I can imagine that the fantastic shapes that fill Goblin Valley State Park could indeed have been goblins or trolls turned to stone in the baking heat of the San Rafael Desert.
Goblin Valley State Park Picture
Hoodoos of Goblin Valley State Park
There are thousands of goblins in this small valley that is 2 miles long and a mile wide. Visitors are free to roam the area. Three short trails wind through two narrow slot canyons or atop a ridge overlooking the valley. Apparently there are petroglyphs and pictographs here, but we didn't have much time to explore and missed seeing them. Another reason to visit Goblin Valley again!
Goblin Valley State Park Utah Picture
An eerie landscape
Goblin Valley State Park Utah Picture
Goblin Valley State Park Utah Picture
Except for the blue sky, it looks like this valley could be on Mars. I'd much rather visit here.
Like most deserts, Goblin Valley has extremely high temperatures during the hot summer, over 100 degrees, but the nights are much cooler. Most of the hardy animals that live here are nocturnal, starting their day under twinkling stars in the clear night sky. Goblin Valley State Park is a designated Dark Sky Park with one of the darkest night skies in the world. There are camp sites and even two yurts that can be reserved for those who aren't afraid of goblins. 
Goblin Valley State Park Utah Picture
You never know what kinds of travelers you might meet. Apart from the stone goblins that congregated in that valley, we met a macaw, a colorful bird that, when in the wild, makes its home in lush tropical areas. This particular macaw was traveling with its owners in a specially adapted area in the back of their van. We took a few minutes to admire its beauty before leaving the valley of goblins.
Picture of a colorful macaw bird
A colorful macaw
Near the entrance of Goblin Valley State Park are three hoodoos known as "The Three Sisters." Our next stop would be Moab and Arches National Park where another "Three Sisters" are located. But that is another post for another day. Until then, thanks for joining me in this tour of Arizona and Utah.

~ Debbie
Three Sisters at Goblin Valley State Park Utah Picture
The Three Sisters at Goblin Valley State Park in Utah
If you missed the earlier stops, follow the links and enjoy the view. 

First stop - Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden 
here.
Second stop - Montezuma's Castle here.
Third stop - Sedona here.
Fourth stop - The Grand Canyon here.
Fifth stop - The Desert Watch Tower here.

Sixth stop - Glen Canyon and Lake Powell here.
Seventh stop - Zion National Park here.
Eighth stop - Between canyons here. 

Ninth stop - Bryce Canyon here.
Tenth stop - Utah's Scenic Byway 12 here.
Eleventh stop - Ancient Petroglyphs here. 
​
​Twelfth stop - Goblin Valley State Park here. 
Thirteenth stop - Arches National Park here.
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