Traveling Square Dancers: Arches National Park

Who We Are

We sold our home in June, 2007, and spent the next 7 1/2 years traveling full time in a Cross Roads Fifth Wheel. (We had been traveling during our summers for several years before going full time.) We loved the full-time lifestyle! Each summer we spent a month or two volunteering in State Parks, first in Indiana at McCormick's Creek State Park, near our family, then in later years as the grandchildren got older, at the Bluewater Lake State Park in New Mexico. We spent 6 months each winter at Cactus Gardens RV Resort in Yuma, AZ, where I worked mornings in the park office. The remaining months were spent on the road, seeing this great country of ours. Our favorite places are our National Parks. Anita loved photography and the freedom of digital photography, taking sometimes hundreds of photos in a day. We hiked as much as our legs will allow. We also really enjoyed square and round dancing as we travel across country, and meeting all the wonderful people who dance and/or travel.

But as in all things, there comes a time for change, and we decided it was time to create roots once more. In the fall of 2014, we purchased a home in Cactus Gardens, and in the spring of 2015, sold the 5th wheel. Anita also retired in the spring. We will continue to travel each summer, but for a shorter period of time. We hope to continue blogging about those trips, but it will obviously be on a more limited basis than in the past.

Please explore our past posts if you are interested in traveling this great country. You'll find an index in the left column. We hope you enjoy our blog, and appreciate all comments

Friday, September 18, 2009

Arches National Park – Our Week in Moab, UT Part 1

Arches National Park is a masterpiece of erosion, and we were spellbound by it’s splendor throughout our visit.

An arch is a natural formation where a rock arch forms, with a natural passageway through underneath. The opening must measure at least three feet to be cataloged as an arch. Arches National Park contains the world’s largest concentration of natural sandstone arches, with more than 2,000 of these, ranging from three feet to 306 feet.

In addition to the arches, the park also contains colossal sandstone fins, massive balanced rocks, towering spires, and abstract pinnacles and pedestals. It is virtually a wonderland of stone, all beautifully cinnamon tinted.

Even as you drive the five miles from Moab to the park entrance, you know from the surrounding scenery that you are in for a treat.

At the base of the park sits the Visitor Center.

The road begins to climb the instant you leave the Visitor’s Center. Sections of the park sit over 1600 feet higher than Moab (highest park elevation is over 5600 feet).

Around just a few curves, you come to the parking area for Park Avenue. This is one of the most majestic large vistas in the park.

A little farther down the road is Courthouse Towers, with Tower of Babel, Sheep Rock and the Three Gossips. As we gazed at Courthouse Towers, we realized there were people on the top, and with the aid of binoculars, were able to watch them rappel down the sheer side. ar8

The camera’s telephoto lens was able to capture two of those rappelling down the side.

The Sheep Rock was pretty distinctive, but we decided the Three Gossips looked more like the Three Kings:

Balanced Rock is one of many such balanced structures in the park, and you marvel at how they stay in place.

And then there are the arches that give the park it’s name. Several of the arches have been labeled. We climbed to the North Window in the Windows Section.

The view from the Window is great.

From the same parking lot, the Double Arch is visible,

as is the formation, Parade of Elephants.

Perhaps the world’s most famous arch is Delicate Arch. Delicate Arch has become a Utah icon, and has been featured for years on the Utah License Plate and once adorned a Postage Stamp. In 2002 the Olympic Torch relay passed through the arch.

Delicate Arch can be seen from several different viewpoints. To actually get to the arch requires a 3 mile strenuous hike. As we had hiked quite a bit before getting to that area, we decided we were getting too fatigued to make a hike of that length, so we chose the half mile hike to a viewpoint across a ravine from the arch. It was rather warm, and as we made the half mile hike, we were glad we had chosen it rather than the 3 mile. The view of the arch was great.

Hoyt and Bernice used the opportunity to rest before starting down.

We were amazed at how time we had spent along the 18 mile scenic drive through the park. There were many arches we never got to see, but that gives us a reason to return.

For more of what we did see, click on this photo: