Wandering Publicist

Like a true digital nomad, the first thing I noticed once I crossed the state line from Colorado into Utah was the lack of mobile service. Looking around me, all I see is miles and miles of uninhabited land, not knowing what lies ahead.

Heading into the town of Moab, I finally receive a cell signal. Immediately we are surrounded by intense red rock formations. Already, Utah is surpassing my expectations.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn, and after checking in, we went to check out the town’s main street. Moab Made is a cute shop filled with artisan goods made from local artists. We purchased a locally made ring designed with green turquoise and three small pieces of ceramics.

 

We also really liked Indigo Alley, which has cute and affordable clothing. The woman working there told us about a scenic route to the portal canyon, which is about a 10-minute drive from town. We were basically the only people exploring it! However, these gorgeous views were nothing compared to what I would be seeing the next day.

Later, we dinned at Zax’s, which is known for their honey crust pizza. I ordered the Tree Hunger, which comes with sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, spinach, roasted garlic, feta and mozzarella cheese. Damn, now I am hungry!!

One of the major draws to Moab is Arches National Park, which is home to over 2,000 natural sandstone arches. With a full schedule, we hit the park at 830 am, starting at the first stop, Park Ave. I am guessing they call it this because the structures resemble tall buildings.

Walking down the trail, we were up close and personal with this great nature. We walked across red sand and shale that was underwater millions of years ago. We passed about 3 people, but other than that, it was as if we were on our own planet. It can be hard to find your own space in national parks, they get very crowded so definitely get to Arches as early as you can.

Next, we hit up the incredible “Double Arch,” which, as I am sure you guessed, is two distinct arches in one formation. It is truly awe-inspiring to see this wonder up close. I sat down to look up at the sky and felt my heart flutter.

After peeling ourselves away from the majestic Double Arch, we made our way to the Windows Arches and Turret Arch. At this hour, the sun was out shining bright and hot. It is important to have layers. I took my hoodie on and off throughout the day.

Wandering through the park, I felt like I could have been on a remote African safari, minus the wildlife. The landscape is like no other.

There are a lot of stops in the park. In my opinion, the first two are the best; Park Avenue and these three arches. The rest is more of the same.

Next on our agenda was Canyon Lands National Park. Going into it, we had no idea what to expect and thought Arches was the creme de la creme. We were wrong. We fell in love with this park and actually came back the next day to see it again.  Right when you enter the park, you will get a glimpse of “Island in the Sky.” As we passed it, we legit exclaimed: “Oh my god” out loud. Giddy, we quickly parked the car and went to discover this view. The mix of red, purple and brown was mesmerizing.

After peeling ourselves away from this spectacular view, we headed to see the Green River Overlook, at an elevation of 6,000 feet. I know I compared Iceland to Mars, but Utah is the American version.

The farthest and most incredible part of the park is by far the Grand View overlook. Be prepared to pick up your jaw from the floor. It is so incredible to know that millions of years ago, this area of gorges and canyons were filled with water and it is said that the waters filled and receded approximately 29 times.

Exhausted from the day, we headed back to our hotel determined to come back tomorrow. For the evening, we booked a Sunset Hummer Safari with High Point Hummer. You scale the top of Redrock fins to an area known as “Hell’s Revenge.” We were pretty scared in the beginning, but honestly, it isn’t as scary as the YouTube video portrayed. It was a fun night though and if you have the time and money I recommend doing it.

Our Sunset Safari driver took the hilarious photo-op below for everyone in the group.

With empty bellies, we headed to the main street to find some grub. After hearing recommendations from locals, we went to The Spoke on Center for some delicious burgers. Highly recommended.

We arose bright and early on our last day in town to go back to Canyon Lands and Dead Horse Point State Park.  We marveled at Island in the Sky and Grand View again, but this time, we also stopped at some other random viewpoints.

We found this viewpoint a few minutes after leaving Grand View. Sometimes the best views are off the regular path.

After enjoying every moment at Canyon Lands, we went to Dead Horse Point State Park, which is located about 10 minutes away so it is easy to do both in a day. The park got its eerie name based on a legend. Around the turn of the century, the point was used as a corral for wild mustangs roaming the mesa top. Cowboys rounded up these horses, herded them across the narrow neck of land and onto the point. The neck, which is only 30-yards-wide, was then fenced off with branches and brush. This created a natural corral surrounded by precipitous cliffs straight down on all sides, affording no escape. Cowboys then chose the horses they wanted and let the culls or broomtails go free. One time, for some unknown reason, horses were left corralled on the waterless point where they died of thirst within view of the Colorado River, 2,000 feet below. Super sad, I know, but the view is amazing.

And that my friends is the end of my Utah trip. Quick, but meaningful. If you are planning a trip to Moab and have any questions, please let me know!

XO,

Sarah