Moab Valley Inn Hotel

... busy season at Arches, since July and August are just too hot. We then drove down to the Windows area to hike to the two Windows Arches, Turret Arch, and Double Arch (Jim's favorite). Double Arch is the one in the original Indiana Jones movie.<br><br>It was already well into the afternoon, so we left Arches and drove the 33 miles north to Canyonlands National Park. This park is divided into 3 distinct areas by the ...

... then<br>crashed out in our hotel room. Lyn was snoring within minutes, I read<br>and dozed, and the kids watched TV. It had only been 3 miles, but the<br>ascent and the heat had not made it an easy 3 miles. Well worth it<br>though; a definite holiday highlight.<br> <br><br>We<br>went back out at about 4.30, and got some food, then back out to<br>Arches. The temperature was still up in the 100's, even though it was<br>6.30pm. We drove up to the Devil's Garden trail ...

... for the good pizza and started talking to a couple by us, and they are from Stayton, my home town! Dr Tom and Pat Sims who is good friends with my cousin Warren, and he was my mothers doctor! Finally home where all the guys and gals in the neighborhood stood around and talked about our 'incident'. Later Charlie took his computer and 3 guys helped him find a new Jeep online - looks like they found one, now to deal with the insurance company. I am tired but probably won't be able to ...

... there'll be a bus harbouring the German national under 21 female beach volleyball team ready to help us out. Das ist gut. <br><br>The upshot of our heroics was that it was approaching 10pm and we were still some 70 or 80 miles from our intended destination (Blanding). Moab actually looked like quite a decent place so our caution-to-the-wind traveller mentality kicked in (we're soooo on the edge) and we ...

... I can understand why he feels the way he does- I guess his dad was vegetarian when he was a kid and I think he had a lot of bad experiences with vegetarian food, but I really think it's probably come a long way in 20 years! After Madeline left I was eating one of the Boca burgers and I kept telling Silas how good it was and that I didn't even think he would be able to tell that it wasn't meat. I think it was when I said that it tasted like a ...

... in Spanish Forks. Our vacation was really about to begin. With a mind of its own, the shuffling iPod cued Nanci Griffith's "Ford Econoline." Heading out Route 6 over the Manti-La Sal National Forest, a brief stop to ogle dinosaurs in Price, and in Moab by early afternoon. After checking in at the campsite briefly, we headed over to Arches National Park. Visited several sights, a couple ...

... 4 pitches, 5.9+). The Bridger Jacks. Towers from left to right: Thumbelina, Sparkling Touch, Easter Island (the smallest, narrowest tower), Sunflower Tower, Hummingbird Tower, King Pins, and Bridger Jacks Mesa (Rimshot is on the backside of this mesa/tower). Here are some photos from these great climbs! Ben leading the first pitch of ...

... tunnel. We thought we would be smooth sailing after this so we stopped in Vail to have lunch. This would turn out to be a terrible idea. I have always wanted to go to Vail and I am glad that we did but when we got back on the expressway it was a standstill. <br><br>We would later learn that there was an 18 wheeler carrying metal I beams or something that overturned on the road. The metal crashed over the ...

... We took the same route out of Zion, through the tunnel again and then followed pretty much the same route again, passing through and stopping at Red Canyon, which with a cover of snow looked awesome, we took some great photos. It was freezing, but we were all kitted out. We made several stops on the way to Moab, some great photos. The highlight of the journey was Capitol Reef, awesome red cliffs and scrublands, boasting the clearest and ...

... like Landscape Arch, one should make a priority to see it as it is another precarious arch that might collapse anytime. I spent about an hour capturing and admiring the arch, and enjoying the cool breeze and the fact that I was miles away from all my emails! It had been a long and physically demanding day, but fortunately as darkness fell I didn't have far to drive to Moab where I checked in again to a motel and had a well deserved rest.