Pay Showers?!?

Posted on October 19, 2009 by Lani
From Glenwood Springs, we made our way to the Fort Collins area.  It was a region we had heard good things about and we were interested in seeing the town.  The drive from Glenwood Springs to Fort Collins along I-70 is beautiful and thankfully, it was a great day for a drive.  The sun was shining and the temperatures were not too chilly.  It was a perfect Autumn day.
We had difficulty finding a place to call home for the week.  We stopped at one state park but it seemed too close to the interstate, so we continued moving.  We came to Boyd Lake State Park and while it was a nice park, we weren’t completely sold on it. It only had electric hookups and the price was a bit much for just electric.  We continued on and found the local KOA but it lacked the campsite space we’ve come to prefer and appreciate. After driving around in circles, or so it seemed, for awhile, we agreed to stay at Boyd Lake State Park.  On our second arrival at the park, we decided we were very pleased with the park. The campsites were huge.  The park was well-manicured.  There were views of the mountains in the distant.  We could overlook the lack of water hookup in exchange for these amenities.  We were content to call the campground home for a week.
The price of the park was $18 for a campsite plus a $6 daily use fee for a total of $24.  This is about the average price we pay for a campsite, but usually we have water hookups. Again, we did not think it was a major issue.  We filled up the fresh water tank, found a nice spot, and went through the unhitching process.
The following morning, we were both disappointed to see that the campground showers required quarters.  We’ve come across this in a few parks (primarily in California).  At this particular park, three quarters allowed me about three minutes to shower. I could typically get by with using five to six quarters. I realize public parks have a lot to maintain and little money with which to maintain it.  But, again, I was paying $24 for an electric-only hookup, $6 of which was for my daily use fee.  The swim beach was closed (and rightly so…it was cold), and I had no intentions of putting my kayaks in the lake (again…chilly out!)…so for what is my daily use fee if not for a shower?  I’ll stop my ranting…for now. Side note:  The quarter slot was located along the back wall of the shower next to the shower handle.  Upon insertion of the last quarter, cold water would come shooting out.  By the end of the week, I perfected the art of inserting the quarter and gracefully (or not so much) moving out of the way in time before being sprayed by the icy cold water.  I mention this only because I worked so hard at accomplishing this somewhat difficult feat and feel you should be aware of this accomplishment.
This week we also had issues with our fresh water tank.  We think it may be the calibration of our water sensor OR the fact that the water from the park’s water spigot was very high pressure and therefore when we filled the tank (or thought we filled the tank) too much air got in and we actually did not completely fill the tank.  So, while we thought we were conserving our water, our sensor told us differently.  We were required to hitch up again shortly after unhitching and refill the tank.  Ugh.  Thanks to the many kind folks at Airforums who provided potential explanations and easing my concerns.
Aside from these issues, our week was pleasant.  The campground was located in Loveland, Colorado and I am totally impressed with Loveland’s bike path, which I used for walking purposes on the two nice days we had during the week.  The path started in the campground, went through some nice neighborhoods, a fun playground on which we spent some time on the swing sets and slides, and stopped (or, at least we stopped) at a shopping center.  The town of Loveland was absolutely lovely!
While we had two beautiful Autumn days during our stay, the remainder of the week was either rainy or snowy.  Yes, snowy!  The snow was beautiful to watch from our warm and toasty Airstream but by the end of the week, we were ready to move on…especially since another snowstorm was moving through the area and we have limited amounts of warm clothing.
Not the best picture, but this is from our drive along I-70 from Glenwood Springs to Fort Collins.

Not the best picture, but this was the scenery along I-70 from Glenwood Springs to Fort Collins.

From Glenwood Springs, we made our way to the Fort Collins area.  It was a region we had heard good things about and we were interested in seeing the town.  The drive from Glenwood Springs to Fort Collins along I-70 is beautiful and thankfully, it was a great day for a drive.  The sun was shining and the temperatures were not too chilly.  It was a perfect Autumn day.

We had difficulty finding a place to call home for the week.  We stopped at one state park but it seemed too close to the interstate, so we continued moving.  We came to Boyd Lake State Park and while it was a nice park, we weren’t completely sold on it. It only had electric hookups and the price was a bit much for just electric.  We continued on and found the local KOA but it lacked the campsite space we’ve come to prefer and appreciate. After driving around in circles, or so it seemed, for awhile, we agreed to stay at Boyd Lake State Park.  On our second arrival at the park, we decided we were very pleased with the park. The campsites were huge.  The park was well-manicured.  There were views of the mountains in the distant.  We could overlook the lack of water hookup in exchange for these amenities.  We were content to call the campground home for a week.

Views from Boyd Lake State Park. The mountains are in the background. You can't really see them, but trust me...they are there.

Views from Boyd Lake State Park. The mountains are in the background. You can't really see them, but trust me...they are there.

The price of the park was $18 for a campsite plus a $6 daily use fee for a total of $24.  This is about the average price we pay for a campsite, but usually we have water hookups. Again, we did not think it was a major issue.  We filled up the fresh water tank, found a nice spot, and went through the unhitching process.

The following morning, we were both disappointed to see that the campground showers required quarters.  We’ve come across this in a few parks (primarily in California).  At this particular park, three quarters were required to start the shower and three minutes of nice hot water. I could typically get by with using five to six quarters. I realize public parks have a lot to maintain and little money with which to maintain it.  But, again, I was paying $24 for an electric-only hookup, $6 of which was for my daily use fee.  The swim beach was closed (and rightly so…it was cold), and I had no intentions of putting my kayaks in the lake (again…chilly out!)…so for what is my daily use fee if not for a shower? I’ll stop my ranting…for now.

Wednesday. 74 and Sunny.

Wednesday. 74 and Sunny.

This week we also had issues with our fresh water tank.  We think it may be the calibration of our water sensor OR the fact that the water from the park’s water spigot was very high pressure and therefore when we filled the tank (or thought we filled the tank) too much air got in and we actually did not completely fill the tank.  So, while we thought we were conserving our water, our sensor told us differently.  We were required to hitch up again during the week to go and refill the tank.  Ugh.  (Side note: Thanks to the many kind folks at Airforums who provided potential explanations that eased my typical exaggerated worries.)

Thursday. 30 and Snowy.

Thursday. 30 and Snowy.

Aside from these issues, our week was pleasant.  The campground was located in Loveland, Colorado and I am totally impressed with Loveland’s bike path, which came in handy for our two nice days of the week.  The path started in the campground, went through some nice neighborhoods, which included a fun playground on which we spent some time on the swing sets and slides.  The town of Loveland was absolutely lovely!

While we had two beautiful Autumn days during our stay, the remainder of the week was either rainy or snowy.  Yes, snowy!  The snow was beautiful to watch from our warm and toasty Airstream but by the end of the week, we were ready to move on…especially since another snowstorm was moving through the area and we have limited amounts of warm clothing.

Categories: Airstream Living, Campgrounds | Tags: | 3 Comments

The Things We Learn on the Road

Posted on October 14, 2009 by Lani
I took very few pictures on this leg of our journey. And, the ones I did take were of the moon rising. It was quite impressive.

I took very few pictures on this leg of our journey. And, the ones I did take were of the moon rising. It was quite impressive.

One of the many benefits having internet on-the-go (via our phones and our MiFi), is the ability to have instantaneous answers to our questions we have while traveling.  For example, on our way to pick up the Airstream in April, we noticed what appeared to be a decommissioned tunnel named Memorial Tunnel, just off the interstate in West Virginia.  The tunnel piqued our curiosity, so we looked it up and learned that it is now the Center for National Response, a testing and training facility for emergency response.  According to the Center’s website, there is a subway station setup, a highway incident scene, illicit drug laboratories, and more!  Is this not fascinating?!?

We’ve also learned that in Beaumont, Texas, after the discovery of oil, the town’s population grew from 9,000 in January, 1901 to 30,000 in March, 1901.  Can you imagine that kind of population growth in such a short amount of time?

We’ve been highly entertained by the facts learned from our travels.  See a strange building off in the distance?  An old town that now appears ghost-like? Or, just curious about the town through which you are driving?  Just do a Google search and you will be surprised (and amused) at what you learn.

It's impressive...right?

It's impressive...right?

After Moab, we spent a night at a Wal-Mart in Grand Junction, Colorado, dined on delicious Thai food (twice…apparently we had been suffering from withdrawal) and made a much-needed visit to the Verizon store to get a new phone for Chris.  From Grand Junction, we made our way to Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Along the way, we discovered a fascinating fact about a town called Parachute, Colorado.  The drilling occurring near the town intrigued Chris so he asked I do a little research.  A quick Google search revealed to us that Parachute was the location of Project Rulison, the site of a 1969 gas stimulation nuclear test. That’s right…they detonated a nuclear bomb underground and we were driving near or maybe even over the site where it occurred.  The project was part of a program “that promoted using the energy produced from nuclear explosions for peaceful uses and applications.”  Check out the Department of Energy page on this project .  Today, the site remains in the local news as many drillers are proposing to drill closer to the site and local residents fear that radioactive contaminants could make their way to the surface.  (And, to think we almost simply just drove by this town without giving it a second thought!)

Last one. I swear.

Last one. I swear.

Upon our arrival in Glenwood Springs, we immediately found the World’s Largest Hot Springs Pool.  It was late in the evening by the time we arrived but we still had two quality hours in the pool.  While I am not a huge fan of public pools, I became a fan of this place instantly.  Chilly weather + hot springs + beautiful moonlight = perfection.  Yes, there were lots of people in this pool.  But, it’s the world’s largest so there was plenty of room for us to enjoy a relaxing swim.

Our lovely night ended at yet another Wal-Mart. Two nights in a row…this is a record for us. This particular Wal-Mart seemed a bit sketchy to me and I somewhat expected to wake up the next morning and find graffiti on the Airstream. Instead, however, we had a peaceful night’s rest…and no artwork on our shiny aluminum.

Categories: Airstream Living, The Random and Unexpected | Tags: , , | 7 Comments

Sand Dunes in my Airstream

Posted on October 8, 2009 by Lani
No week seems complete for us without some technology challenge.  To be a full-timer, I’ve come to understand and expect these challenges.  I’ve also learned to never assume things will go as planned, even when we think we have covered all potential issues.  We were excited for the remainder of our week in Moab.  We had a great campsite, our internet was working, Chris had phone coverage…what could go wrong?
While I know I’ve discussed the importance of internet for us to maintain this lifestyle, equally important is Chris’ phone.  He spends nearly ten hours a day on the phone…I have no idea how he does this and maintains his sanity.  On Sunday evening, as we were settling down for the night and feeling good about the rest of the week, his phone died.  And, it showed no signs of recovery.  To make matters worse, my phone didn’t receive the most reliable coverage at our site.  So, in keeping with tradition, or so it seems, our Monday morning was a bit chaotic.  The local Verizon store did not open until 9:30 a.m., but since Chris operates on eastern hours, we drove into town and sat in the car while he used my phone and waited for the store to open.  They were able to figure out why the phone was not working but unable to do much about it.  It had something to do with the charger connection.  So, he figured out that if he propped something on top of the charger, the connection would work. And, that’s how he worked for the remainder of the week: using cups or books to make sure the charger was charging his phone.
Although it wasn’t an end of the world crisis, it made for an interesting Monday.  For the remainder of the week, we did not do as much exploring as we thought we would.  Chris was simply too busy.  But, we still had an enjoyable week. With our large window facing east, we were awakened every morning with a beautiful sunrise.  I am not a morning person…at all…but even I would get out of bed to watch this sunrise.  Amazing!
On Tuesday, we were introduced to some challenges of desert living.  While the temperatures remained in the 90s, the wind really picked up and at one point, I thought the Airstream might blow away like a tumbleweed.  I also learned an important lesson:  Never EVER leave the windows open when the wind is blowing in the desert.  No matter how many times I swept the floors, I could create massive sand dunes in my kitchen/living room/dining room/guest room.  I found sand in my refrigerator, in the cubby hole under the bed, on my countertops, on my kitchen table, and I don’t even want to begin to think about how much sand is gathered in my seat cushions.  I may be finding sand months from now.
The wind stayed around for the remainder of our stay, bringing with it cooler temperatures.  At times, we sat in amazement as we watched sand blow by the trailer.  Our views of Arches National Park would briefly disappear during these moments.  We could even see the sand coming towards us and then right by us on many occasions.  It was actually quite entertaining.
We departed Moab on Thursday, a day earlier than we had hoped but our site was reserved that night.  Thankfully, we were allowed to park in their overflow parking lot and finish the workday before heading out that night. On the way out of town, I convinced Chris that we must take the scenic byway 128. It added some time to our trip, but was well worth it.
Being a fan of movies, I read that this particular road was often scenery for many western movies so, of course, I had to see it.  What a great road and we traveled it right at sunset so the colors were perfect!  We also discovered this is a road full of many Bureau of Land Management campgrounds, a good thing to remember for when we return.  And, we will return…for we still have a lot to see in Moab!
Scenery along Rt. 128

Scenery along Rt. 128

No week seems complete for us without some technology challenge.  As a full-time Airstreamer, I’ve come to understand and expect these challenges.  I’ve also learned to never assume things will go as planned, even when we think we have covered all potential issues.  We were excited for the remainder of our week in Moab.  We had a great campsite, our internet was working, Chris had phone coverage…what could go wrong?

While I know I’ve discussed the importance of internet for us to maintain this lifestyle, equally important is Chris’ phone.  He spends nearly ten hours a day on the phone…I have no idea how he does this and maintains his sanity.  On Sunday evening, as we were settling down for the night and feeling good about the rest of the week, his phone died.  And, it showed no signs of recovery.  To make matters worse, my phone didn’t receive the most reliable coverage at our site.  
A before and after shot of the sand

A before and after shot of the sand

So, in keeping with tradition, or so it seems, our Monday morning was a bit chaotic.  The local Verizon store did not open until 9:30 a.m., but since Chris operates on eastern hours, we drove into town and sat in the car while he used my phone and waited for the store to open.  They were able to figure out why the phone was not working but unable to do much about it.  It had something to do with the charger connection.  So, he figured out that if he propped something on top of the charger, the connection would work. And, that’s how he worked for the remainder of the week: using cups or books to make sure the charger was charging his phone. Although it wasn’t an end-of-the-world crisis, it made for an interesting Monday.

For the remainder of the week, we did not do as much exploring as we thought we would;  Chris was simply too busy. But, we still had an enjoyable week. With our large window facing east, we were awakened every morning with a beautiful sunrise.  I am not a morning person…at all…but even I would get out of bed to watch this sunrise.  Amazing!
Dewey Bridge

Dewey Bridge

On Tuesday, we were introduced to some challenges of desert living.  While the temperatures remained in the 90s, the wind really picked up and at one point, I thought the Airstream might blow away like a tumbleweed.  I also learned an important lesson:  Never EVER leave the windows open when the wind is blowing in the desert.  No matter how many times I swept the floors, I could create massive sand dunes in my kitchen/living room/dining room/guest room.  I found sand in my refrigerator, in the cubby hole under the bed, on my countertops, on my kitchen table, and I don’t even want to begin to think about how much sand is gathered in my seat cushions.  I may be finding sand months from now.

The wind stayed around for the remainder of our stay, bringing with it cooler temperatures.  At times, we sat in amazement as we watched sand blow by the trailer.  Our views of Arches National Park would briefly disappear during these moments.  We could even see the sand coming towards us and then right by us on many occasions.  It was somewhat entertaining.
The Moon Rise

The Moon Rise

We departed Moab on Thursday, a day earlier than we had hoped but our site had already been reserved by someone else that night.  On the way out of town, I convinced Chris that we must take the scenic byway 128. It added some time to our trip, but was well worth it.  Being a fan of movies, I read that this particular road was often scenery for many western movies so, of course, I had to see it.  What a great road and we traveled it at sunset so the colors were perfect!

Along the way, we also passed the Dewey Bridge…or what’s left of it.  [According to a Google search, the bridge was the longest suspension bridge in Utah, until in 2008 when a child in a nearby campground accidentally started a fire that made its way to the bridge, destroying the wooden deck and rails.]  

Finally, as we neared the end of the road, we were delighted with a view of the setting sun and the rising moon.  It was a beautiful drive through Castle Valley.  We also discovered this is a road full of many Bureau of Land Management campgrounds, a good thing to remember for when we return.  And, we will return…for we still have a lot to see in Moab!

Categories: Airstream Living, Campgrounds | Tags: , | 1 Comment

Kangaroo Rats and Strange Greetings

Posted on October 7, 2009 by Lani
Did you know that kangaroo rats, common to the desert regions, have almost no need for water and that their kidneys reduce their urine to a crystal-like substance?  Nor did I.  I learned this interesting fact at Canyonlands National Park.  It was only appropriate that we visited Canyonlands, one of America’s wonderful National Parks, on the day the Ken Burns’ documentary of our National Parks premiered on PBS.  The Parks truly are one of America’s best ideas and if you didn‘t catch the entire series, you can watch it online until October 9, 2009 or check your local listings:  http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/.  Highly recommend this inspiring documentary as well as supporting and visiting our national parks.
After a wonderful, but too brief, tour of Arches National Park, we set off to explore Canyonlands for our second day in Moab.  We made a worthwhile stop at the visitor center to not only learn interesting facts about kangaroo rats, but also pick up a trail guide.  There are dirt roads that go through the canyons that are open to 4×4 vehicles.  We briefly considered the fact that we were in a 4×4 truck but at a nearby overlook, saw a portion of the road, noted how narrow it was, noted how steep the drop-off to one side was, and noted the large size of our vehicle.  We opted for the paved road through the park…this time! For our day in the park we picked two short hikes:  Upheaval Dome and Grandview trails, both about two miles each.
The Upheaval Dome, a geological formation whose origins are still debated by geologists, was an easy trail, with the exception of the part where I realized I was standing at the edge of a really high overlook and the world started spinning…again.  Are there any cures for this?  Chris is not happy with this new development…nor am I.  But, I survived.  I just stayed away from the edge. The trail is marked by cairns (piles of stones) since much of the hike is along slick rock and one can easily go the wrong way.  Despite my brief encounter with dizziness, the trail was enjoyable and had amazing sights.  At the trailhead, there are several picnic tables, where Chris and I enjoyed another delicious picnic of peanut butter sandwiches and bananas.  I guess I need to start being more creative with my picnics, eh?
Our next trail was Grandview, another two-mile, easy trail.  The parking lot for the trailhead was crowded but surprisingly, people only got out of their cars, looked over the fence at the “grand view” and then got back in their cars.  So, we basically had the trail to ourselves.  The trail, as advertised, was very easy and very beautiful.  We had a great time, stopping for many pictures along the way.  The trail comes to an abrupt end and suddenly you are, once again, at the edge of a very steep drop-off. Thankfully, with this one, I was fine and able to enjoy the views.  While the views at the trailhead entrance are indeed grand, the trail provided additional stunning views, an even a quick glimpse of a kangaroo rat!
Following our afternoon in Canyonlands, we spent a lovely evening strolling the streets of downtown Moab.  I was, of course, drawn immediately to the bookstores, while Chris could not resist the outdoor stores.  We finished our day with dinner in downtown Moab, where our waitress greeted us by describing a fool-proof plan (or so she thinks) on how to murder a husband.  She was kidding.  I hope.
Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park

Did you know that kangaroo rats, common to the desert regions, have almost no need for water and that their kidneys reduce their urine to a crystal-like substance?  Neither did I!  I learned this interesting fact at Canyonlands National Park.  It was only appropriate that we visited Canyonlands, one of America’s wonderful National Parks, on the day the Ken Burns’ documentary of our National Parks premiered on PBS.  The Parks truly are one of America’s best ideas and if you didn‘t catch the entire series, you can watch it online until October 9, 2009 or check your local listings:   http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/.  Highly recommend this inspiring documentary as well as supporting and visiting our national parks.

The Road Less Traveled. Next time...we'll take this route...

The Road Less Traveled. Next time...we'll take this route...

After a wonderful, but too brief, tour of Arches National Park, we set off to explore Canyonlands for our second day in Moab.  We made a worthwhile stop at the visitor center to not only learn interesting facts about kangaroo rats, but also pick up a trail guide.  There are dirt roads that go through the canyons that are open to 4×4 vehicles.  We briefly considered the fact that we were in a 4×4 truck but at a nearby overlook, saw a portion of the road, noted how narrow it was, noted how steep the drop-off to one side was, and noted the large size of our vehicle. (And, just between you and me, I’m not sure Chris could handle getting his truck that dirty.)  So, we opted for the paved road through the park…this time! With our handy trail guide from the visitor center, we picked two short hikes:  Upheaval Dome and Grandview trails, both about two miles each.

Chris forming his own hypothesis on this interesting geological formation.

Chris forming his own hypothesis on this interesting geological formation.

The Upheaval Dome, a geological formation whose origins are still debated by geologists, was an easy trail, with the exception of the part where I realized I was standing at the edge looking really far down into the canyon and the world started spinning…again.  Are there any cures for this?  Chris is not happy with this new development…nor am I.  But, I survived.  I just stayed away from the edge and tried to appear calm.

The trail is marked by cairns (piles of stones) since much of the hike is along slick rock and one can easily go the wrong way.  Despite my brief encounter with dizziness, the trail was enjoyable and had amazing sights.  At the trailhead, there are several picnic tables, where Chris and I enjoyed another delicious picnic of peanut butter sandwiches and bananas.  I guess I need to start being more creative with my picnics, eh?

Views from the Grandview Trail

Views from the Grandview Trail

Our next trail was Grandview, another two-mile, easy trail.  The parking lot for the trailhead was crowded but surprisingly, people only got out of their cars, looked over the fence at the “grand view” and then got back in their cars.  So, we basically had the trail to ourselves.  As advertised, the hike was very easy and very beautiful.  We had a great time, stopping for many pictures along the way.  The trail comes to an abrupt end and suddenly you are, once again, at the edge of a very steep drop-off. Thankfully, with this one, I was fine and able to enjoy the views.  While the views at the trailhead are indeed grand, the end of the trail provided additional stunning views, and even a quick glimpse of a kangaroo rat!

Following our afternoon in Canyonlands, we spent a lovely evening strolling the streets of downtown Moab.  I was, of course, drawn immediately to the bookstores, while Chris could not resist the outdoor stores.  We finished our day with dinner in downtown Moab, where our waitress greeted us not with a hello, but rather by describing a fool-proof plan (or so she thinks) on how a wife can murder a husband and get away with it.  She was kidding.  I hope.

Categories: Outdoor Adventures | Tags: , , | 1 Comment

94 Degrees and Sunny.

Posted on October 5, 2009 by Lani
Our home...with a distant view of Arches National Park

Our home...with a distant view of Arches National Park

So, there we were, on the interstate leaving Park City and headed to Colorado, via Wyoming. Chris casually says, “What’s the weather going to be like in Fort Collins and Salida?” Unsure, I check the weather only to see that while the first few days would be lovely, the remainder of the week was cold and Salida actually had snow in the forecast. Snow. In September. Since I only thought this Airstream life would last a few months, I am not prepared for snow (mentally or physically).  So, we pulled off at the next exit, checked the calendar, checked a map, and checked the weather reports for Moab, Utah: 90s and sunny. And, just like that, Moab became our next destination.

Balancing Rock with a tiny glimpse of the moon rising in the background.

Balancing Rock with a tiny glimpse of the moon rising in the background.

A few people we’ve met along the way have mentioned Moab but I had not really done any research as far as where we would stay, what’s in the area, etc. After a lovely and always entertaining Friday night stay at a Wal-Mart in Price, Utah, we pulled into Moab early Saturday morning.

We quickly noted that our quiet campgrounds were left behind in Salt Lake City. Moab is a popular place in September and here we were without reservations. An online review of the state park revealed that although a beautiful park, it did not have water and appeared to be pretty far outside of town. We drove around for awhile, scoping out the town and the various parks.  It seemed many of the private parks, as usual, had very tight spaces.  After our previous two weeks of gloriously large state park campsites, moving into a tight space with no views was not exciting.  We eventually ended up at Arch View RV Park for its location, willing to accept the smaller sites. The park was only two miles from Arches National Park and conveniently located to the entrance of Canyonlands National Park.

Scenes from our drive through Arches National Park

Scenes from our drive through Arches National Park

While the park was quite full, we somehow once again scored an amazing site in the park: #86.  In exchange for no sewer hookup (which we are quite accustomed to now), we were able to have amazing views and a large site. Woo hoo! We were on the end of a row and in the perimeter of the park so no one was blocking our view. Perfect location! Last week we had lakefront property. This week, a distant view of Arches National Park. Ah, the Airstream life!

We unhitched and quickly settled in–it’s amazing how much faster we are now at this process. It seems like only yesterday we were in my mom and dad’s driveway pretending to know how to do all of this but taking forever to attach our weight distribution bars. Did I ever think I would know how to hitch and unhitch a trailer? No. Am I impressed with myself? Absolutely.

Chris and our distant view of Delicate Arch in the background.

Chris and our distant view of Delicate Arch in the background.

Our first day in Moab was spent in Arches National Park. We weren’t able to see the entire park as it was late in the day, but we did manage to tour the park at sunset so the lighting was fabulous. We slowly made our way to the Delicate Arch, a famous arch in the park that adorns the Utah license plates. Needless to say, it was a must-see feature.  We managed only to see the arch from a distance as we did not have time before sunset to make the hike to the arch. While I would have preferred an up close and personal view, the distant view was lovely at sunset.

In addition to the Delicate Arch, we saw the North and South Windows, Double Arch, Balancing Rock, and many, many other incredible formations. The sun set quickly and before we knew it, it was getting darker and time for us to return to our humble abode. But, already, our time in Moab was excellent and we still have several more days to look forward to in this beautiful place. Clearly, our spontaneous decision to visit Moab was an excellent one!

Categories: Airstream Living, Outdoor Adventures | Tags: , | 3 Comments