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Published: August 15th 2010
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I never get tired of the last 30 miles outside of Moab, when the wind turns dry and hot and the rock formations begin to take on a rust colored hue. It is very other-worldly and yet, feels like coming home. I never tire of the anticipation of arriving in a place that is like no other. A place known for restoration, relaxation and re-energizing. Crossing over the Colorado River at a wide spot on a brand new bridge that was only in scaffolding last year, we arrived late yesterday afternoon to Moab, Utah.
Jim brought me here June of 2001 for the first time on our very first road trip to Salt Lake to meet his folks. We only spent one night, but I remember it fondly. For the past five years, this stop has been an anchor of every summer vacation; always staying at the Gonzo Inn.
Sadly this year, our favorite room was occupied and we are on a bottom floor suffering the ruckus of a family with children above. We think we may be able to move tomorrow morning for the second half of our stay here. The real push to
get into that upstairs room is that is has a big red wood deck that affords a killer view of the stars at night and front row seating at dusk when the local bats come out to eat little bugs and things. They put on quite a show!
Regardless, we are thrilled to be here - it is a perfect end to our vacation. Today (Saturday) we ran some errands, Jim got his hair cut and we picked up a case of bottled water. While it is warm here (well into the 90s) we are old veterans now for hot weather and this ain't nothing! There are lots of tourists from Europe and because we are here on a weekend, the city is packed!!
We headed on into Arches National Park in a large caravan of vehicles. Because we have been here so many times, we did our best to pull off the road and let the more zealous, first time visitors pass us. We swung into all our favorite spots: Courthouse Towers, Broken Arch, the Windows, Fiery Furnace, Skyline Arch and the Devil's Garden. We didn't do much hiking as parking was impossible.
We will be here into the beginning of the week and plan to head back when the crowds die down.
We went back into town and stopped at Moab Brewing Company - I know, I know - more beer. For dinner, we decided to try a new restaurant for us, Singha Thai. It was nice, not terribly complex - but I imagine the restaurant caters to tourists and must play down the spices we love so much. We ordered a pad thai noodle dish and a chicken curry along with a delicious tom kha soup. Loaded with fresh mushrooms, coconut milk and lemongrass, I really thought the soup was the best dish overall.
In closing, picture this...two weeks ago, I was going through three outfits per day because of the heat and humidity. Tonight, I am wearing a long sleeved t-shirt, wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket. Admittedly, I am tired. The drive yesterday really took it out of both of us, but this is crazy!! We have covered the most diverse weather and climates on this trip!
More to come...
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