This week's new adventure had me on the road to Moab, UT, a beautiful area in Southern Utah that encompasses several National Parks including Arches and Canyonlands. The first in this adventure came about when we decided to "glamp" at Moab Under Canvas (www.moabundercanvas.com). What is glamping you ask? It is a new word for a new kind of travel. When you are glamping, there's no need to pitch a tent or bring a sleeping bag. These items are provided to you as you sleep in a yurt, airstream, villa or in our case a spacious canvas tent. I love to sleep outdoors, but sometimes you just don't have the time or energy to drag your own equipment. When you glamp, it is all provided for you.
When we arrived at Moab Under Canvas, we were warmly greeted by Ben at the reception tent. Ben went out of his way to make sure we were properly settled in our tent. He helped with our duffel bags, pointed out a lot of the area information and even suggested that we order our breakfast for the next morning so we didn't have to drive down into Moab (about 10 miles away) the next morning. Ben gave us some great tips for hiking and made sure we knew that he was available if anything should arise.
After getting settled in, we headed into Arches National Park. I have hiked here several times. However, every time I go into Arches, it makes me feel like it is my first time there. The red rocks look different every time. Around each bend of the road there is another stunning vista. It truly takes my breathe away. The hike of the day was into the area with the arches called North and South Window. An easy hike to do, especially with the young one. Lots of fun rocks to climb up and over, and not too long of hike so there were no complaints.
After dining in downtown Moab, we headed back to our campsite. The weather this particular weekend was a bit iffy. The clouds kept rolling in and rain threatened. Rumor has it that the night before we arrived, a spectacular lighting show and heavy rain had hit the area. That would have been amazing to see from our campground. The scenery just from our tent was one that changed on a minute by minute basis. You can see the edge of Arches from the campground. As the sun was setting, the rocks kept changing colors. Truly a sight to see.
The next morning, which happened to be Mother's Day, I was greeted by an amazing sight while up at sunrise. I hiked down to the reception tent to get a warm cup of tea [The tent is always flowing with coffee, tea, hot chocolate and plenty of great conversation with whomever happens to be at the front desk.]. As I walked out of the tent, I was greeted with an awe-inspiring view. It had rained pretty heavily the night before, which made for some wonderful sleeping. As the rain cleared out in the wee hours of the morning, I was amazed to see not one, but two full rainbows up in the sky. As words cannot describe this sight, here is a picture that just might:
It was one of the best Mother's Day presents I have ever received. My son even told me that he had ordered those special.
We had originally planned to get up early and do the 2-3 hour roundtrip hike to Delicate Arch Trail in Arches. However, since we woke to gray and cold, we snuggled in our extremely warm and comfortable beds and fell back asleep for a few more hours.
We ended the weekend by doing the Lower Delicate Arch Overlook Trail. This is literally a 100 yards long trail that leaves right from the parking lot. You are treated to a great view of Delicate Arch, but not as up close and personal as the other hike. Next time, we will do the longer of the hikes.
Moab is one of those places where the weather can turn on a dime, one minute sunny and the next raining and thunderstorms. We waited a bit, but alas, the weather did not break. TIme to head back to Park City and do the dirty laundry. How did we mess up our tent so much in just one weekend?
I am truly grateful to Ben and the rest of the staff at Moab Under Canvas for such as special weekend. The company has other locations in Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. Hmmm, which one to try next?
Until my next adventure,
P.A. Walker
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