Arches National Park

We spent a night in Moab and, even though we were in a commercial campground, we were amazed at the millions of stars we saw – including, faintly, the Milky Way. It’s not just a matter of the big skies we’ve been privileged to view on this trip. It seems like communities are more conscious about light spillage but also don’t require (or allow?) the level of lighting that we are accustomed to in Springfield and the Midwest. Not sure how I feel about that. The darker skies and the abundance of stars are awe-inspiring but it’s also a bit uncomfortable, especially when walking around an unfamiliar community. I think I could get used to it. The stars are a big trade-off for the bright streets we have in Springfield.

Arches was one of only two National Parks we visited that had fast pass lanes for annual pass holders. We appreciated that because there was a line of 20+ cars waiting at the entrance and they were each taking several minutes to process.

As we suspected, it was hot. We drove the scenic drive through the park and took several short hikes to Landscape Arch, Balanced Rock, The Windows, Double Arch and the Delicate Arch overlook. Because of the heat and our time constraints, we didn’t do the 3 mile hike to Delicate Arch. Besides the proliferation of arches in this park (2,000+), I was struck by just how RED it is! I loved the arches but one of my favorite features was Park Avenue. It looks like some kind of ancient ruins.

Park Avenue