We left for Moab, Utah at 10 pm. It takes about 6 hours to get there and we always prefer driving through the night for longer trips so we don't waste daylight (Plus its cheaper than staying at a hotel if you just sleep in your car). Dave drove the entire time. I slept. Not a very restful sleep but ya know how car sleeping is. We knew where we wanted to start our 1st hike so we went straight into Arches National Park and parked at the trail head for Delicate Arch at about 4am. Since it was still pitch black outside we both slept until the sun started coming up. We started the hike at around 6:30. At some point we ended up going the wrong way and having to hike around the top of this very slanted rock around this huge rock bowl thing. I was scared I was gonna slip and die basically. It was scary. The whole time I'm thinking there's no way this is the trail because the website says kids can hike this trail and it was just really steep and on the edge. So after taking pictures and realizing more people were showing up and none of them came the way we did we found the real way out which was totally flat and not scary like you're gonna fall and die. Fail us. But we survived.
Delicate Arch and to the right in this pic you can see the large bowl where we could've slipped and died if we had fallen into it
After that hike we headed to a short trail to Broken Arch and then Sand Dune Arch. Took some pics and when we got back to the car we headed out of Arches National park to get to the place where we had our reservation to go rappelling! We got to High Point Hummer & ATV and checked in for our trip that started at 12:30. It was Dave and me, a man and his teenager son and then 2 lead guys and 2 others who were going to be leaders but were still training or something. We got our gear and loaded up into this big van and headed out to the canyon. We had to hike down about a mile to where the first rappel was. We got there and the guide set up and was just hanging off the side explaining how to rappel and the whole time I'm thinking that's crazy I don't get it. I was nervous but definitely not as nervous as Dave. He is afraid of heights and when I told him to drink some more water before putting in his backpack he said "Gotta make sure my bladder's full so I can piss myself" haha.
The man with his son was the first one. He had been rappelling before and he made it look pretty easy. Then his son went and then I went. I decided I was just gonna go for it and that's what I did. Once I got the feel for it and how to hold the rope and stuff it wasn't bad. It was so much fun. Dave went next and he did good too. At the bottom of the rappel I was getting really excited for the next one since it was a higher drop and there would be a part where we weren't against anything and we would just hang.
It was about 100 yards to the next rappel off of Morning Glory Arch. Dave went first for this one. He was so cute shuffling his feet down the wall. I went second. This one was so much fun especially since I wasn't as nervous starting out. I got to the bottom and just wanted to go again. I loved it! We waited at the bottom and watched the other people come down. The last guide to come down went completely upside down and stopped right before he hit the ground and flipped back upright. It was pretty cool and so scary looking. Once everyone was down we had to hike down 2 miles to the where the pick up van would be. It was the longest 2 miles ever. I think since the excitement of the rappel was behind us and we were tired and hungry it felt like such a longer hike than it really was. When we got back to the place we got in our car and practically crossed the street to the Days Inn and checked into our room. We freshened up and had a couple fresh baked chocolate chip cookies from the lobby that were amazing and then we went to eat.
Broken Arch
Rappel guides leading the way down to our 1st rappel
Dave, ready to piss himself, and me
Dave doing the 1st rappel
2nd rappel at Morning Glory Arch
Me doing the 2nd rappel
we did it!
We ate at Miquel's Baja Grill. My friend from school recommended it and so did the guides for our rappelling trip so we were hoping it'd be amazing and it was. We both ordered the M.O.A.B. aka mother of all burritos...and it was. It didn't disappoint and we also got guacamole that was delicious as well. After we were full and happy we went back to the hotel and got ready for bed since we were running on very limited sleep and were exhausted from a full day.
We woke up and went down to the continental breakfast and they had a waffle maker so we were super excited. So we both had those and they were delicious. Then we packed up the car and checked out of the hotel and headed to Corona Arch hike. It was about 1.5 miles to the arch and such a neat hike. There was this part with a rope to climb up this rock and then this small ladder and the arch was really pretty and it was just a really good hike.
Corona Arch
little rock garden with Corona Arch in the background
After we got back to the car we headed to Canyonlands National Park which was about 40 minutes away. The park has 2 parts and they don't connect which I thought was kinda weird so we went to the north part called Island in the Sky. It was the top of a canyon and on the 3d map they had at the visitors center you could totally tell why they called it Island in the Sky. We went to the furthest hike they had and it was really pretty. It was similar looking to the Grand Canyon but there were some mountains way in the distance with snow on them and it was really pretty. After that hike we went to another hike to this crater thing. Then we hiked to Mesa Arch this cute little arch with a really pretty view looking through it.
Our 1st hike that was along the edge of the canyon
Upheaval Dome overlook
Mesa Arch
After we finished at Canyonlands National Park we went back into downtown Moab and ate at Miquel's again because it was so good the first time we were craving it again. After we ate we left Moab and headed to Grand Junction, Colorado about an hour and a half away to where we were staying at another Days Inn. This one was way newer than the Moab one so it was pretty nice.
Saturday, March 28th 2015
Guess what we had for breakfast?? Waffles we made in the waffle maker and they were just as delicious as the ones we had in Moab. After breakfast we headed to Glenwood Springs, Colorado. We had hoped to go snowboarding at Sunglight Mountain resort but with the really warm weather we were having we decided not to risk spending the money for crappy snow. So we pretty much just kinda winged it and had a lot of fun. I got recommendations from my friend Laura so we did some stuff she suggested. We parked near Glenwood Hot Springs and walked to Hotel Colorado this really old, pretty hotel. Then we walked to eat some lunch at Glenwood Canyon Brew Pub. Lunch was really yummy and Dave of course had a beer that he really liked.
After lunch we went to Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. The park is up on top of a mountain so you buy your ticket and then have to ride the gondola to the actual park. It was super crowded so that sucked cuz there were long lines for almost every ride. We started at a cave tour and had to wait like 45 minutes for that and it wasn't really worth it. I wish the tour had been shorter but oh well. After that we went to ride the coaster and that was another long wait but it was super fun zipping down the mountain. Then we went to these swings like normal amusement park swings only they are on the cliff side so when you swing around that side it feels like you're flying and it was such a crazy feeling. I got butterflies in my stomach every time I swung around the side and the ground beneath you just disappears. Dave didn't ride this one with me. He might've had a heart attack if he had. I loved it though. I also rode this zipline ride that was pretty cool. Then we went to get drinks since there was a line for the gondola to leave the park. Well even after drinks there was still a long line but Dave and me rode separate down the hill just so we could get down faster. They also gave us vouchers for discounted tickets to come back because usually it's not that long of a wait to leave cuz they normally have a bus taking people down the mountain too I think.
When we finally got back to the car we drove to Carbondale, CO to check in to yet another Days Inn for the night. Right outside our room window there was a river and the sound of that was really nice. For dinner we went right across the street to Red Rocks Diner and it was ok. After dinner it was bed time.
Sunday, March 29th 2015
We had breakfast at the hotel but THERE WAS NO WAFFLE MAKER! So disappointing after the other 2 Days Inn having them. So we left and drove home with a few stops on the way. We stopped at the Outlets in Silverthorne and just went to the Nike outlet and then left and went to the Indian Hot Springs. It was really hot in the building where the pool was and the water was like hot tub water. There were a lot of really pretty plants and trees too. And it felt so good to just relax after a few days full of hiking and nonstop walking around.
After we were super hot and ready to leave we decided we wanted BeauJo's Pizza so we stopped in Arvada and ate there on the way home and holy crap it was so good. Their crust is really yummy and they give you honey for the crust too so it's like a dessert.
Leaving Carbondale
Indian Hot Springs
When we left there we started "singing" songs basically like turkeys. I don't remember how we started doing this but it was so funny and I'm pretty sure we were just delirious. I just love Dave and that we can be completely weird and silly around each other. I just have so much fun with him and I can't wait to travel more with him. Traveling with him is my favorite.
We got home and squeezed up the cutest kitties in the world and gave them lots of love and relaxed the rest of the night.
