Traveling to Arches National Park

This is a mule deer we saw beside the road in Bryce National Park (five more were on the other side of the shuttle).  Before we knew the name, we thought this deer so strange with its coarse grey coat and those strange looking ears.

We saw many rock formations as we left Bryce and headed toward Moab.

 Here are more of those gorgeous red rocks.

 This little fellow tried to hop a ride out of the canyon with us.

 We are at a high elevation viewing site that reminded Rita of what the Grand Canyon looked liked when she was a young girl.

One of hundreds of scenes we saw on our 5-hour trip today.

This was our view on our 20-minute drive from Moab to our lodging for the next two nights.

This is the view of the Colorado River from our back patio at Red Cliffs Lodge.












     We traveled 5 hours Northeast to reach Moab, Utah near the Arches National Park.  Most of our drives are pretty leisurely.  Rita may think they are a little too leisurely but Angela takes after her mother more and more each day.
     We continue to be amused by the signs we pass along the highways.  We passed a sign advertising "Elk and Buffalo Jerky".  We were both a little hungry but decided to pass.  We saw many signs that read, "Frequent Wildlife Crossing" but they must have taken the day off.  There were several state signs that read, Drowsy Driving Causes Accidents".  Then a mile later the sign read, Drowsy Drivers Next Exit".
     The views we saw today were more "Oh my gosh" moments.  We still see some snow on the higher elevations even though the high temperature later in the afternoon was 91 in Moab.  The sandstone is still brilliant red in certain areas.  To be down in these canyons with the canyon walls reaching to the heavens is a most awesome experience.  We regret that we missed seeing the Grand Canyon but being able to drive in these canyons takes our breath away.  At a viewing area off the highway, we met a very friendly man, Tim from Anderson, South Carolina.  He was riding cross country as well on his motorcycle.  We shared our adventures with each other (he had some doozies!) and he offered to take our picture.  We have now met our second person from the South.  I think Rita and I are the only ones from N.C. driving cross country since we have not seen a single N.C. license plate while on our trip.
     We ate dinner at a local microbrewery in Moab and Rita tried their most popular beer, Dead Horse.  We both had delicious salads which we have had very seldom.  They were great and for a few fleeting moments we felt healthier.  We then headed to Red Cliffs Lodge about 15 miles from Moab.  This is the area where John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara made the movie, Grand Rio.  That 20minute drive was the scariest road I have ever been on because the canyon walls were so close to the 2-lane road and humongous boulders had slipped down the sides.  But what a view!  The road runs parallel to the Colorado River.  Campers were camping along the river at different points.  We arrived at the Lodge and took a walk down the path along the pasture where horses were grazing.  The we settled into our room with a beautiful view of the river running swiftly by.  We sat on the back patio in the dark and could only see the stars and hear the river.  Wait a minute...is that a boulder we hear falling down into the canyon?
     We are off to Arches National Park tomorrow.  You'll probably have to hear us gush about the beauty at least one more time before we leave Utah.  And we have to navigate that scary road 3 more times before we head to Colorado.