Red Rock Playground

Through the center of the Mormon universe, Salt Lake City, we made our way east again to Arches National Park. With one campground inside the park and only 24 total first-come/first-serve sites, Brooks was in line at 4am to secure a spot in the Devil’s Garden. The early morning wake-up call proved to be one of the best choices we’ve made on our trip. Not only did we meet half the campground in line, but we also got the opportunity to pitch our tent amongst the red rock and under the brightest stars imaginable.

Arches might have just set the new standard for National Parks? It’s a photographer’s paradise. At any time of any day you can swivel your head in any direction and see something uniquely beautiful. We hit the famous Delicate Arch for sunset and watched the classic cowboy chaps glow a golden red in the low sun. We watched the sun rise at the Landscape Arch and wondered how its slender long arch has defied gravity for so long.

Ironically, we hiked through the Fiery Furnace at mid-day to avoid the hot afternoon sun. It’s a trail-less maze of towering sandstone needles where the giant red walls close in over your head. We crawled and squeezed through cracks less than 12 inches wide that opened up entirely new labyrinths to explore on the other side. Curiosity lured us deeper into the furnace as you always wanted to know what lay behind the next turn.

We had an amazing time in the Moab area. We hiked our hearts content and Hairy relaxed in Karen's Canine Campground. He played so hard with his new best friend, a one year old border collie, that we had to pry him out of his air conditioned cabin when we picked him up. Our final night in Arches, he slept from 8pm until 10am without even readjusting his position