Redefined Timeline

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All good things must come to an end. We packed up our belongings, food stuffs, and acquired items, and headed off for Moab, Utah. The three-ish hour drive lead us down and out of the San Juan National Forest through Durango before darting over to Utah, with it’s drastic change in scenery. We went from towering trees and mountains to expansive canyons and red rock. And an 85 MPH speed limit. That’s a misdemeanor in Virginia! We arrived in Moab in the early afternoon, and since we were not yet permitted to check into our hotel, the Quality Inn (not so Quality, but I’ll get to that later), I perused Google briefly and decided on a hike! Gotta get those steps in!

A few from the scenery alterations on the drive…

I drove us the entire length of Moab – it is a whopping 4 miles long, and that might be generous – then up along Route 128, which borders the Colorado River. We left our rental car in the parking lot at The Grandstaff Campground, a quaint spot along the Colorado River banks, and started up the Porcupine Rim Trail. The trail climbs up the canyon walls, swerving around rocks and deep ravines, as it follows the river north. No hiking poles were required for this little jaunt, as the traipse was quite effortless. However, I do not see how the mountain bikers tackle the course, which does have significant drops in some places. This particular trail is frequented by the two-wheeled chariots. We even encountered several! Lower elevation changed our speed a bit, and we booked it up the pathway. That, and Hubs’ higher sugar level. It was a decent, impromptu hike that concluded right at sunset. But alas, we saw no jackasses, nor any porcupines. I feel cheated.

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As per usual, here is a smidgen of an abstract composition of photographs captured during the trek…

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So back to Moab… another charming little town huddled amid the canyons and red cliffs of Utah’s backdrop. There are a tremendous number of shops (of the boutique, market, and coffee varieties), lining Main Street (yup, another one). You can acquire some leather cowboy boots at Cowboys & Indians Trading Company. You can be like us, and purchase some unique art at Tumbleweed. There is designer-esk clothing for sale at Indigo Alley. Get a new tattoo at Skull & Bones Tattoo Shop. Or get a cup of joe at Moab Coffee Roasters. A little something for everyone! All small towns need a local brewery… enter Moab Brewery. Given that we no longer possessed a kitchen to make our own meals, we visited the brewery one night for a few pints and culinary fare. It can be recommended with it’s eccentric decor.

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AirBnB did not provide me many options for Moab, as the town is littered with hotels and fewer inexpensive residences to choose from. Quality Inn looked fine on the website… my mistake. The better hotels were farther down Main Street. I can only describe the room as drab, old, dingy, lackluster, dated, shabby… okay, I have a lot of words for it. Not recommended. Courtesy of COVID, our “continental breakfast” consisted of a tiny box of sugary cereal and prepackaged muffins. I’m a growing girl! I need my protein, dammit!

Next destination: Arches National Park

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