The view from Head of the Rocks Overlook
In October of 2016, we visited a few National Parks in the southwest of the United States. We started our tour in Las Vegas where we arrived on October 8, and after visiting Zion, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Arches, Monument Valley, and the Grand Canyon, we were back in Las Vegas on October 15. The trip yielded a large number of photos, only a few of which are presented in these pages. This is the second of a three-part series; it highlights our visit of Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. From here, you may also access part 1 and part 3 of the series.
On October 11, we drove from Cannonville to Moab. We had not expected much of that drive, but Utah Route 12 from Cannonville to Torrey was so spectacular that it turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip! We stopped for lunch in Torrey at the famous Cafe Diablo (rattlesnake, anyone?) and after a brief digestive walk through Torrey, we continued our drive to Moab where we had reserved the Bowen Motel for two nights.
Click on any image to see a larger (2100 x 1400 pixel) version!
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The view from Head of the Rocks Overlook |
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Route 12 seen from our hotel in Cannonville |
Near Escalante, Utah |
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Fence in Boulder, Utah |
Landscape with aspens |
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Main Street in Torrey, Utah |
Tree in Torrey, Utah |
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Evening sun in Moab, Utah |
Main Street in Moab, Utah |
Canyonlands is actually three parks in one: the very accessible Island in the Sky, the harder to get to Needles, and the near-inaccesible and therefore aptly named (so we were told) Maze. We limited our visit to the first of these, an easy drive from Moab. Since our schedule called for visiting two parks that day, our time in Canyonlands was limited. We hiked along Grand View Point Trail to Grand View Point Overlook, made an obligatory stop at the Mesa Arch, and admired the view from Buck Canyon Overlook. Finally, we ate our picnic at the visitor center (note to self: egg salad sandwiches are way too messy and should therefore be avoided). Around one o'clock, we were back on route 313 and on our way to Arches National Park.
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Near the Island in the Sky Visitor Center |
By Grand View Point |
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At the start of Grand View Point Trail |
On Grand View Point Trail |
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On Grand View Point Trail |
Tormented survivor |
Failed survivor |
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At Grand View Point Overlook |
At Grand View Point Overlook |
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Hiking back |
On Grand View Point Trail |
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Mesa Arch |
Photo-op at Mesa Arch |
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The view through Mesa Arch |
At Buck Canyon Overlook |
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Leaving Canyonlands on Route 313 |
To enter Arches National Park, we just had to make a left turn a few miles before reaching Moab, so it didn't talke us long to get there. Our first stop was at the 128 foot (39 meter) tall Balanced Rock which is located next to a rather large and impressive sandstone fin. We then took the car to the beginning of Devil's Garden Trail and and walked down that path to Landscape Arch with its magnificent 290 foot (88.4 meter) span. We ended our visit by spending some time in the Park Avenue section of Arches. There, one can admire formations such as The Three Gossips, The Organ, The Tower of Babel, and The Courthouse Towers. We left Arches National Park around 5 p.m. and drove back to Moab for a rest and, of course, dinner.
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View from Arches Scenic Drive |
Sandstone fin near Balanced Rock |
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Landscape |
By Balanced Rock |
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Balanced Rock |
Balanced Rock |
Balanced Rock |
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On Devil's Garden Trail |
On Devil's Garden Trail |
On Devil's Garden Trail |
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Butte |
Landscape |
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The frail Landscape Arch spans 290 feet (88.4 meters) |
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Escape artist |
On Devil's Garden Trail |
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Still Life |
Landscape |
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On Devil's Garden Trail |
The Three Gossips |
Equilibrium |
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Park Avenue |
Park Avenue |
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Park Avenue |
Courthouse Towers |
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The Tower of Babel |
The Organ |
The photos on this page were taken on October 11 and 12, 2016.
These and a few more images of our Canyon Trip are also available in several Web galleries. Check them out!
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