After a 2.5 hour drive, we spent the rest of our day at Arches National Park. The day started out fantastic. There was a 1/3 mile line to get into the park. After we were in the line for a while, two rangers came out and moved some road cones. They then asked if I already have a pass. (I do — the National Parks Senior Pass.) They let me bypass the line and drive into the park. I was the first person today to receive this offer. I felt so special!

The park is all about the sandstone which has eroded and turned into walls, or columns, or arches. But I also found the plant growth quite interesting. I was surprised by the variety, quantity, and color variation of what we saw growing in this desert. It goes all the way from traditional cactus to all kinds of flowering and non-flowering plants and even includes deciduous Cottonwood tress and Juniper pine trees..

Danita discusses “husbands” with another guest in front of the double arch

We were fortunate the weather was so good. The high temperature was in the mid-70s. That still feels quite warm because of the intense sun. I can’t imagine what its like in the summer time.

Landscape Arch

There’s also a large geological variety here — from the sunken salt mounds to major geological faults. The star of the show is still the arches. Here is a picture of the Landscape Arch, which is without a doubt the coolest arch we saw today. There is so much to see. Photos aren’t at all like being here. I usually throw most of my pics away. This time I kept 50 of them. Don’t worry, I won’t put them all in the post.

At the end of the day, we drove to Moab, just 5 miles from the park. It’s a pleasant town with a way cool name and a delightful main street. We went to the Moab Diner. We had a nice dinner and a single ice cream that was as large as most triples. All together, it was an exciting and satisfying day.

Underground salt mounds dissolved, causing this huge area of land to sink.