Out West Road Trip - Part 1: Utah
Part one of our trip out West
The first overnight stop on our road trip was Moab, Utah. We did not have a lot planned on this trip besides a couple of guided tours and lodging for the first and end of week destinations.
Day 01: We flew out of Tulsa, OK, to Grand Junction, CO, to start our 8-day road trip. After landing in Grand Junction, we rented a car and headed downtown to walk around, stretch our legs, and for a bite to eat before getting back in the car and heading to Moab.
The drive from GJ to Moab is less than 2 hours; not a terrible commute, mainly on the highway. We were a bit early to check into our Airbnb after getting to town, so we walked around downtown and grabbed a snack at this fun little joint, Miguel's Baja Grill, before getting ready for our scenic sunset hike at Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park.
We booked a guided tour through Viator, and the experience was great. Our tour guide was knowledgeable of the terrain (on a geological level) and the history of Canyonlands National Park and the surrounding parks. She picked us up, took us to all of the best viewpoints, and then dropped us back off at our Airbnb. There were very few people at the parks (we went on a Friday evening) which was nice — it felt more peaceful and serene without the crowds. If you're heading to Moab, I highly recommend catching Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point during the evening time, right before sunset.
Also 10/10 recommend booking a guided tour.
Day 02: We woke up early (still on central time) and strolled down to the Jailhouse Cafe. This place is DELICIOUS, and apparently, everyone knows it because it was busy from the time we got there until the time we left. But I will say, the service was fantastic for how busy they were. If we ever make it back to Moab, we will be returning to dine at Jailhouse Cafe again.
After breakfast, we walked nearly the width of the town, until it was time to get ready for our ATV tour through Devil's Revenge and Fins 'N' Things trails. We grabbed a handful of snacks and water at a nearby gas station; we were planning to be out on the trails for most of the day, so we wanted to be prepared with plenty of snacks and hydration. This tour was a lot of fun — you get to ride through Devil's Revenge and on/through all of the vertical fins. I would not recommend it for someone scared of heights, but this activity is undoubtedly for you if you're a thrill-seeker.
After the ATV ride, we head back to shower and get ready for a low-key dinner. We walked down to Pasta Jays, enjoyed a nice dinner out on their patio, and then headed back to pack up and get some much-needed sleep; we were planning for an early morning.
Day 03: The alarm went off at 4:15a; we got dressed, loaded the car, and headed to Arches National Park. We were planning for a sunrise hike and wanted to get to the arches before the sun came up. A couple of other people watched the sunrise along with us, but everyone was so quiet; each person collectively taking in the moment, atmosphere, and views. It was complete silence. The early morning wake-up was certainly worth the views and serenity we got to experience that morning.
After watching the sunrise at the North Arch, we headed back through the park towards Devils Garden. We did an 8-mile hike that was a combination of easy and challenging. There are a few different hikes you can do of varying difficulties.
After our hike and feeling quite accomplished for scaling some pretty large formations, we headed back to downtown Moab to grab a sweatshirt souvenir and eat lunch before getting back on the road to our next destination. We're heading to Salt Lake City.
234 miles, 3.5 hours, and a sandstorm later, we arrived at our second destination.
After three full days of jampacked excursions, we are exhausted. We originally planned to check into our Airbnb and head out to a nice dinner. But after showering off the early morning adventure, we decided to order food in from a local Mexican joint instead.
Day 04: Rise and shine in the eclectic downtown Salt Lake City. We don't have solid plans for the day, so we head to Hub & Spoke Diner and decided to explore Antelope Island State Park while eating brunch (our good friend Brittany suggested this park!); I highly recommend Hub & Spoke Diner! Their chicken and waffles are 6/5 stars.
Antelope Island State Park was a quaint little park worth the hour drive from SLC. You have to drive across a long causeway, and on either side, all you see are salt flats. We got to see some wildlife (bison, antelope, coyotes) and experienced a snow shower on the beach and, 2 minutes later, the bright gleaming sunshine and a 20-degree temperature change.
On our way back to SLC, we made reservations for dinner in Park City. Park City was off-season and the town was quite tranquil — we will certainly be making plans to come back during a more festive season! We had a fantastic dinner at the Twisted Fern and called it an early bedtime again for our second night in Salt Lake; tomorrow, we're heading to Idaho Falls, Idaho.
My favorite bits about Moab:
It’s a very walkable community with a lot of good restaurants and shopping on the main drag
Everyone is chill / laid back — no one seems to be in a hurry
Mostly mom and pop shops, this community isn’t overrun by the big corps (yet)
There is so much to see within an hours drive of Moab! So many beautiful national and state parks to explore — not to mention river rafting, kayaking, ATV rides, and base jumping!
Lots of al fresco dining experiences
xx, Riss
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