That Red Dirt Road
Moab, Utah.
Such a great place for the outdoor adventurer. This was our first stop on our road trip. We camped, hiked, basked in the nature that calls to your soul and restores, and brings balance back to busyness of the day to day. Because of covid, I waited to book our trip until the last minute because as we know, things in 2020 change day to day. Many places were closed but found this great spot that gives you a feel of really camping in southern Utah as it should be. Surrounded by gorgeous rocks, sunsets that kiss you goodnight, and crystal clear stars that keep watch over you at night, as the moon guides the night. I became aware of http://www.hipcamp.com and how you can have some pretty amazing camping experiences on private property. I found Needles Campsite, which is next to the Needles entrance of Canyonlands.
Canyonlands
The Needles
We did a few hikes with the kids. Tip: Have each kid have a water pack . Not only did they love having their own, but they could stay easily hydrate and could carry the pack themselves. We also packed some snacks in their packs they could get as needed which helped us off load some supplies. Cave Springs Trail where we saw some petroglyphs and an old western camp. Then we hiked Slick Rock Trail which had some great views. Also found out to bring some sort of vaseline and gauze because 2 kids got bloody noses because it was hot and dry.
Then we drove to the other entrance, Island in the sky and got there in the late afternoon.. Which took about and 1.5 hours with traffic. The kids were tired from hiking earlier so we just stuck to the the viewpoints and short hikes from the road.
We ended up eating dinner in Moab because it was getting late and cooking dinner after a long just didn’t sound that fun. So we found a little mom and pop type restaurant and stuffed our faces. Moab has many restaurants to offer on the main strip but plan on around dinner to be waiting for a table unless you make a reservation. Not sure if all restaurants take reservations or not though.
The next day we hit up Arches National Park. We got there about 9am and this time we packed lunch and dinner in the camp just in case it was going to be a late night again. We did a lllooottt of hiking here…almost 9 miles with the kids and they did fabulous! Some of the point we hit: Balanced Rock, The Windows, Double Arch, Delicate Arch, Sand Dune Arch ( our kids’ favorite) and Landscape Arch. Tip: Hit the visitor center and get the inside scoop of hiking with kids and plus a map! And fill up your water packs for the hot day a head.
We ended before dinner this time and took advantage of going into Moab and down the main street to do a little shopping… gotta find a snow globe for one the kids’ collection!
