Cutting through the
San Rafael Reef from the west on Interstate 70, the downward drive onto the Utah plains gave us the feeling that the mountains had parted, allowing passage to the sand sculptures clustered within
Arches National Park.
Our long drive through Utah ended up in Moab under nightfall, so after dinner we did a little research on the surrounding area - and discovered the irony of the fact that if not for uranium prospectors in the late 1920's - the natural wonders in this area would not have been protected under the watch of the National Parks Service.
In 1938 President Roosevelt expanded the Park's boundaries from it's original 4,500 acres to almost 34,000 acres - though paved roads were not laid until 1950 - which is probably why the legacy of this land has become legend for off-roading four-wheelers (and the fact that there was a plethora of surplus jeeps available after WWII to repurpose and access remote and rugged terrain like this)!
The next morning we woke up to the red rock sandstone cliffs which surrounded us on three sides - awesome views - and that was from our hotel window! Driving up through the zip zagging entrance road of
Arches National Park just after sunrise... it was like being transported back in time - to the Jurassic Park era - which is actually a true story as these rock formations were carved over hundreds of millions of years by the Colorado River.
Stefanie Payne, the author of the book, "A Year in the National Parks: The Greatest American Road Trip" wrote that
“Mother Nature is a master sculptor and in no place is that more evident than at Arches National Park.” We couldn't have agreed with her sentiments more passionately, The Arches combines the wonders of the Canyons with the carved rock sculptures that overwhelm one at every turn along the parks access roads - and that's just from the car, before one takes to hiking!
Over the course of our journey traversing the northwestern states, our country's parks have often made the top hits list and left us speechless and awestruck. Though we're both well traveled, this adventure has provided us with a more expansive view of the country we live in. It has accumulated into more than sets of photos and hashmarks on the map.. it's been deeply transformational for each of us... and we are more grateful, vibrant and fueled by courage because of it to continue this grand adventure.
PS:
“The parks attract us in a deeply spiritual way; they are a place where so many of us have had a transformative moment; where we had our sense of place in the universe confirmed, or at least we were awakened to.” — Ken Burns
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