Given that our trip was only 8 days total, I had originally not planned to make it to Arches National Park. I really wanted to see Moab, but I was wanting to actually spend some legit time there and we had SO much to see. In the planning stages though I realized how darn close we were gonna land and just had to figure out if we could at least say we had been there.
National Parks have become so popular, that many of the super touristed areas are now requiring a timed entry slot just to get into the park. Arches is one of the most popular places and ALL of the timed entry slots were taken. I was reading horror stories of people that waited hours to get into the park. Thankfully we had spoken with a Ranger back in Mesa Verde and he suggested that you show up before 6am. If you show up then the park is technically not "open" and you can get right in.
We did just that and it worked like an absolute DREAM. We got right into Arches with no waiting and watched the sun rise just begin to come up as we made our way through the park. We picked the Delicate Arch trail to hike and set out with only a few others.
The Delicate Arch is a 3 mile strenuous out and back trail and I am SO THANKFUL that we had to do it super early because it was beautiful and cool and breathtaking.
We got up near the delicate arch area and found a little hole in the rock which gave us a spectacular view of the arch. It was so windy, but an amazing view and such a sight!
We hiked around the corner and found ourselves face to face with this incredible sight. The majesty of this is truly hard to explain. It makes you feel so very very small. And so, so, grateful to be alive!
Enjoying the sunrise and taking in the beautiful Delicate Arch was SO worth getting up early for.
We had another hour or so before we needed to be on the road and so we stopped by the Double Arch as well. The hike to the Double Arch was short, but no less spectacular. The years of time it took to form theses makes you feel like you are standing in the presence of an ancient history.
We climbed all over this place until we had to make our way back to the car for the long drive to Bryce Canyon.
I slept....not my most flattering look.
We made it to Bryce Canyon and got all checked into our TeePee only to find out that Bryce Canyon is COLD and our TeePee had no beds and a concrete floor. That's gonna be a problem. So I thought fast and found an open hotel room. Good thing because Bob had calls and we had to entertain ourselves.
With our spontaneous hotel registration we got access to a pool, free breakfast, and access to the ice cream shop. WINNING!
.........and we didn't have to freeze in the TeePee.
When Bob was finished with his work calls, we toodled around and explored Bryce Canyon City which is like a little metropolis in itself, So fun.
We went to the rim of the Canyon to take it all in and I just have to say, Bryce Canyon is magical. It is a fascinating place with HooDoos and beautiful natural structures.
Again, yet another place that is so grandiose, so breathtaking, and us............so small.
Our brief little walk along the rim made us all excited to fully explore. We headed home and couldn't wait to wake up and hike!
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