Delicate Arch

Every year, Jeff has had Fall Break come mid-October. School is out Thursday through Monday, creating a perfect window for adventure. Previously, I have been in school for Fall semester at BYU where we don't enjoy the luxury of a "fall break". To our great fortune, being a stay-at-home mom means a flexible schedule for myself so we all benefited from Jeff's vacation time. We decided to spend a couple of days in Moab exploring two of the national parks that are on our Utah bucket list. Somehow both Jeff and I had never been to Arches or Canyonlands National Parks, even though we have traveled to Southern Utah a few times. This was the perfect opportunity to go and we even had the pleasure of my little sister's company for our travels. 

We left Wednesday afternoon as soon as Jeff got home from work and were so kindly invited to stay at a friend's home in Moab for the night. This allowed for a smooth transition Thursday morning from our nightly accommodations to the park entrance. We wanted to arrive as early as possible, meaning as soon as Wendy would allow. Fortunately we made decent time for toting along a 4 month old babe and beat the crowds to the trailhead of Delicate Arch. We just had to see this world famous natural wonder in person. The hike was quite enjoyable and the red slick rock was a beautiful setting. Upon arriving at Delicate Arch we were greeted with it's majestic (and really, really big) presence. It was quite the sight to behold. We enjoyed our time there with an early picnic lunch. The hike was short so we had plenty of time to take in the view before the crowds started pouring in. We were back at the car before noon and were happy to have the rest of the day to get settled and explore the area a bit more. 

The day's explorations were an undeniable reminder of this earth's magnificence. We are so grateful to live so close to such natural wonders. It was pretty special to get away from the hustle and bustle of our fast-paced lives and spend time together exploring beautiful scenery.