US Road Trip Day One-Three | Salt Lake City To Moab Utah

For Matthew’s college graduation gift we went on a trip out west to Utah and Colorado. Nine days and so many adventures later, we will remember this trip forever. I had never been to either Utah or Colorado before and I was so happy to add these states to the list of places I have explored. It is really thanks to our friend Matt, who joined us on our journey, that we saw so many of these incredible places. Our friend Matt moved to Salt Lake City earlier this year and he is very well travelled (he works for Delta Airlines so you can imagine that he has been all over the world). Not only did he act as host during our stay in Salt Lake City, but he also brought us on so many epic hikes (although I’m sure he would tell you that our hikes were quite tame compared to what he is used to).

I am going to share with you a photo journal of our adventures. The mid west is so different from the east coast.

 

Day One

Day one we woke up early and made our way to Bradley International Airport in the dark. It was a rainy and chilly morning and the droplets were still coming down when we boarded our plane at six that morning. Bradley is my personal favorite international airport, and not just because it is so close to home. I love this airport because it is so small, clean, and peaceful. It is such a tranquil place compared to the larger international airports and you can still get to almost anywhere in the world from here. Travel can be stressful and departing (and returning) to Bradley is a game changer when you want a less stressful beginning. It is a magical gateway to the globe. Although it is slightly more expensive than other airports nearby in New York and New Jersey, Bradley is worth the extra expense because of the convenience, the very low cost of leaving your car parked in the parking garage, no tolls, and the peace of mind you get from going through such an organized little airport. For anxious travelers, there is nothing better.

 

The view of these mountains was spectacular. Are you a window or an aisle person? I love sitting at the window and was thankful I had the chance.  I will never understand how people can close the blinds and not look out into the clouds when the sun is shining.

When we landed in Salt Lake City our friend Matt met us at the airport terminal and we made our way to his place. He took us on a small driving tour of the city and then brought us to this beautiful park up the road form his new home to stretch our legs and explore. Later that night Matt took us to a wonderful Italian restaurant and treated us to a good meal. It felt so good to see people and friends again.

Day Two

I had no idea that independent diners were a northeast thing, but leave it to me to find one! When Matt told us that there were no diners around I was a little disappointed, but figured I would check out a local cafe instead. It turns out that Penny Ann’s Cafe is a diner and the owners are from New York. Did I mention that I love diner food, especially breakfast? After so much travel I had quite the appetite. I love a big American breakfast. While the guys went mountain biking I took an Uber to Best Buy to pick up an extra camera battery (my spare went missing) and then Ubered over to Penny Ann’s. As I was by myself I took a seat at the counter.

 

I spent the afternoon enjoying a quiet walk on a very hot day and read a book on the back patio at Matt’s place.

At the end of the day Matt took us to the Capital in Salt Lake City. After exploring for much of the day I came to the conclusion that Salt Lake City is “beige.” Beige as in pleasant and simple. It is a quiet city with a kind and quiet population. Beige because the sand and sandy colored buildings are everywhere. If the city were a color or even an emotion, it would be beige. There are no large buildings or tall towers, except for one; the headquarters of the Church of Later Day Saints. Nearly 70% of the population of the city are mormon. It always amazes me how diverse the cultures around the states can be. If only more Americans were kinder to each other. Thankfully, in Salt Lake City it appears that people are. There were rainbow flags and crosswalks for pride month and Black Lives Matter signs were in most yards. It felt like a kind and gentle place. Earlier in the day I ran into a woman at the park who was putting together flowers for a styled photo shoot. It turns out that she was a wedding photographer too! We struck up a nice conversation. The city itself doesn’t have the excitement of larger cities, but it does have a pleasant calmness.

How lovely is this heart shaped cloud Matthew spotted in the sky?

The capital building at night was beautiful. People played music and there were ballroom dancers dancing along the deck.

Day Three

On the third day our road trip really took off. We picked up our rental jeep (brand new with only seventy miles) and made our way towards Moab.

 

With our meal schedule a little off (and the time difference) I was so hungry pretty much all the time. I do not regret this gas station corn dog.

We stopped a few times for Matthew to explore from up above with his drone.

Is it just me or does the cloud down below look like a rabbit?

There was a train that went through these tunnels.

Back on the road.

When was the last time you saw a public telephone?

By the afternoon we made it to our Super 8 Motel. The super 8’s in this area of the United States are much nicer than the Super 8’s I have ever seen.

We stopped into town for a refreshing frozen yogurt before driving into Arches National Park just right down the road.

Entering Arches National Park.

Our first hike before sunset to the arch.

By Utah standards this was not a difficult hike. It was approximately thirty-five minutes long (one way) and up hill at a steady pace. There were not many big drops or cliffs until we reached the arch itself, but because I hadn’t had the chance to warm up my asthma did take off. It was very hot and I also had not adjusted to the altitude. Without a warm up my throat started to close up. Thankfully I brought an emergency inhaler in my fanny pack (I’m now a fanny pack convert and I will not make fun of the pack again. Don’t judge me.)) and I made it to the top. I didn’t make the same mistake for the rest of the trip and made sure I got in a good amount of movement before going up steep inclines.

At the top, there was quite the crowd. And why wouldn’t there be? This is an amazing place. Apparently Memorial Day week (when we visited) broke National Park visitor records. With so much of travel still closed, I’m thankful that we have so many beautiful parks in the United States. You just have to be patient. If you want places like these all to yourself you will have to visit by sunrise during the off season. Take a look at this crowd.

Still, I was surprised how many people had small children, infants and even newborns with them on these steep cliffs. One out of shape man was holding his newborn in one arm like a football (no neck support?) and I was worried about them making it back down. It was such a bad idea. These places are very dangerous and people die in the national parks all of the time, even very fit and experienced people. In fact, two people perished during the duration of our trip. One in Utah and the other in Telluride. If you do visit with kids or babies, make sure you’re in shape enough for these kinds of hikes and bring the proper gear (like this guy pictured here) so that you can have your hands free to catch yourself in case of a fall. If you are not experienced with these kinds of landscapes, proceed with caution and don’t bring your baby. Seriously.

As this was our first hike out west, I didn’t know what my limits were. I haven’t hiked this kind of terrain before and my hiking shoes were brand new so I didn’t feel confident with the grip just yet. So Matthew (who is afraid of heights) and I stayed at this safe spot to view the arch instead of trekking across the basin and standing in line for a photo under the arch. I didn’t need to “do it for the gram.” It was more meaningful to experience the arch in our own way. The basin itself is much stepper and more dangerous than it looks in this photo. People do in fact slide down and fall to their deaths. I didn’t need to be one of them. I took greater risks later on in the trip, but on the first day I moved forward with caution into I got my cliff legs. If I were to go back I would walk the top portion of the basin because I know what I am capable of, but at the time I was unsure.

But you know what, I think we ended up with a much better photo spot than if we had walked all the way under the arch. Everyone has that picture and that moment. But this was our unique visit. And yes, I did edit out the people for a couple of shots! This is my Instagram vs. reality moment. I couldn’t help myself; I had to get a couple images in there without the crowds. I am an introvert after all.

As the sun set we began to make our way back down the cliff.

It gets more narrow after this corner and then it flattens out.

We brought flashlights and a head lamp to make our way back in the dark.

You can see a trail of flashlights on the path as it became pitch dark.

Thank you for joining the journey and supporting my blog. I will be sharing day four of our road trip at Fisher’s Tower and Canyonlands National Park next week.