Day 17: Colorado & Utah

by | June 2014 | 8 comments

Day 17 (6/17/14): Gypsum, CO | Moab, UT

We headed out of Colorado today and IMG_4028were happy to be leaving the mosquito-infested campground in Gypsum, CO. Our next destination was Utah to see Arches National Park. We checked into our campground in Moab about 10 miles from Arches, dropped the trailer and made our way over to the national park.ย  RVing is a fantastic way to visit National Parks! Don’t have an RV (yet) though? You can rent one here: National Park RV Rental!

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from Arches National Park as Iโ€™ve never been a fan of desert landscape, which probably has something to do with the fact that I was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV.ย  The scenery surrounding Vegas is extremely dull and monotone, so that’s what I always think of when it comes to desert landscape.ย  However, Arches National Park was incredibly scenic with multi-colored rock formations in various sizes and shapes. Warning: photo overload ahead! ๐Ÿ™‚

We first stopped at the Balancing Rock where a large boulder precariously balances atop a scrawny spire.ย  Next, we drove to the Delicate Arch Viewpoint where we hiked a short distance to get a view of the arch from a mile away.ย  It was hot and ridiculously windy, so we decided not to hike the entire way up to Delicate Arch. Okay, okayโ€ฆwe also happen to be out of shape, and the distance was intimidating. Haha!

We then made our way to the Sand Dune Arch where we squeezed through a narrow passageway between boulders to reach the overhead arch.ย  The wind started blowing more wildly though, blinding us with sand, so we didnโ€™t spend too much time at that location.ย  However, from there, we hiked across a grassy field to the Broken Arch. There was a fabulous view from the arch. Definitely worth the long walk!

The Double Arch was our final stop as well as our favorite. It was massive! We got there later in the day when the sun was shining through the various arches.ย  Luckily the wind had died down for the moment, making it easier to enjoy our surroundings. The sheer size of the pothole arches was an impressive sight!

We met a family at the Double Arch who happened to be from the same area in Utah that Justin is from. They even ended up knowing someone that Justin also knows. What a small world! The family lives in North Carolina now. Hopefully, we can get together with them when we make it out that way.

Overall though, we loved the desert landscape of Arches National Park with its different textures, rock formations and varying shades of red.ย  If youโ€™ve visited Arches National Park, what was your favorite area and/or arch? What did you love about it? Feel free to share any tips or top-secret spots for others to check out!

[polldaddy poll=8141252]

Follow Next Destination Unknown on Pinterest

Affiliate Disclosure

This post may contain affiliate links or links to Amazon. If you choose to purchase anything through these links, I may earn a commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting me and my blog. Youโ€™re the best! See the full disclosure for details.

Join the Free Blog Launch Course and learn how to start a blog in just 7 days!

Let’s Connect!

Briana Nickas of Next Destination Unknown

Behind the Blog

Hey there! I’m Briana, a blogger, hiker, traveller, RVer, photo-taker, and National Parks lover who is passionate about exploring the great outdoors while practicing clean living for a healthier lifestyle to continue doing the things I live for. My goal is to inspire others to live a life focused on wellbeing and wandering. Join me!

READ MORE

Top Blog Categories

RVing

RVing

Blogging with Next Destination Unknown

Blogging

A Few of My Faves…

1

RAKUTEN

Get cash back on your purchases through Rakuten for free! This is seriously one of my favorite things in life!


2

SITEGROUND

Reliable hosting for your self-hosted WordPress website is a must! SiteGround is not only reliable, but it's also affordable!


3

DIVI THEME

If you want to design a custom WordPress website without having to know code, the Divi Theme is the way to go!


4

WP ROCKET

Boo for slow websites! Does your WordPress blog need a major site speed boost? You need the WP Rocket plugin!


5

MAILERLITE

For an affordable yet customizable email marketing service, MailerLite is my go-to choice!

Powered by…

Divi WordPress Theme
WP Rocket - WordPress Caching Plugin

Earn Cash Back

Get Cash Back with Rakuten!

Go Natural

Try natural skincare with 10% off Primally Pure!

Use code NDU10 for 10% off EVERY Primally Pure purchase!

Go Shopping

Get What You Need from Amazon!

Try RVing

Blogging Tools I use, LOVE, and highly recommend:

  • SITEGROUND I use SiteGround as my web hosting provider for this self-hosted WordPress blog. Their plans are affordable and include must-have features. Learn more about SiteGround and their web hosting plansย HERE.
  • DIVI THEME –ย I love the Divi Theme’s page builder to create a fully customizable website. Plus, it comes with some super handy plugins! Get 10% OFF the Divi Theme HERE.
  • WP ROCKET –ย Site speed is critical for blogs. I use the WP Rocket Plugin in conjunction with my SiteGround hosting and their SG Optimizer plugin for a super fast site. Check out the WP Rocket plugin HERE.
  • CANVAย –ย Canva makes it super easy to design eye-catching graphics and Pins for your blog. Sign up for a FREE Canva account and try Canva Pro FREE for 30 daysย HERE.
  • MAILERLITE – I love using MailerLite to design and send engaging emails to my subscribers.ย Get MailerLite FREE for your first 1,000 email subscribers HERE.

You may also like…

Leave a Comment!

8 Comments

      • Adventures in the Burbs

        Yeah this is definitely on my bucket list. I’m taking a motorcycle trip starting on the 5th and was planning to head to Utah and Colorado. Unfortunately I don’t have enough time. Soooo, I’m going to Asheville, NC and then heading to Tail of the Dragon by Deals Gap. Should be an awesome trip but I am truly dying to get out to Utah. Great that you guys are having a good time!

        Reply
        • nextdestinationunknown

          That sounds fun! If we hadn’t sold our motorcycles to help make this trip possible, we would have definitely had to ride through Tail of the Dragon by Deals Gap! Have an awesome, safe trip! When you do make it out to Utah, there are lots of outdoor activities and great canyons to ride your bike through.

          Reply
  1. Monique Garcia

    Just wanted to drop by and wish you a happy birthday! I hope whatever state you’re currently in has a lot to offer so you can have a blast today! Love reading your blogs! Stay safe!

    Reply
  2. JANICE SHACKLE

    Happy Birthday, Briana!

    Where are you spending your birthday?

    Reply
    • nextdestinationunknown

      Thanks, Aunt Janice! We’re currently in Utah outside Justin’s hometown of Salt Lake City. We’ll be here for about another week. Then we’ll be stopping in Vegas & Phoenix to visit family on our way back to Cali to get some stuff out of storage before we head up the West Coast. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Treasure Chest of Freebies with Free Resources for Blogging, Travel, RVing, and Hiking

Unlock the Treasure Chest of Freebies!

ย 

Sign up for the key to unlock the Treasure Chest of Freebies and get your free Travel, RVing, Hiking, Wellbeing, and Blogging resources!

Success! Check your inbox for the key to unlock the Treasure Chest of Freebies.