Moab, UT - Dead Horse Point SP, Canyonlands NP

Moab, UT

Day #94 (November 2, 2022): Because Colorado is arguably most famous for its many ski slopes and resorts, we had hoped to catch the season’s first snow while we were here, so that we could try skiing or snowboarding, but alas, we did not. Nonetheless, Colorado is an amazing state that offers so many beautiful sites and fun adventures. After 21 nights in this great state, it is now time for our family to move on from the state named “colored red” to its even more red-colored neighbor, Utah.

We drove the long open road to Dead Horse Point State Park in Moab, UT, snapping photos of the red sandstone walls, shapes, and formations that we passed. Our favorite reminded us of Star Wars’ BB-8.

Before parking at Wingate Campground in Dead Horse Point State Park in Moab, we stopped in town to fill up our water tank at a nearby RV park (a must do for anyone camping in the state park since no water hookups are available in the park). After parking our rig, we checked out the state park’s visitor center and admired the beautiful views of the canyon on which it sets. We drove out to Dead Horse Point to take in the breath-taking views of the canyon. In the late 1800s, cowboys used this point as a natural corral for wild mustangs because of its narrow neck of land (about 30 yards wide) that leads to a wider point of land surrounded by cliffs. Despite its gloomy name, the canyon and point are absolutely gorgeous and definitely worthy of a stop when visiting the town of Moab!

That night, we made s’mores over the campfire, which was a special treat! We’ve been surprised at how few opportunities we have had to make a campfire thus far; most places have had burn bans due to the widespread drought in the West.

Day #95 (November 3, 2022): We awoke today to exciting news that our sweet baby cousin, Elizabeth Jane Webster, was born healthy and well just a couple hours earlier. So thankful!

Moab, UT, is known for its many mountain bike trails. Neil was especially excited to try out a trail in the state park, but unfortunately, the weather during our stay prohibited us from biking any trails. Nonetheless, we squeezed in a late morning hike by foot along the canyon rim before steady rain and soon snow started to fall. We spent the afternoon doing school and watching videos that went along with our earth science study.

Day #96 (November 4, 2022): Today we awoke to a white winter wonderland in the desert! So pretty! With GuideAlong’s Mr. Dave as our tour guide, we drove into Canyonlands National Park, which is adjacent to Dead Horse Point State Park, and explored the portion of the national park called Island in the Sky, stopping at hikes such as Mesa Arch, Whale Rock, and Grand View Point. The canyon top was so pretty with its fresh dusting of white snow; the girls loved making snowballs and licking fresh icicles along the Mesa Arch hike. As we hiked throughout the day, we reminded one another about the importance of not being a “crust-buster,” a term that Mr. Dave uses for anyone walking off the trails and thus disturbing the extremely delicate and ever-important cryptobiotic soil crust found throughout the desert. And as we drove, we tried identifying and remembering the various rock layers by using Mr. Dave’s acronym “Oh What Massive Cliffs We Know Now.”