Arches National Park - you've got to see it!

September 18 – After a leisurely morning, we left at 10 for Arches National Monument.  I

Yes, we're waiting in line!

packed the cooler with lunch and drinks as there are no places to get food once you get into the park.  The line to get in was 2 lanes and full!  However, once we got through the entrance station traffic moved right along. 

I thought we might fare better to go to the far end of the park and work our way back. Having been here before I know how tempting it is to stop and take photos like crazy. 

Landscape Arch

As our luck would have it, that was the busiest parking lot we were in all day!  We finally got parked at Devil’s Garden Trailhead and venture to Double O Arch and Landscape Arch.  The walk was 2.6 miles round trip to Landscape Arch.   It’s not a difficult trail but windy in some places.  It was another 2 miles round trip to go on to Double O Arch, but we could see it from where we were.  It was pretty crowded.  There was another trail to 2 other arches but they we decided it was early and we’d have more walking to do.  My right ankle is not doing so well and I didn’t want to stress it any more than necessary.

There are over 200 arches in the park but not nearly that many along the main road.  There are gravel roads we could have gone on and there are roads that you must use 4 wheel drive.  Bill’s not into all that bouncing and jouncing or rough rides for his truck!

Our next stop along the road was to see Broken Arch and Sand Dune Arch.  Sand Dune is

Broken Arch

right by the road and Broken Arch further back in.  We heard numerous accents from many countries today.  Also

Kelly at Sand Dune Arch

there are a lot of serious hikers.  There have been numerous warnings as well as to the amount of water you should carry.  There are only 2 locations in the park with drinking water.  I think the numbers are geared to middle of summer weather. 

Bill squeezing out the
opening from Sand Dune
Arch

Not so much today!

The Fiery Furnace Viewpoint was next and I don’t really get the

One section of Fiery Furnace

name!  I think is has to do with the iron in the soils and caused coloring as if it was done in a furnace. 

We took the side road off to Wolf Ranch and then on to the view points of Delicate Arch.  There’s an old home at Wolf Ranch from when it was really a ranch.  You can park there and hike to Delicate Arch which is 3 miles round trip over difficult terrain.  We did that years ago and at this point we optioned for the closest point walk!  It’s just a beautiful arch on the edge of a

Delicate Arch

mountain, all by itself and hanging on to life.  It is the most exposed arch that we have seen in the park.

Back on the main road we drove 2.5 miles to the Panorama Point.  Lovely views, It was a quick stop.

There is another side road that leads to Double Arch, North Window and South Window.  The park was enlarging the parking area there so traffic was a mess.  Rather than wait for parking and walking

South Window Arch

closer to the arches, I managed to get some photos from the truck.  Bill was able to pull off for Double Arch where you could also see the

North Window Arch

beginnings of new arches forming. 

We parked at Balanced Rock and walked back in to see Pothole Arch.  It’s very different and getting in there is all beach sand and a very

Double Arch

narrow opening.  There weren’t many people coming and going but we thought it was a really nice arch to see.

Of course we could see Balanced Rock from quite a distance since it’s in the open and pretty tall.  Some day

Balanced Rock

erosion will take over and it unfortunately will tumble to the ground.

Now we were on the home stretch!  We stopped briefly to view the

Petrified Sand Dunes

Petrified Dunes.  They look like sand dunes but are solid rocks.  They cover acres and acres!  Then we drove through an area with numerous points of interest on both sides of the road.  There’s Tower of Babel, Sheep Rock, Three Gossips, Courthouse Towers and The Organ.  You bare get past those and you begin your decent zig zagging your way down the mountain.  There’s a decent view of the

Sheep Rock

Visitor Center as you drive down.

The Three Gossips

We stopped at the Visitor Center and watched the movie which was excellent.  Of course there was a visit to the gift shop as well.  We checked out the exhibits and headed home.

Time for some rest until dinner time!  Since Bill picked the lunch spot yesterday, I got to pick dinner tonight.  I checked on Yelp and Trip Advisor and chose Sultan’s Mediterranean!  Bill is not big on that kind of food but I checked and there were some things I knew he’d eat.  What a find!  Even Bill raved about his meal.  We shared an appetizer of Dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) and they were yummy!  That was the only thing Bill had a negative comment on as it was cold and we normally have them hot.)  He had Chicken Shish and I had Havarti Chicken Shish!  That was the moistest chicken and so nicely seasoned.  It came with yellow rice and a salad.  Then for dessert (not like we were not already full) and Bill went with Baklava and I had the rice pudding.  The baklava was made a bit different, with pistachio nuts and no honey but Bill said it was excellent.  The rice pudding was a different also.  It was all creamy and no rice bits and seasoned with some ginger in addition to cinnamon.  I liked it but prefer the rice pudding from the little Greek place at Winter Garden Village!

Needless to say, we were stuffed!  Once we got home we did start to ready things for our departure tomorrow as we like to make as fast of a getaway as we can.  I did a bit of posting and working on my photos.