What a relief finding this lodge was. And not only because of the time savings. Had we taken the road all the way to Moab, we would have missed some of the finest scenery on the planet, and would have been dodging feral horses along the way, possibly.
As soon as we left the lodge, we passed Bears Ears National Monument, the one Trump wants to scale back. This entire highway 191 is just one national treasure after another. Hundreds of miles of awesome beauty.
Although i was not optimistic that i would find a site at the Arches campground, i drove the 18 miles through the surreal park to see. Although the sign at the entrance said "campground full," i found one site (17) open, so i settled in, and was rewarded for my persistence.
You can look up yourself what Arches is all about, so i will not spend time trying to describe it anymore than to say that it is a huge collection of the strangest rock formations i ever saw. Imagine a shape, and you will find it here. You can easily identify many of the shapes with persons, places or things. At times, some of them are so representative of man-made objects that you think they were made by man. Besides the rock formations, the valley itself is a marvel to behold.
What a view from out campsite. Just when i thought i could not do better. At night, we traded the marvelous high desert view for a brilliant display of millions and millions of heavenly bodies.
My site neighbor, Chris, the consummate tent traveller, invited a few of his fellow travelers to his site in the evening for a big fire and some wine. Donner and i graciously accepted. For perhaps what may be our last night of tenting, it was quite a treat. Paul and Kim from the Netherlands told us about their three-month journey over here; Nurissa from Tennessee explained how she is using this trip to forge a plan for a future life of adventure; LeeAnn explained how she has been living and plans to live permanently traveling on the road. A great gathering of fellow travelers to share stories and friendship in a beautiful setting.
Tomorrow, finally, we get on the road home.
Ed and Donner from Arches camp in Moab Utah
