"We had came so far"...

The title is a quote from one of the teachers (pretty sure she was the English teacher:-) that used to teach with Jenny when she was in the public school system, and I happened to find it fitting for this point in our blog. We have reached the mid-point of our voyage, and I must say it feels like that "we had came so far":-). We are rounding second base in Moab, and headed back Eastwards tomorrow. If the last half is as good as the first, we might not come back!

The weather today was better than you could ever imagine. The pics do not depict how blue the sky is, and how red the rocks are. This place is an explosion of colors right now. Apparently the rocks have a brighter tint of red to them after a good rain according to the locals. Oh, and the total lack of humidity will help you dry out an eight man tent in less than 20 minutes. The tent is ready for camping once again!

We spent today in Arches National Park a mile outside of Moab, UT. It is the one of the most impressive places that I've been able to spend time in the past few years. We of course hit all of the famous arches including Windows, Turret, Keyhole, Delicate, and Landscape. But, we also hiked to a couple more that I had not seen before due to a suggestion from a good friend. Pine Tree and Tunnel Arch were a quick hike, but two of our favorites to see. We also made a quick hike around Balanced Rock, and it never ceases to amaze me that the thing is still standing, although it will probably be unmoved for thousands of years.

Jenny's favorite arch, Delicate was a hot dry hike for the kids, and although they sprinted out to it, they were dragging their tails coming back. It of course only took them a few minutes to recharge, and they are currently bouncing off of the hotel room walls.

We also visited the old Thomas Wolfe Ranch (near Delicate Arch trail head) where good ole Tom lived with not only his oldest son, but eventually his daughter, her husband and their children (two or so) in about a 24 square foot cabin back in the early 1900's (pictured). It is completely surreal when you think of them living this far out in the desert, with meager supplies, and very little covered space. After spending a little time around the area you begin to understand how it could be appealing. The land is absolutely incredible, and the silence is definitely bliss. At one point, we made the kids sit there and be absolutely quiet and still. The silence was so deafening and peaceful. We become so incredibly used to all sorts of background noise in the "day to day" that we don't have a clue what absolute silence is. I like it...

On a side note, take my advice to ensure that you have free windshield replacement coverage on your insurance policy if you ever come to Moab. I've suffered two broken windshields in my lifetime, and both of them were due to small rocks in Moab:-).

It is a good thing that we are leaving Moab tomorrow, as this place is the Mecca for folks who like anything with wheels and lots of horse power. Mostly high dollar jeeps, motorcycles, and ATV's are seen as you drive through town. I have never left here not wanting another form of vehicle, and this trip is no different!

And don't forget, you can see all of our pictures from this trip here.

We are headed Southeast to Ouray, CO tomorrow and are planning on a trip out to Slick Rock before leaving town to see some of the big behemoth jeeps on the rocks.

None of us have ever visited Ouray, so we are really excited to see new territory. It is called "Little Switzerland", and from what I've heard lives up to the name.

Peace out...