Christmas Vacation Road Trip!

Friday, December 26

50 miles to, in and around Arches National Park

We were awake early watching CNBC but moved slowly. There was a couple of inches snow on everything! This is from the bedroom window onto the balcony:

I didn’t go downstairs to make coffee until 8:15.  Bob decided he wanted a sandwich with the filet, sourdough toast, horseradish, lettuce and tomato. We had no lettuce so it meant – ta da! – a trip to the store! We brought our coffee mugs in case the little drive-through coffee hut, Wicked Brew, that we noticed yesterday was open.   Everything looked so pretty with snow! These hills look outlined, about 2 miles on the main road from our condo.

Next to the Village Market is a bike shop/coffee spot called Chile Pepper. They did indeed have an espresso machine but it smelled like grease in the shop — not a bad smell but not really conducive to coffee. Pass. Once again we were the only patrons in Village Market. Decided to shop for dinner (lettuce, broccoli, bottled water, Talenti double chocolate gelato to go with the Toll House cookies).

The Wicked Brew was open and there were cars on both sides; we were third in line. We figured that was a good sign.   Two Americanos were $6 plus $2 tip. And the coffees were Good.

We got home and I made an omelet with avocado toast, two discs of ham and salsa. Bob made ….. not a sandwich. He saw the leftover mashed potatoes and decided to sauté those up with some shallots and onions and scrambled eggs.

We cleaned up and dressed up in thermals, boots, gloves and hats to go to Arches National Park as temp is 30*.  There is a great visitor center with a lot of interactive presentations.  We watched a 17-minute movie that was made over a period of 8 years and has lots of time lapse photography covering the four seasons. It was really good. “Water erosion and gravity” are what form the 2000 aches in the park and that is also what destroys them.

This is a glimpse of the wonders we saw driving and hiking around for about three hours. It was amazing and fun.

There was a sign at the beginning of the trail up to these formations that said “Name this Rock” and it was for the double arches, not the, uh, tower.  But anyone who knows Bob will be able to guess what he ‘named’ this ‘formation’.  The Polish Penis.

After we left Arches, we stopped at Moab Brewery for beers (Hefeweizen for Bob, Derailleur Ale for me), both fresh and delicous. And some fantastic popcorn with loads of black pepper and hot sauce.

Home we went to play dominoes for the afternoon. Bob kicked my ass.

Dinner was delicious and easy. Potatoes au gratin, roasted broccoli, salad and leftover tenderloin.   And an old vine zin.

We cleaned up and started packing up for the trip home. We could easily stay here a week and explore this area.