Canyonlands Campground | Moab

Friday - 14 June 2002: Moab, Utah - I woke this morning at 5 am, and could smell smoke - the fire was moving closer or the winds had shifted. Today was a "traveling day", so no photos... unless you are interested in white highway lines. Actually, the drive from Mesa Verde up into the red-rock area of Utah was quite scenic... rolling hills and pinto bean farms. It was going to be another scorcher in Mesa Verde, so we hit the road early. I asked my driver to please stop at a supermarket as we drove through Cortez, Colorado so we could stock-up. Amazing thing about Cortez, Colorado - they have a 24-hour SUPER WAL-MART! Like an oasis in the wilderness! Beer, Kleenex, Sudafed... all the things a girl needs in the desert - and we were off.

Pinto beans are the thing in this area of Colorado. They are dry-farmed as they were by the Anasazi - meaning they are planted in the spring when the soil is wet and are never irrigated. This method of farming grows the best pintos in the world and I bought me a mess of them and I am going to boil me up a pot o' beans this week. A traveler could buy pintos at several road-side stands, such as the delightfully-named "Hey, Hay Girl".... but I bought my special, Colorado-Grown, High-Altitude, Non-Irrigated Pintos at The Wal-Mart. And I must tell you, it is never referred to as "Wal-Mart"... it is always "The Wal-Mart"... as in, "Ralph, coulda please drive me up to The Wal-Mart?"

We drove out of Colorado on Route 666, turned north of 191 to reach the beautiful town of Moab, Utah. 

As you drive north on 191, the scenery changes dramatically - the elevation evens out to an oxygen-rich 4000 feet - and the earth turns red and amazing rock formations appear on the horizon! Breath-taking! As you enter the valley of Moab, it is a shocking green. The Colorado River runs through town and everything is lush - tall trees and even a wetlands area.

After settling in here at the Canyonlands Campground - and it is over 100 degrees here today - I was finally given my "moment of rest". I was able to needlepoint for several hours while DT watched the U.S. Open. We are camped near a high school, with a beautiful all-weather track... however, to reach the track you must... ha, ha, did I say "you must"... I meant DT MUST jog all around the place to get to the one open gate on the field. Moab is filled with bike paths and trails, so he will not lack for a place to run. We took an early-evening drive toward Castle Rock - a beautiful drive along the Colorado River through steep, red-rock canyons. Rafters and kayakers were on the river, bicyclists were on the trails, people were camping, picnicking - all surrounded by spectacular scenery. We can't wait to get out tomorrow to see more of this beautiful area.

We stopped in - across the street - to the local brew pub, Moab Brewery, where we met the fetching bartendress, Carrie. She had graduated from James Madison University in Virginia last year. DT tried their beer - some with fantastic names: Scorpion Pale Ale, Derailleur Ale and Lizard Light. I had the exotic Budweiser.

Tonight, we stayed in at Canyonlands Campground for a nice home-cooked Shabbat meal (traditional Israeli tacos) (that is a joke) and are enjoying our patio under a tree. It has cooled down to "it's a dry-heat" 85 degrees - and we are relaxing watching the Mariners.

RV Park: Canyonlands Campground