Utah: Exploring Moab

Moab, Utah is a beautiful city with its huge open sky that boasts thunderheads, colorful sunsets, bright rainbows, and even brighter stars. Moab’s red rock is a stark contrast to the green shrubs and water that runs through it.

Where to stay in Moab Utah

We surprised our family by booking a spot at the same campground as them. They had no clue, we watched the kids' grandpa (Pop) as he set up, thinking he had to have noticed, but he didn't...And then waved to their grandma (RaeMa) and she just waved back thinking we were friendly campers. You should have seen the shock on her face when it clicked who we were, she ran over and gave us big hugs. 

We stayed at Spanish Trail RV Park. This is a Good Sam park with full hookups and a pool that we were all very grateful for. This park offers some of the best restroom facilities we have seen along with laundry- and is convenient to the town, river, and parks.

 Best Time of the Year to Visit Moab, UT

We were in Moab towards the end of July and it was HOT! The temperature was 100 during the day and cooled off to a brisk 85 at night. This is why we were so grateful to have the refreshing pool. Luckily the monsoons came in and cooled it down a little, but the wind also picked up which makes card games difficult.

Although Moab has extreme heat in the summer, it also snows in the winter. That being said, I would say the most enjoyable time to visit Moab would be late spring or early fall. Although, if summer is the only time you can visit, don’t let the weather discourage you. Splurge for full hookups, and pack plenty of water and you will have a blast!

Things to do in Moab, Utah

While staying in Moab Utah, check out Dead Horse Point State Park. This state park contains many walking trails and a visitor center with an exhibit about “Ranching in the Canyonlands”. 

Legend has it that wild mustangs were left corralled at the point and died of thirst while looking at the Colorado River below, hence the name Dead Horse Point. 

Another must do while visiting Moab, UT is to plan a day exploring Arches National Park. You do need a reservation time to get in, so make sure you prepare for that.

We drove the loop and pulled off at stops that looked interesting because it was SO hot when we went. After viewing the Courthouse Towers and Balanced Rock, we decided we wanted to do a little trail.

We decided to walk the short trail up to The Windows Section. This was my favorite part of the National Park. It was so extremely hot, I felt as though I was going to faint. As we walked up what seemed like never ending stairs, I prayed for rain, and guess what? It rained! God is so good. I was able to complete the trail and stand beneath the window and look out across the most gorgeous desert I had ever seen. 

After completing the window section we attempted to hike to the famous Delicate Arch. The trail is 3 miles, uphill, which sounds easy, but in 100 degrees weather it felt unbearable. Still, I was willing to give it a try, unfortunately we ran out of water ( 14 water bottles was not enough) so we decided to turn back. We drove to the viewing point instead.

We continued our drive to Devils Garden. I was too tired and hot to explore this area, but it looked awesome and I would like to come back to do the easy 1.9 mile trail. 

If you are into off-roading check out this 4- Wheeling Trails Guide. Bring or rent your toy of choice at the many rental shops. Something I would love to do one day is River Raft, we saw tours going out and it looked like so much fun. Don’t forget to shop local at Moab’s cute downtown. 

Where to eat in Moab, UT

We only ate at one place while in the area, Moab Diner. It was surprisingly really good, if you go make sure to try their signature green chili sauce. 

We had a great time surprising our family and exploring the area with them. We are so blessed that our children get to have these amazing memories with their grandparents. They even got to spend some quality time with their great- uncle and learn how to play poker.

A challenge with this nomadic lifestyle is not being able to see our family as much as we all would like, but it does make our time together that much sweeter and more special. 

Bible Verse of the Day

Proverbs 17:6 (NLT)

Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children.

Reflection

• Yesterday, while I was doing laundry, I had a conversation with a proud grandfather. He expressed that being a grandparent is the most wonderful experience in his life, as it allows him the time with his grandchildren that he couldn't fully enjoy with his own children due to his busy work schedule. While he admitted feeling a bit guilty about it, I find it admirable how grandparents step in to support and enrich the parenting journey.

• Being a parent has taught me that I can't handle everything alone. I deeply appreciate how our children are gaining invaluable wisdom from both sets of grandparents and have established a strong sense of comfort with them. I'm truly thankful that their grandparents step in to provide essential life lessons that we may not have the expertise or time for. The shared laughter and occasional mischief they share bring immense joy. It's a tremendous relief knowing our kids have grandparents who adore them unconditionally, whom they can always confide in and trust. This is precisely why I believe in the significance of the last part of Proverbs 17:6, 'parents are the pride of their children.'

• I feel so blessed to have a great relationship with our parents and grandparents on all sides. I have friends that do not share the same experiences, but they have found meaningful relationships through exceptional surrogate grandparents, mentors, and friends.

My prayer for all of us is that we will cherish the relationships with our friends, family, and mentors that God puts in our life. May we learn, share experiences, and grow in love. May God mend the broken families and may He bring surrogate grandparents to love, teach, and spoil all the children of this world that are in need.

 

“Because [grandparents] are usually free to love and guide and befriend the young without having to take daily responsibility for them, they can often reach out past pride and fear of failure and close the space between generations.” — President Jimmy Carter

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