What a whirlwind few days in the wonderful Utah. The beautiful red rock bluffs, crazy needle rock formations and the towering snow capped mountains in the distance. I concluded the big five parks in Utah with the northern entrance of Canyonlands (Canyonlands is split into two sections) before heading east to Colorado.
My time the last five days was spent with a healthy mix of relaxation, hiking and seeing the sites. I have absolutely fallen in love with Utah but not just for the parks but for the highways, the campgrounds, the rivers and everything that surrounds them. For instances, when I think of Zion, I think of Coral Pink Sand Dunes; when I think of Bryce Canyon, I think of Red Canyon; when I think of Capitol Reef, I think of the road to get there and the sky filling with the most amazing gray clouds; when I think of Canyonlands, I think of the BLM camping along Hwy 211 and watching the sunset; when I think of Arches, I think of Corona Arch (outside park) or BLM camping along the Colorado River. This part of the country holds so much beauty, it just doesn’t stop when you enter the parks.
The week included a special stay at Moab Under Canvas, thanks to my amazing friend Katie. It was a wonderful and comfortable bed under a big tent that Franklin and I enjoyed so much! The following morning, we went on a 3 mile hike to Corona Arch, just outside Arches National Park which was so gorgeous and then after finding a primo camp spot on the Colorado River, we went north to Klondike Bluff and hiked another 11 miles. It sure felt great and Franklin did awesome for such a long day but we were sure tired afterward.
We set high expectations for the next day, a 4:45am wake up call to make it to Delicate arch for sunrise. Much to my surprise, we did it! I woke up, packed up the car enough… drove the 35 minutes to Arches then went in search of the viewpoint to Delicate Arch, all while Franklin kept sleeping in the back. Screaming lungs, 30 minutes, and several failed attempts of finding this so called viewpoint later, I stumbled upon the actual arch. So the sun rose over the distance mountain as the light grew against the famous Delicate Arch. It was truly beautiful. 
A few other people shared in the moment with me. Two dads from Salt Lake City ended up asking for photos with me after I told them my story. They thought I was a “real life Reese Witherspoon from Wild” (Note: Reese Witherspoon and Cheryl Strayed are real people). It was a great morning but boy were we tired! The rest of the day was spent napping, swimming in the river and drinking beers in the sun with my new friend Mike from Wyoming and his dogs Ripple and Mocha.
The following day it was time to leave this beautiful country and head east to my next friend visit and although bittersweet to leave Utah, I was so excited to spend time with the Reid Family in Colorado!
A GOLDEN ROAD 