- Sleep in in a comfortable queen-size bed
- solitary onward journey through western Colorado to Moab, Utah
- Late afternoon tour of the front part of Arches National Park
We stock up on water and a small breakfast and drive off. From Dinosaur, Colorado you go south via Rangely to Loma. The track is once again very lonely. At first semi-desert, later and higher up again wooded and varied. From Loma we drive west on the interstate back to Utah. We have already covered 5000 kilometers.
We are threatened with running out of fuel, but no gas station will come on the interstate. When the tank is as good as empty, our rescue appears: Thompson Springs. The first rock formations that have made this landscape world famous are slowly appearing. We steer south to Moab, the tourist center between Arches National Park and Canyonlands. After a little shopping, we inform ourselves about the camping situation in the parks at the Visitors Center. Unfortunately, the only campsite in Arches National Park is already fully booked, as do the first ones that offer alternatives that we head for. Soon afterwards we find a nice spot between the road and the Colorado River. Idyllically located in the gorge.
After a short break for refreshments and registration, we drive into the Arches National Park. The road up to the plateau alone is worth seeing. Once at the top, our gaze wanders over the wonderful, semi-desert landscape of the park. Various bizarre rock formations can be seen in the distance. Despite heavy clouds, we make a stop at various viewpoints and enjoy the unique landscape. We drive to the windows section with its rock arches and do a little tour there before we continue to the flagship of the park. The Delicate Arch adorns many a tourism brochure for the western United States. Somehow I imagined it to be a bit bigger than it really is. But it is always impressive. When we are on our way back, the sun seems to have changed its mind and is pushing slightly under the cloud cover, which makes for a splendid evening atmosphere. As it is now getting dark again, we cook carrots on the gas stove and fry a burger.
