Adventures by Disney – Red Cliffs Lodge and Moab Part 2

Sunday August 19, 2007

The next morning, LindaLou and I were up bright and early and caught some of the sunrise. The view from our patio was just beautiful.

Because it was Sunday, the ranch held a special sunday brunch and we were spoiled! Made to order omelets, pumpkin pancakes, huge assortment of muffins, pastries, juices, fruits, sausage, bacon and more. Really nice!

Ronia was very excited about having “Made to Order Omelets”. Actually, we all were.

I enjoyed a made to order omelet with ham, tomatoes, broccoli and cheese, a pumpkin pancake, strawberries and “meal in a muffin” savory muffin. YUMMMMMM

At 8am sharp we loaded the bus for Arches National Park. The group stayed together for the first part of the tour. We picked up Dave, our local guide, and then made a quick stop at the visitors center. Those of us with National Park Passports were able to get them stamped and then quickly return to the bus.

From the National Park Service website: “Arches National Park preserves over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, like the world-famous Delicate Arch, as well as many other unusual rock formations. In some areas, the forces of nature have exposed millions of years of geologic history. The extraordinary features of the park create a landscape of contrasting colors, landforms and textures that is unlike any other in the world.”

As with most of the places we visited, it is very hard to verbalize the incredible sights we visited. The pictures barely do the majesty of the country justice. Along the way, our guide Dave explained about the formation of the arches. Some of them will not last too many more years, as the erosion will eventually break them apart. In fact, Dave told the kids that some of what we saw may not be there if they returned as adults.

Our first stop was Balanced Rock. The following description is from the plaqard at the viewing location. “The forces of erosion are sculpting more than just arches in the Entrada Sandstone. At Balanced Rock, the caprock of the hard Slick Rock Member is perched upon a base of the Dewy Bridge Member, a mudstone. This softer pedestal weathers more quickly than the resistant Slick Rock above. Eventually, the faster-eroding Dewey Bridge will cause the collaspe of Balanced Rock.”

Total height of Balanced Rock is 128 feet. The boulder weighs over 3500 TONS!

We then drove to the location where the group split in two. About 2/3rds of the group opted to hike the 1.5 mile Delicate Arch trail. The others stayed on the bus for a tour of several different arches, including a viewing area for Delicate Arch.

Linda Mac will blog about the Arches National Park bus tour and LindaLou and I will take you on our strenuous hike up to the Delicate Arch.

Arches National Park Visitor Guide (pdf)