Big rocks and small worlds

Click the picture for a slide show that should leave no doubt why it is called Arches National Park

We will spare you about 2/3 of the photos that we took at Arches National Park today. Some of them didn't turn out, but even among the ones that did turn out, there were too many to put them all in the slide show today. Jill has become an accomplished photographer, especially when it comes to making amazing photos while we are underway. We both were carried away by the beauty and the uniqueness of the rock formations we saw today. We have seen a lot of red rocks in the past three weeks, but these formations were so unusual we couldn't stop shooting.

At the first place we stopped to take pictures, there was another car parked, and a couple about our age was just about to get in it. Jill noticed that they had an Oregon license plate and asked them where they were from. The woman said they were from West Linn, and we told them that we were from Clackamas. Then the woman took off her sunglasses, and Jill realized she was a teacher who used to work in Jill's school. We had a lovely chat with them. They are on more or less the same loop we have been on, but they are going in the opposite direction, so we were able to make some recommendations for their sightseeing itinerary. What a small world.

We got up early so we could arrive at the park for its 7:30 AM opening. Our purpose was two-fold. First, we wanted to capture the early morning light. Second, we wanted to be ahead of the crowds, this being a Saturday. We scored on both counts. As I believe you will see in the photos, we got a lot of great shots that play up the shadows against the red rocks and the blue sky. We also found that, by the time we were about to complete our exploration of the park, there was a large influx of new visitors showing up.

I don't think there is a way for photos ever to capture the essence of a place like this. It is too grand, and as I remarked to Jill, the beauty of the desert can only be appreciated by both seeing it and experiencing it first hand. There is just an indescribable feeling about walking among these wonders and feeling the sand beneath your feet as you wander among unfamiliar plants and unfamiliar sights and odors. As one woman we met at a viewpoint said, "It would be hard not to believe in a Creator once you have seen this."

After we finished exploring Arches, we returned to Moab, where we found a farmers' market underway in the local park. It was a time capsule of the sixties. There were people selling all kinds of craft items, longhaired people in tie-dyed shirts, and a trio comprised of guitar, mandolin and harmonica playing and singing bluegrass music. I told Jill, this seems like "hippy central." Later we found the KaleidoScoops and had some ice cream.

We decided yesterday to forgo visiting Canyonlands National Park. The activities that are available there seemed to be beyond what we could comfortably undertake in a day. Instead we rediscovered the joy of taking care of the mundane necessities of life: laundry, grocery shopping, exploring the town and just enjoying quiet time to read and relax.

Tomorrow will be a travel day. We have now completed the "planned sight-seeing" that we had set our hearts on for this trip. So, we look forward to the serendipitous discoveries that God undoubtedly has in store for us. Our next destination is Provo, UT, where we hope to connect with Jill's cousin Carol. Stand by for further developments.