Index
Day 1 - Moab
Day 2 - Lakes
Day 3 - Arches
Day 4 - Canyonlands
Day 5 - Corona/Goblins
Day 6 - Capitol Reef
Day 7 - Bryce
Day 8 - Bryce
Day 9 - Haze
Utah: August 2020
It's easy to see why Canyonlands is Cousin Jared's favorite national park. The landscapes are extraordinary. You can find arches all over central Utah, even some impressive ones outside of Arches National Park, and you can find hoodoos everywhere too. But something about the scars torn into the landscape of Canyonlands National Park, just out of sight of the confluence of two mighty rivers, spans the entire landscape and enraptures the human mind.
Not too much hiking today due to the heat, plus the fact that we were limited to the Island in the Sky section, which is honestly really the only tourist-friendly section unless you really like off-roading. That kept the hikes mostly from parking lots to overlooks... but really, that's not a complaint-- these overlooks are home to some extraordinary views.
Heading back from White Rim Overlook and Grand View Point Overlooks, Shafer Trail's overlook was underwhelming. Maybe we need a long selfie stick? 'cause getting the full scope of the road just eluded us, at least from all the places I tried.
Late lunch/early dinner from Gilberto's in Moab. It was like a mediocre taco stand that got converted into a fast food restaurant. OTOH Moab is a tourist trap, what can you expect?