Moab Retreat – June 2017
Ruth and I really enjoyed Moab, Utah and its nearby National Parks on our previous visit. We especially liked Arches National Park. We were delighted to discover we had a friend, Jan, who owned a vacation home there. When Jan persuaded a mutual friend of ours, Mary Ellen, to leave her meadow in Sevastopol, California and join us in Moab for a weekend– the game was on. I undertook this trip with the full, if unstated, understanding that this would be mostly about the three women coming together and enjoying one another. The duties were established early. I would drive the truck. Jan, a semi-local, would be the tour director and navigator, Ruth and Mary Ellen would be in charge of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’.
Ruth took off work an hour early so we could traverse the 200-mile journey in time to arrive in time for dinner. The women immediately settled in to a nice long chat, adjourning to the back deck with gin and tonics. Jan has many talents including gardening. We sat comfortably outdoors in her splendid fenced-in back yard garden watching the night creep over the sky while the red mountains hugged us all around. Plans were made: we would depart at a ‘reasonable hour’, and take the La Sal Mountain Loop road. The La Sal mountains loom up to the east of Moab along the Utah/Colorado border; some of the peaks are well over 12,000 feet. They are proper mountains with trees and snow above the tree line.
I brought back breakfast for the ladies from the Love Muffin Café. Properly fueled by coffee and fabulous breakfast burritos we were on the road by 1000. Only to find a sign shortly after we started up the La Sal Loop that said: Road Closed 15 miles. Nothing daunted, I turned Red around and we headed back through town to try the loop from the other direction. I figured that if the road was closed we could at least get some good views before we were stopped. The road going east out of Moab is wonderful. It runs along the south bank of the Colorado, on its way down to carve out some more of the Grand Canyon.
We reached the turn off to the La Sal Loop and, sure enough, there was another ‘road closed’ sign. I figured, ‘what the heck, this is an adventure, let’s go up’. The road was obviously under construction. The ‘road closed’ sign was an advantage as there was no traffic; turned out to be a blessing. The road a dirt mountain road that was a little dicey so no other cars to worry about was definitely a good thing.
After a while we came to a wide spot in the road that offered a fabulous view. None of us were sure just how far we could get up the twisty road, so I stopped and we all took advantage of the photo opportunity. The mountain still loomed above us; even so looking out it seemed as though you could see forever. Ruth and Mary Ellen did a great job with the ‘oohs and aahs’. Jan and I helped.
After the stop, we continued up the hill until we reached an orange-vested construction worker. He stopped us. The road was open but was limited to one lane. We waited patiently as he talked into his radio. After a few minutes two cars came by and we another car (a traffic jam!) headed up the hill. We passed several pieces of major road repair equipment parked along the way up. No doubt that the road was closed during the week while they worked on it but this was the weekend with no ongoing construction so we had a pleasant cruise up past the crest. We stopped on the way down to chat with an Irish (from his accent) bicyclist climbing the hill. We had seen no other cars so there was no problem just stopping in the middle of the road. The day was perfect, the view sublime, and stress was altogether missing. What a day for a drive!
Eventually we completed the loop and headed home. We were discussing what to do for lunch as it was well past noon when Jan, demonstrating her expertise as tour guide/navigator, called out, “We can eat at Milt’s!” Milt’s is an old-style burger place that has been in Moab over 60 years. We stood in line to get good old-fashioned burgers and fries which we ate on picnic tables under a spreading Cottonwood tree.
After a restorative nap, we hit the town to do some light shopping. By the time we returned the sun was over the yardarm – it was time for a reviving gin and tonic. I had taken advantage of the shopping to pick up some essentials not available in Chinle including a bottle of Jackrabbit Gin, a locally brewed gin. Yes, they not only sell alcohol in Utah, they even make it. We all agreed the Jackrabbit was very good stuff, indeed. Juniper berries of course, with an added touch of sage!
We enjoyed the evening as Jan and Ruth made herbal bundles with sage, yarrow, juniper and amazing Moab grown lavender. The small bundles are used in smudging, producing cleansing smoke used in blessings. The ladies had a pleasant time working together and chatting on a soft Utah evening.
The sun was low before we headed out for dinner. After some searching out expert tour guide selected Jeffery’s Steak House, reputedly the best restaurant in town. Jeffery’s would be the best restaurant in a lot of cities much larger than Moab. We waited in the quiet comfortable bar/waiting room upstairs for our table. Jeffery’s has the best Beef Wellington I have ever eaten. I am not one to take photos of food, but I wish I had in this case. We finished by sharing a superb Crème Brule for desert. Truly a memorable meal.
The next day we did a bit better at getting up and out the door for our Arches expedition. I was compelled to assure the ladies there would be NO HIKING on this trip. Getting into National Parks early is important. They do not really open until 0900. Before then there is little traffic and you can just drive on in. The rocks formations are never closed.
In addition to avoiding traffic, the horizontal morning light picked out the colors and textures to the already stunning rocks. We cruised by famous formations like Three Gossip Rocks, Petrified Dunes, Courthouse Towers, Double Arch, and Elephant Rocks with only brief stops to admire them. At Delicate Arch, we took the cutoff that led to a distant view of the formation. The walk was short and we got a clear view of the arch, if at a distance. There was a memorable stop at Balanced Rock where we got out for a photo opportunity. It is astonishing how so many of these precarious formations continue to defy gravity and remain upright.
Although the Devil’s Garden section of the park was still closed we did a relaxed but thorough drive through the main parts of the park. The woman allowed me to fulfill a personal journey: a one mile walk through the section of the park known as Park Avenue. This trail runs between massive rock formations on both sides. At one end the footing is flat solid stone, like the world’s biggest sidewalk. There were a fair number of people taking the walk going both ways as there was a separate place at each end to enter the trail. About half of the people encountered were foreign. Near the end the walk it did become a bit more difficult as the trail climbed to the end. Jan and Mary Ellen were there, admiring the scenery and waiting for me. I very much appreciated the ladies allowing me to make this amazing hike.
We got back just in time to have a delightful brunch with fancy Sunday morning breakfast dishes. By the time we got back to the house it was time to pack, clean up, and prepare for the long drives home – Jan and Mary Ellen to the big city of Salt Lake, Ruth and I down to and then through the Navajo nation to Chile.
It had been an idyllic weekend; three female friends enjoying one another’s company in a beautiful and exotic location with a nice balance of sight seeing, dining, mild adventures, and plenty of time to relax and talk. We don’t do things like that often enough.
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