Today by the Numbers:
Number of modes of transportation used: 4 (walking, car, bus, boat)
Number of natural arches seen: 8 (maybe more that we can’t remember)
Number of bad dad jokes told by the river guide: Too many!
Arches National Park
This morning, we were greeted with sunnier skies although the temperature was cool. An early start got us into Arches National Park at about 9am (the time for which we had our timed entry permit). The line was not long, and the park did not feel crowded. Arches is a concentrated collection of interesting rock formations including several natural rock arches. We stopped at several viewpoints and took many photos.
One of the first stops was at Balancing Rock. The rock on top of the pilar truly looks precariously balanced and about to fall off, especially with the stiff wind we were experiencing.
The next stop was at a collection of arches including Turret Arch, North and South Windows, and Double Arch. A short hike took us to great views of these fascinating arches.
A short distance farther up the road, we stopped at the Garden of Eden which is a collection of rock formations. Near there we also viewed the Pothole Arch.
After several more stops to take in the views and many pictures, we made it to the Delicate Arch viewpoint. While we would have liked to go up to the Delicate Arch, that involves a longer hike, and we didn’t have the time. The crowds are substantial there and could add waiting time to get our photo op. The viewpoint is some distance away but affords an excellent view of the iconic arch.
On the way to our afternoon river rafting trip, we stopped at the park’s visitor center to learn a bit about the park and buy some stickers.
Colorado River Rafting
Our redo of our failed river rafting experience from yesterday was on the afternoon agenda. Today the weather was still cool but sunny and no rainstorms were in the forecast. There was a total of six of us plus the guide on the boat which made for a quiet personal experience. The perspective of the area is very different from the Colorado River. Outside of a few mild (Class 1 and 2) rapids, the journey was very calm and relaxing. Today’s Trivia: What is the difference between a standing wave and a rapid on a river? Yes, you will find the answer down below.
Enjoy two minutes of floating down theColorado River with us…
Or a quicker “time warp” version…
The day wrapped up with a quick stop at the store and hamburgers for dinner. Tomorrow we will head back into Arches NP and take in some more of what this beautiful park has to offer.
Trivia Answer: A rapid is rough water across the entire breadth of the river, otherwise the rough water is called a standing wave.
