To end the summer on a high note, my family and I are vacationing to the west. Our first day was spent in Arches National Park. I felt very pioneer-y as we rumbled along the road in a little Jeep. American car, American frontier, American dream.

I’ve seen Arches in many postcards and photos before, but you have to see it yourself to live the full experience. Describing my accounts will definitely not amount to my real experiences, but I’m doing it anyway. Haha.

The terrain was rocky and red. “Rocky” would be an understatement, because huge pinnacles and mesas and buttes jutted out from the landscape. Massive rocks seemed to defy gravity; they balanced on small ones. As we drove right under them, I couldn’t help but wonder if these rocks would tumble down and smash us flat.

There were many viewpoint stops that staggered our long drive through Arches. The environment was so unworldly, I was beginning to think we were on Mars. Our first stop caught me by surprise. Everything was so still and silent, you could hear your own pulse in your head. There was no wind to rustle anything, either. It was a stark contrast to the hustle of suburban life I was accustomed to.

We hiked to the iconic site of Arches, the Delicate Arch. At first the hike was an easy dirt path, but the path quickly melted into an obstacle course of rocks marked only by cairns. The hike was extremely steep that we had to use our hands to climb and maintain balance. There were also times where the trail was only two feet off the edge of a cliff. The danger of the trail was compromised by the beauty of the landscape, though. Sloping and jagged terrain of varying crimson, purple, and yellow shades far as the eye could see!

Delicate Arch was way larger than I had envisioned. It was probably the height of three coach busses. Right next to the arch was a huge pit that we and the tourists had to navigate around. The hike was pretty hot and treacherous for a non hiker like me, but it was very very worth it.

More of our traveling accounts to come!

Katie