The Arches were such a contrast to the Rocky Mountains with the desert-like backdrop. The scenery was stunning beyond words and we were so glad that we took the advice of Jay, a man we met and had a nice conversation with one night after dinner in Estes Park, who suggested we

make the effort to drive there. Jay said The Arches was one of the most beautiful places he's ever seen and he was right!

Thanks not only for the great advice, Jay - but for serving our country in Vietnam back when he was a young 19-year-old!

The best part about traveling is all of the nice people you meet!

Welcome to Utah ! The Arches National Park

We left Grand Junction, CO by 6:30 a.m. and thankfully, took the scenic route to Moab, Utah where The Arches National Park is located. We were thankful for the tip to take Rt. 128 off of I-70 and see some of the most spectacular sites.

Beautiful view at Colorado Monument Park, just outside of Grand Junction.

Day 4: Heading to Utah

Leaving Rocky Mountain by 6:30 a.m. we head out of the park by way of Mary's Lake Road and pick up I-70 from the back roads. To our surprise, we pass this beautiful stone church, Saint Malo which is where Pope John Paul II said Mass when he was in Denver in the early 1980s (I think?) It was too early to go inside and see, but the church was incredibly beautiful in the mountain setting on the road by itself.
We enjoyed a very scenic ride on I-70 and drove all the way across Colorado to Grand Junction, the last town before Utah. The ride went quickly and we enjoyed stopping along the way in Glenwood Springs at the well known hot springs pool. Although a bit too hot for "hot springs" (the temp was near 90), the natural minerals of the waters felt great after a week of hiking.
Another great find that wasn't mentioned in the tour books was the Colorado Monument Park in Grand Junction. We took a ride through the park at sunset and stopped several times to take pictures - it was like a mini Grand Canyon with stunning views.

On the way down...

OK, Maybe it wasn't so bad after all...

Coming down is sure easier after climbing to an elevation of

11,000 + feet. Once you are past timberline, higher than the trees, it's quite a different view.

Ahhh ... Feels So Good !

Nothing feels better than dipping your feet in the ice cold waters of the Rockies after an all-day hike !

Flattop Mountain: Not for the Weary !

Day 3 - Wednesday

As we're on the shuttle to Glacier Gorge, Art decideds to do a "mega" hike to Flattop Mountain... not for the weary! After 2 hours of hiking through very, very rocky terrain - all uphill until we reached the timberline, I decide to rename it the "Frustrated Trail" (or the Jagoff Trail in true Pittsburgh fashion)! Mainly because it was a very strenuous hike for anyone who is not a pro - the serious hikers left at 5 a.m. and were meeting us on the trail coming down when we were at the halfway point. Once we realized we still had 2 more hours to go and it was already near 1 p.m., we decided to turn around (thus the "thumbs down" in the photo.) I was very frustrated that we couldn't make it to the top but was told it was an accomplishment to get as far as we did !