Eastward, ho!



It does, pun intended.

Kadee getting prepared for a sand storm

 

    

















    We cut our stay in Moab a day short when the weather took a turn. The local hostel (which had gotten a good recommendation by the locals), was booked for the next few days and neither of us felt like setting up a tent in the rain.



 

 


 

The Delicate Arch



The hike to see the delicate arch wasn't long, but I would be lying if I said it wasn't arduous. Once we got to the top, the wind picked up and sprayed sand into our face, making the descent even more difficult.

















We ate at a little restaurant off main street, Eddie McStiff's-not the greatest, but the buffalo burger was great! Everyone there was very friendly and had Kadee showing off her Cracker Barrel tattoo to the table next to us, and I got offered a job!

At this point, I've seen a lot of red rock and desert. I'm ready for Colorado!!

Still in St. George

   Yesterday morning found us at The Barrel (can't seem to quit that place), having breakfast with a lovely couple from Kadee's church. After filling up on three cups of coffee, we were ready for adventure!


 
We went to the Zion National Park in southern Utah. It was beautiful! Bright red cliffs cut with a winding river and trickling falls, filled with bright flowers and lush trees.

    We hiked up to weeping rock and felt the cold stone as the water passed over it (no good for drinking though). There we met a couple who loved Kadee's license plate tattoos, something we have heard a lot since being here. They encouraged us to take the "million-dollar highway" on our way to Colorado for some spectacular views, I'll let you know how that goes.

Weeping Rock



Zion National Park

   Further in our hike we came to one of my favorite parts-the water! A stretch of the river was open for wading, so I took advantage of that to cool my tired feet. A word to the wise, river wading is NOTHING like the beach! Slippery rocks and rushing water made getting back up the bank a bit tiresome, but a great workout.
































Buffalo Burger!

   Of course, I can't forget the food (duh). On the way back into town we stopped for...BUFFALO BURGERS! Trying one of these has been on my list for some time, so I'm glad we stopped. It was delicious, especially after a long day of hiking.










  Our evening was spent in Mesquite, Nevada, or "mini-vegas". After losing ten dollars in the slots, I was ready to go back to Utah, but I enjoyed the chance to get dressed up and go out.

Emily an Kadee with their winnings

   Crashing back at the room, we finished our girls night with a late night sleep over...although after all that hiking our late night wasn't really all that late.







Today we stopped by the farm near where Kadee grew up, and then we are on our way to the Dinosaur Museum! Kadee and I both had a stage growing up where we wanted to be paleontologists, so its the perfect place to end our stay in St. George.




This afternoon we will be making our way to northern Utah and Arches National Park!

On the road

It began with a painting. In the Birmingham Museum of Art, Thomas Moran's rendition of the Grand Canyon stretched bigger than a Florida girl's imagination. Nine months later, car packed with camping supplies and headed to the unknown, I set my sights for the west....