Exploring Utah

Back in June, when Yvonne had a month off before the start of her residency, she mentioned wanting to head up to Utah to visit some of the National Parks. We started hatching our plans then to make it out to this state where we had both never been. Thanksgiving break ended up being a good time for both of us so we booked our flights and rented a car.

Our first stop was Zion National Park, located on the south western edge of Utah. We only had one day to explore so we had to pick our hike carefully. We settled on hiking up Observation Point to get a panoramic view of the Zion valley.

The hike itself was really interesting. The scenery seemed to change every 30 minutes. At one point, we found ourselves in a slot canyon which provided some breathtaking views. We ended up gaining 2148 feet in elevation which called for several water breaks and a serious discussion about our physical fitness.

Thankfully, we were able to make it all the way to the top of Observation Point. The view was breathtaking, but something else diverted our attention. Little chipmunks inhabit Observation Point and live off the generosity of hikers who can’t resist their charm. These little guys had no shy bone in their body as they would eagerly climb on top of you and your belongings for a peanut.

That wasn’t our only run in with nature. On the hike down, we started hearing some commotion on the trail below us. Turns out there was a ram that was making his way down the trail as well. He was quite a good model during his 10 minute photo shoot.

The next day, we made our way towards our next destination, Moab. On the way up to Moab, we decided to stop by Antelope Canyon to check out another slot canyon.

Antelope Canyon sits inside Navajo Nation and attracts visitors from all over. It didn’t take us long to see why people make it a point to see it. The narrow canyon walls of sandstone have been carved out by flash floods. From the pictures, the canyon may seem empty and serene but in reality there were a lot of tourists crammed in along the walls of the canyon. Luckily, we had a great tour guide to lead us through.

After making it into Moab, we embarked on our tour of Arches National Park. When visiting, you really feel like you’re on a different planet. The features and the terrain are so unique and something I’ve never seen in person until visiting.

The most memorable part during our time there was the hike up to Delicate Arch. The arch itself is located in a bowl like formation which creates a perfect setting to sit and watch the sun set.

Early the next morning, we decided to hike up to Corona Arch. Unlike the other arches we visited, Corona Arch is not located in a National Park. This made it a bit more isolated and we were able to be the first to visit the arch that morning. There were a few more groups that showed up soon after we took our first pictures.

Our last stop on our trip was to Canyonlands National Park. This park is high up on a plateau overlooking a vast array of canyons. It’s also home to the Mesa Arch which we visited as well. The trip to Utah was a memorable one and one I would recommend to anyone seeking adventure.