"Moab, UT - Nature at Its Best!" a Moab Travel Page by setikeyvan

Moab is a red rock paradise. It's a beautiful area that is geologically interesting and most aesthetic to all of your senses. If you like the color of burnt orange, then you will definitely love Moab.

The first time I visited Moab it was for business. At the time, I was not aware of the area and wasn't necessarily looking forward to going there for work. It seemed really out of the way. There is no quick way to get there. It's a 4-hour drive from Salt Lake City, Utah, and 2 hours from Grand Junction, Colorado. And if you choose to drive from Las Vegas that will take you about 7 hours. What I did know of Moab, from my friends who enjoy mountain biking, is that it is a "mecca" for mountain bikers and rock climbers.

On this business trip we flew into Denver. Then from Denver we took a smaller flight to Grand Junction, CO. Two hours into the drive we arrived in the Moab area. The area took me by surprise. Let's just say that I was speechless for a short second and then I couldn't stop expressing my disbelief regarding the beauty surrounding me. We drove along side the Colorado River through Red Rock canyons until we got to our hotel at Sorrel River Ranch. And what an amazing ranch that was! Check out my tip for Sorrel River Ranch. This short business trip was a great Moab sampler. I enjoyed a fantastic dinner at the Desert Bistro and had a few hours to spare at Arches National Park. All this left me wanting more, so a few years later I came back for a week of fantastic outdoors adventures!

The second time I visited Moab was for a vacation. This time, I flew into Salt Lake City and drove 4.5 hours to Moab. The drive wasn't too bad. I had done similar drives before from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. However, the drive to Moab, seemed to go by much faster. I decided to make this trip a mixture of relaxation and adventure. The first two nights I stayed at the Red Cliffs Lodge along the Colorado River. This property is about 10 minutes from Sorrel River Ranch and about 30 minutes from downtown Moab. For the remainder of my trip I stayed at the Red Stone Inn, which was a fine hotel in a perfectly convenient location on Main Street.

After this trip, I consider Moab the complimentary opposite of Maui, Hawaii. In my opinion, there is as much to do in Moab as there is to do in Maui. It can be just as relaxing and just as adventuresome. Maui is green and blue, Moab is sage and orange. Maui has tons of things to do, but so does Moab! There is something for adults and kids alike from mountain biking and river rafting to canyoneering and horse riding! There is Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park and there are tons of beautiful view points off Hwy 70. There are also plenty of good places to eat. Main Street has plenty of dining options. On my second trip to Moab, I re-visited the Desert Bistro and discovered a delicious gem called the Peace Tree Juice Cafe. "Mwwwahhh" just delicious!

I love Moab. It's one of those places I proudly show off to anyone I love.

This is one of the most amazing National Parks I have ever visited. It is nature at its best and a wonderful opportunity to imagine nature and survival way back in the day. If you like the color orange this is the place to visit. You can spend a full day exploring the park and if you want to see the famous Arch - Delicate Arch, also seen on the Utah license plate - you need to give yourself a full day because it's at the outer-most end of the park.

The arch featured above is called Sand Dune Arch - it's one of my two favorite arches!