Our Visit to Arches National Park

We recently drove four hours south to Moab in southeast Utah for a walk back in time...several million years back, that is.  Our daughter, Rachel, as well as Kathleen's brother Craig, his wife, Lynn, and their son, Brian, made this an unforgettable visit to one of the most spectacular areas of the country.

We first ventured out to Dead Horse Point State Park, that boasts a vista that rivals that of the Grand  Canyon. 

Dead Horse Point overlooks the winding Colorado River far below, a geological lesson itself of erosion on solid rock occurring over millions of years. 

The next day, we entered Arches National Park, visited by thousands annually.  Of course you recognize this rock formation! Delicate Arch, an icon of Utah that appears on many of the state's license plates. Easy to get to? Not really.

Leaving the parking lot to hike to Delicate Arch, we passed the original, weathered log cabin of disabled Civil War veteran John Wesley Wolfe and his son who settled here in the late 1800's. It's evidence of the primitive ranch they operated for over 20 years. 

We continued our 50 minute hike upward for a mile and a half beyond the Wolfe cabin. The trail is rugged and over slick rock at times. We were relieved the temperature was in the 50's this time of year. In the summer it's brutal with no shade. (From left to right) Scott, Rachel, Brian, and Craig pause to catch their breath. 

Delicate Arch is one of two thousand cataloged arches of the area. 

Scott and Kathleen are dwarfed under its lofty span.

We enjoyed a brief snack before starting our descent. In the foreground, guests to the park line up to get their picture taken under Delicate Arch.

A most unique rock formation is Double Arch, on the left side of the photo. From inside it appears as a three-dimensional, open stone cavern. 

Double Arch was formed over millions of years by water seeping through large puddles formed in stone.  And here, puddles formed on top of each other...the rock giving way to the forces of nature...

...to what is left-- a heavenly-sculpted arch, seemingly out-of-this-world.  

Now, in modern times, humans scramble over the remains of rock that testifies that there is a Creator of all of this. 

Fiery Furnace Viewpoint overlooks the hundreds of mute stone monoliths that comprise Fiery Furnace, so named for their reddish hue, similar to weathered iron. 

It's a short, half mile walk to Skyline Arch.

What's interesting about this arch is that it was a much smaller opening until 1940, when with a crack, an enormous section tumbled below.  

I really enjoyed being with my brother Craig on this trip.

Here, Scott stands atop some of the boulders that came loose from Skyline Arch. He's just glad he wasn't underneath when nature decided to dislodge them!

Back to civilization and a lovely dinner in Moab at Dewey's. We were tired but in awe of what we had just seen during the day.

Our trip to this beautiful part of God's creation and of His handiwork will forever remain in our hearts. 

🌈Let's Make a Rainbow

 Have you ever wondered how to make a rainbow?  You will need a box of Froot Loops cereal,  a pipe cleaner, and two miniature white powdered doughnuts.  

Separate the 6 different colors of Froot Loops into 6 different bowls. (I got my bowls at Walmart.)  Next, bend the end of a pipe cleaner down 3/4" so that when you put on your first Froot Loop, the cereal doesn't fall off.  

I line up the bowls in the order that you want the colors to go on your rainbow:  Red, orange, yellow, green blue, purple.  

Start with the red colored Froot Loop and put two on your pipe cleaner.  Go down the line of colored cereal and put on two of each color on, repeating the process 2 or 3 times.  (depending on how big you want your rainbow)

Bend the other end of the pipe cleaner and stick the 2 ends into the 2 doughnuts. 

Thanks Clara!  Job well done  Now all we need is a pot of gold.  

Thanks Dallin and Grandma Sherry for teaching us how make rainbows!