Travel

Moab

<h1><em>Breckenridge to Moab</em></h1>
<p><em>From snowy mountains to desert canyons. </em></p>

<p>Itching to hike and feel anything a little warmer, a desert weekend sounded like a win. And what better than such an iconic place?! Just a four hour drive from Breckenridge, Moab is the perfect little weekend getaway. </p>

<p>As soon as the work day would allow, we hit the road on a Friday afternoon. Our adventure awaits.<em> </em></p>

<h1><em>Just in time for Sunset</em></h1>
<p><em>At Dead Horse State Park </em></p>

<p>After a quick check in into our room, we grabbed our cameras and back to the car! Perfect in our timing, we drove about 45 minutes to Dead Horse State Park in time to watch the sun go down. This has become our staple spot for watching sunsets. </p>

<h1><em>Where We Stayed </em></h1>
<h2><em>Radcliffe Hotel</em></h2>
<p>Radcliffe hotel is a brand new luxury boutique hotel just on the end of Main Street in town. Great location, you can walk to most anything in town. Newly built in June, this hotel encompasses such a aesthetically pleasing style throughout the entire building down to every little detail. </p>

<p>We took two back to back weekend trips to Moab, and the first weekend trip we tent camped. Don’t get me wrong, I love camping. But when it’s still winter, if I can pass on camping for a comfortable hotel stay, then I sure will. Although our sleeping bags were warm, we were still pretty cold not to mention the 15 degrees it was while doing our sunrise hikes. Sooo hotel second time a round was a nice treat. And Radcliffe couldn’t have been better. </p>

<h1><em>Where We Ate</em></h1>
<h2><em>II Posto Rosso</em></h2>
<p><em>Located in Radcliffe Hotel </em></p>

<p>Posto Rosso has a beautiful classic atmosphere, while serving a coastal Mediterranean cuisine. Lucky for us, this restaurant is located right inside the hotel. There wasn’t a bite I didn’t like! And I got the Rigatoni two nights in a row, it was THAT good. Everything they serve is made from scratch, as well as farm to table. Serving everything from vegetarian, dairy free, gluten free (including their flourless chocolate cake, which was to die for). </p>
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<p><em>*Dinner is served by reservation only </em></p>
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<h1><em>Gloria’s </em></h1>
<p><em>My favorite place for breakfast and/or lunch</em></p>
<p>Gloria’s is another spot I would highly recommend and seems to be the only other place I continuously go back to and haven’t strayed from. This is a great breakfast/brunch/lunch spot. Great food, and most importantly great coffee. I’m sold on a place that serves lattes and Gloria’s also an entire menu of smoothies and juices. I’ve tried it all- breakfast, lunch <em>and</em> the smoothies and it’s all fantastic. </p>

<h1><em>Grab your boots, it’s time to hike! </em></h1>

<p>Wow, wow, wow, is pretty much the only thing I kept saying on this entire hike. The best part is this trail is only 4 miles round trip and you don’t have to wait until the end for the beauty. It’s all around you the entire way. Boy, I love instant gratification sometimes. </p>
<p>Found in an area called Fisher Valley, this is about a 45 minute scenic drive from Moab. Even at the trail head, you can already see what you’re getting into and I could feel the excitement sinking in. </p>
<p>This trail takes you zig-zagged, up and down a ladder, crisscrossed, then up and down some more. I love it when a trail keeps it interesting!Still, I would definitely say it’s moderate and open for most anyone to do. Take in the scenery and all the red rock around you, you won’t be disappointed. </p>
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<h1><em>Arches, Arches, Arches</em></h1>
<p><em>A few of my favorites</em></p>

<p>They don’t call it Arches National Park for nothing. What I love about this park is that there are arches to see no matter the distance. Longer hikes or shorter view points, you’ll have plenty to see either way. </p>
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  <h1>Delicate Arch</h1>
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<p>Probably the most popular arch and for a good reason! I’ve visited this arch at both sunrise and sunset and I thought sunset was absolutely spectacular with the way the light hits the arch, all the red rock around you and the valley behind. Beautiful either way! </p>

<h1><em>Mesa Arch </em></h1>
<p><em>Canyonlands National Park</em></p>

<p>If I could go back and re live this sunrise I would 100 times over. The most stunning landscape and sunrise combo I’ve seen. Mesa Arch just creates like a natural picture frame for the sunrise to shine between. It’s really something! </p>
<p>We arrived at the trailhead at around 6am. Not only is this spot gorgeous, but it’s another spot that you don’t have to work hard to get to. And we love that right? Just a short walk. I recommend getting to the Arch while still dark. Its really incredible to watch a sunrise from start to finish right at the beginning of the sky starting to brighten on the horizon. And also because there’s already going to be a dozen people there with their cameras set up when you get there, guaranteed. </p>
<p>Moab really is such a unique place. I’ve been here three times now and can still go back and do more. It also just blows my mind this is just one area of Utah like this. There is still so much to see! </p>

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Shaina Byrne