Day 1: Panguitch to Moab
We hit the road after breakfast. We figured out how to adjust the seat in the rental car so we didn’t bang our heads! More beautiful scenery today: white canyons and mountains. Near Escalante was a place you could rent airstreams and a drive in theater with old cars to sit in.
We spent some time chatting with a retired couple who were volunteering at a little visitor center in the mountains. They offered coffee and cookies and told us about volunteer.gov, with federal, state, and even county opportunities. We stopped at Cafe Diablo in Torrey for lunch and sat outside, then went through Capitol Reef National Park.
We arrived in Moab a little after 6 PM. The Silver Sage Inn is about what we pictured. We had a couple of beers there, then walked over to Moab Brewery. There was a longish wait for a table but we got to spend it at the bar so that was fine. Denver and Kansas City were playing on TV. It was definitely a Denver crowd. After dinner we bought bagels at the market on the way home. Only 1.16 miles today.
Day 2: Devil’s Garden Hike
We had peanut butter bagels for breakfast. That was a first; they were good! Then we headed for Arches National Park, where we started with the Devil’s Garden hike. After that we stopped at some the other sights in Arches National Park. It was a tiring day. We stopped at the market for ham and asked where the liquor store was. This is momentous for us because we (especially I) never ask for directions! We got Wasatch Ghostrider White IPA, Deschutes Black Butte Porter, and Uinta Hop Nosh IPA. We drank a couple of beers then went back to Moab Brewery for dinner. Then we came back and had whiskey for a change.
We did 9.06 miles today, which kind of makes up for yesterday.
Day 3: Islands in the Sky
Bagels again for breakfast. Then off to the Islands in the Sky area of Canyonlands National Park. That and The Needles are the two main areas accessible without four-wheel drive.
Back in town we walked to the market for bread, bagels, diet Coke, and to steal a knife off the salad bar for our peanut butter! Steve also provided expert advice to beer shoppers. We went to Paradox Pizza for dinner then finished the night with Scandi Pear Cider.
We had a bit of a flashback today. At one of our overlook stops, we couldn’t get the key out of the ignition. It turns out Steve’s phone was blocking the shifter from completely locking. (A couple of years ago we had to cut a road trip short because my car wouldn’t turn off. Don’t be me. Don’t ignore the recall notices.)
6.15 miles of walking today.
Day 4: The Needles
Bagel breakfast again. Then off to The Needles [link] section of Canyonlands National Park, a nice 1.5 hour drive each way. Back in town, we had sorbetto at Moab Brewery, then a shower. Then back to the brewery for burritos.
Just 3.77 miles today.
Day 5: Delicate Arch Hike and The Windows
Bagels again, then off to Delicate Arch and The Windows. We stopped at a picnic area for lunch, then went into town and bought a Christmas ornament, plus beer from the brewery. After a small panic trying to locate the bottle opener on the Swiss army knife. We went to the brewery for dinner one last time.
Essentials
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Lodging
The Silver Sage completely satisfied our needs for a place to stay: clean, functional, reasonably priced, decent location. Ultimately I took off one star because for us it just lacked that little something that makes it a five star. But if you have a bike or other outdoor equipment with you – we didn’t – the lockable storage “sheds” they offer may be that little something for you. Never seen a hotel offer that before. Nice owner and staff.
The Silver Sage is located a little south of town. You could probably walk into town; we didn’t. There are at least two great places to eat within easy walking distance, along with a market.
Dining
We ended up eating at Moab Brewery 4 of the 5 nights we were in Moab. It was easy walking distance from where we stayed, the service was good, the food was good; we thought about going downtown, but never came up with a reason to actually do it. Most of the restaurants seemed to have similar menus, and since we were happy with the Moab Brewery, it didn’t make sense to venture elsewhere. We also ate at Paradox Pizza which seems to have closed.
Transportation
We had a rental car and you’ll need wheels to get around. Canyonlands National Park had back roads suitable for 4-wheel-drive and there seemed to be other options for that in the area.