Today we decided to flip over to Arches National Park for a hike that we were excited to do.  We read that parking can be tough so we got up early and drove straight over to Arches National Park (about a 15 minute drive) in our PJs.  Thank God that he once again worked out the logistics for us to get a parking spot!  On the way there though, Alicia ran to the back of the RV to get my wallet when I turned too quickly, knocking Alicia off balance, causing her to stub and break her toe 😞.  She is so TOUGH and, as you’ll read, didn’t let that stop her from the hike (or any other activity the rest of the trip). 

Once there we had breakfast and got ready for our hike which took us by 3 named arches (Arches gets its name from the numerous rock arches present throughout the park) – Double Arch, Windows Arch, and Turret Arch.  It was hot and sunny as expected and the arches were awesome.  The hike takes you right up to each arch where you can climb under it and really explore around it.  It was so cool!  We got to climb up to Double Arch (actually 2 arches back to back with each other) via a pretty steep and rocky climb and fully explore it and the amazing view.  We hiked all the way to Windows Arch (two arches side by side) but at this point the kids started to get impatient so our exploration was more limited.  We walked by Turret Arch and got some pics but choose not to really explore it so we could get the kids out of the sun and back to the RV.

Once back in the RV we had lunch and then drove around the park to see more of the sights.  Thank God the kids fell asleep in their car seats, allowing us to stop at some of the overlooks and take pictures.  The park is beautiful and stunning.  It is so different than Canyonlands.  Arches is comprised of a lot of red rock structures rising above the ground whereas Canyonlands is large canyons down into the earth.  It is fascinating that they are so different yet so close in proximity to one another.  Once the kids woke up we headed back to campground, took care of laundry, had dinner, and went to bed.

Right before going to bed, I went outside to dump the tank and was greeted with an amazing star view.  There is no light pollution out here so the stars, planets, and galaxies pop like I have never seen them.  They were so bright my phone was able to pick them up in a photo (attached below).  I felt really small and tiny after going to Canyonlands and Arches the last 2 days but it was magnified further from seeing the stars like this.  God’s creation is massive and beautiful, and it’s so awesome that we get to explore it during this sabbatical and roadtrip!!!  Praise the Lord for leading us on this adventure!