Happy New Year!

Well, I don’t have all that much to write about for the month of December other than I survived finals and I am very much enjoying my winter break! During my time off, I’ve cranked out a couple of craft projects, baked a few cakes, and done a bit of sifting, sorting, and organizing in the garage (and parted with a TON of stuff)! As you might expect, I have also sneaked in some time to spend with family and friends and, hold your breath, done a little cooking! Shock! I’ve made several different meals for Dan’s parents (that is, the few things I actually know how to prepare/cook) and Dan and I made our very first batch of tamales with our friend Frankie and his family the week after Christmas. Yum! We have also been able to make several trips over to my parents’ house just to hang out and “fatten up” on my Dad’s holiday candies, especially the Brandy soaked, chocolate covered cherries! Just before Christmas, we also watched one of my all time, very most favorite movies, The Muppet Christmas Carol, with our little buddy Noah and his parents and, separate from the movie, enjoyed a dinner out with our good friends Steve and Roberta. We also met up with our Farmington friends Shelly and Vernon, together with each of their kids, just before they dropped their daughter off at the airport and had a nice visit with them. I was also able to spend some quality time with two of my favorite people, Amy and Katie, the very first Monday after finals and spent two entire afternoons with my friend Carrie helping her plan her daughter’s graduation party, as well as working on her scrapbook album and putting together a super cute diaper cake for her boss’s baby shower. Fun! Fun! Fun! That said, I don’t know what all this next semester might bring, but it is my resolution for 2012 to continue to make time for family and friends and for me to do a little something I enjoy each week, including something craft-related like stamping, scrapbooking, or decorating!

Turkey Day has Passed & Christmas is Coming Fast!

My, oh my! How in the heck does time go by so very, very quickly? Scheesh! It seems like Dan and I were celebrating our second anniversary just the other day! Dang! Blink and life might simply pass you by!!! Crazy!?! Anyhoo! I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but I am, once again, going to have to keep this month's blog post short, sweet, and to the point because I am smack-dab in the middle of finals! Yep! Finals! Can you believe it? Oh, and speaking of anniversary, we just got our photos back from our photographer. What do you think? A few other photos are posted below.

All is well here in the household of the spotted hounds! The munchkins are happy and healthy, as are Dan and I. We still haven’t done anything too overly exciting by way of day trips or vacation because of our busy work and school schedules, but Dan and I do take time everyday to appreciate and enjoy the “little things” life has to offer, including each other’s company and the waggly tails and smiling faces of our furry friends who happily greet us each and every morning and every evening when we return! We are happy and we are healthy! We are also pleased to announce the arrival of our new niece, Holly Marie who was born at 3:55 p.m. on November 17th. Unlike her adorable, big sister Myah, Holly arrived about a week early and weighed in at 7 lbs 12 oz (she also measured 19.25” in length). I can’t tell just yet from the photos who Holly takes after in appearance, but she does have a whole head of striking, dark brown hair like my sister! My Mom left Thanksgiving Day for North Dakota and will be spending another week or so there with the newest member of the family. Welcome baby Holly and congratulations Kerry and Darin!

Last, but not least, here's a little update about school. Despite the warnings I received about my course load, school is going very well for me this semester. I am taking chemistry, biology, and each of the respective science labs. It’s been a very hard semester, but a good semester. I have really had to work my butt off studying, but all that hard work has, at long last, paid off! I am going into finals with a 98%, a 99%, a 99.9%, and a 100.3% in each of my four classes! Whoo-hoo! All I have to do now is show up for each final and pass with a grade of C or better to keep my 4.0 GPA! Toot! Toot! I'm saying loud and I'm saying it proud! Up next… anatomy and physiology (and a very worrisome cadaver lab). I am a bit nervous about the lab and, more specifically, about working with cadavers, but, if I can get through that, I can get through anything, right? Right… If I survive the cadaver lab, I will need to take another round of anatomy and physiology (for a total of two), one more cadaver lab (for a total of two), two more psychology classes, and a statistics class before I can start applying to medical school, but that’s it! I’ll be all set to go in about 2 semesters! Yay! I have not yet decided if I’ll go ahead and nab the pre-med, associate’s degree first or just move on to medical school, but, if I don’t get accepted into medical school right away (which is always a possibility), I’ll just keep plugging along towards the associate’s degree while I apply and re-apply – which, of course, will be just fine because I really do love school!!!

Well, that’s about all for now! Sorry my posts have become so short and blah! Maybe the photos below will help make up for all the lackluster reads these past few months? Ha!

Everything in Moderation... or rather, Modification!

As many of you already know, Dan and I (together with his family) have had to make some unexpected adjustments in our lives over the past few months and, because of this (and because of my demanding course load), Dan and I have had to scale back some of our extracurricular activities. That’s not to say, however, that we haven’t had any fun or done any of the autumn-related things we love… we’ve just had to “think on our feet” and be both flexible and creative to squeeze it all in!

We began the month by mixing a little work with pleasure while photographing and attending our good friends’ tenth wedding anniversary get-together! Fun! Congratulations Alli and Von!

The second weekend of October brought hours of balloon fiesta fun and my Mom's homemade caramel rolls! Yum! Sadly, we missed the opening weekend of the fiesta (because I had to study for exams), but we did get out there… eventually! As a matter of fact, Dan’s cousins from Texas came for a visit with their two little ones and we took them down onto the field and really enjoyed ourselves!

The next thing on our list of things to do in October was our annual trip to Fourth of July Canyon to check out the fall foliage on the 16th! My Dad tagged along with us this year (something fun and different), and, as always, the colors in the canyon were amazing! The photo in the upper right hand corner of this blog post is from this year’s visit. We also made our way out to McCall’s Pumpkin Patch in Moriarity on the 23rd with our cute, little friend, Noah, and his parents. We somehow missed the duck races while we were there, but we did take a hay ride out to the pumpkin patch and successfully navigated the corn maze!

The 24th was, of course, our second wedding anniversary and, even though we didn’t go on any special trip or book a room at the hacienda (because of the recent family developments), we celebrated with a lovely dinner at Marcello’s Chophouse and an anniversary photo shoot with our wedding photographer! We have not yet seen our photos, but, once they’re ready, I’ll be sure and post at least one to the blog!

That brings me to today, Halloween 2011. I had great ambitions for costumes this year, but, since I was hit with exam after exam this month, I wasn’t able to finish them. Bummer! I did, however, crank out a costume for my sister and she seems to have been pleased with it. Whoo-hoo! She and her husband are expecting their second child in November and she wanted to be a pregnant skeleton, so I sketched and cut out all the bones on sticky felt and she attached them to a shirt! Neat, huh? I, myself, have not seen the finished product, so I sure hope she remembers to send photos!

Happy Halloween! Be safe!

P.S. For those of you who are unaware of the recent family developments alluded to above, I will explain them a little later.

Got Space Needle?

Shortly after the start of the fall semester, Dan and I packed our bags and headed north to Seattle for a nice little weekend getaway in Washington. Dan had actually been working in Portland, Oregon that entire week and, since it was Labor Day (and because I had a four day weekend to take advantage of before hitting the books), we decided to mix in a little pleasure on the tail end of his business trip and met up with each other in Portland and drove to Seattle to visit Dan's very good friends, Marty and Lavonne. I, myself, have never been to that part of the country (the Pacific Northwest), but wow! It’s beautiful! I will have to fill you in on the details later, but here are a few photos from our trip, including a photo of the Space Needle in the upper right hand corner of this post - the dizzying inspiration for this month's blog title!

The Details - Updated October 31, 2011:

Our first stop was Mount St. Helens where we got an up-close view of the volcano and saw, with our own eyes a full 30 years later, the devastation left behind by the 1980 eruption which killed 57 people and destroyed 150 square miles of forest, as well as 250 homes, 47 bridges, and miles and miles of roads and railway within just a matter of moments. Over time, however, the ashy-gray and nearly barren landscape of the blast zone has shifted to an environment that is very green and life-filled, but the scars still remain.

If you are unfamiliar with the catastrophic eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, here’s a brief overview: On May 18, 1980 at 8:32 am, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck the western part of the Cascade Mountain Range near Mount St. Helens. The tremor triggered a landslide that collapsed the entire north face of the snow capped volcano and sent a massive avalanche down the mountainside into the valley below. As the land and snow gave way, superheated gases escaped from within the volcano’s core and set off a colossal lateral explosion. As the explosion tore through and past the avalanche, it picked up huge chunks of rock and rubble and developed into a violent, debris-filled wind that swept over ridges and toppled trees. When the slab of rock and ice caught up to the wind, it first slammed into Spirit Lake and displaced all of the water in the lakebed. As the water from the lake washed up the hillside, it engulfed the scorched and splintered remains of the fallen trees from the blast and, as it retreated, the water dragged the remnants down the hill and into the lakebed where they are still seen floating on the surface today. The avalanche then crossed a 1300 foot high ridge and barreled down the Toutle River for 14 miles as a massive mudslide. At the same time, a mushroom-shaped cloud of ash ascended from the volcano thousands of feet into the air and drifted downwind, turning day into night. The eruption lasted approximately 9 hours and dark, gray ash fell over eastern Washington and beyond for months. The combined events of that day also reduced the elevation of the mountain's summit from 9,677 feet to 8,365 feet and replaced it with a 1 mile wide horseshoe-shaped crater. Nearly 150 square miles of forest was blown over or left dead and standing and thousands of animals were killed, as were 57 people. Mount St. Helens is approximately 96 miles south of Seattle and 50 miles northeast of Portland and, as disturbing as the history may be, it is a must see, especially if stories of survival and renewal fascinate you! Here’s a photo of Dan and I standing in front of Mount St Helens near Johnston Ridge Observatory, as well as two photos taken near Spirit Lake at Windy Ridge - one of the “scorched forest” and one of the “floating forest”.

When we arrived in Seattle, our next stop was Pike Place Market where we took in the sights, sounds, and smells of the open air marketplace which sits along the waterfront near the downtown area. We, of course, found our way to 1912 Pike Place for coffee at the very First Starbucks Store, which was established in 1971, and we also made our way 86 Pike Place to watch John Yokoyama’s world famous crew of fishmongers throw fish and have fun with customers who made purchases.

Unfortunately, Dan and I didn’t actively participate in the fish throwing (because we didn’t buy any fish), but it was fun to just stand on the sidewalk and watch the fish fly by and hear cheers of the crowd! While visiting the market, we also took our very first ferryboat ride! Yeppers! We hopped aboard the Tacoma at Pier 54 and glided across Puget Sound to Bainbridge Island. It was amazing! I love, Love, LOVED the ferry!!!

The next thing on our list of things to do was to visit the Space Needle, the most memorable symbol of Seattle, and enjoy a beautiful sunset and the twinkling lights of the city. It was an absolutely clear day and, from the Needle’s observation deck, we could see both the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, as well as Mount Rainier and Mount Baker, plus Elliott Bay and all of the surrounding islands. Here’s an interesting factoid about the Space Needle taken from the internet: At the time of its grand opening in 1962 for the Seattle World’s Fair, the Space Needle was the tallest structure west of the Mississippi River (standing at 605 feet), but it no longer holds that title. Okay, so why do photographs of the Seattle skyline often show the Space Needle towering above the rest of the city’s skyscrapers? Well, it’s not Photoshop magic. Apparently this occurs because the Space Needle, which is equivalent in height to a 60-story building, stands almost one entire mile northwest of Seattle’s downtown skyscrapers and, since most photos of the city are taken from Bainbridge Island or somewhere in Puget Sound, it just looks bigger. Basically, it’s closer, so it looks bigger!

Our next two stops were Deception Pass State Park and Fort Casey on Whidbey Island in Puget Sound. This particular outing made for a very long day in the car, but wow! What a scenic drive! Mountains, islands, lush green forest, rugged cliffs, and saltwater shoreline! Amazing! Oh, and the views of the pass from the bridge at Deception Pass were absolutely spectacular! The bridge, which was built in 1935, spans 976 feet and has a pedestrian walkway on both sides. It connects Fidalgo Island to Whidbey Island (the second largest Island in the contiguous 48 states) and is located approximately nine miles north of Oak Harbor and nine miles south of Anacortes.

Fort Casey was also very beautiful and is a favorite family getaway spot for Marty and Lavonne. With the sound of the waves, the squawk of seagulls, and an occasional ferryboat horn (and while Marty and his family played Frisbee), Dan and I explored the beach and half-buried concrete observation stations surrounding the hill above the fort, as well as each of the fort’s 10-inch and 3-inch historic gun displays. Once Dan and I had our fill of the fort, all seven of us walked down to the historic Admiralty Head lighthouse and then down onto the beach where the kids built sand forts, Marty and Dan skipped rocks, Lavonne watched a seal playing in the surf, and I climbed on driftwood - the perfect way to finish a day of exploration at Fort Casey State Park!

Thank you again, Marty and Lavonne, for being such wonderful hosts and for making the weekend so very enjoyable! I’m looking forward to exploring the Columbia River Gorge with you the next time I join Dan in Oregon!

I’m a Big Kid Now!

Shoosha! The month of August has sure been a busy one! It began with me taking two huge tests immediately upon my return from Minnesota, followed by finals the very next week, and then finishes with me returning to school for even more science after a very short summer break! Whoo-hoo!

I am officially pre-med this fall and will be sitting in class for 6 hours a day, four times a week, plus doing a ton of homework outside of class! That said, thank God I am not working! To be completely honest, I won’t be allowed to work when I enter medical school anyway (much like law school), but I’ve done the whole working full-time and going to school full-time thing before and, when I did, I saw no one outside of work, went nowhere other than work and school, did nothing other than homework, and missed out on a lot of things over the course of eight years! I lived and breathed work and school and, even though I ended up with two associate’s degrees and a bachelor’s degree (and subsequently worked in the field of my choice for 16 years), that was all there was – work and school!

That was then, this is now. I have a new perspective on life, a renewed sense of purpose, and a loving and supportive husband who is in need of my reciprocal love and support! Of course, some members of my family don’t quite understand any of this going back to school and not working stuff, but I’m doing what I need to do and I’m doing it my way. I need an extremely strong foundation of science and a super high GPA to enter into the occupational therapy program at the university (a program which accepts only 24 students a year) and the best way to accomplish these things is to focus on my studies and not be distracted by work.

Needless to say, I am very fortunate that I do not HAVE to work this time around with school and thankfully, without me bringing in a dime of income (not even unemployment benefits, which, even though entitled, we decided not to take), Dan and I are still somewhat financially secure. That said, my secret stash of savings (pre-Dan) is most definitely dwindling, but I am very blessed and I know it. I also know that many folks are struggling right now just to make ends meet and my thoughts are with them during this time of financial hardship.

For those of you who are curious, I ended up scoring a 100% on each test when I returned from Minnesota (a complete shock!) and then scored a 94% on my cumulative biology final and a 96% on my chemistry final (the highest grade of everyone in class)! Yippie! An A+ in each course! What’s next? Well, I have to take two more Chemistry classes (for a total of three), one more Biology class (for a total of two), and then Anatomy & Physiology I and II, plus Probability and Statistics and a Public Speaking course, as well as an elective or two before nabbing another associate’s degree and transferring to the university’s medical school for their occupational therapy (OT) program. Once I’m finished there, I will have a doctoral degree in OT and be able to enter the field of medicine as an occupational therapist where I will work with people of all ages (neonatal, pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric). As an occupational therapist, I can either go into private practice or work in hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, schools, or adult and child daycares. In any event, there will always be a need and there will always be work - challenging and rewarding work that benefits deserving and appreciative people!!!

Yah, Sure, You Betcha!

Well, I just got back from a long weekend in Minne-sooo-ta, and, needless to say, I might be talking like this for a few days!!! Hee! Hee! Anyhoo! I’ve only been home for a little over an hour and, after having grabbed a quick bite to eat with Dan, greeted and loved on the dogs, and taken a quick shower to wash off the sticky Midwestern humidity, I need to hit the books and cram in a little more studying for each of the two tests I have tomorrow. That said, I’m going to have to cheat a little on this month’s blog post and fill you in on this weekend a little later, so check back in a few days for the update! In the meantime, here’s a photo of my Dad (the second one from the right) and each of his four siblings, together with my super cute, nearly 83 year-old Grandma!

Hello Faithful Readers!

My apologies, but this month’s blog post may be a bit of a disappointment. To be completely honest, I have absolutely no photos to share or funny stories to tell because I have just been so incredibly busy with school this month and haven’t done much of anything other than hang out around the house and study! That said, I’m really not complaining because I have always liked school and the challenge of learning something new, but, let me just say, this semester has been a DOOZY! I am taking both chemistry and biology and, considering I have never, EVER taken a chemistry class and have only taken the non-major version of biology (a/k/a environmental biology), my classes are going really, really well and, much to my surprise, I am really, REALLY enjoying chemistry and all those crazy formulas and even that insane math! Biology, on the other hand, has been more of a struggle, but I just passed my mid-term exams with flying colors! Whoo-hoo! I got an A+ on each exam, including biology!!! Medical school, here I come!

Anyhoo! Even though I’ve been studying my butt off, I have also made a conscious effort to make (and take) time for myself and squeeze in a bit of fun! Dan and I have celebrated a birthday with friends in Santa Fe, gone to the Cars 2 movie premier with an adorably cute four-year old, and helped plant a beautiful little flower garden at Dan's parents' house. We also had a fajita fry with my parents and helped them do a little turtle wrangling in their back yard. Yes, turtle wrangling! My parents have already found 10 baby turtles this year!!! My friend Amy and I have also been getting together at least once a week for “girl time” and we’ve just recently inducted a new member to our all girl club - Amy’s exuberant, eight-year old daughter Katie! In addition to redecorating their entire living room, the three of us have made pretty little foam flowers and painted sun catchers, whipped up two or more pitchers of homemade root beer and one batch of homemade vanilla ice cream, roasted several ginormous marshmallows on the fire bowl in the backyard, and played a ton of board games, as well as a bit of We Cheer, Party Pigs, and Raving Rabbids on the Wii. The three of us have also managed to sneak in a couple of shopping trips, a very tasty lunch or two, and a quick trip to the swimming pool! Fun, fun, fun! Thank you, Katie, for being such a good friend, for sharing your Mom with me this summer, and for finding the absolutely most perfect breakfast tray for the ottoman! You have such a good eye and excellent taste! You are also an awesome starfish! Thank you for inviting me to see your end-of-the-year play, “Go Fish,” at your school this year. You and your class did a great job!

Monkeying Around in Moab!

Two weeks ago, just before starting back to school for the summer semester, Dan and I decided to take the dogs on a little mini-vacation. We weren’t really sure where we were going to go until the Thursday before we left, but Dan took a quick look at the weather reports for Utah and says “Let’s go to Moab. It’s supposed to be sunny and 80 all next week!” Awesome! Moab has been on my list of places to visit for some time now, and, after reading up on poison ivy and rattlesnakes (and, of course, after making note of the two nearest Moab veterinarians), we packed up the dogs and headed off to explore the red rocks of eastern Utah! Here’s a photo of Darby from our trip. Doesn’t he look happy!?! To me, the expression on his face says, “Ahhh… There ain’t nothing like the feel of the wind on your face through a open car window!”

Oh! And you might not know this, but one of Darby’s nicknames is “Monkey,” so, with that in mind, don’t you think the title of this month’s blog post is really cute?

Dan has actually been to Moab several times for photography seminars, but this was my very first visit and I now understand why Dan is such a big fan! There’s so much to see and do and the landscape is absolutely gorgeous! Famous for its 2,000-plus natural sandstone arches, panoramic canyon views, and snow capped mountain backdrop, every inch of scenery around Moab is breathtaking! Even in the rain… Yep, RAIN!!! Unbelievable! It was cold and cloudy every day we were there! That said, the predominantly overcast skies were not so overly good for photos or my tan, but the cooler temperatures were good for the dogs - no heat stroke or rattle snake bites for them! Another plus about the weather was that the moisture really brought out the red of the rocks and made the desert shrubs and wildflowers very happy! We saw scores of beautiful yellow glandweed bushes and oodles of delicate orange paintbrush plants, as well as countless purple, pink, and white blooms, including primrose and lupine!

Lucky for us, much of Moab’s magnificent scenery can be seen from the comfort of a car and, since it was cold and rainy, we did quite a bit of driving.

Our first stop was Arches National Park, just 5 miles north of Moab. As one of the most photographed places on earth, this is most definitely a MUST SEE! I hate to sound like a broken record, but, even if you are just passing through and have a limited amount of time, you should AT LEAST take the 18 mile scenic drive through the park and stop off at a couple of the viewpoints! I also highly recommend taking the short hike to Landscape Arch, but make sure you do it on a sunny day and with a fresh set of camera batteries! Read on for more details!

Landscape Arch is near the Devils Garden section of Arches National Park and it is the one arch that Dan said I absolutely, positively had to see up close and personal because it’s at the end of its lifecycle and could collapse at any moment! Of course, no one knows for sure when the arch will give way, but, like those before it, its collapse is imminent. As a matter of fact, it is said that as many as forty-three arches have collapsed in and around the area since 1970 and, on September 1, 1991, a 73-foot slab of rock fell from the thinnest section of Landscape Arch, creating an even thinner ribbon of rock. Even more impressive is the fact that the 1991 collapse was captured on video by a Swiss tourist who happened to be behind the arch at the time. Crazy! Since then, two other sections of rock have come tumbling down from Landscape Arch - a 47-foot chunk on June, 5, 1995 and a 30-foot block sixteen days later. Needless to say, the Park Service has since closed the loop trail that once led beneath the arch! Anyhoo! Back to the story about my visit. I made the hike when the rain let up and there was a slight break in the clouds. It was a pleasant little hike (1.5 miles along a maintained trail) and, once there, you will, without a doubt, have a better appreciation for the actual size and delicate nature of the arch. Landscape Arch is the longest Arch in Arches National Park and it’s also very tall and skinny. It measures 306 feet from base (nearly the length of a football field) and the highest part of the arch (which is only 11 feet wide and 6 feet thick) stands 106 feet above the ground. Amazing! The funny thing, however, is that, when I got to the base of the arch and I pulled out my camera to take a picture, I only had enough juice to take one photo! Doh! That really sucks! And then, on my way back to the Jeep, I got stuck in a torrential downpour! Lovely! Where was Dan? He stayed behind with the dogs in the car because they aren’t allowed on the trails. That said, Dan did meet me at the trail head with my poncho, but, by then, I was already soaked and looking like a drowned rat! Lucky for Dan, I was also laughing about what happened with some new friends I met along the way! Here’s my one and only photo of Landscape Arch.

Day two took us to Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park, and, as creepy as its name and legend may be, I must say that I really, REALLY liked Dead Horse Point State Park! Towering 2,000 feet above the Colorado River, the view from Dead Horse Point is downright spectacular and the park’s rim trail allows its visitors (including the four-legged kind) to easily set eyes on a number of Moab’s colorful canyons, mesas, and buttes! As a matter of fact, this area is so picturesque that the famous cliff scene in Thelma and Louise was shot near Dead Horse Point, as were parts of Mission Impossible II. Similarly, Grand View Point Overlook in the Island in the Sky portion of Canyonlands National Park is also a sight to behold! The dogs weren’t allowed to go out to the actual viewpoint with us, but we found a spot a little further down the road where we were able to set up the camera and take a family photo. This is our “Grand View” photo from Canyonlands National Park.

Day three brought us back to Arches National Park where we snapped this photo of us at Skyline Arch near the Canyon Wren campsite of Devil’s Garden Campground, the only section of the park where dogs are allowed to do a little exploring. In general (and as with most National Parks), pets are not allowed on any of the park’s hiking trails and/or anywhere in the backcountry (not even in your car on backcountry roads, which we later discovered). The reasons for these restrictions are two-fold. One concern is for the damage pets might cause to the park (in this instance, the scent of pet urine disrupts the reproductive and migratory patterns of the bighorn sheep). The other concern is for the damage the park might inflict on pets (for example, cacti, rattlesnakes, and deadly heat are a few dangers of the desert).

While in Moab, we also drove the Potash-Lower Colorado River Scenic Byway (U-279), the Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway (U-128), and the La Sal Mountain Loop Road. I enjoyed all three drives (because each offers something different), but, of the three, my favorite was the Potash-Lower Colorado River Scenic Byway. I think I liked the Potash drive the best because it connects to the backcountry via the Shafer Trail which, in turn, leads directly into Canyonlands National Park. Basically, the Shafer Trail begins where the paved portion of Potash ends and, until it joins the paved road in Canyonlands National Park, it is an EXTREMELY lumpy-bumpy, rough and rutted, single-track, primitive dirt road. Do NOT take this drive unless you have a high-clearance, 4-wheel drive vehicle! Anyhoo! The trail begins at the cliffside banks of the Colorado River and ascends to the top of Shafer Canyon in a long series of switchbacks which provide for stunning views of the entire Colorado River basin and the La Sal Mountains. It’s a beautiful drive, but, believe you me, the hairpin turns and steep cliffs of those narrow switchbacks are a tad bit intimidating!

As much as I enjoyed Moab, I must also say that it is not one of the most dog-friendly places to visit, but, just as I always do, I did my research and made a list of all things we could see or do with the dogs. That said, dogs are not allowed in any of Moab’s city parks (and the city does not yet have an off-leash dog park), but, regardless of what they tell you at the visitor center, your canine friends ARE allowed on the bike and foot paths of the Mill Creek Parkway in the center of town! Unfortunately, we weren’t able to walk along the trail because of the weather, but, from what I’ve read, the paths are green and shady year-round because the trail follows the creek and canopy of the cottonwood trees. You can apparently access the trail at many points, but we only found one entry and that was off 300 South, across the street from the Dog & Cat Clinic of Moab.

At Arches National Park, pets can only be walked along paved roads, in parking lots, and, of course, in the developed campground of Devils Garden. In Canyonlands National Park, pets can only be walked along paved roads and in parking lots. Dogs ARE, however, allowed everywhere within Dead Horse Point State Park (which is down the road from Canyonlands) and on the hiking trails of public lands, including Negro Bill Canyon along Highway 128 where you can hike to Morning Glory Natural Bridge, the sixth-longest natural rock span in the United States. Dogs are also allowed on the trail leading to the waterfall and swimming hole above Ken’s Lake, just south of Moab. We drove to the campground just below the waterfall (where we could see and hear the beautiful falls), but we decided to skip the hike because it was super rainy and I was afraid of poison ivy!

P.S. On our way home from Moab, we stopped off at the Four Corners National Monument near Shiprock, NM and took this fun photo! There’s not much out there except the monument itself and quite a few really neat Navajo arts and craft booths, but I’m glad we made the drive and paid the small fee to enter. Basically, Four Corners is the only place in the United States where you can stand in four different states at one time - Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. Here’s our “standing-in-four-states” photo. With the exception of Daisy (who’s from Texas and sitting in the middle), I attempted to place each dog in the quadrant representing their respective birthplace, but, as you can see, they moved! Scout is supposed to be in New Mexico and Darby is supposed to be in Arizona. I, myself, am attempting to straddle Utah and Colorado!