Arches National Park at Sunset

After a snowy May morning, spent crossing the Rocky Mountains in a rental car with bald tires, Black Cloud and Worse Luck hurried to cross the Colorado-Utah border. Their destination was soon to be the highlight of their cross country trip: The Arches National Park. The park is located 5 miles north of Moab, UT.

 As Black Cloud steered their vehicle closer to the park, it was almost like a sign. The rain stopped and an amazing rainbow could suddenly be seen over the desert. It was the encouragement that Black Cloud and Worse Luck needed after a stressful day of driving.



As you approach the information center the red hue of the landscape and the sandstone walls are striking. A few switchbacks will take you up into the park where there are several options to explore. Hiking here is a once in a lifetime experience, but be warned it is strenuous and hot. The auto touring roads are very scenic and if you are pressed for time they are your best chance to see everything.

Even though this national park is known for its naturally formed elegant sandstone arches, Black Cloud's favorite stop was Park Avenue. The pinnacles and other rock formations are breathtaking.

As the sun began to set, the couple hurried on. The mountains on the horizon, as you round the park road, are the beautiful La Sal Mountains with clouds lofting near their peaks.

For those that want to see the trademark, often photographed, Delicate Arch the road splits and you'll want to take a left after Balanced Rock... Black Cloud and Worse Luck always take the road less traveled and the one that is not filled with tour buses... so they turned right to the Window Arches.

Sunset is definitely the best time to see Arches National Park... which we discovered by accident. Photos don't even begin to convey the beautiful blues and pinks, and how they contrast with the sandstone.

Park Info: The Arches National Park is open from sunrise to sunset which varies depending on the season. The phonenumber for visitors is: (435)-719-2299. There is camping, ranger hikes, and many activities, so check the website!

You can even catch at look at some arches outside of the park. We saw this one, Wilson's Arch, on our trip to Durango the next day.

Roadtripper Wisdom: Don't rely on your cellphone or GPS in this area, they may function on the highway, but if you venture down side-roads you'll be out of luck. It is notoriously hot in this climate and that means that dehydration is a real threat. Carry lots of water. Wear your sunscreen and all that. The actual town of Moab is very touristy. It has some nice hotels and good food, but book in advance because it is always packed! The Canyonlands are nearby and this area has a lot to do, so you may want to spend more than a day if you can.  

The Back Story

Years ago in a small northern town not so far away... Black Cloud and Worse Luck joined forces to be two of the unluckiest individuals on this planet. Their bad luck is only out-shined by their strong desire to travel and of course their love for each other. Together Black Cloud and Worse Luck have added to their bucket list the adventure of seeing all 50 states in the beautiful US of A. Up to this point they have driven cross country 1.75 times (it is a long story) in addition to several other vacations and have experienced something unique in 32 states!

 

        

Travel, like anything else in life, has ups and downs. In the same day you can go from rainbows over the desert (beautiful Arches National Park in Moab, Utah) to snow in the mountains (the Rockies in a rental car with bald tires). Black Cloud and Worse Luck have seen their share of Roadside Americana, National Parks, Scenic Byways, authentic hometown restaurants, once in a lifetime scenic overlooks, and other generally cool stuff... and now this blog is a way to share it all with you.

 

 



Why follow the adventures of these two crazy kids you ask? Huh... read on and you'll be amazed how two people can be in the wrong place at the wrong time with such consistency. Their first trek across the US in 2009 was interesting. Despite sleep deprivation, dirty gas station bathrooms, altitude sickness, too much fast food, a malfunctioning GPS, and the other hum drum problems of life on the road... Black Cloud and Worse Luck managed to drive from the Northeastern Corner of the United States in Madawaska, Maine, to the Northwestern Corner of the country in Blaine, Washington, in a little over a week. From there they headed south to Oregon for a few days hoping to get a glimpse of California. However poor planning and heavy traffic during Memorial Day Weekend foiled their plans and the two turned around and traversed the country back to the East Coast.

In 2011, the dynamic duo decided to drive to California again. The trip was filled with many unlucky perils. Car trouble in Missouri stranded Black Cloud and Worse Luck for several days in a town out of the Twilight Zone where nothing was ever open (or within walking distance) and the rental car company never had any cars. When the couple finally procured a rental car they did not have enough time to reach Cali, but figured they would try to have "that positive attitude that people were always talking about," and venture on. They reached New Mexico and after salvaging the trip with some spectacular sightseeing headed back to pick up their SUV.

En route to Joplin, Missouri, is where it all went wrong. After a long day of driving and a phone call that repairs on their SUV's engine totalled well over 3 grand, the weather began to turn.  The skies grew dark and ominous, the wind picked up, and it began to rain. Minutes later a State Trooper flagged Black Cloud and Worse Luck off the highway onto an overpass. From their vantage point the couple watched in horror as a massive high precipitation tornado leveled the town and crossed the highway right before their eyes. For the duration of the trip severe thunderstorms, flooding, and more tornadoes followed the couple as they made their way back to New England.

 
Now why would anyone with any shred of sanity decide to travel cross country again? Well, the answer is that Black Cloud and Worse Luck can't stand to be told that they can't do something... So here we are in 2013, fixated on California again, and in the planning stages of CROSS COUNTRY 2013: CALIFORNIA OR BUST!!

There is so much more to come on this blog, so stay tuned for pictures, travel tips, updates from the road in October, and hopefully videos. Or just laugh at us as we get into ridiculous amounts of trouble and misfortune... or not... who knows what's going to happen to Black Cloud and Worse Luck?