We flew to Salt Lake City, then drove southeastward toward Arches, stopping for lunch in Provo. Between Price and Green River, an undulating landscape leads to a background of sedimentary cliffs. The next morning, a flat tire (sidewall blow-out) caused us to drive (using the little spare) 225 mile round trip, from Moab, Utah (no tire stores open on Sunday) to Grand Junction, Colorado to exchange the rental car. While limiting our hiking in Arches a bit, it gave us the opportunity to see the Colorado River Valley along beautiful Route 128.

Major hike: Devils Garden past Landscape Arch to Double O Arch, then back along the primitive loop (approximately 5.6 miles), during a thunderstorm, along some slickrock (Sandy was a concerned and walked fast, so we got through the would-be slippery parts before they became too wet)

Other formations of interest: Park Avenue, Balanced Rock, Double Arch, North and South Windows

Great reading: Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey

Accommodations: Adobe Abode, in the Barbed Wire Room!