(Note: We went in August 2019; our twins were 9 years old)
Who could even begin to describe what this place is like? You must go to understand the majesty of these spectacular, cinnamon colored, massive rocks that surround you in Moab. The pictures will never do it justice!
What to Do
Redtail Air Adventures
There are several options for flight seeing. We used Redtail for a tour of Arches National Park and Matt was our pilot; he was amazing…he was great with my kids, and he had a lot of interesting anecdotes to tell. What I saw on the flight was nice, but apparently I was on the wrong side of the plane. Although Matt circled over the most important rock formations, the background scenery was much more exciting on the other side of the plane (my suspicions were confirmed when I saw my husband’s photos of the flight), so make sure you ask which side is better if you have a choice of seats!
Sunset Bus Tour
We did the sunset tour with Moab Adventure Center. A small bus took us to all of the most important rock formations. The guide (who said several things that I felt were sexist and obnoxious) was very knowledgeable and told us about the history of the park, which was simply amazing. We were able to get out several times to walk around and take photos. Dwarfed by the huge rocks, we tried to take some pictures to show perspective, but failed. Snacks were provided, but we also brought sandwiches since the tour was from 5-9.
Rafting
We also used Moab Adventure Center for rafting the Colorado. Keep in mind that the people on the raft get to vote for a “wet” or “dry” boat. My kids were outnumbered, so they weren’t allowed to splash. This put a damper on their fun, but they still had a good time, especially when they used their own special kayak.
Utah highway 279 Rock Art Site
We took a drive to see Petroglyphs on the side of the highway . Petroglyphs are “prehistoric Native American rock art” that is “pecked, incised (or) chiseled”. A sign on the side of the road provides some information about this site.
Poison Spider Dinosaur Track Sites
In attempts to see some dinosaur tracks, we tried a hike at Poison Spider. The information plaque at the parking lot claimed that the hike would be “moderate”, however, the trail was unmarked and pretty hard to follow. The last leg of the hike was a steep (HUGE!) rock with few footholds (center photo), so only Alex and Renato were able to see the prize, Dinosaur footprints (right photo)
Shopping
The town is super cute, but the shops are mostly touristy and kitchy…there were no extraordinary finds. The one exception was the Moab Rock Shop, which looked like a junk yard, but surpisingly held many treasures.
Where To Eat
Pasta Jay’s
The menu at Pasta Jay’s is overwhelming and as an extremely picky eater, I am not used to that. So they have something called “The Hagan Option” which allows you to choose three dishes (pastas and chicken or eggplant parm) which are all covered in sauce and mozzarella and baked…what could go wrong?! Well, although it looked AWESOME (!), the sauce wasn’t great and I didn’t like it (Renato and the kids, though, enjoyed their meals).
Peace Tree Cafe
The Peace Tree Café had a great atmosphere (we sat outside where they had mist spritzers going strong and reggae music playing), a big menu, and delicious food!
The Moab Diner
The Moab Diner is adorable and had good service, but alas, the food, including the banana split, was disappointing.
Thai Bella
Thai Bella is rated one of the best restaurants in Moab. We made a reservation, but when we got there, the hostess said: “So sorry, it got filled up inside, you will have to sit outside”. It was hot and the sun was blazing in our faces, but as the sun set, it became a lovely atmosphere (except for a bee that was terrorizing Nina). Also, the food was amazing! We were so busy eating that we forgot to take pictures, but we had teriyaki salmon, chicken with eggplant, edamame, curried tofu and spring rolls. YUM!
Where To Stay
We stayed in a cottage at Red Cliff’s Lodge. We had a full kitchen, sitting room with a pull out couch, and two bedrooms. It was cute, simple and clean and the view was spectacular. Keep in mind that although the drive to the hotel is gorgeous, its about 30 minutes long and gets old after the first 4 or 5 times.
The Cowboy Grill at Red Cliffs Lodge has a real western atmosphere with an amazing view. We had the breakfast buffet here and food was very unappetizing (plus it was seriously off putting to me that payment is required before entering.
Weather
It was about 100 degrees of dry heat during the day, but became comfortable in the evenings. I needed a light sweater in the mornings.