Moab: An Oasis in the Desert

Our next stop was Moab, Utah, and two national parks - Arches and Canyonlands.

The first afternoon, Lee and I explored Moab.   Like many western towns, it has an historic district of 3 or 4 blocks.  We were surprised to find several very good restaurants in town, and had some excellent meals.  Moab also has better prices on Native American jewelry, pottery and art than Santa Fe.  It was fun to wander through the shops, and we purchased a few items here.

Geologically, Moab is in an interesting location.  It resides in a canyon of red rock, partially created by shifting earth along the Moab fault, and partially carved by the Colorado River.  The cliffs in the photo above were created by the fault, last active during the age of dinosaurs.

Our campground was at the western end of the canyon, inside a large curve of the Colorado River.  There were trees between us and the river so we didn't actually we see it, but the view out my window was spectacular none-the-less.

Moab, unfortunately, has one significant issue which we discovered the first day.  Not far from the campground and on the curve of the river are the tailings of a uranium mine that was active from the 1950's until the most recent owner declared bankruptcy in 1984.  The U.S. Department of Energy has been given the responsibility of removing the radioactive tailings to a location several miles away, but the job is not expected to be completed until 2025.  Meanwhile, it is believed that pollutants are leaching into the river.  Let me just say I would not choose to live here until well after 2025.  But short visits every now and then are fine.

The tailings are hauled away by train to a small town several miles away from the river.

I was delighted to discover that the cliffs along the Colorado River are covered with a real treasure - loads of Native American Rock art, some dating back 7,500 years.  Much of it is easily accessible by car.  The panel in the photo below is known as the Courthouse Wash Rock Art.  It is on a very large smooth slab of rock on the side of a cliff.  Some of the human figures are up to 5 feet in height, almost life-sized.  This panel was vandalized in 1980, but has been conserved and stabilized since then.  This is one of the oldest examples of rock art in the area.

The rock art along the Colorado River to the south of Moab is extensive, but the figures are much smaller.  There are animals of many kinds, humans, and hunters or warriors with shields and spears.  A large number of the animals are big-horned sheep, which are identifiable by the two horns curled back over the head.

The large dog-like figure below is assumed to be a bear.  If you look closely, you will see two tiny humans, one in front of the nose of the bear and the other on the tail-end of the back of the bear.  There are also signs of current day etchings, unfortunately.  Most of the rock art is far enough above the road that it cannot be reached, but a person could get at them with a very long ladder I would guess.  I don't know why people cannot just appreciate and enjoy the work without adding their own mark.  It really is too precious to vandalize.

I purchased a couple of small books on the meanings of the figures, and found information on the web as well.  Generally speaking, it depends on the location and age of the rock art, and upon who created it.  Interpretations can vary widely, and meanings are not always agreed upon.

This rock art, as I mentioned, was on the cliffs along a canyon created by the Colorado River.  The rock art is several feet above the road.  All the photos above were taken by Lee with his telephoto lens, since I could not get close enough to them to get good pictures with my iPhone.  The photo below gives you an idea of scale.

The road we followed was incredibly scenic, with breathtaking views. 

As in other places we visited in the southwest, because of the prolific monsoons this summer, the landscape was green and with wildflowers everywhere.

Isn't the flower below amazing??  It is a desert mallow, and I was mesmerized by the color.  The blossom isn't too large, perhaps 1 inch across, but the color makes it stand out wherever it is.

The white flower below, which when open is 4 to 5 inches across, is a datura.  I had never heard of this flower, but once introduced to it, I began to see it everywhere, including along the side of I-99 through Bakersfield, California.  Who knew?

Towards the end of our drive we came to a phosphate mine, and later saw a charming little train, unlike any I had ever seen, that transported the phosphate.

Everything about this drive was magical, can you tell?