Moab to Canyonlands National Park

Our B and B in Moab, Utah turned out to B quite lovely. 

The breakfast in this courtyard was delicious and beautifully served; we enjoyed talking with the other guests. 

Back on the road, we drove north of Moab a bit and then west to Canyonlands National Park. This park is quite large and has four districts that are not connected by roads. We chose the easiest access called, The Island in the Sky. Here, you drive and hike the top of the mesas and look down into the canyons and across to other mesas. The drive was much further than I had expected and it is one-way, dead end, turn around and drive back.  We were glad that we had already been to Arches the night before. We stopped in the Visitor's Center, where I discovered my dreadful mistake of having put the chocolate candy from the bed pillow into my pants pocket. The foil wrapper had done nothing to contain the brown mess. (I'm still working on the stain.)

It was quite hot, high and dry but we hiked to where we could see the big crater, known as the Upheaval Dome. Apparently, the rocks found here are not found anywhere else in the park. This webpage tells of the debate among geologists as to how the spot began, but it is erosion that continues to shape the site. The hole is so large (about 3 miles across) that it can be seen from the Space Station.

http://www.nps.gov/cany/naturescience/upheavaldome.htm

While we were up on a cliff looking down and taking pictures, a hot, wild, wind came up and threatened to blow us away--or so it seemed. It left as quickly as it had appeared.

Almost in the middle of the picture below can be seen the Green River that helped to shape this landscape.