Miatafun's 2007 National Park Grand Tour

Day 6 to 8

Leaving "Ruby's Inn, Bryce, UT" we head to Moab to sign in for the "Moab III Event"

Friday, May 18

It’s time to head east toward Moab.  We will leave for a full day of driving, but the shear variety of landscape we will be seeing will keep boredom at bay.  Along the way we will drive through the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument – www.nps.gov – and Capitol Reef National Park – www.nps.gov/care.  Thanks to a recommendation from a local resident, we have found a wonderful little side road into Grand Staircase-Escalante.  Shortly before we get to Capitol Reef we will be driving through a large stand of Quaking Aspen, which was a treat for this Native Californian.

Finally we will traverse the moonscape of the San Rafael Desert before arriving in Moab for the Miatas in Moab.

Unlike the rest of this trip, everyone must make their own hotel arrangements for Moab.  While all of the rooms at the headquarter hotel are taken, there are lots of hotels in Moab.

 Total mileage for day = 312

The Moab III Event Location!

 

There will be souvenirs to buy for the event, pins, shirts, etc. Check with the Moab site for merchandise available. If you order it now you can get the sizes you want and not have to take what's left if any are left?

 (www.utahmiataclub.com/miatasinmoab/merchandise.htm )

Saturday, May 19

We are in Moab for the event sponsored by the Utah Miata club.  Enjoy socializing with the other Miata owners.

There are two national parks very near Moab – Arches National Park (www.nps.gov/arch) and Canyonlands National Park (www.nps.gov/cany).  Even though they are just across the street from each other, they are very different.  Arches NP is home to the largest collection of natural stone arches, including the Utah official symbol, Delicate Arch.  There are lots of hiking trails, of various difficulty, but be sure you have enclosed shoes because none are paved.  Canyonlands NP is formed by the Colorado and Green Rivers and the confluence of these two rivers is located in the southern part of this National Park.  Drive out to Island in the Sky Viewpoint for a vista rivaling the Grand Canyon.  While you are in Canyonlands, be sure to also stop at Dead Horse State Park.  The viewpoint for this park will probably be recognizable to fans of Thelma and Louise.

You can enjoy these parks today at your own pace.  If you have been to Moab before, you may want to look into the possibility of renting an Jeep to go off-road exploring or taking a jet boat tour of the Colorado.  www.discovermoab.com is a great place to go to find out about all there is to do in Moab.

 Total Mileage for today = ?? It’s up to you.

Tom and Marna's
"Run Around the Mountain"
Everyone is invited to join.

Sunday, May 20

Today is a day of options.  Tom and Marna have offered to host a run open to all interested participants of the Miatas in Moab.  We are calling it “Run Around the Mountain”.

When we attended the 2005 Miatas in Moab Revisited, after driving 14 hours on the freeway to get there we were in the mood for some twisties.  So we looked at the map and said “That looks fun”.  We found some great roads, several historic wonders and met very friendly locals.

We will be driving around the La Salle Mountains, into Colorado, along the Delores River and back to Moab.  We are still working out the details, especially regarding lunch.

If you choose instead to stay in Moab, you can spend another day exploring the local National Parks.

Total mileage for today = 250