If you’re looking for a cool, shady hike (in relative desert terms, of course) with incredible scenery, the Negro Bill Canyon Trail just outside of Arches is a must do. Just off of hwy 128 on the way to many of the campgrounds along The Colorado, is the turnoff for a 2.5 mile hike along an ever flowing stream.
The trail meanders along the stream, crossing it at several points, allowing dogs and people the chance to cool off. With only a 330 foot elevation gain, most of which is near the end of the trail, almost anyone can walk to the highlight of the trail: Morning Glory Arch.
Morning Glory Arch is the 6th largest rock span in the U.S. at 243 feet in length and is a hidden gem in the Arches National Park area. Although the trailhead was full of cars – many of them from a rock climbing adventure group – people were spread out enough along the vegetation-covered trail that we took in some much-needed time away from the crowds of Arches.
After hiking in the morning, we got back to the car full of sweat and dirt again to find the temperature had reached 95 degrees before noon. Yikes! Before leaving Moab for Wyoming, we stopped by Lin Ottinger’s rock and fossil shop (www.moabrockshop.com) and had lunch at the Moab Brewery.
A few notes on these places: Lin’s is slightly overpriced, although we were admittedly in a tourist town. That being said, he is a well-known dinosaur fossil hunter, has a museum collection in his shop, and has a vast selection. There were a few things I would have liked on my bookcase if it weren’t for the price. Maybe we’ll be back in a few years.
Second, the Moab Brewery has good food at good prices, although the beer leaves a bit to be desired. We tried the pale ale and thought it wasn’t well balanced with aroma hops that are usually added at the end of the brewing process. The Pilsner was a better choice. The best thing on the menu at the Moab Brewery has to be the beer cheese soup. Order a side of this if you have anything with french fries and sub for ketchup. Or, just eat bowls and bowls of this soup. It tasted like a queso deliciously thinned out to soup consistency with beer. I’m actually drooling a bit right now just thinking about it. I seriously thought of asking whether I could get an ice cream bucket of it to go. In retrospect, I really should have done that. If anyone happens to be at the Moab Brewery, drop me a line and I’ll send you postage and pay for the beer cheese soup if you send me a shipment of it.
We left the dry, hot, sandy desert for the cool mountains and spent the night halfway just across the border of Utah and Wyoming at the Motel 6 in Evenston, WY. One more night out of eating took us to Michael’s bar and grill. We found it, oddly enough, by google reviews even though Michael’s doesn’t have its own website. Echoing the other reviews, Michael’s has great sandwiches, good prices, and some of the best service around. If you ever find yourself in Evenston, WY, don’t stay too long but do try out Michael’s.
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