Town’s a Runaway Train

IMG_1304Hi, all. I’ve needed to take a quick trip to California recently. It’s always interesting to see how other areas deal with the narrow band of tourism during the “season.” Moab is so out of control during the peak times. An example is the link Arches National Park had to put on their website so visitors can see how backed up the traffic is. [It’s here]

I can tell you that I’ve been impressed with South Dakota and all it’s attractions, but it’s an ant hill just like Moab. The motel rooms are expensive and hard to find, even though they are plentiful. The hired help is polite but overwhelmed. Visitors are impatient because they understandably need some service.

But more recently we went through Ely, Nevada. That poor town is just off the grid, and has turned into a fixer upper. One bright light is the Hotel Nevada, and century-old relic of the silver mining boom. I can visualize vaudeville shows going on back then. For what it’s worth, the rooms are cheap and fancy, and plentiful. We look forward to staying. Bonus: there are no attractions around there!

 


Happy Birthday, National Parks!

arches150My, how time flies! It’s been 100 years since the stalwart NPS was implemented. Not to be confused with the first national park, Yellowstone, in 1872, or Arches in 1971, but a date to remember anyway. There are films and fairs today at the visitor center, so stop by the park or at the Moab Information center and Main and Center streets to get details.

Most important! Have fun today!


Perfect day for Fiery Furnace!

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Many consider this a challenging trail, but worth every step. It is so easy to get lost in this maze that you need a guide to get through (the white hat). Fitness permitting, the hike takes 3 hrs. for the 2 miles. Group size is limited and there is a fee of $16 or less.