Look, I'll be the first to come out...I'm not an activist. I'm not great at waving the flag, flashing equality stickers, and marching. It doesn't mean I don't believe in "the cause", whatever that may be, but it does mean that when it comes to shouting "we're here, we're queer", I would just rather have a beer. That being said, when Becca and I learned that Moab would be hosting its first EVER Pride festival, I was eager to support it. We booked a cabin at a local Moab hostel, dropped Ellie off at grandma's house for the weekend, and headed to southeastern Utah on a shoestring.
We left our apartment at 2pm on Friday and started making our way south. I had a student presentation that I couldn't get out of (no matter how hard I tried) so after dropping Ellie's at mom's, once we got to Lehi we had to pull over again so I could give my 1 hour presentation over the phone. I was hoping to do it on the way down while driving, but cell phone reception in Utah County was so bad that we had to pull over. So, Becca sat in the front seat and I in the passengers, while in the parking lot of the local Lehi Maverick gas station. Have I mentioned that she is the most patient person on the planet?! Post presentation, we jumped back onto I-15 and continued toward Moab. We arrived in Moab at 10pm. So, to restate: left at 2pm; arrived at 10pm. Holy crap. When we arrived, we snaked around Moab's Main Street, looking for the turnoff to our hostel, The Lazy Lizard. Once we found it, we were officially terrified. The turn off led us through a storage shed unit, past a mechanic's shop, and down a dirt road to the hostel. Imagine the following under the desert darkness at 10pm:
Understandably, we were a bit sketched out, but relieved that we wouldn't be staying over night in storage sheds, but an actual cabin. The cabins are private with one queen bed and a table. Electricity, but no running water. Fortunately our cabin was right near the "bath house", or community sketchity sketch bathrooms and showers. The cabins were great, though, and we were happy to finally have landed at our destination.
After such a long drive, we were exhausted, but decided to attend the "Orange Party" in town. This was to be the opening night to kick off Pride weekend in Moab. After unpacking, we jumped in the car and headed to the bar that the party was out. We paid $20 to get into the party, walked around, and decided pretty much immediately that it was time to jet. The vibe felt off, we were tired, and we didn't feel like hanging around. Sometimes it's better to support from a far, I guess. After leaving we tried to find something to do on a Friday night in Moab. Movies? closed. Restaurants? closed. Fast-food drive throughs? closed. When plan A, B, C, and D didn't work out, we rolled over to the nearest Smith's grocery store and picked up some pre-wrapped sandwiches, potato salad, water, treats, and a pack of Phase 10 cards. Let Friday night commence!
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| "Should we get a cart?" "No, we won't need one". Mmm hmmm.... |
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| Big bear sandwich |
Saturday morning we woke up to discover a visitor in our private patio. We named him Oreo and adopted him as our rent-a-cat. He stayed with us (outside) the entire weekend and was quite a good buddy. After spending the morning enjoying Moab's warm October weather, we packed lunches and hiking gear and headed to Arches National Park.
When
we came to Moab last October we hiked Delicate and Landscape Arches, so this time we wanted to change up our hikes and see different parts of the park. The threat of rain and thunderstorms kept us from doing too many hikes, so we chose a shorter path in to see Delicate Arch from a different viewpoint. Once there we pulled up some rock, ate lunch, and enjoyed some desert playtime.
After a fun day at the park we headed back to the cabin and found this guy at our front door. After a quick nap, we spent the afternoon playing Phase 10 and eating wheat thins out on the back patio. SUCH a perfect afternoon and exactly the kind of downtime that Becca and I were both craving. I love that I get to hangout with my best friend all the time....makes for a great life. ;)
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| I love this gangsta |
After an adventurous morning and a lazy, perfect afternoon, we headed downtown to hang out on Moab's mainstreet. We had dinner at Fiesta Mexicana, one of Becca's favorites, and strolled around the main drag people watching. For dessert we stumbled upon The Peacetree, a cafe / restaurant on Main with a much needed relaxed and welcoming vibe. The apple crumble was to die for, and the Becca is still talking about her fruit smoothie. We loved the restaurant so much we went back in the morning for breakfast before our way out of town. Delicious, we totally recommend.
As we left Moab, Becca wanted to go to Dead Horse Point in Canyonlands. I had never been there, so when we were driving out into Boonieville I was pretty sure she was taking me out to the woods to have me killed...but lo and behold, nothingness turned into awesomeness pretty soon. Dead Horse Point is beautiful, with vistas and views for as long as we can see. So glad we took this detour.
After a nice weekend, we picked up our buddy from grandma's house. She was very happy to see her mom's.
After a fun day at the park we headed back to the cabin and found this guy at our front door. After a quick nap, we spent the afternoon playing Phase 10 and eating wheat thins out on the back patio. SUCH a perfect afternoon and exactly the kind of downtime that Becca and I were both craving. I love that I get to hangout with my best friend all the time....makes for a great life. ;) 
