Moab is one of the adventure capitals of the United States. A magnet for mountain bikers, hiking enthusiasts, and lovers of the great outdoors, Moab captured our sense of adventure and our hearts from the moment we arrived, with its sweeping red rocks and 360-degree canyon views with La Sals (12,000’ snow-capped mountain range) just 30 miles away in the distance. There are more air streams, vans and trailers than normal cars, and campers, hikers, climbers and bikers abound.

Below I will share an itinerary via photos, day-by-day of things to do in Moab, Utah.

DAY 1: Arches National Park

This was the only cloudy day we had in the five days we spent here. Because we visited during early April, it wasn’t quite yet busy season so we had many of the trails to ourselves.

Sasha caught this stunning photo of me in dancer’s pose to show the perspective of Balancing Arch to a human

Sasha in a Tree part 1

Delicate arch, the most famous of Arches

Upside down in a headstand…a bit dodgy as there was sheer cliff on the other side…

Shows the perspective

Petroglyphs

Arches National Park, Utah

Fiery Furnace – you can only hike inside if you have a permit or hike with a guide. We just took photos from the lookout above.

La Sals Mountain Range in the distance

Where’s Sasha?

Sasha in a Tree part 2

Landscape Arch…super thin!

It looks like I have no arms. 🙂

Double O Arch

Looked like angel wings.

Looks like a hand coming out of the ground. Balancing Arch from a distance.

After a full day of exploring at relatively high elevations (Arches is just over 4,000′ (1,333 meters) above sea level), we were starving! Our first dinner was at Arches Thai downtown. We ordered the Tom Kha soup (coconut and lemongrass-based) green curry with chicken, and pad thai with tofu.

Tom Kha Soup with veggies

Sasha likes Tom Kha soup

Pad thai and green curry

DAY 2: Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands is just a 30-minute drive from downtown Moab, and you’ll want to be sure you fill up on petrol in Moab before heading out. Bring plenty of water and lots of snacks for a full day of hiking and exploration. The views were otherworldly and too spectacularly monumental for words. So allow me to show you in photos.

Most of the road up to Canyonlands is open range for happy cows, so be careful driving!

Just sitting in a hole on a cliff…no big deal.

Some fun climbing

The Island in the Sky was truly spectacular…it looks like Godzilla (with three toes) took a giant step into the Earth over 1,000 meters deep

Otherworldly landscape

I borrowed this from another road trip blogger around the National Parks.

Stunning tower.

Such arid desert landscape

La Sals Mountains in the background

Cool spires

We must have been lizards or cats in a previous life…we are such sun babies!

I loved the textures of these two formations juxtaposed.

Sasha in a Tree part 3

Cradling the moon

Whale Rock…a very fun hike!

The moon and airplanes

Having spent the last 13 years of my life in Hawaii and Seattle (two places with incredible cuisine but lacking good Mexican food!), we ate Mexican food nearly every day! Dinner for this evening was at El Charro Loco.

Enchiladas Nortenas, a mixture of chicken with spinach sauce, chorizo and potato with cheese sauce, and pork with red sauce.

The horchatas are huge, but help reduce the heat and spice!

DAY 3: Bike tour through slick rock and Bar M, Moab

We did a tour through Escape Adventures, operated out of Moab Cyclery downtown. They were super responsive and got us on a last-minute tour which we had all to ourselves since nobody else signed up for that time slot! Our awesome guide was Ryan, a fellow adventure traveler and van life advocate. The bikes they use are Specialized top-of-the-line mountain bikes with awesome shock and suspension. This was one of the coolest things Sash and I have ever done!

With our tour guide, Ryan!

Hanging with Ryan in front of his van home

I love this accidental picture Sasha took of himself. This is pretty much how I look up at him all the time since I’m a whole 13″ shorter!

After 2.5 hours of biking, we grabbed a snack at Love Muffin Café and headed out to Deadhorse State Park (at the same entrance of Canyonlands, about a half-hour drive away). This State Park is not part of the National Park system, so the annual pass is not accepted here. We did the 5-mile rim trail and got to Deadhorse Point lookout right in time for sunset (7:45 PM in early April). The rim trail was spectacular and felt as if we were on a deserted planet.

Sasha in a Tree part 4

Pretty much one of our life mottos.

Dead Horse State Park, Moab, Utah, USA

Well, Utah, that’s a wrap. You provided us with endless amounts of sunshine and friendly people, wowed us with your natural wonders and vast wild untouched beauty. You lured us in so much that we decided to stay five days instead of two. Thank you for being the best backdrop for incredible photos, and thank you for the memories. You will forever be etched in our hearts as our very first stop on our world travel adventure. We will absolutely return to you someday soon. The journey continues…