Day 12 - Arches National Park (15.10.2016)

We wake up early on our 12th day, as we have a lot to do today. Among other things, we want to go on a hike in Arches National Park and then drive 4 hours to Bryce Canyon National Park.

We start at our motel with a breakfast that is nothing special, but quite good for a motel. Then we head to the Arches National Park Visitor Center. At the entrance to the park, we show our pass (National Park annual pass) and the corresponding ID. There, they also give us a map and a newspaper with the most important information.

Therefore, we decide not to stay at the visitor center for long, but to drive directly to the farthest point of the park, where we can hike to the wonderful 'Double-O-Arch'. This decision turns out to be very good, as we can walk there in the morning at relatively cool temperatures and are still relatively alone when we visit the arch.

We arrive at the arch after a 1.5-hour hike and are very pleased that we took on this challenge. I have to say something about this: We read online in various comments, etc. that the hike to this arch is 'very difficult' or that the trails are 'very primitive'. Although this is true compared to other trails in the USA, anyone who has hiked in the Alps would consider it normal hiking trails. By the way, the trails were always well marked with cairns.

We take our time and enjoy the peace and quiet, as we are at times completely alone at the arch. If you hike there, make sure to look at both sides of the arch. The view is even more beautiful from the back side.

On the way back, we take about 2 hours, as we make stops at smaller arches and take a look at them. As we do so, we encounter masses of people, which is why we are glad we visited this part of the park right at the beginning.

Afterwards, we drive back through the park and make stops at smaller view points such as the 'Balancing Rock'.

Finally, we drive to the viewpoint of the 'Delicate Arch', which is the symbol of the park. However, we are not as impressed with it as we are with the 'Double-O-Arch', which is why we don't stay long and then head towards Bryce Canyon.

In Bryce Canyon, we arrive at night after a 4-hour drive and check into our hotel 'Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon'. This hotel has a very rustic and beautiful design. Breakfast is also included in our stay, which we note down for the next morning.

We go for dinner nearby at the 'Bryce Canyon Pines' restaurant, where we get excellent and perfectly cooked T-bone steaks. We highly recommend this restaurant, even though it is not cheap. After the meal and the exhausting day, we are very tired and go to sleep right away.