Amazing Moab & Fun Things to Do pandemic-style is about a last-minute trip we took in August 2020, and I would love to share this unforgettable trip with you. Our dear friends invited us to come along, and as I had never thought about visiting Utah before, I really had no expectations. I was in for an amazing surprise.

Besides the fact that we were traveling during the pandemic, equally important to know is that quite a few precautions & rules were in effect that made this trip different to what a normal trip may look like.

• At some hotels, the common areas were closed including restaurants. A bagged breakfast could be picked up in the lobby & brought to your room, where you could enjoy it.
• Masks had to be worn outside when a 6-foot distance could not be met, and this could get very hot in 90+ (F) degrees weather, whereas inside you were allowed to remove them only when eating & drinking.
• During the whitewater rafting, masks hawed to be worn on the bus taking you to the raft, but once outside there was no mandate. The rafting company had reduced the number of participants per raft to six. The guides wore masks while cooking as well as when serving the meals.
• We brought hand sanitizers and sanitizing wipes everywhere, just in case they would be needed. We used them quite a bit but at the same time, I have to say everyone did a great job cleaning and sanitizing areas wherever we went.

Zipline adventure at Raven’s rim

Are you ready for an exhilarating adventure, that will get your heart pumping? Contact Raven’s rim zipline adventure. You will have an amazing couple of hours with them. First, you will meet up in their welcome center, where you will get all the equipment needed. There are lockers, so you can leave anything you do not need. I would recommend bringing a drawstring backpack with you with extra bottles of water, sunscreen, and whatever else you may need. You can also buy one at the gift shop, which is what we ended up doing.

Next, after the briefing, you get loaded up into jeeps, and off you go. The ride up the mountain was fun, amazing, and scary all at once. The drivers are very good – I had trust in them – and since they liked to speed, this ride turn out to be an adventure in itself. It felt as if we were flying. As there are a lot of rocks making this a very bumpy ride, it may not be suitable for anyone with a back problem. The drive will take about 20 minutes each way.

There were a total of 6 zip lines. You will be doing some walking up the mountain to get from one zipline to the next one. You will be needing a lot of water as it gets very hot, and once we got to the beginning of the first zip-line, the guides offered to pour water over our clothes. It felt great, and I can recommend it due to the intense heat.

The zip-line course

• “Sneak Peak” – The first zip-line is the shortest and it was only 280 feet long. You will be able to get close to a new arch. To reach the next zipline, you will walk on a natural bridge.
• “B-line” is the second zip-line and measures 360 feet long.
• To reach the third zip line, you first need to cross the suspension bridge. It is about 100 feet long. You can almost be certain that someone in the group will start jumping on it, and it is a weird feeling.
• “Tanaya Takeoff” – the 4th zip-line is 450 feet long. It got its name from the natural potholes.
• “Holy Zip” is an amazing 1280 feet long, and one of the better ones. It is so nice soaring in the air while watching amazing nature
• “Cliff Jumper” is shorter as it measures only 450 feet. But, this one was extraordinary, as we were told to run off the cliff backward. Holy Mole!!! It was scary, but fun.
• The last one was called the “Home Run”, and it was 1321 feet long. This was the best one in my eye. You ran off the cliff and soared across the desert & over the slick rock bike trail.

Red Cliff Lodge

Red Cliff Lodge is a fantastic hotel about 25-30 minutes away from Moab, and we had the opportunity to stay here for one night. They have a lot of amenities, such as an amazing location by the Colorado River and stunning views of the red rock. In addition, the home of horseback riding, a winery as well as a movie museum can be found here.

Horseback Riding in Castle Valley, Moab

If you would like to spend an amazing morning in breathtaking nature, I would highly recommend a morning horseback riding excursion. We booked it via Moab Adventure Center. The meeting point was in the lobby of The Red Cliff Lodge, about a 25-minute drive from Moab. Once we checked in, we headed over to the corrals where we met the wranglers. We got a quick lesson in horseback riding, and then off we went.

It turned out to be a 3-hour ride in the amazing Castle Creek Canyon. The views were spectacular. All the horses were calm, and they knew exactly where to go. We crossed the river multiple times and saw special yellow and green-collared lizards. You will feel like you are in a John Wayne Western movie. Make sure to bring a bottle of water with you as it gets hot, even in the early morning hours.

Castle Creek Winery

As mentioned before, there is a winery located on the premises of Red Cliff Lodge. Castle Creek Winery started planting its grapes back in 2006 – Syrah & Cabernet Sauvignon, and has since grown and planted a lot more varieties. Today, they produce Pinot Noir, Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chenin Blanc. The winery produces 8000 cases of wine per year, and all are bottles on the premises.

You can tour the facility by calling 435-259-3332 ahead of time. The tasting room is open Monday-Saturday 10 am-7 pm. You can buy all the different wines in the tasting room. Some of them are very good, and they have even won a lot of awards.

Moab Museum of Film and Western Heritage

Also located at the Red Cliff Lodge, you will find this amazing museum about films made in the Moab Region. They started making films here in the late 1940s when the American film director John Ford discovered the area. The museum is filled with pictures, posters, and memorabilia from all the movies that were filmed in the region. It is a true treasure, and it is a must for all movie buffs. Read more here.

Some of the movies you may have heard of:

• Rio Grande
• MacGyver
• Thelma & Louise
• Indiana Jones & the last crusade
• City slickers
• Startrek

4X4 UTV Tour / Sunset Hummer adventure in Moab

If you would like to get your heart pumping, I can highly recommend a 2.5-hour tour in a 4×4 UTV (utility terrain vehicle) by Moab Tourism Center, where you get to drive yourself. You will follow a very experienced guide, and do whatever he or she does. You will drive to the Sand Flats recreation area, a 9000-acre treasure of public land known for slick-rock domes, bowls, and fins. It is an amazing adventure that has to be experienced. Make sure to stop at the restroom before driving into the park, as there are no facilities once you get inside.

You will make a couple of stops during this adventure. some of the sights you will see are fossilized dinosaur tracks, an amazing landscape, Hell’s Revenge, and the Colorado River. Part of the drive is scary, but you need to trust the guides. They are very good. I know I screamed out loud a couple of times. Pure adrenaline!!!

We did a similar tour in the afternoon in a Hummer, driven by a very experienced guide. It was an adventure from a different perspective as we got to enjoy the views & thrills without having to pay attention to driving.

Arches National Park

We spent half a day with a private guide driving around Arches National Park. What an amazing place. It is located about 5 miles north of Moab. The park has over 2000 natural stone arches, and hundreds of other formations such as pinnacles, fins, balanced rocks, and so on. There is a 36-mile scenic drive you can take, with opportunities to hike to some of the arches & sights.

The arches are amazing, and I have never seen anything like it. When researching online on the National Park website, it says the story of the Arches started 65 million years ago. Today, water is the force that changes this landscape the most as the rain erodes the rock, and in the winter, melting snow gathers, freezes, and expands, which breaks chunks of sandstone away. The small recesses are getting bigger and bigger with each storm. This process turns fractured rock layers into fins and then from fins into arches.

Some arches are more well-known than others. Our guide for the day was David Olsen, and he has a book about the different faces & creatures in the rock which you can read more about on his website rock-faces.com.

There are no restaurants inside the park, so make sure you bring snacks & drinks with you. Luckily, restrooms are available throughout the park.

The Canyonlands by Night & Day Sound and Light show

One evening we booked a boat tour, and it was within walking distance from our hotel. It started with a “Cowboy-style” Dutch oven dinner in a large dining room right by the river. The meats – pork, and beef – had been barbecued for 22 hours, and it was delicious. They served a carrot cake for dessert. Soft drinks & water were provided, and you could buy a beer or a glass of local wine from the bar.

After dinner, a 2-hour boat ride up the Colorado River was awaiting you. You will learn the history of Moab and the area. Once it gets dark, all of a sudden the tour changes. They turn on 40000 watts of natural lighting from a vehicle on the road following the boat. It is simply amazing, and it is very difficult to describe the atmosphere as it is so unique.

A few times, they turn off the lights and everything is dark. All of a sudden, you will see all the stars above you, as well as our galaxy – The Milky Way. Mother Nature put on an amazing show for us.

2-day Whitewater rafting in Moab

One of the highlights of our trip was the Whitewater rafting. We received a detailed packing list before we left, and although most things could have been needed, the weather was nice when we went so many items went unused. After being picked up from the hotel, they took us to the launch area, where we had to pack all our items into waterproof bags.

There would be 2 rafts as well as 2 guides for the group of six people. One guide would paddle the raft with all the supplies, and the other guide would take us down the river, and as soon as all the preparations were done, we were on our way. This started as pure relaxation with us, the river, and nature. It was so peaceful & serene, a.

Day 1 on the river

The first day was very smooth as we floated down the river. The first stop was for lunch on the river bank. The food tastes so much better by the river as well. We made sandwiches and for drinks, there were unlimited supplies of water and lemonade. In the afternoon, we continued the same way as we started, floating down the river. From time to time, we would help out to row, as there were no rapids on the first day. The water level on the river was also low as it was later in the season.

We pulled in on a riverbank, where we would spend the night. Everyone assisted in offloading all supplies. We got cots & tents and set it all up while the guides arranged & set up the kitchen as well as the restroom. There was a special indicator showing when the restroom was being used (an orange float thing). If it was not visible by the “hand-washing station”, you could not approach the restroom as it was in use. It was certainly a room with a view.

The dinner was very good. The guides barbecued chicken and served it with a salad and side dishes. We had brought some wine to go with it. After dinner, we played Kubb – a game in the sand, and Yes – our team was crowned “The River Champions”. Even though we had set up the tent, we chose to sleep under the bare sky. We saw our galaxy and numerous shooting stars, and we slept very well.

Day 2 on the river

The next morning, the guides made an amazing breakfast with coffee, pancakes, and bacon. We were ready for our second day on the river. After packing everything and loading the rafts, we started floating down the river again. Today, we experienced more currents & rapids, and every now and then, we jumped into the river for a refreshing swim. It was so much fun. During the two days on the river, we saw plenty of animals, for example, coyotes, bald eagles, beavers, different birds, and sheep.

We stopped for lunch at the Red Cliff Lodge, and before we knew it, we arrived at the disembarkation point, and it was time to end this adventure. I cannot wait until next time.

The town of Moab

Moab is a very small town with about 6000 people living there full-time. However, over 3 million people visit Moab every year. There are a lot of nice shops and restaurants along Main Street, as well as the adjacent streets. There are some hotels located in the city center, and the rest can be found on the way into Moab from all directions.

We tried a few of the restaurants, some of which were very good. A few that are worth mentioning:

• The Spoke on Center – I enjoyed a great Mojito with fish & chips
• The Milt’s Stop & Eat – outdoor hamburger joint. Great food & shakes.
• Moab Brewery – great lunch. You need to try one of their beers.
• The Cowboy Grill at the Red Cliff Lodge – amazing food with an even more amazing view

We tried a few other places as well. One was the Sunset Grill, a French restaurant on the hilltop. The view was amazing and the restaurant was unique, but unfortunately, the food did not match the location.

Moab has a lot of nice little shops, where you can find anything from outdoor fashion to amazing jewelry.

• Walker drug company – a little bit of everything. A must-visit.
• Moab Adventure Center – nice clothes & sunglasses
• Hogan Trading Company – amazing silver jewelry
• Tumbleweed – nice gifts

Useful tips

If you are going to Moab for the first time, I can highly recommend booking the “Southwest Sampler” from Moab Adventure Center. This is what we did, and it included 2 hotel nights, a Hummer safari, Arches National Park tour as well as whitewater rafting. It was of great value, and we just added a few things to it to complete our stay.

If you go on the southwest sampler above, you will be provided with a great insulated bottle that has a clip. If you are not doing this one, I can highly recommend buying one. Fill it with ice as needed, and you will always have access to a cool drink. The weather is very hot, and you need to stay hydrated.

Do your research regarding hotels before leaving. We were staying on the outskirts and needed to drive into town. It would have been nice to stay at least one night in the city center, so we could have walked everywhere. Ultimately, this would be the only thing I would changed of our amazing adventure.

There are some “Glamping sites” close by. If this is what you are looking for, make sure you book this in advance as they sell out quickly.

We had an amazing time in Moab, and I cannot wait to come back again. If you would like to read more about our travels, please click here.