Pagans, High Ledges, & Breakdowns

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I don’t get it. Visiting Moab in the summer is a zoo. A festive one, sure, but still…traffic is snarled, restaurants have waits, and the biking/hiking trails are as empty as the Cheesecake Factory on a Friday night. And then there’s the heat. It’s so bloomin’ hot there in the summer that even the people in Jeeps put up the top and turn on the A/C.

But, weirdly, if you go in February, the streets look like this:

And the trails look like this:

James and I recently went and can officially proclaim February is a brilliant time to visit Moab. Not only were the crowds non-existent, also, we didn’t wilt! It was perfect weather for outdoor adventures. Sure, nights got cool…but not under freezing. And while we were there it would climb into the 60’s at the day’s peak. No clue why this is considered the “off-season.”

If you’ve never been to Moab, it’s a small quirky town in southern Utah that acts as a base for outdoor enthusiasts who come from around the world.  The area has some of the most unique scenery in the American Southwest…amazing red rock landscapes and stunning natural settings; with extensive trail systems for mountain bikers, hikers, and off-roaders. Moab is surrounded by two national parks and some state parks, giving you about a billion options of things to do.

Since we didn’t prepare ICOF’s for this trip (Index Cards of Fun) we started in the heart of downtown Moab with a visit to the Information Center. We needed to make our plans; seemed a logical place to start. Except we got distracted by the toy section and the souvenirs. “Oh the grand-baby will just LOVE that!” Says every traveling grandma, everywhere.

“Mugga and Dude visited the Moab Information Center and all they got me was this lousy raccoon.”

Well, okay, that was a bust. But how cute is that finger puppet?

Just around the corner from the Information Center, we spotted this store:

“Pagan Mountaineering.”  Oh, the political incorrectness of it all. And in Utah?!?  We had to go in. It was sort of a letdown, though. There was nothing exciting like a backpacking altar, or goat-skin leggings with crampons. But we did find those cool camping towels…the ones that are super absorbent and pack down to almost nothing, so it wasn’t all for naught.

And as we strolled around Moab, we found even more oddities.

Like this sign:

Apparently, in Moab, you need to be reminded not to drown yourself.

And this restaurant on fire:

Everyone act normal.

And we even found some Tesla pumps:

And some freaky chick hanging out of our RV. I swear on a stack of Pagan camp towels, that’s not me.

We mostly stayed at Portal Campground, just on the north edge of town. Couldn’t boondock since James needed wifi for work. For more on the campground, you can see our video review here.

And like everyone else who comes to Moab, we knocked off both national parks,

drank green juice,

and stood  on some VERY high and steep ledges at sunset.

Take that, acrophobia!

But alas, all good things must come to an end. Like our radiator hose:

Yep, it conked out on us just as we said our goodbyes to Quirksville. The good news is that we scored an extra day in Moab waiting for the replacement hose to arrive from Salt Lake City. There are worse places to be stranded. And this isn’t our first rodeo with being stranded. So, again, we found ourselves back to the land of weirdness. This is where we got our RV fixed:

After all, this is Moab. It is perfectly fitting that the only diesel mechanic in town works out of a junkyard. Seriously, though, the mechanic was awesome and totally competent; reasonable price, too.

I just can’t help to smile when I reflect on this entire trip; wow, we squeezed in so many fun adventures! I’m feeling pretty lucky right at this moment. That little RV of ours out in the driveway has given us so many incredible life experiences, and so many more to come. I can’t wait to see what’s next down our road.