From utter madness (Vegas) to serene tranquility (eastern Utah) in seven hours.
A study in contrasts.
Vegas:
Hotel windows don’t open, canned air, fan whirring all night. And down below: Zillions of gambling-addicted humanoids bouncing off one another 24/7 amid flashing lights from thousands of money eaters. It’s like you’re inside a pinball machine dodging a metal ball.
Sorrel Ranch Resort, Moab:
Natural rock formations. A cabin with a window that opens onto a porch with rocking chairs beyond which the Colorado River flows against a stunning natural rock formation.
Almost no one around.
Stillness.
Quiet.
And the perfect book to read (just published) by Thomas Moore.
Round about 7:33, a table on the restaurant balcony, a bottle of pinot noir and a setting sun.
Turn around—and behold nature’s cathedral.
If you need a little buzz, a clump of civilization is 18 miles away.
There is only one fine dining restaurant in Moab: Desert Bistro.
Booked up for weeks in advance. But if you arrive at 5:03, they have a couple tables for walk-ins like us.
Just stay off their fence.
A glass of Grgich chardonnay
Cheese-stuffed dates wrapped in bacon with pomegranate reduction.
A glass of reserve Rioja.
Bison tenderloin crusted with three kinds of pepper, small potatoes, red bell peppers with pineapple.
House-made chocolate walnut pie served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Thus, fortified for Arches National Park. (Reservations not needed after 4 p.m.) Just drive in and be astonished.
Nothing short of spectacular.
Mother Nature at its most poignant.
And when day turns to night, the stars come out to play.
And words are no longer necessary.