The films "Hulk" and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" feature Double Arch. But that's not why I wanted to go to Arches National Park so much. It's hard to explain the allure this place holds for me. All I can tell you is that I really wanted to go there. When I proposed this trip to my wife, my primary objective was to visit Arches National Park. Other stops were gradually added to our itinerary, but Arches was the first and most important consideration.
I suppose you could say it was on my bucket list.
Some of the arches were easily accessible. Others took more effort to reach. According to the signs and maps, Broken Arch wasn't that far from the parking area. Yet it seemed to take ages to get there. We also had to climb up several steep areas of boulders to reach it. But, like all the arches, it was great to see.
We had planned three days for Arches National Park, but the weather gods ruled otherwise. It rained as we were leaving the first day, and all day the second. So on the third and last day, we returned to see some of the areas we most wished to visit. One of them was Landscape Arch, the longest in the park.
We found a log to sit on, and my wife painted while I sketched. A number of people came by to talk with us, and check out our projects. People were really sociable, low-key, and friendly at Landscape Arch. Maybe the shape of it subconsciously influenced them. Doesn't Landscape Arch remind you of a smile?
Not all the arches were notable for their size, width, or delicacy. This was one of the smaller ones near Landscape Arch. But even if they're not exceptional, they still attract me.
Here's another area that was featured in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." We hiked through this area, named Monument Valley. It was awesome to stare up at these long, thin slabs of stone that towered above us. One day, erosion will knock down the existing arches in Arches National Park, but those same forces will have carved arches into areas such as this. But right now, they're still awesome to me.
Even if they're not arches.
Dragon Dave
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