I won't pretend that this song had nothing to do with our visit to Moab - what's a Paul & Marianne international holiday without a bit of a Bright Eyes pilgrimage, after all? Still, Moab turned out to be close to a whole lot of cool stuff and perfectly in line with our route through Utah, so even without the Conor-ness it would've been crazy not to stop by.
Before heading into town, we made a slight detour on the outskirts - a bit of clever research on Paul's part uncovered Matrimony Spring, a free-flowing spring that runs out of the cliffs near the junction of the 128 and the 192. The legend of the spring goes that all who drink from it will one day return to Moab, and locals and visitors alike are known to fill their canteens here (as the song suggests).
Before heading into town, we made a slight detour on the outskirts - a bit of clever research on Paul's part uncovered Matrimony Spring, a free-flowing spring that runs out of the cliffs near the junction of the 128 and the 192. The legend of the spring goes that all who drink from it will one day return to Moab, and locals and visitors alike are known to fill their canteens here (as the song suggests).
Of course, we had to have a sip:
I wonder if the mystical prophesy of the spring is cancelled out if you drink the water out of a Coca Cola branded bottle? And yes, I am redder than a beetroot and wearing gym shorts - it's hot in the desert! Don't judge me, dammit!
Also, there happen to be dinosaur tracks embedded in the rocks around the spring. Typical, Utah, typical!
After getting de-deserted, we hit up the town's microbrewery for some dinner.
Don't let those Mormons fool you - the beer (and the food) we've had in Utah so far has been excellent!
And finally a moonlit stroll and relax on the grass outside our hotel, with the La Sal mountains watching over us.
We spent the morning browsing around Moab's tiny town centre. The town is a hub for all sorts of adventure tourism in the surrounding national parks, so much of downtown is dedicated to jeep/quad bike/bmx/whitewater raft/kayak/whatever-else-you-can-ride-in-the-wilderness hire. There are a few nice cafes though, and a rock shop and a bookstore.
Breakfast at The Love Muffin.
Of course, the obligatory rock/geode/crystal/fossil shop.
As well as exploring the main street, we took a little back road to see what we could find in the hills behind the town. The valley is pretty incredible - the town itself is like a little green oasis in the middle of the desert, and you can order a soy latte on Main St one minute and be standing on a deserted river bank, surrounded by red cliffs, the next:
A pretty nice place to enjoy a soy latte, if you're so inclined.
After a final look out over the valley and the town, it was time to hit the road. Moab, I trust we'll see you and your rugged cliffs and delicious microbrews again!
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