Day 23 - Pioneer Day

We tried to get a very early start but our internal clocks are still on Eastern time even though we haven't been in that time zone for many days.  While not as early as we hoped we did get to the Visitor Center at Arches National Park a few minutes prior to opening.  We waited patiently for our maps and quickly set out hoping to take advantage of hiking when it was relatively cool.  The first hike was cool in all senses of the word.  As there was a parking lot at both ends Larry in a gallant mood offered to let Michelle stay at the end of the trail and he went back to the beginning to fetch the car.  As she is won't to do who befriended a couple of guys from California who we then ran into once more in the park and then again in Moab.

Landscape Arch

Broken Avch 

Navajo Arch

That was the pattern for much of the day as Michelle hates the heat so often sat in the shade making friends and Larry would hike around in the heat enjoying the views.  At the end of the day everyone was happy although Michelle could only look at the pictures of some of the sights.  As none of you readers were there today either we will give you pictures that Larry took to look at.  This is a great park that we recommend highly.  We were going to take a siesta and come back to the motel and swim but were so taken with the sights we never made it back until dinner.

The Mastodon from Ice Age.  They do film a lot of movies in Moab

Balancing Rock

Larry elevated by his surroundings.

Today is a holiday in Utah called Pioneer's Day which commemorates Brigham Young showing up in the one place on earth he figured nobody would bother his followers in.  It certainly is an inhospitable place for humans to live but really beautiful to look at.  In honor of the holiday, for which we had to take a detour yesterday through some small town, The Museum in Moab sponsored an Ice Cream Social with live music and free ice cream.  We waited on line through three horribly played songs to get some low quality ice cream.  Albuquerque throws a better free party.  Luckily the dinner prior to that was quite good.

Meanwhile back in Wrentham our house is slowly turning itself off.  Each day for last three days some circuit in the house has quit working.  So now the lights in the whole middle of the first floor and Julia's bedroom are no longer functioning.  Try to fix that on a Sunday from 2000 miles,and 2 times zones away.  Needless to say we failed.  We can try again tomorrow.

But its dry heat!

Statistics Corner

States involved: We didn't even leave town today let alone change states!

Charging 
We again used the Moab Supercharger while we had dinner. o the same after the parks for the next two days

Regular Features

Song of the Day: Fire on the Mountain by the Marshall Tucker Band.  There was not either fire on the mountain or lightening in the air today.  But at over 100 degrees it certainly felt like they were on fire.

Coolest Car of the day: Today we drove very little and mostly within Arches where we saw RVs and SUVs.  So today Hobson wins because he attracted a great deal of attention.  Exhibit A, we pull into the Visitor Center early in the morning and some guy from Virginia asks, "Did you drive that Tesla all the way from Massachusetts?" to which Larry replied, "It is here isn't it?".  Exhibit B, while Michelle is napping in the car some German guy touches the door handle which immediately pops out and scares the hell out of him.  He apologizes profusely.  Exhibit C, while Larry is walking out of town to try to get a good view of the sunset he walks by the Superchargers and some mother is posing her sons on either side of one of what she refers to as the "Tesla Pumps".  When Larry tells the younger kid that if they had just been there earlier his Tesla would be there the kid gives him the "yea, right" look.

Hobson may be dirty but still can wow some folks.

Church of the day: We did not see any churches today.  I guess they understandably just worship nature here.

Coolest Thing of the Day – Larry - Hiking around the desert is very relaxing especially when nobody else is around.  The further you get from the road the rarer the people.

Coolest Thing of the Day –Michelle-  She liked sitting in the Double Arch as it was shady and breezy.