So basically I got home just to shower, throw stuff in the car, say goodbye to my dog, and get back in the car. It was a dark drive to Albuquerque! Once we got to Albuquerque, we decided to keep driving. Once we got to our hotel the next afternoon, we CRASHED!
On the way to Utah the next morning, we had to stop on the Navajo Reservation and try some "kneel down bread" that an older woman was selling on the side of the road.
After Four Corners, we were determined to get to Moab! We arrived on Thursday, August 25th, and were so surprised at what we saw. This place is NOTHING like Beatrice, Nebraska! We checked into the Motel 6 and were eager to go exploring. We decided to eat at the Thai restaurant that was listed on all of the previous surveys I had been sent. It was here that I had the BEST tempura ever! Of course we had to try the fried chicken dumplings and they were amazing, too...
Friday, August 27th:
Today was the day to move into government housing! I was excited to see where I would be living for 3 months. We pulled up to the fees booth and explained who we were. He told us they were 'warned' I was coming and said to go to the Visitor's Center. So, we went inside and I walked up to one of the Rangers and explained who I was. She replies, "HI! I'm actually one of your roommates!" How fun that the first person I encounter should happen to be one of my roommates. She gave me instructions on how to get to my house and we headed over there to unpack. We unloaded the car and then it was time to meet Erin at the Motel 6- she had driven into Moab from Grand Junction.
It was difficult deciding where to eat lunch, but we finally settled on the Moab Brewery. There I had their homemade root beer. It was quite different from what I have had in the past, but it was still good along with my turkey burger!
After lunch, it was time to go to the grocery store to stock up. At the advice of my other roommate, I filled out a points card and began to hunt down the things on my list. We got a pretty good amount of stuff and went back to the house to stock the cold stuff. Dad was anxious to go inside the park! Here are a few pictures of the house and my room:
We headed up into the park afterwards and here are some pictures. You will most likely see the same Arches a few times in later posts with or without me in front of them!
Balanced Rock ^
Garden of Eden ^
Skyline Arch ^
A lot of people are asking me lately, "So what is it exactly that you do at Arches?" Well, I will wrap up today's blog with a short answer.
My position functions within the Education Division of Canyonlands National Park. My work area includes a variety of teaching locations inside Arches National Park and on the surrounding public lands as well as at local schools. My work involves assisting education rangers with classroom presentations, teaching groups of students in the field, front country trail roving and doing some office work. In addition, my work may involve working with other divisions on an as needed basis. I get to go on hikes, talk to visitors, and explore to get to know the environment better. We are given the task of being able to identify plants, animals, and rock formations within the park. I get to work with children for the first time on Friday- and I cannot wait!
