We went to Island in the Sky Section of the Canyonlands NP. It was about 50 minutes drive from our hotel to the visitor center. We stamped our NP Passports as the 1st activity. We even got a NP Passport for Maisie.
The 1st attraction was the Mesa Arch. It has a 0.3 mi trail hike to get to the arch. Mesa Arch is one of the most impressive arch in this area. Even with a lot of visitors around the arch, we were able to take great photos.
Then, we stopped by the Green River Overlook to see the incredible views of where Colorado and Green rivers meet. Stand at 6,000 feet and look out over the Soda Springs Basin toward the Green River. The seemingly unending views are among the best in all the Canyonlands NP.
We had lunch at the nearby camping / picnic area. It was sandwiches for all again.
After lunch, we stopped by the Grand View Point Overlook at the southern edge of the Canyonlands NP. It offers wide and spectacular canyon panoramas. It is the southernmost point of the Island in the Sky Section.
On the way, we decided to stop by the Dead Horse Point State Park to see the famous breathtaking views of the Colorado River and adjacent canyon country some 2,000 feet below. When Fei and Tony visited here last time, it was late and the gate agent had already left. We got in free of charge. This time we had to pay 20 dollars for the entrance fee. However, the breathtaking views were worth it.
A small incident made this visit more memorable. While we were use an umbrella to protect Maisie from the hot sun, Jason handled it whenever he carries Maisie. When we were at the overlook point trying to take a photo for the family, Jason tossed the umbrella down to have a better photo. The blue umbrella attracted Maisie and she just did not raise her head to look at the camera. After we tried to attract her attention without success, Jason decided to move the umbrella away by throwing it further away. Coincidently, there was strong wind blowing at the same time and the wind blew the umbrella to the canyon below before anyone can catch it. It made us not following the “leave no trace” rule. However, it made this moment even more memorable.
We went to Antica Forma of Italian food for dinner.
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