Peace, Serenity, Adventure and Healing Found in Moab, UT!

Traveling for the past 3 years has definitely landed us in some amazing places. Adventure, education, locals,  and family friendly are the criteria we use when mentally ranking a city or a town. Moab, UT is one of those places that will forever rank high.  There is no other place where you feel so incredibly free, so small and so awestruck.  Not to mention that Moab is undoubtedly one of the most adventurous cities. From mountain biking to rafting to hiking and 4-wheeling, there is something for everyone!

“Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall speedily arise, and thy justice shall go before thy face, end the glory of the Lord shall gather thee up.” Isaiah 58:8

Many of you know that one of our favorite places on the planet is Moab, UT, for a full host of reasons.

First, it’s truly a magical place that even the very very young pick up on.  We travel full time and Moab is one of the only places we have ever been to where the kids don’t fight.  Like, not at all.  I guess maybe the heat and the non-stop adventure and the fun and the constant distractions of beauty and ruggedness keep them entirely too busy to disagree.  I really don’t care why … I just love that they don’t fight.

Second, Moab is full of such pristine beauty that it leaves you breathless.  The sunrise, the sunset, the colors, the days, the air, the views … it’s just more here.  Everything is more in Moab. More happiness, more joy, more freedom, more peace, more adventure, more spirituality … more more more!

And finally, Moab is a place capable of such complete and utter healing that you can arrive feeling completely empty and utterly broken and leave feeling full of life, hope and love.

And it is for this last reason that I personally rank Moab as the most spiritual, beautiful and my personal favorite place that we’ve ever visited.

We had planned this vacation with Dan’s brother and his kids, to camp in Moab for a few days, then hit the Ruby Horsethief section of the Colorado for a multi-day river trip.  Everyone was super excited.  It was our first vacation with them in like 11 years!!!   A re-kindling of relationships alongside a ton of fun.

As you know, or may know, I miscarried our precious baby on the 21st July — a mere 4 days prior to our departure date.  Even though the signs were there during the previous 10 days and I should have known it was going to happen, I was devastated.  We were devastated.

We were angry, we felt betrayed, guilty, shock, grief … so many of you, sadly, know the horrible feelings that accompany a miscarriage.  I am so very sorry for your loss.

At any rate, I bring this up only to reiterate the healing powers of Moab.  You can read about the adventures anywhere, in fact I wrote a blog, “5 Epic Things to Do in Moab with Kids” for Traveling Mom.  Check it out.

At first, I decided I wasn’t going on the trip.  Dan decided I was.   He knew what awaited us in Moab.  He knew it was the one place, the one thing that could help push us through to the other side of grief.

And boy was he right!!!  Of all the amazing, beautiful, life assuring things we have done together, our hike up to Delicate Arch at 4 am to see the sunrise was the single most healing moment in my life.

The hike is 3 miles, roundtrip, easy and well marked.  But it was pitch dark outside, and we were in a sprint to get to the top before the sun even reared it’s beautiful light.  So, by the time we hit the top, we were winded and that was the best way for me to reach the summit.  I sat down on rock as the sun’s light began to creep outward, my heart rate slowing and I cried.

There is no denying God while sitting gazing out at Delicate Arch with the sun’s warm light enveloping everything around you.  Total silence, save the wind and the birds … complete isolation, save the 7 of us … I will never forget that morning.  It’s a memory I will cherish forever.

If you find yourself in Moab, I can’t implore you enough to do this hike.  A bonus to waking at 3 am is that the park, while open, has no-one manning the gate, so you get FREE entry!  🙂

If you’ve done this please post your pictures in the comments.  And be sure to check out our family adventure vlogs in Moab from a few years ago … check out how young the kids all were & we are still going back year after year!!

What’s the Most Amazing Moment you have had recently?  We want to hear from you!  🙂