35 days of exploration: Monday May, 9th

Picture of the day: Window Arch, Arches National Park Utah

Today was amazing. We drove into Utah around midnight and arrived at Arches around 2amish. Oddly enough the park was open twenty four hours yet you had to pay a 10 dollar fee in a tollbooth that opens at 8am?
Just out of pure curiosity we decided to drive into Arches even though it was pitch black. This was just about the most creepiest experience I have ever been through. We had no idea what was around us as we drove in. We parked the car at a lookout so Beej could take night photos with his super awesome camera. That is when we saw the HUGE looming shapes of rocks around us. The feeling of power was overwhelming. It is hard to describe the eerie fear that crept through my body looking at the huge shadows surrounding us. It did not help at all that when we stopped a second time we heard a noise that an animal could not make right behind us (a horror movie like scratching. I was waiting for a metal hook in the door or somethin.) That is when we decided to leave and come back at sunrise.
After a wonderful hours rest in the cramped mini cooper behind a hotel we woke up around 5 and went back to Arches.
If anyone decides to go to Utah for a trip I HIGHLY recommend checking out this park. I don't know how the camp sites are (I think after that night of errieness i would piss myself being in a tent out there) but the trails were amazing. Since it was so early in the morning we were pretty much one of the first people in the park. At first the park looks like everything is visible from car. That is oh so very wrong. I recommend going out to Devil's Garden near the end of the park. Though it was raining when we set out on the trail the views were breathtaking.
Funny enough along the way we ran into a hiker who was from Thunder Bay Canada and has been to GrandMarais several times... small world I guess. We didn't get back to the car until around 11ish and even backtracking I felt as if I had never seen the trail before. Every corner was a brand new discovery of arches, landscapes and stones.
This park is defiantly on my list of places to return to.
After arches we began our drive to our next hiking spot, Antelope Canyon Arizona. It was a semi long drive but oh so wonderful. We drove through the amazing Monument Valley. Before we approached Beej told me it feels like you're on Mars. He was right. The colors of the rocks were jaw dropping I'm surprised Monument Valley isn't a real park. You get to see a lot of interesting farm animals and people though.
Since we have been plowing so fast on this trip with such little sleep tonight we are resting in a hotel near Antelope Canyon in the town of Page. Such a strange little town, so extremely spread out. I'm excited to sleep on a mattress though since it will probably be the last time in quite awhile. (the room was a little pricier than we had hopes for and not really worth it)
I don't know when I will have internet next. We had to fork over 2 bucks to use this one in the hotel room. Thus my posts sadly will probably be three or four at a time.
After the Canyon we plan on backpacking in Zion National Park Utah for roughly five days. So prepare for some massive post attacks in the future!

P.S. Saw some tumbleweed today which was awesome. Monument Valley is known for the old westerns that were filmed in it. So I HAD to see a tumbleweed while there. Most of them were stuck to the fences on the side of the road which was disappointing but one escaped.