10/13

We both slept in this morning, even with the road noise, it was a comfortable spot.  It was partly sunny and a little breezy.  Because we were slow to get going, we put off our trip into Arches National Park because we didn't feel like waiting in line to enter.  Starting earlier would have been the right time.  There's a webcam at the entrance so we can tune in and see what the situation was.  So, we spent some time doing laundry at the campground and eating lunch before setting out on a drive.  At the recommendation of our campground owner, we drove the La Sal Mountain Loop Road.  It started near the campground and circled through the mountains to the east and then north back into Moab.  It was a quiet, scenic road, shared with only a few people and cattle!  Yesterday's snow was still present as we gained elevation.  We took our time and stopped often for views and photos.

After our drive, we needed to get on some more reliable cellular service than what we could get at the campground.  Sometimes, we rely on the internet more than we realize!  In this case, we had finances to take care of back home, which can all be done online but not when we only have 1 bar!  So, we often seek out the city library.  In Moab, it was very near closing time, but just by parking there we could get the service we needed.

We wanted to try out a dinner spot that would be popular with the locals.  In the main area of Moab, there are lots of bars and restaurants, and they seem to get pretty active and crowded in the evening.  We wanted something a little more on the quiet side, and I had noticed Susie's Branding Iron Restaurant near the campground.  The parking lot was pretty busy with trucks and I could tell they were local because they proudly wore a coat of red dirt and looked well-used!  So, even though our pickup wasn't as dirty as some, we still did have some red dirt, so we pulled in.  We had to wait about 15 minutes to be shown a table, but after that point the service was friendly and timely.

Our pickup reached a milestone today!  It's the first time we have filled up and paid more than $100 for a tank of gas!

Taking a break on the Colorado River.