FAQs and things to do
Question
Public Lands that Surround Moab
Answer
The lands surrounding the Moab Valley are primarily managed by the Bureau of Land Management. As a wise human once said, "if it were anywhere but Utah, it'd all be a national park." Mill Creek and Grandstaff Canyons have hiking trails along flowing creeks and bike paths run from town to the Colorado River. There's readily available whitewater rafting on the river, numerous mountain biking, hiking and running trails, and endless exploration. The Colorado Plateau contains the highest concentration of natural protected areas on Planet Earth. In our corner of it, we have two national parks close-by, with three more within a 3-hour drive. We're surrounded by BLM lands managed for primarily for recreation, deeply wild areas like the Mill Creek, Behind the Rocks, and Grandstaff Wilderness Study Areas, the Manti-La Sal National Forest's La Sal Mountains (towering at 12,700' - 7,000' above the surrounding desert). ~Within an hour of the venue, you can drive to over 10,000 feet in the La Sal Mountains. In October the aspen should be in their golden glory. ~Arches National Park is a 10-minute drive from the venue and is home to the highest concentration of natural arches in the world, carved by wind, water & time out of the Entrada sandstone formations. ~Canyonlands National Park (Island in the Sky District) is a 1 hour drive from Moab. The park contains and surrounds the confluence of the Colorado and Green rivers. The Needles district is about a 1.5 hr drive. Visit the National Park Service's website with park updates. Canyonlands NP: https://www.nps.gov/cany//index.htm Arches NP: https://www.nps.gov/arch//index.htm **Generative AI, i.e. ChatGPT, is often wrong when giving directions and suggestions about public land. Gemini is especially bad.** We are happy to provide some suggestions and good websites to get good beta and information.
Question
Considerations while visiting
Answer
1. Stay on trails and help your pets do the same. Our desert soil is alive with organisms (cyanobacteria, lichen, moss) called biocrust. They fix nitrogen into the soil for plants, pull carbon from the atmosphere like a tiny ground-level forest, and bind soil particles together to reduce erosion from wind and water. Biocrust supports everything up the food chain, the plants, the deer, the mountain lion. Don't bust the crust, stay on trails, and walk on rocks and wash bottoms. "In Crust We Trust." 2. Skip the ATVs. Side-by-sides, UTVs, desert buggies, tear up the desert with dust, stress wildlife and humans with noise pollution, and the industry behind them lobbies to open protected lands to roads and development. We're losing wild places steadily, and how we spend our money is connected to that. Jeeps and e-bikes are a much better way to explore on wheels. 3. Come clean, leave clean. Invasive species hitchhike on shoes, clothes, and gear. Don't arrive with mud-caked boots or a sand-filled tent. After hiking, brush off plant seeds before leaving the area. Use boot brush stations at trailheads. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." 4. Be mindful of water. We're in a serious drought and our river is running low. Water is life, and unlike wetter parts of the country, it's not something we can take for granted here. “Water remembers everything.” 5. This is a really special place, give it the time it deserves. Breathe deep, learn about the history, hike around, and watch how the light moves across the landscape at sunset. You'll never see it all (we haven't, and we live here!), so we recommend choosing fewer experiences and giving each one more time, rather than rushing between a dozen spots. Slow down and let it sink in. “Be here now.” ~*~*~We are so excited to share it with you this fall.~*~*~
Question
Will there be a ceremony?
Answer
No ceremony. This is a celebration of our partnership, yes, and a gathering of friends and family and a sharing of community, set to food, music, catching up and conversation, meeting other people we know, laying in the grass, getting weird, whatever you want. There will be a mic: feel free and encouraged to share speeches, toasts, stories, and or roasts for all to hear. Can be about us or not.
Question
Whaaaat about gifts?
Answer
Look if you're traveling out here that's a gift. We are so set on material possessions. If you feel like you want to contribute to The Life of Kelli and Caleb beyond being a presence in it and witness to it, money is generally much more helpful than stuff. We have some debt (student loans etc) we'd like to be rid of, but we expect or encourage no contribution from our guest. We're just happy you're visiting us in the desert.
Question
Can I bring pets?
Answer
Sure thing. Old City Park is spacious. Please just clean up after them.
Question
Weather
Answer
National Weather Service for Moab, Utah: https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?textField1=38.57&textField2=-109.55
Question
What even is a FAQ?
Answer
Let us know if you have more questions.