76 globaltravelerusa.com MARCH 2019
Rock Stars
Arches National Park and the Moab desert rest at the heart of Utah’s wild beauty. BY DEBRA BOKUR
bucket list | ARCHES NATIONAL PARK, MOAB DESERT
FANTASTIC
FORMATIONS:
(Left to right) Arches
National Park,
Morning Glory Bridge
and Landscape Arch
PHOTOS: © JOSEMARIA
TOSCANO - DREAMSTIME
.COM, © ALYSTA -
DREAMSTIME.COM,
© NUVISTA - DREAMSTIME
.COM
MY FIRST VIEW OF THE DESERT near Moab, Utah, comes into
focus as the rising sun darts across red rocks stacked in layers across
the landscape. Light snow left a dusting of ice crystals on the face of
the stone, glittering like a million tiny lights as the dawn sun briefly
catches it. It’s the sort of sight that can actually take away your
breath, a moment when the concept of magic blurs with reality.
The drama increases in nearby Arches National Park. The rock
itself, though predominantly rust-red in color, also glints in shades
of green, black, orange and even purple, depending upon the
amount of iron contained within sections and the specific geologic
forces that shaped its composition.
Formed naturally of sandstone, more than 2,000 rock arches
and windows punctuate the park landscape. New ones are in the
process of formation all the time, thanks to the erosive action of
wind, rain, snowmelt and the cracking that occurs when water
freezes in narrow clefts and fissures.
Beyond these iconic, evanescent bridges of stone arcing against
the sky, the park also presents a humbling collection of tower-ing pinnacles; domes; hollow, honeycombed tafoni formations;
otherworldly rock hoodoos; and massive boulders suspended at
the tops of narrow, soaring plinths, including the 3,500-plus-ton
Balanced Rock. Given that the area encompassing the park likely
took millions of years to form, the notion of seeing everything in
one trip proves a daunting prospect — which is where the skill and
insight of a local outfitter becomes priceless.
“Pre-tour custom designing is imperative, especially due to the
distances between destinations around Moab,” offers Brian D.
Murphy, CEO/founder, Utah Luxury Tours (a Division of Luxus
Travel, Inc.). “We cater to distinguished travelers who are accus-
tomed to concierge travel-planning services and touring privately,
with a fully escorted touring experience from the time they arrive
ʼtil the time we hug them goodbye at the airport.”
The guides who make up Murphy’s team are local, including
his business partner, Lukas Sigmund, the company’s original tour
designer and lead guide. For those wishing to see and experience
park highlights such as Delicate Arch, Tunnel Arch, the Devils