A change of scenery that doesn’t require a plane ticket or a complicated itinerary. Sometimes the best reset is just a few miles from home.

–Long before “women-only adventure travel” became a category, Sheri Griffith was loading rafts in Moab, building a business that made space for women in a landscape long dominated by men — doing it quietly, stubbornly, and on her own terms.

Moab Rustic Inn is a locally owned motel near Mill Creek Trail, offering walkable access to downtown restaurants, shops, and Moab’s trail system.

our dogs has been our escape for the past twelve years. (If you don’t like dogs, take your kids, your bikes, your jeep, your UTV or ATV and have a blast. Just don’t bring your cats.

Sandwiched between Canyonlands and Arches National Parks, Moab has attracted international attention for its rare accessible beauty. We met a Parisian lady at the Hoodoo Hotel sitting in a hot tub under the stars. “I just love it here,” She told us. She jets from Paris to Moab to relax. 

When I spend time here, my asthma is at bay. We go on long walks, take in scenic vistas; the massive starlit night; no freeway noise, and less anxiety.

Last season, I had the pleasure of experiencing River rafting the Green and the Colorado Rivers with two of Moab’s most trusted river rafting companies: Navtec and Sheri Griffith. We took our kids down the Green River. Disneyland’s long lines for Splash Mountain have nothing on The Gates of Lodore’s whitewater rapids.

Like everyone who comes to Moab, I am a nature and quiet lover. Permeating our cities are noise, pollution, road rage and anxious vibes. Moab is a great escape. After covering Moab for more than 15 years, I’ve become aware how city-dwellers’ proclivities and priorities – with all of the best intentions – can destroy small, quaint places economically for working class families. 

In our last issue we profiled people who have made their lives in Helper, Utah. We pointed out how Helper and Carbon County only function due to the coal mining industry and hard-working class residents. Without capitalism, with its sometimes dirty, polluting and soul-sucking work, there would be no working class and family economic viability.

Perhaps it goes without saying that towns can’t function as tourist destinations without the risk taking of small entrepreneurs and family-operated businesses. So why am I saying it? Because there are fewer places than ever in Utah where families can afford to live. Moab is quickly becoming one of those unaffordable places. Homes here average $500K and there are an excess of properties in Moab costing more than $1 million.