Local Moab resident, Heila Ershadi, gives the insider take on where to go and what to see in Moab. A trip to Moab can mean mean many things, such as appreciating the landscape’s astounding beauty, experiencing the charm of a unique desert town, enjoying world-class outdoor recreation, and even reconnecting with the wild magic found in nature and your own soul. It can also … [Read more...]
Drive Down the Stairs: Grand Staircase-Escalante by Foot, Raft and Drive-In Movie
Utah’s national parks, known as “The Mighty 5,” are internationally-recognized destinations for hikers, climbers, campers, and roadtrippers. Until recent political attention highlighted their existence, our national monuments received less notice. If seeing all the tweets and headlines about Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument made you realize you had no idea what it … [Read more...]
Building the Van Life: Customized Vans Create Cozy Comfort
How a Utah Man is Making a Living by Building Out Sprinter Vans In 2017, Brad Woolf leapt into the entrepreneurial world by starting a woodworking business that would become Woolf Vans. Pulling from his experience as a rock climber and a Park Ranger, he began customizing van interiors for people who spend more time outside than in. While working for the National Park … [Read more...]
VanLife
“Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.” ― Jack Kerouac, On the Road Making that vanlife work in real life It seems pretty idyllic, right? Chucking the responsibilities of the rat race and taking a year (or more) off to unplug. Drive the open roads, camp under the stars and connect with new places and people. But the reality is a little more … [Read more...]
Vast and Isolated Antelope Island: Camping with Citronella Under the Stars
Utah has 44 state parks as diverse as Utah’s natural landscapes. Visits to the state parks can include an Anasazi Village, coral pink sand dunes, lakes, rivers, canyons, and the Territorial Statehouse in Fillmore. There is even a state park protecting a Utah island—Antelope Island State Park. The largest island in the Great Salt Lake, Antelope Island is … [Read more...]
Bikepacking: Two “Mature” Cyclists Bikepack Bears Ears
The body wilts before the spirit does, so it didn’t occur to two 41-year-old men that they might not be able to pedal 155 miles in three days through southeastern Utah on bikes loaded with the essentials: water, food, bedroll … tobacco, coffee, beer. The plan was simple. Pedal from Nizhoni Campground to Elk Ridge, down between Bears Ears, across Cedar Mesa, through … [Read more...]
Skydiving Moab: Find Space and Views
Here on earth, space is at a premium. City dwellers feel crowded, which is why we come to places like Moab, where the scenic vistas are vast. But even in Moab, traffic gets congested. In seeking more space, what could possibly be less claustrophobic than skydiving? But even the word “skydive” has connotations that have prevented me from considering it in the past, because … [Read more...]
Road Trip Adventure: Diary of a Wanderer
I’ve driven the highways of 43 states, sang in endless dive bars, and slept in more WalMart parking lots than I care to remember. I left Utah in 2013, in a van with a bunch of blues musicians, and we worked our way, playing shows all the way to the Georgia coast and back. I haven’t left the road since. I was singing at the Urban Lounge in Salt Lake City, when Richard Markosian, … [Read more...]
Have Fun in Moab, Utah
The editorial staff at Utah Stories magazine has been covering Moab for six years and we love sharing our knowledge. We guarantee the following itineraries will make your next visit a fantastic one. Jeeps (families) From March 24 to April 1, Jeeps of all grades and conditions will converge on Moab for the annual Easter Jeep Safari. Jeep Safari was started in 1967 by the … [Read more...]
Blue John Canyon — Ralston’s Rock Found
Last month, I had the opportunity to visit Blue John Canyon, High Spur Canyon and Horseshoe Canyon - home of the Grand Gallery. I made the tour with Navtec Expeditions out of Moab, Utah. While there, I visited the site where Aron Ralston's arm was pinned for 127 hours. We also visited some of the most stunning examples of slot-canyon geology found on Earth. I can highly … [Read more...]