We went to Moab this past weekend and it was certainly out of my element lol - but even though I'm not the most outdoorsy gal, I still had a good time.

HYATT PLACE

We stayed in a casita at Hyatt Place which was nice! The casitas are like little condos and are separate from the main hotel. They have two big bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, and patios which overlook the pool and hot tub out to the plateaus (this is the nicest hotel in the heart of Moab).

We were in the casita to the far right!

Gripes with this hotel? There was no mini bar (Utah alcohol woes) and no room service unless the staff wasn't busy (it's not peak season yet so the hotels run lean). I know, I know - v uppity statement lol but I LOVE me some good room service at a nice hotel. However, the Hyatt Place does provide a full breakfast buffet each morning which was decent.

The only real mishap we had with the hotel is that they deactivated our room keys a day before we left #annoy - so Ross got a nice sprint in, in the rain to get them reactivated!

"MY FAMILY, IS STANDING IN THE RAIN!!!!"

DESERT BISTRO

If you ever find yourself in Moab and are looking for a nice dinner, Desert Bistro is the place.

Desert Bistro is a quaint, upscale restaurant that specializes in Southwestern cuisine. They also have the largest wine selection you will find in the town. We ate dinner here our first night.

We started our meal with a nice bottle of Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc and some honey oat bread - made in house #freshAF & literally salivating over here thinking about the smell & taste of this bread #carbqueen.

For Appetizers, we started with the Bacon Dates, Scallops, Gyozas, Bison Empanadas, and the seasonal Rabbit.

The baked bacon wrapped dates stuffed with chevre, drizzled with pomegranate molasses were sinful and were hands down Emily and I's favorite.

The Seared Sea Scallops with a lemon adobo beurre blanc were standard - nothing really out of the ordinary but I did like the blanc sauce.

The Bistro Gyozas filled with smoked tofu, Anasazi bean hummus & roasted garlic, served with a chipotle pepper, soy & maple sauce were a nice surprise and we all really enjoyed the Southwestern twist on this generally asian dish.

The Bison Empanadas served with Bistro molé, grilled mango salsa & ancho sour cream were the boys' favorite and a second runner up for Emily and I after the dates.

The empanadas were cooked perfectly - crisp and flakey on the outside and filled with mouthwatering bison.

The Seasonal Rabbit was served with a nice vegetable sauce and topped with goat cheese. The sauce and goat cheese saved this dish as the rabbit itself was pretty gamey and chewy.

For salads, Emily and I split the Butter leaf with fresh red pears, jicama & candied walnuts tossed in pomegranate-raspberry dressing. Refreshing and light.

The boys opted for the Chipotle chile Caesar with toasted cornbread croutons & parmesan. The Chipotle dressing here was on point.

For entrees, Emily and I split one of the specials - The Bison Filet (medium rare) topped with goat cheese, onions, a nice glaze and sereved with whipped potatoes and vegetables.

#GOATCHEESE #DROOL - this filet was wonderful and we were really glad we split this dish because look at how big the half portion was!!

Ross opted for the Bison special as well.

Ari ordered the Citrus brined organic Chicken breast served with a savory compote of tomatillos, roasted red & yellow bell, poblano & anaheim peppers, accompanied by organic quinoa and grilled asparagus which he really enjoyed.

For dessert, we ordered the chocolate cheesecake and espresso martinis. Both delish and the espresso martinis make for a nice little caffeine kick to combat the food coma lol.

DELICATE ARCH

The next morning, we were off to Arches National Park to hike to the Delicate Arch - the Delicate Arch is the most widely recognized arch in Utah.

Once again, I'm not the most outdoorsy individual to say the least, but this hike wasn't too, too bad (rated moderate to strenuous) . It's about 3 miles roundtrip (took about 2 hours roundtrip) and climbs about 480 feet.

Ross and I made the climb in running shoes and made it ok, but I would say it's worth investing in hiking shoes before tackling this trail. The end paths leading up to the arch ended up being pretty icy, so having shoes with little to no traction made these couple paths hairy scary. I did slip once but was able to catch myself on Ross' backpack #thanksbae. Em & Ari had hiking shoes and had no problems at all.

It was about 40 degrees during our hike which turned out to be perfect hiking weather. We had worked up a good sweat by the time we reached the Delicate Arch and were stripping off layers of clothes. Up at the arch, the wind picked up a little bit - but nothing too intense and our rain/wind breaker jackets were sufficient in keeping us warm.

The Delicate Arch was worth the hike - it's stunning. The opening of the arch is 46 feet high and 32 feet wide - it's the largest free-standing arch in Arches National Park.

The little hike to get under the arch is a bit daunting as you have to cross a slanted incline to get over to it, and then cross a narrow path to get under it. However, once you become acclimated with the area and more comfortable with your footing, it's fairly easy to get around.

Photo ops a plenty at this spot folks!

#doitforthegram

EKLECTICA

We went to a little spot called Eklectica for breakfast. It's a cute little place with hippie-esque vibes.

Ari and Ross got Huevos Rancheros (which still to my disappointment are not eggs in ranch lol), Em got an omelette, and I got a Tuna Melt with red pepper, tomato soup.

Huevos Rancheros - good. Omelette - ok. Tuna Melt & soup - v good.

OFF-ROADING

We rented an off-roading jeep for the weekend and this jeep was a blast. This was a great way to really take in more parts of Moab and see more of it's alien like landscape. But seriously, you kinda feel like you're on Mars.

We drove the Fins & Things 4x4 Trail, which is rated a 5 on a 1-10 intensity scale. Even being a 5, there were parts of this trail where Em and I were geeking out lol - the steep inclines and steep drops had us closing our eyes and holding our breath.

It did start raining at the very end of our off-roading jaunt - this was a bit scary as the jeep slid backwards a bit on one of the steep inclines - other than that, this Jeep was a beast. My favorite was ripping around the red dirt paths with smaller bumps and quick turns!

denv.her.'s Final Say

Moab - go at least once.

Moab was beautiful but I do not think I will be back lol...the arches are truly incredible and I'm glad I saw them but if you're not the most outdoorsy (#likeme), it's more of a taxing vacay than a leisurely one!

xoxo

Moab, Utah