Rotary Park, Moab Utah

The day of our second educational event! The night before, both Rex and I had intimidating visions of large crowds of participants, all noisy and needing a few quiet down attempts before we could commence.

I’m not the greatest public speaker. Before the final defense for my graduate thesis, I admit to daydreams of being injured in an accident or suddenly catching a serious virus—incidents that would push me away from my public speaking commitment. But as I often stretch in job interviews, “I look for opportunities to speak in order to improve the skill.”

Music in the Park

With nervous bellies, we set off for Rotary Park. The three-acre public park offers relief from the desert sun along with a native hummingbird garden and nearly 30 percussion instruments for visitors to play environmental music.

Personal Value of Access

With mini-lemon poppyseed muffins, clementines, bananas, and fizzy drinks, we welcomed the community of Moab. Our first participant arrived all the way from New Mexico. His name was Jim Ulrich, and he is also a plein air artist. He values access to public lands for his art.

Our event crowd was small but the connection made was meaningful. Smaller groups offer an intimate experience.

Next Stop: Bears Ears

We packed up early to hit the road towards the next stop on the itinerary— Bears Ears, a place that both Rex and I had never visited. With anticipation, we were curious about what stories and painting the landscape would evoke. As we climbed elevation, hail nestled under pinion pines and juniper trees, unleashing the most delicious scent.

Natural Bridges

Because we landed at a later hour, we opted to stay the night just outside of Bears Ears in the Natural Bridges National Monument. Utah’s first national monument, the three natural bridges have Hopi names of Sipapu (means place of emergence), Kachina (named for the rock art symbols), and Owachomo (means rock mound). The sandstone formations are a result of wind-blown sand and great heads of water.

Before supper and after an appetizer of cheese sticks and rice crackers, we drove the scenic nine-mile loop. The views were incredible. We could even see Bears Ears in the distance.