The Mighty 5
Moab is the perfect jumping off spot for visiting the Mighty 5 U.S. National Parks of Southern Utah. The Mighty 5 encompass Arches, Canyonland, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Parks. We took a three-day trip with Moab Express, arranged through Rocky Mountaineer (although you can also book directly). Initially, I was worried we might not get to see everything we wanted – but happily, we did.
I’m going to blog about this portion of our trip in three posts, this first about Arches and Canyonlands, followed by Capitol Reef, and finally Bryce Canyon and Zion.
Arches National Park – Minutes Away
After an overnight in Moab, we set off early under direction of our wonderful, relaxed, and efficient guide, Mark. Our van was well equipped with plenty of water, snacks, and phone charging ports. These parks do not have food concessions or many facilities. Bathrooms are at the Visitor Centers and that’s about it.
First up, Arches National Park, home of 2,000 catalogued arches. I’m going to let the pictures tell this story, even though they do not begin to do justice to the majesty of any of these incredible parks.
The “Balanced Rock” Trail circled around this massive fear-inspiring formation seen below. I didn’t linger.
The Most Famous Arch
We got plenty of steps in walking around the arches and formations, but we did not hike to “Delicate Arch”, the iconic image on Utah license plates. As you can see from this photo, the image on the tag is shot from the opposite perspective. It was getting very hot and we were very content to see it from a distance.
Canyonlands
After a picnic lunch outside the Arches Visitor’s Center (arranged and brought in advance by the Moab Express folks), we headed a little over 30 miles towards Canyonlands. Here our perspective dramatically changed from looking up to looking down.
Canyonlands is considered a “wilderness of rock” and is very large, with several entrances. We visited the Island in the Sky section. This area features a broad mesa between the Colorado and Green Rivers. It gets less than 10” of rain a year. The horizon semed to go on forever.
Moab Tips:
In Moab, the Hoodoo Hotel Curio by Hilton was really lovely but don’t stay in room 117! It is over the laundry and one wall and the beds vibrate when the machines are in use (which is very often). It feels pretty much like you are over the engine room on a cruise ship.
The Sunset Grill which is a famous local restaurant was a huge disappointment. It has a wonderful view and an interesting history as the former home of Charlie Sheen the “Uranium King,” but fell short of delivering us a good meal. It turned out to be the only real disappointment on this trip.
Across from the Hilton there is a Food Truck Park with lots of choices, and really delicious gelato.
Be forewarned that Utah has strict liquor laws, including that mixed drinks can only have 1.5 ounce of liquor. And, they won’t serve a second drink until that one is consumed. FYI – my bourbon Old Fashion at Sunset Grill was $25! I should’ve asked for extra cherries.
What a great way to enter the Mighty Five National Parks of Southern Utah. Rocky Mountaineer’s first U.S. venture – Rockies to the Red Rocks will get you there in style.
We left Denver early for the day-and-a-half trip to Moab, Utah, with an overnight stop along the way in Glenwood Springs. Don’t eat breakfast before you leave, because service begins as soon as you are on board and presented with just-out-of-the-oven blueberry scones and mimosas (or whatever you’d like to drink) to get you going.
This route has two classes of service – SilverLeaf and SilverLeaf Plus. SilverLeaf Plus gets you access to two lounge cars – one with bar service and the other a quiet car with classical music and no commentary.
But the commentary was a big part of the fun. Our lively Rocky Mountaineer hosts, Olivia, assistant Sabina, bartender Lee, and Chef Rae, kept us well-fed and awake for the changing scenery we saw around every turn. Literally, scenery changed around each curve.
We traveled through forests, gorges, canyons, along rivers, and past peach orchards.
Just outside Denver, we experienced our first railroad feature, the Big Ten Curve. Curves like this use a 10-degree radius to keep a two-percent grade and a more comfortable, safer route. You could look back over the horizon and see the distant, blurry skyline of Denver as well as the entire train.
On our way up to the Continental Divide, we passed through 30 tunnels in 13 miles. But the Granddaddy of all tunnels was the six-mile-long Moffat Tunnel. This one-track engineering marvel was blasted through the rock, and in 1980 was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. Being one track, we had to wait for another train to pass from the other direction before we could enter. Good thing our train was well lit – it would not be for the claustrophobic.
The gently flowing Colorado River eventually gave way to rapids in the Gore Canyon area, one of several dramatic canyons on this part of the trip. Since we were along the river for so much of our trip, we did see folks fishing, rafting, and kayaking. We even got a full moon salute at one point! The animals pictured above are Dzo – a cross between yak & cow.
I don’t have an exact stat for how high we got, but it was in the 8-9,000’ range.
Pictured above: Top R: the train station in front of our hotel. Middle: Hotel Colorado. Lower left: the famous Hot Springs.
After our first day on the rails, we spent the night in Glenwood Springs, a cute, walkable historic town originally called Fort Defiance. The famous Hotel Colorado often hosted President Theodore Roosevelt, who stayed here while big game hunting. We walked across the pedestrian bridge over the river from our own 100-year-old hotel (Maxwell Anderson) to check out the famous spot and springs. Other famous names who frequented the Hotel Colorado were the iconic (Unsinkable) Molly Brown, and Chicago mobsters “Diamond Jack” and Al Capone.
I loved spending time in the vestibules between our main car and the two lounge cars. They were safe spots with open windows on both sides. We had glorious sunny days, and the dry, cool breeze was delightful. It was also a great spot to take pictures without any glass obstruction. The Canadian Rocky Mountaineer trains have a small outside platform, but the vestibules are the only open-air option on the American line.
Rolling past farms, small towns and ghost towns, livestock, vineyards, dams, and reservoirs, we were also privileged to see several nesting bald eagles. All passengers were on the lookout for wildlife, and we did spot elk, mule deer, and pronghorn at various points. As I said at the beginning, what a great way to travel. Relaxing, fun, interesting, informative, and delicious. Mere handheld photos don’t capture the scenery or the feel of the experience.
As the landscape turned from green to shades of browns and reds, we went through the De Beque Canyon, saw the striking Book Cliffs, and eventually reached the spectacular Ruby Canyon, famous for its massive red sandstone cliffs. It was here that we entered Utah and soon reached our final destination of Moab.
Next up – touring the Mighty Five National Parks.
Of Note: The last pic shows I-70 in an equally dramatic double-decker run along the river. In Canada, the Rocky Mountaineer trains are two levels, with dining down below. In the U.S., the tunnels are not quite high enough for the double height, and so the trains are one level, and passengers are served at their seats. In the U.S., there are two classes of service, SilverLeaf and SilverLeaf Plus. SilverLeaf Plus gives you access to the lounge cars and vestibules between them, as well as enhanced adult beverage options. It is equivalent to the GoldLeaf service on Canadian routes.
I know my posts do not reflect the Cuba that 90% of the population experiences. If I had any doubts because I speak a little Spanish, I was even told so.
It was wonderful to visit Cuba. Our trip was intense, but I loved every minute. I have a better understanding why so many of my friends and family mourned the Cuba of old. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to see your beautiful country decline like the Cuba of today.
Sarah and I live in Miami-Dade, and when we met locals and they found out we were from Miami, they seemed to light up. On the flip side, our travel group included people from other parts of the U.S,. and I was struck by how little most knew or understood about Cuba.
The government has put all its economic eggs in the tourism basket. There is no other major industry. An armed forces holding company, Gaviota, owns most of the top hotels, and the Cuban state owns the Gran Caribe and Cubanacan hotel groups. If involved, foreign partners cannot hold a majority share.
The régime seems to be making lots of money off the backs of its people. Not only have they drained the country of doctors, engineers, and other experts by farming them out to foreign countries, but they also control the hotel workers. In most cases, these workers receive 10% or less of the fees paid to the government.
The Future?
Things are bad. There are food shortages, the electrical grid teeters on total failure, and the plumbing system is woefully inadequate. Land that could be farmed lies fallow. Trash is everywhere. Havana lost a million residents since the pandemic-driven tourism slowdown. Many left the country. A crowd was at the Spanish Consulate trying to prove ancestry and get visas to leave. Many who stay are content to receive government handouts, but those are rapidly diminishing. There were lines at banks. I think it’s about to get worse.
On our last full day, we had a morning session with a former diplomat. He was very charming until he started talking about “South Florida” and our politicians. I believe all our politicians want to save Cuba. The debate is how to do it. I certainly don’t know the answer or if it is even possible.
At the end of this post, I’ve included a recent opinion piece about Cuba by the Wall Street Journal’s Mary Anastasia O’Grady. It’s worth a read.
I would love to go back someday, see more of the country, and find things better for the people of Cuba.
Kadir Lopez’s “Light House Studio” is famous for salvaging and repairing vintage neon signs. He’s known for looking into the past and future, and the political consequences on society. Lopez has traveled outside of Cuba, and his work is shown in various U.S. galleries. His home/studio was very interesting. One piece above represents Molotov cocktail ‘bombs’.
If you found this post interesting, check out the rest of my series, Reflections of Cuba:
When we think “Cuban,” it often conjures up thoughts of Cuban food, music, mojitos, and daiquiris. We’ve covered music, so it’s time to talk about food and drink.
The Cuban government allows a system of private establishments to exist and often thrive. The privately-owned restaurants are called paladares (from the Spanish word for palate). The system has evolved through the years. There are now two types, those in private homes and others in commercial buildings, just like a regular restaurant. Officially, they provide a way for visitors to support the Cuban people directly. That is true. However, it also allows the government to collect taxes based on revenue. I feel you can never really escape that reality. The average Cuban does not eat in these establishments – they are way too expensive, even though quite moderate by American standards.
We ate most of our lunches and dinners in paladares, and they were wonderful. In every case, our tour director asked that leftovers go to the locals. It’s hard to completely enjoy the experiences when you know they are so out of reach for so many. The reality for the Cuban people is that there are significant food shortages.
Reports indicate anywhere from 500 to 2,000 paladares throughout Cuba. It was a challenge to find good information before we went, so for anyone planning a trip, I’ve put together a photo rundown of the few spots we visited. Special thanks to my travel partner, Sarah, for her many great pics; she is a much more responsible food photog than I am!
La cocina de Lilliam
Our first experience with a paladar was a lunch at the charming La cocina de Lilliam. Dining with a group, we were usually served family-style with three entree choices. We were always welcomed with a special drink and a variety of appetizers (including croquetas of some type) before our main course. Dessert followed.
Michifu
Serenaded by an entertaining guitar trio at Michifu, we tried the grilled local lobster. Like our Florida lobsters, it was tasty but tough.
Rita and Champagne
During this rainy-day lunch, we experienced one of many rolling power outages. Outside seating had to be pulled in, and the lack of light dampened any picture-taking. Like many paladares, they must’ve had a generator in the kitchen and didn’t miss a beat. I read that the chef here at Rita and Champagne previously had a restaurant in Madrid. My lunch of really good swordfish was finished off with delicious chocolate ice cream. Not surprisingly, the most common dessert offered was flan, which I have never been a fan of. Surprisingly, they had cans of Pepsi. The only time we saw a non-Cuban soft drink.
Al Carbón
Sarah and I dined on our own at Al Carbón in Habana Vieja. The paladar is on the first floor of a beautifully restored 1766 building, and up a circular staircase is the related dining spot, Ivan Chef Justo (Fidel’s former Chef). This was our best meal, and we shared various appetizers, including duck foie gras, fish croquetas, and lobster quesadilla.
La Esperanza
A top experience for us was the delightful dinner we had at La Esperanza. Under the supervision of owner Hubert, the beautifully curated 1939 home was named for the close friend who used to own it. Hubert gets the award for most elegant table settings and best dessert – a wonderful lime pie made with Maria cookies. Power was out again, and a generator ran the kitchen and some ambient lighting. The wall-sized glass doors were opened to the patio, bringing in the evening breeze.
ChaChaCha
This fun spot was another Habana Vieja surprise. I finally tried the pumpkin soup appetizer offered at so many other paladares. It was very good, but we were told, this is not a locally common dish. In another deviation from local food, I enjoyed some pasta, basic but good. ChaChaCha has an amazing array of Old Havana Rums (see the pics at the top of the post). As shown, we were served daiquiris here. In other places, offers included mojitos, “Coke” & rum, wine, or beer. The “Coke” was a local brand.
Vista Mar
We were too busy taking pics of the water crashing over the seawall to take pics of our food. We both, however, made a good choice with the snapper. Vista Mar is right on the water, and with the open walls facing the gulf, it’s lovely. People sitting closer to the water did get wet.
Finca Referencia Concha y Paco: Paladar La Rosita
Eduardo Hernandez runs the Paco-Concha tobacco farm, which I wrote about in an earlier post. The farm has been in his family since 1888, and the paladar is named after his sister Rosita. The pork and chicken served were tasty, and it was nice to have yellow rice. This was where the frog joined us for lunch!
Floridita & Mojitos
I can’t write about food and drink without mentioning the spot Hemingway made famous – Floridita. We did try out his daiquiri, which was made with grapefruit juice and replaced sugar with a maraschino liqueur. I prefer the more sugary option. We tried mojitos in many places, including Sibarita’s rooftop bar and the Iberostar Selection Parque Hotel (pictured above). Hands down, Nelson, the cheerful bartender in our hotel, the Iberostar Marques de la Torre, made the best!
If you enjoyed this post, check out my other content about Cuba:
Reflections of Cuba: Music & Dance
Reflections of Cuba: Historic Havana Architecture
