Reservations are looking good for the condo in Moab in 2019. April and may have only a handful of dates available. But March and June are only about 50% reserved so there are still some openings at this time. There is a perpetual shortage of lodging in Moab. As a result, it behooves visitors to make reservations as far in advance as possible.

What if the condo in Moab is reserved for your preferred dates? My property manager has several other units in the same complex that are vacation rentals. Makenna’s maintains very high standards for all of their properties. Over the years guests have generally been quite satisfied with the accommodations at Rim Village Vistas.

One of the nice things about the location of the condo in Moab is that it provides easy access to Hwy 191. In about 5 minutes you can get to the center of town where you’ll find all of the shops and restaurants. If you turn south on Highway 191 it will take you towards the Needles section of Canyonlands National Park. This southern part of the park gets fewer visitors and offers dramatic scenery of eroded rocky spires and red rock canyons.

If you are approaching the condo in Moab from the South along Highway 191 you will likely pass through the quaint little town of Blanding. They have a great visitor center! I highly recommend that you stop by to check out the informative displays.

One of the most spectacular places to visit in southeastern Utah is Monument Valley. It takes about 2.5 hours to drive from the condo in Moab down to this stunning part of Navajo Nation. Many visitors just do the 17 mile drive through the monuments on a bumpy and dusty dirt road. However, there is one hiking trail a little bit over 3 miles in length that you can do on your own. All other hikes or any travel off the 17 mile drive will require you to get a local Navajo guide.

If you are looking for accommodations near Monument Valley I recommend Goulding’s Lodge. The staff is very friendly and a lot of the rooms have great views. It’s a straight drive for approximately 4 miles to get to from the hotel to the entrance kiosk. Another option inside Monument Valley is the View Hotel. It’s a bit pricey but the views will knock your socks off especially at sunset.

It looks like spring is going to be a busy time for the condo in Moab. Reservations continue to pour in and there are only about a dozen days still available in total for April and May.

We are even starting to see bookings for the upcoming busy autumn season in September and October. Since Moab gets over 2 million visitors each year it definitely helps to plan ahead especially when it comes to making lodging reservations.

At the condo in Moab we have been getting everything spiffed up for the next incoming guests. This is actually a very new property with construction completed in October 2017. The complex continues to grow with some new two-bedroom units under construction.

It’s been an unusually stormy winter in southeastern Utah. The winds from the latest storm have been absolutely ferocious. While the scenery is still beautiful this time of year weather conditions are not conducive at the moment for most outdoor activities. However, with the arrival of spring just a few weeks away things will warm up and both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks will be very inviting.

One of the most interesting sights to see in this part of the world is Dead Horse Point State Park. This place offers dramatic scenery very similar to what you would find in Canyonlands National Park. Since it’s a state park that is not well known to most visitors it gets a lot less traffic and is very enjoyable.

The hiking trail along the rim near Dead Horse Point is virtually level and easy-to-follow. You’ll get to see spectacular views of the Canyonlands and red rock scenery. At the end of the road is a large parking area with picnic tables some of which are sheltered.

If you are visiting the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands you’ll drive right past the entrance to Dead Horse Point State Park. It is definitely worth the short detour to see this unique piece of land with a somewhat infamous history. The drive door to door from the condo in Moab is approximately 45 minutes depending on traffic and road conditions.

We are in the middle of winter at the condo in Moab.  It has been unusually chilly this year.  The surrounding area has seen a bit more snow than usual.  Our snow removal guys who generally get very little work in this part of the world have been busier than normal.

It’s nice that the federal government shutdown has ended temporarily.  This has allowed both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks to reopen.  Please be cautious this time of year as roads can be slippery especially in shady spots.

Most of the hiking trails have some snow and ice on them.  We recommend that in addition to wearing sturdy hiking boots you consider Ice Trekkers or Yaktrax.  We prefer the Ice Trekkers since they employ a solid stainless steel diamond shaped material.  The Ice Trekkers device seems to grip really well based on our experience.  While the Yaktrax tend to be a bit less expensive, they don’t seem to be as rugged or last as long as the Ice Trekkers.

When you are planning a trip to the condo in Moab it is very important to take into account the time of year you are visiting.  The temperature difference can be close to 100° from winter to summer.  Also, the desert cools off very quickly at night all year-round.  So, it’s important to bring clothes that you can wear in layers.  We suggest you bring 2 different sets of gloves.  One thin pair for daytime walks and a pair of ski gloves for cold weather or nighttime adventures from autumn to spring.

There is plenty of closet space at the condo in Moab.  You don’t need to worry about where to put everything as the master suite alone has 3 nice sized closets.  Each of the other guest bedrooms has a good size closet.  Plus, the garage is extra big and provides plenty of room for 2 large vehicles plus mountain bikes and other recreational gear.

It looks like 2019 is going to be a good year for the condo in Moab. Located just 5 minutes south of downtown you have easy access to everything in red rock country.

We have seen several new bookings in the past week. As of this writing the only open dates from March 15 to June 7 are as follows:

April 3, April 21 – 24, May 14 – 16, May 20 – 25, June 1 – 3

Autumn is a great time to visit Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. If you visit the area during fall you’ll find more pleasant temperatures than in mid-summer. Water levels will have dropped from their spring time highs making some stretches on the rivers safer for rafting (or maybe too tame in some cases).

The condo in Moab already has a couple of reservations in September and October. So it’s advisable to book ahead if you want the best selection of dates to fit your vacation schedule. The lower angle of the sun makes for excellent photos at sunrise and sunset. And you won’t have to get up super early for sunrise like you would if you came to visit in May or June.

Another good thing about visiting in autumn is that you won’t have to contend with the cold weather and snow that will arrive in December. The current winter has brought some good snow storms and can have an impact on facilities, services, roads and other things that could impact your visit.

Arches has a special winter update page that is worth visiting if you are planning a trip before the middle of March.

No matter what time of year that you stay at the condo in Moab it’s always good to plan ahead. There is still some concern that we could see another Federal government shutdown in mid-February. This would most certainly affect operations at both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.