Since we're sort of planning this trip as we go, we decided to head over to eastern Utah and visit a couple of National Parks we've never seen: Arches and Canyonlands. Leaving Aspen, we trekked westward on I-70, and the topography soon changed drastically from a mountainous wonderland to, well, pretty ugly landscape--miles and miles of high desert with no sign of civilization after crossing the Utah border. It was a relief to turn southward onto highway 191 and, in just 30 miles, we dropped into the valley at the base of the red rocks surrounding Moab. While the giant walls of red rock are clearly different from the alpine visages of the Rockies, it has a rugged beauty of its own that is just as compelling.
On the north side of town, we turned into the Portal RV Resort where we had made reservations. This is a hybrid park, part of which has deeded sites and the rest for public rental. Since many of the owners are absentee, the resort will rent the owner's spaces to the public, providing you pay a substantially higher fee and you have a motorhome that is no older than ten years. Fortunately, Phannie has a couple of years to go before she will be shunned.
We elected to stay in the owners' area, and it was a treat to be in such upscale digs. Following are several photos of the views from our site area. Here's a view looking north:
Looking east from our site:
Notice the stucco structures behind the motorhomes above; these are RV ports built on the owners' sites. Their motorhomes are parked alongside. (Our site did not have a permanent residence on it.)
Below is the view of Portal RV Resort from highway 191. The stucco structures in this photo are the ones visible in the photo above. Would't you love to have a view like this from your RV port? I know I would!
After staying in our last park back in Basalt--a dreadful place for sure--we had to pinch ourselves. This was one of the most beautiful RV parks we have ever seen. The nightly $56 price (with discount) of our site was not exactly surprising, considering its upscale nature, but it was still a little tough to swallow.
After getting settled, we drove around downtown Moab for a while and decided to eat at Devran's, a restaurant serving Mediterranean food. We were a little skeptical that this would be a good choice in such a small town, but it had been a while since we had this kind of food, and we decided to go for it. The restaurant is housed in what used to be a residence on a street that runs parallel to Main Street. Whoever did the remodel did not spare the funds, for the place was very well appointed and attractive to the eye. Here's a photo of the tasteful sign outside:
Sandy and I shared a cucumber-tzatziki dip, a garlic shrimp appetizer and a turkish chicken kebab. Was it good? Oh my, yes! Everything was outstanding, and the garlic shrimp dish was so good that I considered water-boarding the chef until he gave me the recipe. For your own protection, I've included below a photo only of the garlic shrimp dish. Too much food porn can't be good for you.
More adventures from Utah upcoming; stay tuned!
We stayed at that RV park when we were there but we were on the wrong side of the tracks. Our little ole rig fit in there much better. But those are nice sites where you are. Moab is a great place - have fun.
ReplyDeleteIt is a lovely place, but for $56/night, I'd rather have more of the good looking food that you posted. All in priorities. The nice setting does not change the nice setting in our Allegro Bus.
ReplyDeleteWish we could have warned you. But, you'll see for yourself. Steer clear of the owner of that place. He is one crazy dude. We stayed there once, but won't go back. Moab, on the other hand, is a blast! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteOh that shrimp looks good! You're in a beautiful area. Lot's of great hiking!
ReplyDeleteWe never found any good places in Moab, good job.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw the name of the restaurant I knew it had to be Turkish ... checked out the website, and sure enough, I was right. Glad to hear you enjoyed the food.
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