Moab is one of those places where two days just scratches the surface, and two weeks lets you dig into everythingβarches, canyons, state parks, petroglyphs, river adventures, off-roading, shopping, and (most importantly) all the food. Hereβs my 2-week Moab itinerary packed with details from my trip (plus a few extras youβll thank me for).
If youβre mapping out your days, my post on Best Sunrise and Sunset Spots in Moab Utah pairs perfectly with this longer itinerary.
Lunch: Stop at Vessel Kitchen in Salt Lake City before the drive south. The Andrelipe Bowl was massiveβshredded chicken, cilantro lime slaw, mango salsa, cotija cheese, avocado, Peruvian green sauce. Flavor bomb.
Scenic Drive: The 4-hour drive to Moab is gorgeous. Expect mountain ranges, desert plateaus, and red cliffs as you get closer.
Dinner: Antica Forma. The pistachio pesto pizza with shaved fennel sausage was the winner. Appetizer: Girellaβmozzarella wrapped with basil, pesto, peppers, artichokes. Fresh and light.
Stay: Hoodoo Hilton casita (downtown, private parking, kitchen, pool).
Breakfast: Cactus Jacksβbiscuits & gravy and French toast crusted in cornflakes with fresh berries + maple syrup.
Morning: Park Avenue and Courthouse Towers for dramatic canyon walls.
Late Morning: Balanced Rock (easy loop), Garden of Eden (wide views).
Afternoon: Sand Dune Arch (shady slot with soft sand), Skyline Arch, then Devils Garden for Landscape Arch (1.9 mi RT, sandy, but worth it).
Sunset: Hike to Delicate Arch (3 mi RT, 500 ft climb, strenuous). Go an hour before sunset for photos and space to breathe.
Dinner: Desert Bistroβbread with rosemary honey butter florets (I couldβve eaten them like candy), beef tenderloin, agnolotti stuffed with truffled mushrooms, and a dessert trio.
Breakfast: Love Muffin Cafeβbacon sunrise panini with apricot aji amarillo jam + fresh-squeezed OJ.
Morning: Shopping:
The Sundry (jewelry, bought three necklaces).
Moab Made (locally crafted goods).
Desert Sol (modern western vibe).
Moab Rock Shop (fossils, rocks, messy but amazing).
Lunch: Moab Food Truck Parkβsushi truck (spring rolls + sesame salad) and Miss Gelato (white chocolate raspberry + salted caramel).
Afternoon: Murals: βGreetings from Moabβ at Bowen Motel, Delicate Arch mural at McStiffβs Plaza, ramβs head at Moab Brewery. Add the Moab Museum for local history & geology.
Dinner: Thai Bellaβseasonal cucumber salad (organic cucumbers from Moab Homegrown Farm), Khao Soi noodle soup, and Massaman Curry.
Morning: Mesa Arch (0.7 mi RT, easy, best at sunrise).
Midday: Upheaval Dome (0.8β1.8 mi RT, short but steep, crater mystery). βShort but not sweet.β Rain dulled the colors for me, but still stunning.
Afternoon: Green River Overlook (0.2 mi, wide view of the river carving the desert), Grand View Point (0.25 mi paved + optional rim trail), Buck Canyon Overlook (steps from the car).
Dinner: Moab Breweryβgiant pretzel with beer cheese + house-made root beer float.
Morning: Hike West Rim Trail (2β3 mi of quieter overlooks). Add Bighorn Overlook spur (2 mi RT) for one of the best canyon photos.
Lunch: Picnic at the overlook.
Afternoon: East Rim Trail for more panoramas of the Colorado.
Evening: Sunset at the main Dead Horse overlook (river U-turn glowing in golden light).
Dinner: Pasta JayβsβTortellone Alfredo, garlic bread trio, and Green Chili Ravioli.
Breakfast: Cactus Jacks (yes, round two).
Morning Hike: Corona Arch + Bowtie Arch (3 mi RT). Includes a ladder and chain sectionβmore adventurous but easier than Delicate Arch.
Afternoon: Drive Potash Road: stop at petroglyph panels, dinosaur tracks, Jug Handle Arch.
Dinner: Antica Formaβyes, again. That pistachio pizza deserves repeat visits.
Breakfast: Grab pastries from Love Muffin.
Morning: Drive Highway 128 along the Colorado River. Stop at Fisher Towers (hike if you want, 4.5 mi RT), Castle Valley Overlook, and river pullouts.
Lunch: Red Cliffs Lodgeβriverside dining + wine tasting + Western movie museum.
Afternoon: Half-day rafting trip on the Colorado River (calm float trips available if you donβt want rapids).
Dinner: Moab Dinerβcomfort food classics.
For more ideas between park days, see my guide to Must Eats in Moab: Where to Fuel Up Between Hikes.
Morning: Windows Section: North Window, South Window, Turret Arch (1 mi loop). Do the primitive loop for a less crowded angle.
Afternoon: Double Arch (0.5 mi RT, massive and 3D-looking).
Evening: Salt Valley Overlook for a quick sunset stop.
Dinner: Desert Bistro (finish with their dessert trio).
Day Trip: Drive 1.5 hours south.
Stops: Newspaper Rock (ancient petroglyphs), Wooden Shoe Arch Overlook, Big Spring Canyon Overlook.
Optional Hike: Slickrock Trail (2.4 mi RT, moderate, incredible Needles views).
Dinner Back in Moab: Thai Bella or a quick food truck stop.
Morning: Moab Giants Dinosaur Parkβlife-sized dino sculptures + 3D theater.
Afternoon: Rent a Jeep or ATV for Hellβs Revenge or Fins & Thingsβclassic Moab off-roading routes.
Dinner: Pasta JayβsβGarlic bread + dip trio (pesto + Alfredo combo is killer).
By this point, youβll be ready for a break. Make today about enjoying Moab without rushing.
Morning: Sleep in. Make coffee in your casita kitchen and sit on the patio.
Late Morning: Lounge at the Hoodoo Hilton pool (casita pool if youβre in one, or the lush main pool with desert landscaping).
Lunch: Poolside snacks or head across the street to the Food Truck Park.
Afternoon: Treat yourself to a spa session if youβre staying somewhere like Sorrel River Ranch, or just wander downtown shops one last time.
Dinner: Upscale at Desert Bistro or casual at Moab Brewery, depending on your mood.
Evening: Stroll through downtown Moab at dusk when the cliffs glow red.
Morning: Drive Kane Creek Boulevard for more petroglyphs. Optional: short hike to Hunter Canyon (2 mi RT).
Lunch: Food Truck Park (third roundβyouβll want it).
Afternoon: Relax back at your resort, or hit one last downtown shop (Iβd go back to Moab Made).
Dinner: 98 Center MoabβAsian fusion with creative cocktails/mocktails.
Morning: Sleep in or enjoy the Hoodoo Hilton pool.
Afternoon: Return to Dead Horse Point for rim trail hikes or photography.
Evening: Stay after dark. As a certified International Dark Sky Park, Dead Horse has some of the best Milky Way viewing in Utah. Bring a blanket and just lay back under the stars.
Breakfast: Love Muffin Cafe one last timeβgrab pastries for the drive.
Souvenirs: Redstone T-Shirt Co. or Moab Made for last-minute gifts.
Optional Scenic Stop: Salt Valley Overlook on your way out of Arches.
This 2-week Moab itinerary gives you the full experienceβ¦means no rushing, no skipping. Youβll see both districts of Canyonlands, all the major arches, Dead Horse Point, side trips to petroglyphs and Fisher Towers, plus time for rafting, Jeeping, and even rest days at the pool.
This isnβt just a highlight reelβitβs the full Moab experience. And after two weeks, youβll leave knowing you didnβt just visitβyou lived it. If you want even more hike-by-hike detail, check out my Top 3 Arches in Moab You Canβt Miss before your trip.
The tulip fields in the Netherlands look exactly like the photos, except the photos donβt capture how massive the color blocks actually are stretching across the countryside. Or the windmills. Or the sheep randomly standing in the middle of everything like they donβt know theyβre in the most photogenic country on earth.
The honest caveat: tulip season moves fast, the fields rotate every year, and peak bloom is not a guarantee, it depends on the weather, the harvest schedule, and a little bit of luck. But thatβs also part of what makes it feel less like a tourist attraction and more like something you actually found.
Full driving route with towns, parking tips, and what to expect | linked in bio. π·
#netherlands #travelling #tulipfields #exploreeurope
Amsterdam has a way of making you feel like you need to see everything, and then rewarding you most when you slow down anyway. The museums and canal cruises are worth it, but so is just wandering neighborhoods, eating whatever looks good, and sitting along the canals with a grilled cheese and nowhere to be.
First-time visitor guide is on the blog. Link in bio. π·
#travelling #travel #amsterdam #visitamsterdam #traveleurope
10 stops. One very full day. Zero regrets. Amsterdam has one of the best food scenes Iβve experienced anywhere in Europe, but the honest caveat is that some of the viral spots come with lines that will genuinely test your character. I skipped a few. I regret nothing.
Hereβs what actually made the cut on my self-guided Amsterdam food tour:
Fresh stroopwafels at Hans Egstorf: made right in front of you, warm caramel, no line. This one won.
Lourens cookie croissant: flaky outside, gooey chocolate inside. Did not share.
CafΓ© Winkel 43 apple pie: one of the rare viral places that fully lives up to the hype.
Davieβs Amsterdam for the Lelie sandwich: pastrami, pickles, marbled bread. Deceptively simple. Absolutely excellent.
De Kaaskamer to end the day: 400+ cheeses, grilled cheese with what they call ketchup (itβs not ketchup, and itβs better), and bunker cheese aged in underground military bunkers.
The full route covers 10 stops through Jordaan, the 9 Streets, the canal district, and the flower market area with a Google Map included so you can just follow along.
Full guide with every stop, tips for beating the lines, and what Iβd skip vs. do again | link in bio.
#amsterdam #visitamsterdam #netherlands #travel #visitnetherlands #traveleurope
Thereβs a version of Gatlinburg thatβs all fudge shops and tourist crowds, and then thereβs the version that actually makes you want to come back.
Hereβs everything worth doing downtown, in the order Iβd do it: ποΈ
β¨ Start at @gatlinburgskypark before the crowds hit
β¨ Walk the strip mid-morning when itβs still manageable
β¨ @googooclusters stop (see my post from Tuesday: donβt skip it)
β¨ Dinner at one of the local spots off the main drag
β¨ Wander back out at night when the lights are on and it gets actually pretty
This isnβt your overscheduled Smoky Mountain itinerary. Itβs more of a βhereβs what Iβd actually do if I had one solid dayβ kind of list.
Full downtown Gatlinburg guide linked in bio. π
If someone told me Iβd spend five hours at SkyPark, I would not have believed them. And yet. π
Gatlinburg SkyPark sits above the strip and itβs one of those places that looks like a quick stop on paper and turns into most of your afternoon. The SkyBridge alone is worth it β longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America, and yes, you will look down.
β¨ SkyBridge (longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America)
β¨ SkyLift ride up with views of the Smokies
β¨ Walking trails with mountain views in every direction
β¨ Way less crowded than downtown
Fair warning: if heights genuinely freak you out, the bridge might not be your thing. The rest of the park is still 100% worth it. Full guide with tickets, tips, and what to skip linked in bio. π
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