Moab, Utah 2017, Part 1 - Marlboro Point
One of my favorite times of the year to head to Moab, Utah is in the late fall and winter months. Tourist season is over and the town empties out. It's not the craziness that it is during the summer months in terms of crowds. You almost have the town to yourself. Not everything is open and closures vary depending on when owners want to take some time off. You'll usually find the shops open up around the holidays at Thanksgiving and Christmas as people will head into town with family for those holiday vacations. I will usually avoid those weeks as well.
The weather gets a little crisper, not the 100° days you get during the summer in the southwest desert. You'll have to bring a jacket and probably some long pants especially early in the morning and in the evenings. I kinda like it this way.
There are so many places to explore in the area. There are two national parks, Arches, and Canyonlands, but there is an abundance of BLM land that is waiting to be explored. In fact, on this trip, I didn't once enter National Park land and just explored the BLM land outside of Moab.
My friends Debbie and Tom had just recently moved from Florida to Grand Junction, CO and they decided to come along on the trip and explore with me. Grand Junction is only a couple of hours away from Moab and on the way so I stopped off and picked them up for this adventure.
The first stop on this adventure I decided to head back out to Marlboro Point for a sunrise. Debbie and Tom had never been out to the point and I wanted to try to get some different viewpoints of the area. Marlboro Point is not on most maps and is a little off-road trail that goes out next to the border of Dead Horse Point State Park. The view overlooks the green river looks into the deep canyons of Canyonlands National Park.
Tom standing out on a ledge looking out at Marlboro Point and into the Canyonlands. Fuji X-Pro2, 56mm f/1.2 Lens
A wider view of the view at Marlboro Point. Tom was a great model again for this image. Fuji X-Pro2 - 23mm f/2 Lens
Winter foliage growing out of the red rocks overlooking Marlboro Point. Fuji X-Pro2, 35mm f/2 Lens
My favorite couples location for a portrait of Tom and Debbie. Fuji X-T2, 14mm f/2.8 Lens
Group shot with Tom and Debbie! Fuji X-T2, 14mm f/2.8 Lens
Here's a quick video shot on my iPhone of the view at Marlboro Point.
We headed back into town and stopped in at my favorite breakfast spot, the Love Muffin Cafe. They make a great cup of coffee and have an excellent breakfast menu. If you have special dietary needs such as a vegetarian and gluten-free diet they have delicious options to accommodate your dietary needs.
The colorful decor at the Love Muffin Cafe - IPhone 8 Plus
Potatas Bravas, one of the many homemade and delicious breakfast items!
Look for more on my adventure to Moab coming up in the next blog post. IPhone 8 Plus