Utah 2019: Day 4

May 4th, 2019
Arches National Park, Utah

Arches National Park

Humans have occupied this region since the last ice age around 10,000 years ago and "rediscovered" by European settlers around 150 years ago. It was made a National Monument by President Calvin Coolidge, enlarged by Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson, then finally made into Arches National Park by President Richard Nixon in 1971.

Arches National Park is the subject of one of the American the Beautiful Quarters from 2014 commemorating our country's national parks and historic sites.

The power of wind and water

The geologic formations in Arches National Park were created by when an ancient sea covering the area evaporated, leaving behind lots of sand. Over time, that sand was compacted down into sandstone by the weight of the sediments that settled on top of it. That sandstone, in turn, was carved by water and wind into the formations that we see today.

These formations continue to be carved, of course, by yet more water and yet more wind, so that the formations we see in the future will most likely not look like the formations that we toured today. Come see them while they last, because...

The twin powers of water and wind are relentless.

Music

Keb' Mo' started his musical career playing the steel drums and upright bass in a calypso band. He moved on to play in a variety of blues and backup bands throughout the 1970s and 1980s before striking out on his own.

Nominated for numerous Grammy awards, I find his music to be infectious. The video shown here introduced me to Keb' Mo' for the first time, when he appeared as a guest on a Prairie Home Companion, hosted by Garrison Keillor. Most of the music that I discover, in fact, is from both Prairie Home Companion and its successor show, Live from Here.

Photos

Here are some of the photos we took today.