Lizard was far too exhausted to do anything special in Moab when we arrived during the afternoon we had planned to be Day 1 that had become Day 2 because of the mountain snowstorm that actually left traces of white along the Utah desert, too. Nothing like snow on red rock! I didn't get any photos, however, because I thought we'd be able to get some the next morning. Desert snow just doesn't last long enough!!!
After getting settled in our room, we went to the grocery store for dinner. Lizard had a craving for beef stroganoff. We couldn't find any in the frozen section!!! He settled for Swedish meatballs, and I got a veggie Mexican bowl. We heated them in the microwave in our hotel room, and he fell asleep several times while finishing his dinner. We had planned to soak in the outdoor hot tub that has a grand view of the also still-open swimming pool with a mini Delicate Arch waterfall with a row of flames atop. Lizard was so tired!
Our first full Day in Moab called for a hike up the Delicate Arch viewpoint trail, the scene of our first date. We were so new to each other then, and selfies had not been discovered yet. Sadly, I have no photos of that memorable adventure. We pedaled up to the trailhead 21.5 years ago after meeting in person for the first time (We'd known each other via an online climbing group for about two years) in the Arches National Park headquarters parking lot. No bikes allowed on the trail (and we both knew that). Lizard removed his clip-in shoes and his socks, then carried both our bikes, to the astonishment of all the other hikers all the way up to the viewpoint. Our fellow arch enthusiasts couldn't praise him enough! I carried his shoes and our picnic lunches, which I had made.
2008 on Hurrah Pass
(My choice of cycling shoes back then weren't clip-in. I was terrified I'd fall over trying to unsuccessfully clip out in front of him, as I had done my first time wearing my clip-in shoes. More than a year earlier, when I participated in a Moab cycling event that no longer exists, I fell over in front of all the other cyclists at the start line. I remember hoping he wasn't there because I didn't want him to see klutzy me, although he probably would not have recognized me. Turns out he wasn't there. Nevertheless, I didn't want to make up for it by falling in front of him on our first official date!)
2007 Delicate Arch reflection
There are many reasons for selecting Moab as our Christmas gift to each other this year. Lizard said he'd rather go to Moab than any of the other destinations I'd checked into when we learned we needed to use up some hotel points. Moab offered better return for our points than any other location I'd looked up because it was such off season. We could celebrate our 20th anniversary, which we hadn't been able to do in timely fashion because Parkinson's threw so many wrenches at us during the summer. The main reason for our December trip, however, was my genuine Christmas wish to replace, with pleasant memories, some of the worrisome hallucinations Lizard was beginning to experience again. His hallucinations last year were so traumatic, well, that's why I'm retired now, and that's why our life has changed so radically. I'm truly worried his hallucinations will become horrific again, and I'm trying to help him maintain whatever quality of life I can muster for him.
2012 Moab tranquility
We didn't take our bikes, so there would be no ride to the trailhead this trip. Lizard hasn't been able to get his leg over the bike again (recurring issue every single time we are unable to ride for more than a week), and we hadn't walked very far in so long, I can't even remember the last time. The drive to the trailhead would be difficult on my exhausted and claustrophobic Lizard. Neither of us knew whether he'd be able to walk up the trail again, but we both were determined to try.
All the snow had melted by the time we left the hotel. (Lizard needed a nap after the hotel breakfast.) We had to wait in line to get into the Park, but this gave us time to absorb some of the changes since our last visit, which was pre-pandemic. The Park now operates on a timed-entry system during peak season. Signs along the entrance drive provide travelers with a time estimate to reach the entrance gate. Because the wait is anything but brief. Wow!!! Thank heavens our entrance took only about 20 minutes.
Only two other vehicles were parked at the trailhead. Hallelujah!!! We would have the trail to ourselves! There are no benches for Lizard to rest on the way up to the viewpoint, but Lizard made use of a couple of large boulders. We encountered one other hiker near the top, and a small group of hikers at the top. All were on their way back down. We had the entire viewpoint to ourselves! And... LIZARD MADE IT!!!
We reminisced about our first date and all the glorious trips we've made to Moab since then. I snapped a few photos. We wished each other a very merry Christmas and literally dropped to our knees to thank God for allowing us this trip and helping Lizard surmount incredible odds.
Hallucinations were encountered on the way down. Lizard thought little people were wiring a tunnel along the trail. And he insisted Yoda was watching us. He's a Star Trek fan who also enjoys Star Wars on a limited basis. He spent many years wiring before I met him. I think the "little people" he often hallucinates are memories of his wiring days. If you are standing in a dark water diversion tunnel, wiring lights with a team, the co-workers down the tunnel might appear smaller and smaller, the further away they are. I often tell him his hallucinations are like photos we call up on a computer. Just an image stored in our brain that Parkinson's can't distinguish between reality and memory. We joked how much better Munchkins hanging Christmas lights along the trail (my idea) were than most of the hallucinations he experienced last year.
We planned to eat pizza at our favorite Moab restaurant, discovered on our first date, upon return to town, but the restaurant was closed for its annual party. (The sign even read "Christmas" instead of "holiday"!) Lizard asked if I could make his favorite home meal... southwest salad. So off to the grocery store we headed again, and about two hours later, Lizard was once again entertaining Munchkins in his much-needed slumber.
As we were descending the trail earlier in the day, he told me he always has Moab in the back of his mind, but now it was in the forefront because of this trip. What better Christmas gift could we give each other!!!
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