As we fished up our Delicate Arch hike, the sun was finally out and the skies were blue. No one was in a hurry to hit the road back to Colorado just yet, and Dan and Danielle were itching to show us the glory of Arches in the sunshine, so we made for Danielle’s favorite spot – Double Arch. I had to agree that the sun made all the difference; I loved the muted desert colors of Delicate Arch under the clouds, but the red rock against the (finally) deep blue sky was absolutely breathtaking.

The trail to Delicate Arch was short (maybe a third of a mile, max?) and basically flat – a good bet for a final stop in the park with two tired anklebiters. Nugget brought his Junior Ranger book along and did a couple of activities along the way.

Even taking our time and pausing for Junior Ranger activity breaks, we were at the arch in minutes. Wow! Between the bright sky, red sand, and cool rock formations – we could see why Danielle said this was her favorite arch.

Climbed up under the arch, and out came the cameras.

There were people climbing and scrambling all over the rock under the arch. We found a quiet spot to look up and take in the glory of Double Arch.

We spent about half an hour checking the place out, then reluctantly headed back to the cars for the two hour drive back to Dan and Danielle’s home. As we were strolling along the trail back to the parking area, a woman stopped Danielle and me and asked, “Did you see the elephants?” We were both confused, until our new friend pointed out that several of the rock formations around the arch looked like elephants, and even the arch itself appeared to be two elephants touching trunks. Once she put it that way, we couldn’t un-see it.

I love elephants (they’re my second favorite animal, after whales – yes, now that you mention it, I do like all the most enormous critters) so Double Arch immediately became my favorite, too.

Elephants kissing! How can you beat it? Perfect way to end a perfect day in Arches.

Next week: checking out another national park in very different weather.