Don't worry if your stomach's growling—it's just 15 minutes from here to the east entrance of Colorado National Monument, a suitable site for your first picnic. Take note of the small stream you'll drive over on the outskirts of Grand Junction; this is the Colorado River, which has shaped much of the geography you'll see in the next ten days. There are numerous picnic areas and overlooks along the 23-mile Rim Rock Drive (watch out for cyclists), which snakes its way through Colorado National Monument. From the west end, Highway 340 will take you to Interstate 70, your route into Utah.

Turning onto Highway 128 at Cisco, a ghost town along the old Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, you'll be reunited with the Colorado. If its banks look a little bare, it's because of an ongoing project to eradicate the tamarisk, an invasive tree that leaches salt into the soil and dehydrates the native cottonwoods and willows. About 15 miles down River Road, as Highway 128 is known, the muddy Colorado runs past one of your two rooming choices for the next few nights: the Red Cliffs Lodge (866-812-2002; redcliffslodge.com; doubles, $200–$300; entrées, $14–$30). If you're a fan of Hollywood westerns, the on-site Moab Museum of Film & Western Heritage is a plus; if you're a fan of fine wine, the on-site Castle Creek Winery is not. Red Cliffs caters to the spandex-and-sandals set; while the distant riverside cabins are most desirable, don't expect a shuttle for the 10-minute walk to the main lodge. It's also 15 miles to Moab, so you're stuck with Red Cliffs' mediocre meals.

The other option is the Gonzo Inn (435-259-2515; gonzoinn.com; doubles, $152–$330, including breakfast) in downtown Moab. The Gonzo isn't as psychedelic as the name might suggest, but it's got an industrial-chic vibe and is convenient to the State Liquor Store (between Mormon rules and Native American law, alcohol can be hard to come by in these parts). Ask for a room with a vaulted ceiling and a deck overlooking the back lawn.

Named after the biblical kingdom at the edge of Zion by its Mormon settlers, Moab is today a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts; every fourth vehicle cruising down Main Street is laden with mountain bikes, and many of the rest are driven by "jeepers," or people who actually take their SUVs off road. The town itself is a motley collection of chain stores and a few artists' shops, but the backdrop is spellbinding: towering red rock on two sides and on a third, the La Sal Mountains (named by a Spanish explorer who couldn't imagine he was gazing at snowy peaks from the desert).

If you're looking for a place to eat in town tonight, the Moab Brewery (686 S. Main St.; 435-259-6333; entrées, $7–$22) has fine pub fare and a spicy English ale—order a pint of the Deadhorse.

Day 2: Arches National Park