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  2022-06-13

  Arches National Park

  Once COVID-19 travel restrictions lifted, my then-girlfriend (now wife) and I went on our first long-distance road trip together. We wanted to see Arches National Park. This was the start of our checklist to see all 63 National Parks in our lifetimes. The key memory for this trip is that I almost proposed. We’d been talking about marriage, and the timing made sense. She likely expected it that weekend. We hiked out to one of the arches which was gorgeous. The scenery was perfect for a proposal, but it was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. I was sweating a bit already and she was glowing. Upon reflection I decided it was too hot outside for a proper proposal. Thus, I proposed after the trip in an indoor location. That is a story for another time. Overall, it was a wonderful visit to the park, and our first trip together of more than four hours. The park visitor center still requested masks as a courtesy. That said, there was ample room for social distancing once outside of the building. Trips like these were the safest for tourism at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, because of the vast open air. I felt much better at this National Park than I would have felt in densely populated areas.