We pulled into Moab about 5 pm a few nights ago. We were hungry and anxious to see Canyon Country. A well-placed brochure afforded us the opportunity to do both — at night — with a Cowboy Style Dutch Oven Dinner followed by a Sound and Light Show aboard a jet boat on the brackish waters of the Colorado River. It was so spectacular that we ran out of adjectives.
Canyonlands By Night & Day has run tours since 1963, offering the natural wonders of the rain-carved red rock canyon walls, the sounds of Utah history, the spoken words of the amiable host, the river boats that seat 144 people on the calm waters, plus the adventure of seeing shooting stars and thousands of stars in the Milky Way during the two-hour Sound and Light Show.
This “dinner and a show” began with a comfortable buffet meal in a covered patio on the banks of the Colorado River, just a mile from the town of Moab. It offered leisurely dining on five types of meet (BBQ beef, BBQ pork, BBQ chicken, roast pork and roast beef), cow poke potatoes, sweet baked beans, Iowa corn, homemade biscuits, a full salad bar, dessert, and a choice of ice cold drinks.
Then, we walked down the steps to the jet boat and its stadium seating so everyone could enjoy the Sound & Light Show, which was one of the highlights of our two-week trip to Utah and Colorado.
As the sun set and the Southern Utah sky darkened, the red rock cliffs that towered up to 1,000 feet above our boat came to life with 40,000 watts of controlled illumination. We heard about the Native American legends, the early Americann settlers, the geology and history of the rock walls, and much more during the professionally produced soundtrack with music.
We were dazzled by how the lights made the cliffs look like they were in full daylight. And we were amazed at the beauty of the night sky that you rarely see because of normal city lights.
W: www.canyonlandsbynight.com.
Tours operate March through October, including fast-moving river trips by day, 4 X 4 Tours by Hummer, Rafting Trips, Horseback Rides, Tomcar Tours, ATV Tours, Air Tours, and more.
T: 1.800.394.9978 or 425.259.5261.
A: North Side of the Colorado River Bridge at the Old Mission Store, P.O. Box 328 Moab, UT 84532.
Prices: Adult: $49.99 + tax Child (4-12): $39.99 + tax.
Dinner begins one hour before departure time (we ate at 6:45 and left at 745pm) and varies with the time of sunset.