Moab Utah: Mountain Biking Capital Of The World

I don't know how many times I have been to and through the Mountain Biking Capital of the World, Moab, Utah.

I do remember when the last time was. I was on a Roadtrip from Washington to Texas. The route went through Moab. The intention had been to make a short stop for lunch and then continue on to Gallup, New Mexico.

But, one of the vehicle's keys had been locked inside. This was discovered after the lunch at Eddie McStiff's. Eddie McStiff's is a restaurant and microbrewery. On nighttime visits, of the past, the microbrewery has been visited. Eddie McStiff's makes real good pizza, among many other good things. We had the Sante Fe Pizza, green chile sauce, grilled chicken, olives, jalapenos, tomatoes and cheese.

Four hours after the Santa Fe Pizza a locksmith finally freed the trapped keys so the Roadtrip could continue, making it to Gallup as planned, but much later.

Due to being the Mountain Biking Capital of the World, Moab has a lot of lodging options. I've opted for the Super 8 more often than not, actually staying there every time but the first overnight stay in Moab, which was a New Year's Eve in the Moab Ramada Inn.

In addition to being the World's Biking Capital, Moab may also be the Jeeping Capital of the World. The last time I was in Moab mountain biking, an event called Jeep Safari was taking place. I have never seen so many jeeps. The jeepers jeep all over. You share parts of the Slickrock Trail with jeeps. What those jeepers do with their jeeps is surprising. I had no idea such an activity existed.

The nightlife in Moab is fun, due to all the mountain bikers, it's a healthy mix of humanity. The shops and restaurants stay open late. I've never been in a tourist town with so many souvenir stores stocked with so much good stuff. Eddie McStiff's is a microbrewery, but another one opened in the south end of Moab calling itself Moab's only microbrewery. Why? I do not know. I preferred Eddie McStiff's. Like I already said, really good pizza.

There are a lot of good eating opportunities in Moab. My favorite is a place called The Rio Sports Bar & Grill. It's a block west off the main drag. Real good Mexican food. The place can get real busy, but in a fun way. The Jailhouse Cafe only does breakfast. They do it real well. Plus they have an outdoor patio, which I always like.

If you've never been to Moab and the surrounding attractions before, you should stop in the Moab Visitors Center. It's right in the heart of downtown, you can't miss it. There are good exhibits in there and a huge variety of information brochures, that will help you find things like the Slickrock Trail or Landscape Arch. That is the Moab Visitors Center in the picture at the top.

Most visitors to this part of Utah use Moab as their homebase for biking the area mountain bike trails, for visiting Canyonland and Arches National Parks and Deadhorse Point State Park and all there is to see that isn't in the big parks, like Gemini Bridges. It's a good thing to have a nice motel room waiting for you when you get done with something like the Fiery Furnace Hike.

I'll tell the tale of biking the Gemini Bridges Trail tomorrow, if I get around to it. I'll also be telling the tale of biking the Slickrock Trail and biking what's considered to be the most difficult trail in the area, Porcupine Rim Trail. I thought it was going to kill me.