Yahoo Lifestyle 
This surprising and tiny town is seriously underrated, but should be on every traveller's U.S. itinerary
Moab, Utah may have a small population, but if you are looking for big adventure this is the place to be.
New York, Los Angeles, Miami and San Francisco tend to take centre stage in a typical U.S. itinerary - and for good reason. These havens of culture, food and progress are the perfect places to initiate yourself into the bigness, brashness and boldness of America and all it has to offer.
But for those seeking an experience less 'in your face' and more 'take it at your own pace', there are plenty of towns in the United States that are like tiny treasure troves, just waiting to be unlocked. With its astonishing rock formations, captivating history and friendliest of inhabitants, Moab, Utah earns its place firmly on this list.
Boasting a population of less than 6000 people and miles of sweeping scenery that feels straight out of a movie set (it's not, but several popular films have been made here), Moab has quickly gone from being a 'place I've never heard of' to a 'place I cannot wait to return to.'
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Peak time to visit Moab, Utah
Our arrival into the tiny town was an eventful one. It was pouring with rain and as we rushed from our little plane into the terminal (stopping to collect our bags from the outdoor "baggage claim" where they had been deposited) we were greeted by our driver, Momo, who gave us a rundown of what Moab has to offer as she shuttled us to our accommodation at Gravity Haus Hotel.
Momo explained that she had spent most of her life in San Francisco but had come to Moab for a hiking trip and promptly decided it was where she wanted to live. She relocated, finding herself a home with a great view of "the rocks" and has been there ever since (and never happier). The town is busiest during spring and autumn (March to early May and September to October), but there is a solid community of folks like Momo who call Moab home year-round.
Peering out of the rain-soaked van windows, I could just make out the dimly lit stores and restaurants along Main Street (almost every American town has one!) and immediately connected with their no-frills, warm and welcoming Southwestern vibes.
Arches National Park
The next morning, we were picked up from Gravity Haus by Chris from Moab Adventure Centre (organised by Rocky Mountaineer) so we could enjoy a tour of Arches National Park - home to more than 2000 documented natural arches and geological history (about 65 million years) that I am still getting my head around.
Having experienced numerous hiking expeditions and visiting at least 200 of the park's stunning arches, Chris was the perfect guide and he ensured we saw a variety of natural structures from the Insta-famous Entrada Sandstone wonder 'Delicate Arch' to the impressive 'Balanced Rock' - a 39 metre and over 4 million kg boulder that will one day (in the next 25,000 years or so) come crashing down. As we toured the park Chris explained how every line and patina on rocks tells a story of erosion, uplift and expansion and I can honestly say that I never appreciated how cool geology is until this trip.
Following our tour of Arches National Park, I spent an hour exploring Main Street and its little shops. Moab is a town for the adventurous so many of the stores specialise in outdoor gear otherwise they are predominantly tourist shops perfect for grabbing souvenirs. Like any Southwestern town worth its salt, there are also small boutiques stocking artisan wares and I was able to snap up a candle that smells exactly like Arches so that I could take a tiny part of the park home with me.
A hair-raising Hummer tour
Our afternoon adventure consisted of a sunset hummer tour of Hell's Trail and I am not kidding when I say it was both the scariest and coolest thing I have ever done.
Our driver Chad, who has been driving hummers with Moab Adventure Centre for more than a decade, careened around craggy rock canyons and zoomed up hair-raising steep and narrow hills like he was simply doing the morning school run - and he had a lot of fun scaring the crap out of myself and my two fellow travellers who had decided to be "brave" by sitting up the back and up high on the mammoth vehicle. Chad, if you are reading this - I hope the ringing in your ears from our screams has finally subsided.
During our blood-pumping Hummer adventure, we passed numerous groups and individuals who were enjoying their own version of a Sunday drive. It seems that, if you are going to live in Moab, you need an appropriate ATV - but for the tourists and casual adrenaline seekers, I highly recommend leaving the logistics to Chad and his team.
Dead Horse Point State Park
After a very good night's sleep at Gravity Haus, we headed to Dead Horse Point State Park the next morning, an activity once again organised with Moab Adventure Centre courtesy of Rocky Mountaineer.
The park is a sight to behold and its vast beauty is certainly a great place to reflect on the miracle that is nature and our own, laughable insignificance. In other words, it's a great place for a bit of an existential crisis. However, if mortal meltdowns aren't your thing, it's also a wonderful place to enjoy a picnic, hike, movie trivia, or all three.
SHOP:
The sunless tanner with no smell and no transfer: 'My skin feels so silky'
The 'amazing' new dry shampoo that repairs and protects your hair: 'It's a lifesaver'
The 'delicious' smoothie that's packed with protein: 'Such a great way to get added goodness'
Thelma and Louise, Mission Impossible I and II, Joe Dirt, Westworld and The Greatest Story Ever Told are just some of the films and TV series filmed in this other-worldly pocket of America that I have come to think of as grossly underrated.
As we boarded our luxurious Rocky Mountaineer train that would take us from Moab to Denver over the next 36 hours I resolved to return soon to Moab, with my little family in tow, so that they might too marvel at its natural beauty and feel humbled by all the earth has experienced long before we were ever here.
Yahoo Lifestyle was a guest of Rocky Mountaineer.
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