Periodic reminder that the #MOAB is manufactured in #McAlesterOK

It wouldn't surprise me if a couple of these are in the Israeli military.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/GBU-43/B_MOAB

Guerre #Israël- #Iran : il lui faudrait la #bombe #GBU-43/B #MOAB et un bombardier #B-2…
#Israël ne pourrait pas démanteler le #site #nucléaire #iranien de #Fordo sans l’aide des #États-Unis #US

https://www.lindependant.fr/2025/06/17/guerre-israel-iran-il-lui-faudrait-la-bombe-gbu-43b-moab-et-un-bombardier-b-2-israel-ne-pourrait-pas-demanteler-le-site-nucleaire-iranien-de-fordo-12767682.php

Guerre #Israël- #Iran : il lui faudrait la #bombe #GBU-43/B #MOAB et un bombardier #B-2… #Israël ne pourrait pas démanteler le #site #nucléaire #iranien de #Fordo sans l’aide des #États-Unis #US www.lindependant.fr/2025/06/17/g...

Guerre Israël-Iran : il lui fa...

Opinion: I miss the “innocent Moab” of pre-mass tourism

I visited Moab, Utah for the first time in 22 years over the past weekend.  I might as well have been on a different planet from the wonderful western town I fell in love with back in 2003. While certain aspects of the “then innocent Moab” of two decades ago still exist, particularly in the neighborhoods and near downtown, much of the rest of the main drag (U.S. 191 corridor) has been infected by mass tourism.

Some of the quaint classic motels and motor courts still remain — the Apache Motel being the most famous. Otherwise, multitudes of chain hotels populate the area. Despite some efforts towards unique designs, many of them have the blandness of a suburban office park. Bleh.

Some primary streets have become a dodgem course filled with Mad Max-like off-road vehicles that appear to be able to could conquer Mars with little or no effort. To equip the multitudes of adventure seekers descending on Moab, there are lots filled with rentable off-road vehicles posing like motorized bodybuilders demonstrating their toughness and rugged physiques.

Elsewhere there are outfitters for biking, hiking, rafting, repelling, rock-climbing, and a plethora of other outdoor activities. One can hardly escape the busloads of folks being transported to/from “adventure nirvana.” In general, I have no problem with these activities as long as their size, scale, and scope does not negatively intrude or impact local residents nor detract from the Moab experience for other (less adventurous) tourists who are also trying to enjoy their vacation.

“And that’s the rub — mass tourism takes enjoyment away from locals who are going about their daily lives, usually in the form of noise, pollution, congestion, prices, and other sins, largely for the benefit of those visiting for the community for fleeting moments.”

Source: panethos.wordpress.com

I knew Arches National Park had become so popular that one has to reserve their visit in advance for peak times. Thankfully, the park is as gloriously beautiful and impressive as it was back in 2003. In addition, the reservation process only applies from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m, which is fine by me, as most of that is hottest part of the day. Let the elite reservation holders melt in the midday furnace 🥵, while we sane travelers attend at times that are milder 😌 and considerably less busy.

Why do Americans have such a need to over love the things we find attractive? Why can’t we just enjoy things in a respectful manner? Is that too much to ask? Joni Mitchell lamented that humans “pave paradise and put up a parking lot.” She was spot on!

Some tourist towns have figured out how to preserve their sense of “place.” Sadly, they are too often the exception rather than the rule.

Meanwhile, Moab is working very hard to maintain its truly unique appeal and identity. Unfortunately, this lovely small city is up against some very powerful forces: money💲, power 💪, and influence, whether it be emanating from corporate offices, Salt Lake City, or Washington, D.C.

Those of us travelers who adore the experience of a place as much as the trip itself can help Moab maintain its identity in both overt and covert ways.

• Spend your money at places that are locally owned or operated. The might take a little prior research, but is often worth the effort.

• Learn ahead of time what businesses are good community and environmental stewards and frequent them while dissing the others.

• Recommend those same places to friends and family who may be visiting Moab.

• Try not to patronize chains, especially those that do not appear to be making a sincere attempt to enhance Moab and the surrounding area.

• Leave no trace behind on your adventure – that includes staying on designated trails when required, not climbing on geological wonders without a permit or permission, always tossing trash into receptacles or packing it out with you, and above all…never leave plastic baggies filled with Fluffy’s poop by the side of the trail!

THERE IS NO POOP FAIRY, PEOPLE!

• Donate to local nonprofits or to the National Park Service while you are in the Moab area and/or send a donation upon returning home. Heaven knows in today’s political environment these organizations can use all the help we can afford to provide them.

Hopefully, with a little thought and effort, especially ahead of time, responsible tourists can make a positive impact that helps curtail the sins of mass tourism. The principles of responsible tourism include the following:

• Benefits local communities directly
• Promotes positive change in tourism practices
• Reduces environmental impact
• Creates meaningful travel experiences
• Supports local economic growth
• Protects natural and cultural resources

All six of these principles are excellent steps for each of us to take for helping communities like Moab address the negative impacts from mass tourism.

Peace!

#advocacy #ArchesNationalPark #massTourism #Moab #opinion #responsibleTourism #tourism #travel #Utah

Archways to better planning: Lessons from Moab, Utah

Listed below are a number of planning lessons identified from glorious Moab, Utah. While reading these, some may sound rather critical. Pointing out flaws is not the intent. Like most people who visit Moab, they fall in love with the ruggedly stunning red rock landscape, as well as the charming town. Unfortunately, Americans have a tendency to overwhelm places they adore by literally “loving them to death.”

The Moab of 2025 is quite different than the Moab of 2003 when I last visited there. Personally, I miss many aspects of more innocent Moab. While there have definitely been some improvements, there are also a lot of concerns and challenges facing the city/area not the least of which is mass tourism.

The lessons listed below are similar to many of the conundrums facing tourist towns. We saw them first hand while living in Traverse City, Michigan. The big question is how to most effectively address them. Answers are not always easy, so it is likely to take an incremental approach. Researching and employing existing successful tactics learned by other tourist towns is a great approach — why reinvent the wheel when there are proven options already!

“Moab magic is made of Quiet Yeses and Small Wins over time…
If we could wave a magic wand and create the perfect world, we would. But reality is complicated. We know a healthy community is a ‘forever project’ maintained by passionate people doing what they can, when they can.”

Source: moab-solutions.org

Hopefully these will provide some useful insights and ideas. That being said, new ideas should never be dismissed. When tackling difficult and complex planning issues, there is no such thing as a bad idea. Furthermore, all stakeholders should have a seat at the table.

Here’s wishing Moab all the very best in its ongoing efforts to address the variety of community challenges facing it. Peace!

——-

• The Moab area may have more varied topographical, geological, and natural wonders per square mile than any other place in the United States. Protecting these unique and beautiful features at all cost should always be priority number one. That includes protecting them from poor decisions coming out of Washington, D.C. and/or Salt Lake City.

• At some point, there are only so many ecotours, rafting providers, and off-road adventures that can be accommodated before they begin to overwhelm a host community like Moab and harm the natural ecosystems that drew everyone there in the first place. At what point is enough ENOUGH?

• It is distressing to see hotel sprawl inch ever closer to Arches National Park. Some form of growth boundary is needed to maintain the visual and aesthetic integrity of natural areas surrounding the park, particularly between it and the city. At a minimum, zoning around the park should limit the uses that permitted to those which a conducive and complementary to the park itself. This should NOT include commercial, extractive, or industrial uses.

• For a town of 5,336 residents, Moab contains 3,070 hotel, resort, and B & B rooms at the current time (June 2025). According to information cited from April 2024 by Google Gemini, another approximate 700 lodging rooms are in the pipeline. These numbers do not begin to include commercial and public campsites, camping cabins, tiny house rentals, and guest houses/condos. Furthermore, according to AirDNA, Moab has 1,737 Airbnb and VRBO properties available. Needless today, during peak seasons, tourists far outnumber the local residents.

Based on the previous three points, Moab must continuously fight like hell to guard against the evils of mass tourism to keep it from overwhelming the community.

• Housing for locals and seasonal employees is increasingly expensive due to the popularity of living in a scenic resort community and as more residential properties become “pseudo-hotels.” According to Rocket.com, the median list price in Moab/Grand County Utah in May 2025 was $664,000. Not exactly attainable nor affordable for most tourism/service industry employees.

“Moab and Grand County, like many other places across the country, have struggled with housing scarcity for years. The issue is exacerbated in Moab and other resort towns, where tourism drives up property values, and many jobs essential to the local economy are relatively low-paying service industry positions.”

Source: utahstories.com

The Moab Area Housing Task Force was established by the city, surrounding Grand County, and Housing Authority of Southeastern Utah. They are working to address housing issues with efforts like a Housing Choice Voucher Program, subsidized apartments and homes, a Mutual Self Help Program, the CROWN Rent-to-Own Program, as well as a senior living facility. Meanwhile, Moab Solutions is addressing the city’s houseless population through street level outreach and an emergency needs fund. Last but not least, since 2010 Community Rebuilds has been constructing affordable single-family homes in the Moab and Spanish Valleys.

• Moab could use a truck route to direct semis and other big rigs away from downtown. U.S. 191 is a major route that serves as the northern part of the corridor connecting Salt Lake City and Albuquerque. The noise, pollution, and added traffic harms the aesthetics and appeal of the city’s core.

There are those in Moab trying to correct this issue, as well as noise coming from off-highway (OHV) and all-terrain (ATV) vehicles driving around town. Due to the narrow valley where Moab sits (see the geological map earlier in this post), practical options for an alternative truck route are limited. Regarding OHVs and ATVs, Utah bars counties from restricting OHV businesses. Furthermore, Moab itself has been challenged over the city’s noise regulations. A recent challenge was dismissed in November 2024.

• The historic tradition of Utah cities and towns to have uber-wide primary streets (first established by Brigham Young in Salt Lake City) can be detrimental to the community being pedestrian friendly. Traffic calming and road diets are likely the best options to address this topic.

• In a state with five incredible national parks (Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion), producing megatons of tourism dollars, it is frustrating to hear Utah politicians pissing and moaning about the size of newer national monuments like Bears Ear and Grand Staircase Escalante.  At some point, states like Utah need to learn that mineral dollars are fleeting, while tourism dollars are permanent. That being said, as noted above, there are definitely issues to contend with when a tourist destination becomes overwhelmingly popular.

Despite the difficulties arising from mass tourism, the UMTRA Project on the north side of Moab exemplifies the enormous long-term legacy costs associated with an over reliance on extractive industries. Technically called the Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA), the project is removing 16 million tons of uranium tailings from 130 acres adjacent to the Colorado River. As of mid April 2025, more than 97 percent of these tailings have been successfully removed to a new permanent location. Most recent estimates from the Department of Energy indicate the total cost of this cleanup will exceed $720 million. What isn’t known, are the health, environmental, and similar costs that have accumulated since a uranium was first milled on the site in 1956.

• Moab has incorporated delightful and eccentric artwork (see photos below), unique benches, murals, and landscaped pockets in and near its main intersection in downtown. Hopefully, Moab can extend these tactical efforts throughout the city. They are great placemaking steps that appeal to locals and visitors alike.

• Even though Arches National Park has a reservation system to limit crowds during peak periods, it only applies between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. As the park is open 24/7, one can enjoy the majesty of Arches without dealing with the reservation process, the crowds, and also the hottest part of the day. Given the grueling temperatures in Moab during certain parts of the year, before and after hours options can make the spectacular even more enjoyable. Oh, and the angles from shadows and sunlight in the morning or evening can also create more vivid images of this geological masterpiece.

#arches #ArchesNationalPark #cities #environment #fun #geography #geogtaphy #geology #history #landUse #Moab #NationalParks #planning #terrain #topography #tourism #transportation #travel #Utah

In early June the aspen forests on the flanks of La Sal Mountains above #Moab, #Utah are bursting with greenery, wildflowers, and birdsong.

A couple sunsets overlooking the ancient seabed landscapes in the #canyonlands near #Moab, #Utah this last weekend.

L’oblunga crepa che divide il territorio arido nel parco nazionale delle Canyonlands

https://www.jacoporanieri.com/blog/?p=42419

#territorio #paesaggio #orogenesi #geologia #utah #canyonlands #moab #percorsi #attrazioni #spaccature #fessure #caverne #profondità #pericolo #vertigini #strano #sentieri #viaggi #turismo #esperienze #buco #voragini #pericolo

We love all of the hikes in and around downtown Moab. Have you done any? #northamerica #travel #utah #moab #hiking

https://theplanetd.com/hikes-in-moab/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into The Travel Exchange @the-travel-exchange-travelers

Easy like Sunday morning over here. Having coffee, watching #Trailmater. #moab #4x4 #rockcrawling

Took the kids to Moab for spring break, where we did some hiking in Canyonlands and Arches, visited Dead Horse Point, and did a cruise through Onion Creek.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMviOQ5TTWA

#4x4 #utah #moab #atv #bronco

"DOGE Aims to Kill Utah's Largest National Park Hub"

"Four of Utah’s largest and most visited national parks and monuments operate from the same office in #Moab...DOGE announced that it was terminating this office’s lease."
"The NPS SE Utah Group encompasses #Arches National Park, #Canyonlands Ntnl Park, #Hovenweep Ntnl Monument, and Natural Bridges Ntnl Monument." Collectively, they see > 2.5 million visitors each year"

https://gearjunkie.com/outdoor/doge-national-parks-nps-office-leases

The Mother of All Breaches (MOAB), revealed in January 2024, is the largest data leak ever recorded. It exposed over 26 billion records from more than 3800 separate data breaches. Discovered by security researcher Bob Dyachenko, the dataset was found sitting openly online and included login credentials, emails, and other sensitive information from services like Tencent, LinkedIn, Twitter, MySpace, and Canva.

What makes MOAB so dangerous is not just the size but the consolidation. Having all this data in one place makes it far easier for attackers to launch phishing campaigns, credential stuffing, and identity theft on a massive scale. Many of the records were from past breaches, but their combination into a single archive magnifies the threat.

It is a brutal reminder of how exposed our online lives really are and how critical it is to use strong, unique passwords, enable multi-factor authentication, and regularly check breach notification services.

#MOAB #DataBreach #Cybersecurity #Infosec #OpSec #PrivacyMatters #StaySafeOnline