Moab is a cool, little southwestern town populated with locals and tourists looking for their next outdoor adventure. Moab doesn’t offer quite the amount of dining options and shopping that Sedona does, but I actually found it a refreshing change from the commercialized cities of the west. With a landscape that takes your breath away on a daily basis, miles of trails to explore and activities like Colorado river white water rafting, 4-wheeling, hot air ballooning and zip lining – who needs shopping anyway?
After a long day of hiking and climbing over rocks, we were so happy to arrive at the Cali Cocchita B&B owned by Dave and Kim Boger. Just a block off Main St. and walking distance to great restaurants and shops, they’ve created a beautiful and cozy oasis for their guests. One of the first homes built in Moab, Cali Cochitta (house of dreams) is a late 1800s Victorian, restored and renovated to its original, classic style and truly is a dream. Walking through a lush grape arbor, we found ourselves in their intimate and inviting patio and garden area. There are plenty of comfortable places to sit and relax with a glass of wine after an exhausting day in the parks.
We stayed in the Alebrejas Room (or “Wing Dreams”) which had the most luxurious bed you could melt right into. The shower was made of recycled tin which gave it a really unique look. I was excited to see soap and shampoo dispensers in the bathroom and ceramic mugs in the rooms, eliminating the waste of plastic cups and half used toiletries and soap. Dave told me that they also use energy efficient light bulbs throughout the entire B&B and eco-friendly cleaning products. They have installed low flow toilets in all of the rooms and purchased a dishwasher that uses less water and has a sanitary rating far superior to traditional dishwashers. They buy organic produce locally grown when in season and feel that the practices of chemical free farming are essential.
But let’s get to the breakfast – which is half the reason you stay at a B&B, right? Breakfast was served at a long dinner table, family style at 8:00 am every morning out on the grape vine canopied patio lit with tiny lights. What a great idea, as you get to meet and talk to other guests about where they are from and what activities they’ve been doing in Moab. When I learned that David (a.k.a. Moose) had more than 20 years’ experience working in fine restaurants and country clubs, catering for groups as large as 5,000 and serving many international dignitaries including former U.S. Presidents, I knew we were in for a real treat.
The breakfasts were absolutely amazing and delicious. One morning we were served an egg frittata with crumbled sausage, peppers and tomato; fresh fruit and yogurt; and hot buttered biscuits with jam. The next morning we enjoyed eggs benedict on a warm biscuit with shaved ham, tomato and spinach. Mouthwatering…is all I can say!
Dave and Kim were wonderful hosts with a wealth of information about the area. In fact, Dave told us about a hike out to the Needles section of Canyonlands National Park that we probably would have missed had we not asked him for ideas. This was a 6 hour, strenuous and challenging hike that took you over rocks, up steep inclines and to the best part…a slot canyon that you could walk down into and through. Exhausting, but totally worth it. The next day he told us to head out towards Arches National Park and drive towards Potash to find a scarcely traveled trail out to Corona Arch. That was unbelievable – my favorite hike by far and we only encountered two other hikers. Corona Arch is stunning – we were lucky to be there on a beautiful, sunny day without a cloud in the sky. Of course the arches in the national park are not to be missed, but you will have to deal with crowds of other tourists – which doesn’t make for the best pictures. We were so grateful to Dave for letting us in on some of the lesser traveled hiking trails.
Cali Cochitta truly is a place of dreams, rest and tranquility. The only place to stay in Moab as far as I’m concerned. For more information, visit www.moabdreaminn.com.