I haven’t done Lake Powell, but I have been to Moab several times. I’ll start with the obvious – it’s going to be HOT. Plan to be inside or in the car mid-day, and plan outdoor activities for the mornings and evenings. Bring lots of water.

The first thing you should do when you get to Moab is head to the Arches visitor center and make a reservation for the Fiery Furnace guided hike. Spots fill up several days in advance, and you can only make reservations in person. The hike is beautiful, and well worth the trouble and the cost.

We usually camp, and when we do stay in hotels is usually just someplace cheap to shower and have a soft bed after sleeping on the ground for several days. That said, we spent a night at the Riverside Inn in Moab and were pleasantly surprised. The room was very clean, and they may have had a pool and breakfast. It wasn’t cheap, but it was a Saturday night in prime season (fall) and we were walk-ins looking for the last rooms available in town. I imagine you can find better deals in summer with reservations. They don’t seem to be on any of the booking sites, so they are relatively off the radar. There is also a brand-new Hampton Inn in town. It was still under construction when I was there in March.

For things to do, Arches and Canyonlands are must-sees. There is plenty of hiking, 4WD, rock climbing, rafting and mountain biking in the parks or the general area. There are a lot of petroglyphs around, if that interests you. I was unimpressed with Dead Horse Point State Park. There is only one viewpoint, which isn’t much different than the views from Canyonlands.

For food, the Moab Brewery is a good bet for burgers. Zax is a decent pizza place, but nothing special.