Long the star of Devils Garden Trail, the Wall Arch was one of the most photographed sights in Arches National Park, five miles north of Moab, Utah.
It fell down a week ago due to gravity and erosion, says the AP. The arch had measured about 33 feet tall and 71 feet across and had been made of thin, vertical sandstone fins.
Here are the before-and-after views, courtesy of a half-minute video on YouTube:
Luckily, there are still about 2,000 other arches intact, including Delicate Arch
Brand news: Two innovative new hotel chains to watch
From the September 2008 issue of Budget Travel: Starwood's first Aloft and Element hotels are opening this summer, sporting a trendy design and amenities such as self-service check-in kiosks and a touch-screen concierge. Aloft hotels are in about a dozen cities [Montreal was the first one]; Element is currently only in Lexington, Mass.
Vacationers are renting more cars, despite pain at the pump
Despite the spike in gas prices leisure travelers are renting more cars. Or, more precisely, they're renting more cars from the largest rental car company in North America, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, which targets the leisure travel market more than any other rental car company. In a recent interview, Steve Short, vice president of leisure business development, gave a quick explanation. Rentals have increased both in number and dollar volume over last year for the Enterprise brand. The number of rentals just in the leisure segment of the home city market is up more than 500,000. Rentals have increased this year in our home city business— meaning all non-airport locations—due to several factors: Leisure travelers— the group that represents the core readers of Budget Travel— are renting cars, vans and SUVs for family trips and special occasions. Enterprise has more than 6,000 neighborhood locations, we are within 15 minutes of 90 percent of the U.S. population. We pioneered the home city segment of the rental car business, along with pickup service. Customers who want fuel-efficient options find we have the largest fleet of fuel-efficient vehicles. When you think beyond the Enterprise brand and include our other brands, National and Alamo, we offer more than 440,000 cars combined. This fleet averages at least 28 miles per gallon. Currently, there are more than 4,000 hybrids in this fleet and we expect that number to increase significantly this fall. Have high gas prices changed your use of rental cars at all?
Ever toss a boulder with a bulldozer? Now's your chance
Where some people saw a small dirt field, Ed Mumm saw an innovative thrill ride. Mumm bought Caterpillar hydraulic excavators, track-type bulldozers, and a skid-steer loader, and started charging visitors for a chance to use them. His attraction, called Dig This, is about two miles outside of Steamboat Springs, Colo. It is America's first earthmoving theme park, giving fresh meaning to the phrase "adult playground." So far, about 90 paying customers have hopped in the giant machines, picked up and tossed a one-ton boulder, dug trenches (which is apparently tougher than it sounds!), and steered around an obstacle course, according to the Wall Street Journal. It's not just a guy thing. About half the participants are typically women, says the Denver Post. Mumm charges between $250 and $650, depending on the machine you pick and whether you spend a half- or full day aboard it. (The price is sky-high because of the owner's sky-high insurance costs.) 888.344.8447, digthis.info MORE FROM BT The 2008 Fun List: The Newest Thrills
