The history of Moab precedes the first Mormon missionaries in 1855. Hunter-gatherers, known as Paleo-Indians, are believed to have ventured into the area at the end of the Ice Age roughly 10,000 years ago. The later Archaic culture, likely inhabited the area for several months each year collecting wild plants and hunting native animals. But it wasn't until the arrival of Fremont and Ancestral Puebloans, known as the Anasazi, sometime between AD 1 and AD 450 that the area was settled permanently. Archaeologists believe that around the time that the agriculturalists moved on, roughly AD 1250, the Ute Indians moved in. But it wasn't until the arrival of the early Spanish explorers around 1630 that life changed dramatically. The horse created mobility and was instrumental in changing Ute society.

Online maps are a great travel planning resource and a great way to get the kids involved in a family vacation. Plot your route to Moab, Utah and have the kids locate your hotel or campground as well as the Moab attractions you plan to visit on Moab maps.

Books are a great way to introduce younger children to a new adventure and get teens and tweens ready for a family trip. Find recommended reading lists for adults and kids, learn more about the U.S. state of Utah through guidebooks, novels and historical fiction and embark on a different kind of family journey.

Music is a great way to introduce children to a local culture and embark on a journey through sound. Listen to Native American music from hip-hop to pow wow and storytelling.

Read Moab news online and in addition to finding out what's happening in Canyon Country discover what the locals are talking about.

Online resources make learning fun. Discover which Native Americans lived in the state of Utah and map their territories. Learn about the Southern Ute Indians and find out how they differ from the Paiute tribe. Read about life in modern day Moab and discover how uranium changed the economy of this small town. But don't limit your inquiry to the history of man. Tune in to geology and discover the earth inside out. Find out what's below the dirt in your backyard and why landforms have funny shapes. You might find something that you didn't know!