It’s Day Three of the Championship Cup Tour already? Indeed it is, which means it’s time to dive deeper into the state for one of the more scenic days of the trek, beginning with our short stay in Emery County and Castle Dale this morning. Then the group will roll down to Moab for a school assembly before making the well-worth-the-hike effort to visit one of Utah’s most iconic locations, Delicate Arch, before calling it a day. To read all the particulars about Day Three’s adventures, take the jump.

Wednesday, Feb. 3 – Castle Dale (Emery County): Wednesday morning the crew splits south down State Route 10 to Emery County and Castle Dale, where the MLS Cup will be met by Mayor Neil Peacock at City Hall at 8:00 a.m. to be presented the key to Castle Dale before earning another fire-truck-chaperoned ride to a pair of school assemblies at Castle Dale Elementary School (195 East 600 North) from 8:30-9:15 and Emery High School (975 N. Center Street) from 9:40-10:30.

Distance from Price to Castle Dale: 31 miles (48 min.)

Trip odometer: 366 miles (8h 19 m)

Population: 1,657

Elevation: 5,676 ft.

“Fun Fact” about Castle Dale: The initial desire of the community was to name their town Castle Vale after the castle-like geological formations in the region, but the post office listed it as Castle Dale and it was never changed.

Wednesday, Feb. 3 – Moab (Grand County): One of the longer legs of the tour will be the trek from Castle Dale to Moab, where the three-hour ride will conclude with the Cup being hosted at Helen M. Knight Intermediate School (168 West 400 North) for an assembly from 1:30-2:00 p.m. From there the trophy will put its hiking boots and head over to Grand County’s – and likely Utah’s – most picturesque setting, Arches National Park, where a guide will hustle the CCT crew to the famed Delicate Arch for a quick photo opportunity before sundown hits that afternoon.

Distance from Castle Dale to Moab: 148 miles (2h 54m)

Trip odometer: 514 miles (11h 13 m)

Population: 4,779

Elevation: 4,026 ft. (first tour stop below the “mile-high” elevation of 5,280 ft.)

“Fun Fact” about Moab: Several famous motion pictures and TV shows have filmed in scenic Grand County, with the expansive list including Rio Grande (1950), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1988),Thelma & Louise (1990), City Slickers II (1994),Mission: Impossible II (2000),Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) and, of course, MacGyver.