This morning I caught another breathtaking sunrise before breakfast. Our ride today took us through Red Canyon on our way to Zion National Park. Our last night on our tour was spent at Zion Park Lodge, on the floor of the canyon.
7:08 am
Sunrise is later, we are on Mountain time
the road through Red Canyon
Butch Cassidy Draw
these formations are called the Salt & Pepper Shakers
close up
Walt Disney modeled the Thunder Mountain ride on this park
We are just outside of Bryce, so formations are similar
or bust! Better stop here then.
Dixie is a term the Mormons used for this area.
As we near Zion, just under 2 hours later-
-the rock changes
Our first glimpse of what Zion will be like
the road winds down and through a tunnel to the park entrance
Cars are not allowed past the lodge in high season
Free shuttle buses make frequent stops-hop on, hop off at your trailhead
The scenery is magnificent
this time we are at the bottom looking up
the Virgin River flows through the canyon
Climbing gear partway up the wall
Riverside Walk to “The Narrows”
Beginning of an arch
There are hanging gardens where moisture comes from the rock
Many rent river shoes and poles and walk the Narrows
the squirrels here were obese!
Detritus from a flash flood.
the feeling here is very serene, despite all the people
Mormons named it Zion
Cliffs and formations give a feeling of reverence to the area’s majesty.
Ginny and I hiked up to Weeping Rock
this grotto was carved by the water. Adorned with hanging garderns
a nice way to cool off, too
view from under Weeping Rock
Zion Lodge
100 year old cottonwood tree is the centerpiece of the green
trail to Emerald Pools
the hike to the lower pool is a nice walk
many of these cliffs have names also
they are somewhat religious since the Mormons named them
sandstone erosion
snake along the trail
the tree is a popular place to relax
climber rappelling down the wall
Our lodging for our last night
my balcony
view from my balcony
I could live with this!
I took the shuttle to the visitor center for my park stamp
park road is red pavement
Three Patriarchs- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
when the people clear the grass, the turkeys come out
when the turkeys are done picking, the deer take over
we watched them during dinner
the fawn still has its spots which means it is less than 3 months old.
7:30pm, evening sets in
there are cabins for rent in addition to the lodge rooms
it would be nice to spend more than one night here
