http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from North America , United States , Utah , Zion National Park en-us Thu, 16 Oct 2008 03:26:53 BST Thu, 16 Oct 2008 03:26:53 BST Hi everyone here's some pics from our last morning hiking in Zion up with the dawn to hike to the Emerald pools then off through the mile long tunnel to drive the 70 miles north to Bryce. On the way we passed the White Cliffs Red Canyon Park. The Red Hoodoos there were a taste of the many we were to see in Bryce. Once there we decided to follow the park instructions and drive out to th http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-332770.html It is morning in Zion NP. We are preparing to drive to Bryce Canyon north of here.. I want to make a small confession and cleanse my soul. Robin didn't win any money. She actually did pick the five horse back in Vegas. We had never been to a casino and had no clue on placing a bet. SHE WOULD HAVE WON 2500.00.Now lets write about yesterday in Zion NP.Our second day exploring Zion NP found us takin http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-332332.html Tuesday October 07 2008This was a day of mixed activities in the park. Kayla did laundry while Richard cycled into Springdale for some rock shopping. He picked up two more specimens for his collection. This afternoon with our legs still feeling the after effects of yesterdayrsquos hike we decided to ride the park shuttle to the furthest point and hike a short trail into the canyon area known http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-332317.html 10022008It is a busy week of finishing last minute stuff at the house and packing.This is worked around a busy week at the Post Office. We will fly out forLas Vegas Sunday Oct 5. We hope to see some of Las Vegas Sunday Night.Monday we will drive to Utah for 2 weeks of sightseeing and hiking. I willbe posting pictures as well as videos. I hope to do this on a daily basis. http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-330229.html Thanks to the old fart in the next campsite abruptly putting an end to our night I was able to get a full night's rest in my tent. Unfortunately the same could not be said for Kevin. Unable to sleep he apparently got out of his tent in the middle of the night and was spinning around. That morning when we went to the bathroom he went into a stall and proceeded to vomit the contents of his http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-328075.html After a long day at work and a 3 hour class afterwards Kevin and I set off at around 11pm Thursday night for a long drive to Utah. For the past few weeks we had been planning out a long weekend trip up to Utah's Zion National Park. Our goal was to do 2 of Zion's famous hikes up the Virgin Narrows as well as to the top of Angel's Landing. Throughout the night we drove across California's http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-326896.html After getting some rest we had brunch at the Bellagio and meet up with our friend Tim. Then it was time to hit the open road again. We left Vegas around noon for Zion National Park. This place is incredible the pictures give it no justice. If your travels ever lead you to Utah you should definitely check this place out. 163 Miles of travel in the Day 454 miles Total. 15N to 9E. http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-320561.html It's taken us two weeks but we've finally found a schedule that works for visiting the national parks. We stay two nights at each place using the arrival day to orient ourselves and watch the introductory video and the second day to do all of our hiking and geological expeditions. Also for those of you following along with our route we took Highway 12 out of Bryce down 89 and finally foll http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-313222.html Blog goes here. http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-308805.html Up at 6am on the road by 7am heading to Zion National Park 25 but we had our pass. Had breakfast from the food we had in the chilli bin in the car sunscreened everything and took the shuttle bus from the visitors centre at just after 10am to the end stop 'Temple of Sinawava'. The trip there was dreadful because they were doing roadworks and what should have been 45 minutes took 2 hours was ab http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-307759.html 2nd Aug. Today we followed the south rim of the Grand Canyon through the National Park and then north back into Utah. We stopped to see the Dam at Glen Canyon and night stopped at Kanab. The temp a little cooler than yesterday though still touched 103F. Tomorrow we head for Zion and Bryce Canyons.Pam and George http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-307697.html After our tiring 3 hour hike to Angel's Landing we decided to take the shuttle to the lodge for lunch. After some souvenier shopping and refilling the water bottles we talked the boys into one more short hike to the Emerald Pools. After we finished that hike it was about 330 and HOT so we went back to camp and went swimming. This was the first day we used the air conditioning in the RV.Satu http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-302080.html We chose the hike up to Angel's Landing as our first hike of the day. It was a steep and winding 2 miles up the side of a cliff then through a cool narrow ravine before going higher up to a plateau. There was an additional half mile of treacherous rock climbing with chain railings for support that took you to the tippy top of the mountain ridge. Nothing for the faint of heart or for anyone wi http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-301635.html We were following our route and were pleasantly surprised to find we had to drive through the entire park in order to get to our camp ground. The drive was windy narrow and sometimes nerveracking but the views were amazing. We drove through a long tunnel that went into the mountainside and finally arrived at the campground with incredible views from every angle. http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-301631.html hi http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-300748.html Hi some piccies see other entry for details. http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-300745.html Hi everybody we are continuing our quest of the national parks and are currently in Zion. The place is fantastic loads to see and do. Been on several treks in the park including the Angels Landing. Wendy made it to the top I am not so keen on heights so woosed out. We have been staying in out of the way places and find it hard to get to use the internet. Forgot the camera so no pictures with http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-300735.html Can you believe we've been on the road for 30 days Today is our one month anniversary it's officially been 30 days since we left Stockbridge and we're still going strong Once again this day would bring us more of this great land to discover. As I was making sausage egg and cheese croissants for breakfast Tim was washing the front of the motor home and we were preparing for our departure. http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-296371.html Both of us agree that Zion is by far the most beautiful place we have seen so far... although the list is still short. We enjoyed our stay here even with the heat. We completed the Angel's Landing hike in about 4 hours and then continued on to do the water hike in the Narrows after resting for about an hour. What a challenging and rewarding day. Angel's landing is one of the peaks in Zion canyon http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-295511.html Having spent the night in a place called Hurricanewe were ready for Zion National Park.We'd driven through it the night before but had decided to rest up first before our visit.Our first stop however was a place called Virgin.There was a neat little fort there that we just had to visit.Having taken photos it was on to Zion.Once there.....We had to park up at the visitors centre and take a http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-294993.html As we made our way to Zion thatrsquos the US National Park not Jerusalem we passed through several very scenic and geologically fascinating areasCapitol Reef National Park This park highlights a Waterpocket Fold created 65 million years ago when the earthrsquos surface buckled up and folded exposing a crosssection of geologic history.Grand StaircaseEscalante National Monument A hi http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-294860.html Our first ever time to this area and what a fantastic place to be. We are camping in an RV site in the beautiful town of Springdale. Springdale is a great place lots of foodie places and bars with a shuttle bus that takes you to the park and up and down the town for free Excellent.The campsite is on the edge of Zion national park so we are surrounded by mountains a super way to wake up in the m http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-291574.html I have spent the last two or so weeks studying and meditating on water. Because Zion is of all the places on earth one of the most striking examples of the power beauty and magic of water.I suppose I should have known going into my riverwalk down the Virgin River narrows that my soul would turn to being absorbed with water in all its forms and functions. I needed it but I didnrsquot reali http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-286311.html The Very name Zion a Hebrew word for refuge evokes this land's significance. It doesn't come as a surprise that Mormon pioneers called this place The Heavenly City of God.Several natural features of this breathtaking landscape have been named in a biblical fashion The Great White Throne The Altar of Sacrifice Tabernacle Dome The Court of the Patriarchs and so on. No wonder why the Virgin http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-286263.html I know that I am back in the country now but I thought I would still do this for those who don't know how it went or haven't yet seen any photos.I'll start with the bus. I don't know what I expected but it wasn't it. The bus didnrsquot really have normal seats it had a few benches at the front some tables in the middle and a great big platform at the back for lounging on Immediately it f http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-284491.html I finally got the chance to throw up some photos. Flickr is being weird about organizing them so unfortunately they are just thrown up on the main page the new ones start with IMG0407.I also put up some videosI am currently sitting in Springdale Utahmdashthe entrance to Zion National Park. Directly behind the screen of this laptop sits the West Temple a rusty red and ashen white sandstone http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-280911.html Last Night in VegasWe didn't party too hard our last night in Vegas dinner at the Pink Taco at Hard Rock Casino some gambling. I was steadfast on my desire to return to the Bellagio where we were hot but Nate and Jennifer were willing to stay. We lost 110 in the casino 100 of which was lost in four hands at the blackjack table Nate didn't do any better. So we finally went to Bellagio w http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-279343.html After a delicious breakfast of instant oatmeal in the hotel room we headed off to the Emerald Pools trailhead. Despite being sick coughing all night June Bug did remarkably well on the hike. We made it to the lower and middle pools without any whining although on the way back to the grotto she was a bit tired.We caught the shuttle back to the lodge had lunch and took naps.For dinner we he http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-277616.html Today we got up at 345 a.m. and headed to the airport kids in tow at 430 a.m. We had two flights and a fivehour drive ahead of us. First we flew to Denver then on to Salt Lake City where Aunt Pam met us with a minivan rental. We got to Zion Lodge about 6 p.m. It felt like 7 p.m. to those of us from Memphis. We checked in unloaded the stuffedtooverflowing minivan and headed to t http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-277326.html