Zion & Bryce Canyon with Matt & Ray, Day 5

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Photos from this day at Zion national Park

Our Bryce/Zion trip was coming to an end. This was our day to fly away with a solemn promise to return. Usually on our last day Barb & I have to get up early, maybe get a last shot of light as we head back to Las Vegas for our morning flight. This trip with Ray & Matt, however, was booked a bit differently. Our flight wasn't taking off until 8:50pm, so, even considering the 3 hour drive and arriving the prescribed 2 hours early at the airport, we'd have until almost 4 o'clock to say goodbye. Although we were mostly packed the night before, we took a leisurely approach to this last day. We packed the car, had breakfast in the Surfboard & Parrot room, checked out and headed for a lingering look at Zion. Since our tripods were packed in the bottom of our suitcases, this would be a day of handheld shots.

We decided to forego the shuttle and Canyon Drive, spending our time on the east-side slickrock instead. At the first pullout we stopped, I noticed a few rock climbers. They were up a rock face just passed the last switchback before the tunnel. All but 2 of the first 13 photos in today's gallery are of them. It seemed to be an easier climb than those from the canyon floor, like some I've seen along Canyon Drive. I thought it might be a beginners course with instructors guiding novices, teaching them the ropes and what knots.

We moved slowly through the east side of the park as if savoring the final farewells. Stopping at several spots to shoot and absorb the surroundings, we filled our memory cards with redundant captures and our minds and souls with indelible memories. On this trip we saw bison, bulls, bighorn sheep, mule deer bucks, ravens, the dreaded Zion chipmunks, lizards, and rock climbers. We had so much fun chasing light, talking with strangers who were sharing some of the same inspiration from this wonderful piece of our planet, and enjoying the cheerful hospitality of the fortunate ones who live here. (Not to mention the happy-hours and ice cream runs.) We found a new friend in Charles Riter, a fellow photog with a special eye for capturing the beauty of what he brings in front of his camera. We found Christopher who quit his job in China to come experience the magic of America. We had people we'll probably never see again help us find some of the best shots that were being presented by passing moments in our common space. We felt the connection to the rumblings within the rocks and trees, and we were now gathering it all to bring it all back home, making the rest of our lives a bit richer.

Since we were so close, we decided (actually they agreed) to stop back at Zion Mountain Ranch to salute an au revoir to Kevin McLaws, forgetting that it was Sunday –his only day off. See ya next time, Kevin; not so long this time, Paiute Palace and Ruby's Rocks.

Oh, yeah, add turkey vulture to that list above. I think it was on the National Parks Service website somewhere that I saw a photo of a vulture with the tag number 50. Matt was shooting a bird quite high up on our way back down canyon, so I grabbed the SX50 and zoomed in to it's resting place on the highest part of the rockface and captured Vulture 65, happy to be high in Zion.

We were happy to be high on life as we filtered our way through Springdale shops before heading back to Vegas. We had time to stop at Snow Canyon State Park in St. George, but passed. We had time to shoot Valley Of Fire State Park in Nevada, but used too much of it eating at the Moapa Paiute Travel Plaza. We still had time, and Ray suggested we stop to see Pawn Stars. Matt brought up the directions to the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop on his phone, and away we went under the direction of the lady's voice in his Navigation App.

Our route back to Philly was less circuitous than our way out. We flew through Phoenix where we had about a 3-hour layover. Man, nobody cares about the Red-Eye Flyers. We stopped to see if the airport bar made ciapirihnas, but settled for drafts and sandwiches after sharing laughs about the request with our server. Sunday Night Football was on, and we were slowly getting back into the reality of days. We finally landed without a blink of sleep in the City Of Brotherly Loath around 6am, and waited for our ride back to the Best Western to pick up our car. We still had a two hour ride home, 3 for Ray. We were tired, hungry and happier than we should have been. Matt finally dozed off and on for an hour in the back seat, and, judging from the smiles on his face as he slept, his dreams were now augmented with the thrilling encounters he recently enjoyed with two of Natures most sacred portals --not to mention me and Ray. After dropping Matt off at his house, I took Ray to mine where his car awaited him. He was quick to continue until he collapsed an hour later in his own home, a new man, no doubt. I made a cup of coffee (the one thing that just can't be duplicated elsewhere) threw in a load of clothes, shared the love with the cats while missing the dogs. After sipping my coffee through smiles from looking at trip pix, I collapsed to the couch around one o'clock.

Barb was camping in the Delaware Seashore State Park, and as soon as my clothes were cleaned and dried, I was off to join her.

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This is my first blog since our granddaughter, Charley Regan, was born. I wish her a happy time when she first visits the wonderlands of Zion & Bryce Canyons. One way or another, I'll be with her when she does.

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