Zion...

I'm not much for scenic drives - but southern Utah and specifically Zion National Park has a special place in my heart. The colorful red rock with unique land formations is breathtaking every time I experience it. Steve and I worked in Zion years ago and we hadn't been back for over 11 years. Southern Utah is usually something that we drive through to get to Idaho, it never ends up being a stopping ground for us. But this year we had a family reunion in St. George which gave us incentive to go a day early with some of my siblings to enjoy the park.

It was just like the memory I had preserved years ago. Memories came flooding back of old hikes we had taken, night visits laying on the warm rocks with friends, knowing what was just around each corner (having driven through that park hundreds of times before). I was the annoying parent in the front seat that kept pointing out cool things to my kids - who were a little young to appreciate the beauty but humored me a little anyway.




We took the free shuttle into the canyon of the park and rode it to the very last stop - river walk. A short two mile roundtrip paved hike that shoots you into the narrows.



I think we chose the warmest day of the year for this little excursion so we were looking forward to the chilly water in the canyon. We stayed for over an hour and a half. Playing on the rocks, soaking feet, admiring the bold squirrels that seemed to have no fear of people and admiring the beauty that is the Narrows. Deep canyon walls in different shades of orange and red, with some areas that had water weeping from it's cracks. It was serene and beautiful.