Wild-West Road-Trip: Zion National Park, I

Zion national park is really breathtaking. The views, the hikes, the water, and the mountains are all so much more impressive than I can relay. First, let me tell you that the Watchmen Campground is very nice. We don't have the constant supply of water and sewer access that we enjoyed at Bryce Canyon and Arches, but we do still have electricity, and that means a lot when the temperatures are pushing 108*.

Our first feat was to catch the shuttle to the top of the far end of the canyon. I honestly did not think that we were going to make it because the lines just to get on the busses were so long!

When we did finally finish the forty-minute ride, we decided to take the Riverwalk trail that leads into the narrows. Not content to stay on the path, we took a short detour to the Virgin River. From that point, the whole experience seemed worthwhile.

Honestly, it wasn't the best time of the day to be photographing landscapes. It's far more desirable to be out and ready to work before the sun has even come up. That's just not possible with three kids in tow, so we just have to make what we can when we can.

The weather was a few degrees cooler in the canyon, especially in the shade. And the water was so clear. There's a sense that this incredible canyon is both remarkably old and also new every day. Flash floods change this area several times in a year, but the oldest rocks are weathered by the wind and the rain. In reality, Zion's canyon is still working to create deeper channels.

I did really enjoy walking with my boys on the sandy edge of the river. Jen took Adelyn back to the bus stop to use the restroom but Evan, Owen, and I had a few extra minutes to keep moving.

We got the boys a camera for them to share on this trip. They managed to catch a few pictures of me as I was moving around the more shallow parts of the river. Their camera is waterproof, shockproof, and really solid. Evan took the shot of me, below.

We saw a few deer while we were out. This buck looked fairly impressive, though. One thing that really bothered me about the animals in the park, today, was that they weren't really fearful of humans. I just think about how some people must feed the deer and squirrels. I have never seen fatter, more well-fed squirrels.

Oh, and just as soon as you think this deer is trying to figure out whether you are a threat or not, no fewer than fifteen other people come out of nowhere to photograph the same scene. That's okay, though, because the animal senses your frustration and just laughs at you and everyone else.

After the hike, we went back to the RV for some rest. We cooked dinner (bbq chicken on the camp stove and mac & cheese inside on the range. For a treat, we walked to an ice-cream shop where Owen learned that the game he's been calling, "get the beanbag in the hole in the wooden board," is actually a game called, "cornhole."

We walked back to the campground, passed the Zion Canyon Brew-Pub, where I'd filled my growler earlier. Utah's laws regarding alcohol are very strange. For one, none of the beer from the tap can be higher than 4%abv. There's also some strange rule that you have to have a food item on your ticket at the restaurant where you order beer. Whatever. I'm saving my growler, full of a decent IPA, for tomorrow. After all, it's important to stay hydrated!

Anyway, that's probably it for today. There were some other things that happened (I washed the dishes, the kids had showers, we went to refill our tanks with potable water, and finally, Jen and I had showers, too), but none of that is really noteworthy. Besides, I don't have any pictures of that part:) 

Till next time, thank you for reading this and for all your support! I'll see what we can do and show you tomorrow:) Take care!

- Wayne