Zion Canyon Day Two

[Wednesday 13 September] 

Another gorgeous day in the park. And another morning of profound quiet. After breakfast in our room we dressed and headed for the shuttle. We got off at the visitor center in plenty of time for our 10:15 meetup for Ride with a Ranger. After our Ranger took roll call,  we walked over to the special bus that would take the 25  of us back up into the canyon. 

We made three stops during the tour, stops not part of the routine shuttle service. At each stop Steven would herd us off the bus and we would gather round while he gave his little talk: stop 1 focussed on geology, stop 2 on the human history, and stop 3 on what I'm not sure. 

While the tour was another wonderful opportunity to appreciate the awe-inspiring grandeur of this place, unfortunately our Ranger wasn't up to the task of making us more aware of the park's nuances. His presentations were uneven to the point of being annoying as he fumbled through his so-called cheat sheets, indeed didn't seem to know a great deal about the park and its history, failed to repeat questions for the others in the group, and generally lacked enthusiasm. He was, in a word, uninteresting.

taking the shuttle from the lodge

meeting our ranger

stop 1

not too exciting

stop 3 Big Bend

the Organ

The tour ended at stop 9 where we left the bus and hopped onto the next down-canyon shuttle back to the lodge. Back in our room we refreshed ourselves, grabbed our sun hats and set off down canyon once again. We got off at stop 2, the Museum of Human History, where we were able to access The Pa'Rus Trail.

We explored this small museum, nicely laid out but with few exhibitions. They are mostly known for providing a 22-minute film about the park and their Ranger talks on the back patio. The patio has wonderful shaded seating with stunning views of the West Temple and Tower of the Virgin. 

lots of prickly pear

From the museum we made our way over to the Pa'Rus Trail in the direction of the visitor center. The trail was flat, and generally coursed along the Virgin River; it was also open to the sun so sun hats and sunscreen today were absolutely essential.

As we neared the visitor center the trail got closer to the river and also scooted along several of the large campgrounds as well. 

Once back at the visitor center we left the park and walked over into Zion Canyon Village, a cluster of businesses in Spring dale that hug the park entrance. We stopped at the Perks for an afternoon HB (hot beverage), and just relaxed in the shade. Impressed by the coffee shop's menu we ordered a couple of sandwiches to go; they would serve as our supper. 

We then made our way back to the park -- I cannot say enough about the Senior Pass! - and stopped into the park store. I picked up a couple of adjustable walking sticks and Susie opted for a t-shirt. We still had a lot of park to see.

After stopping back at the lodge to drop off our sun hats and gather our wits, we headed back out but this time up canyon to shuttle stop 7, the Weeping Rock Trail. Just a half-mile round-trip, this walk was all uphill to a grotto nestled high above the roadway. There we would see the weeping rocks, points in the rock where water, no longer able to move downward due to the impermeable rock, is forced laterally out of the rock. This results in a constant light rain and some impressive hanging gardens. 

The walk also provided some lovely views of the canyon as well. And I'm glad to have splurged on the walking sticks!

stairs are very slippery so the chain handrails were helpful

Back down to the shuttle stop and to the lodge. We noted that by late afternoon many hikers who had gone up to the Riverside Walk and the Narrows earlier in the day were now heading back down canyon so the busses were full, including the extra busses put on the down canyon run as well.

Fortunately we were not on the bus long and soon hopped off at the lodge. Once back in the room we showered, put on fresh clothes and sat out on our terrace with a glass of wine enjoying just being HERE. 

Zion Canyon Day One

[Tuesday 12 September]

Our first full day in Zion Canyon and we cannot stop being in awe of this place. The sheer weight of the canyon walls surrounding us is daunting but at the same time engages our imagination. The names of the various stops along the park’s scenic drive, accessible only by the shuttle bus, help to stoke those feelings: Courtyard of the Patriarchs, Weeping Rock, Temple of Sinawava (according to the Paiutes, one of the two gods of creation). This is a place that warrants the use of the word awesome.

It was overcast when we first awoke. Breakfast in our room was simple: coffee for both of us and a muffin for Susie and a bagel for me from the lodge cafe. Prepackaged and easy to hand out the food was as unremarkable as our supper the evening before. Still, we are HERE and our space is lovely, with incredible views off our terrace.

After showering and getting dressed — two things one should always strive to accomplish while traveling — we made our way to the shuttle bus stop. Our first goal for the morning was to make our way to the park visitor center next to the village of Springdale. It started to rain by the time we got to the bus but had abated somewhat by the time we reached the visitor center.

It should be pointed out right here that the shuttle system both in the park and in Springdale are free, easy to use and with numerous stops that make spending your time a breeze.

Anyway, we made our way to the ranger information desk and reserved two spaces for the Ride with a Ranger tour for tomorrow (Wednesday) at 10:30. A ranger takes a group of no more than 25 people in a special bus and tours the various major points in the park, stopping along the way to explain the history, flora, fauna and much more about the park.

That done, we planned to pop into town and pick up a few food necessities at a grocery store just outside the park proper:  decent breakfast food, some milk, wine, bananas, that sort of thing. Well, I had failed to bring my Senior Pass with me — the pass that gets us free entry into all national parks including this one of course — so it was back on the shuttle to the lodge to grab said pass. Whew! Now we could leave and enter the park as we pleased.

Leaving the park shuttle system, we made our way to the Springdale shuttle, offering many stops along the main drag of the town. I should say how wonderfully signed everything in the park is and how easy it is to get from one place to another without having to use your car. 

Once we had identified the Happy Camper grocery right outside the park entrance as our food shopping spot, we hopped on the Springdale shuttle to stop 5 to have lunch at Oscar's (recommended by park staff as a favorite). Lunch was very good, a salad for Susie and turkey sandwich for me, leaving quite a bit of both to take home for supper. Another goal achieved.

Our next objective, the state liquor store, was a bit more of a puzzle. Whether on purpose or simple oversight, the store was buried inside a gift store that was itself somehow squeezed into the complex that we thought mainly a restaurant, neither of which were marked. But we picked up a couple of bottles of red wine and headed back to the shuttle stop close by. 

Once we had stopped at the Happy Camper for our breakfast supplies, we headed back through the park entrance waving our Senior Pass like an old hand.

We unloaded our groceries and made our way back to the lodge cafe for an afternoon “hot beverage,” in this case two cups of basic brewed coffee since the espresso machine was broken. Sitting in a pair of rockers in front of the lodge (like a couple of old fogeys), we enjoyed watching the flow of humanity across the lodge grounds. 

After a short respite it was back to the shuttle stop -- but this time we were headed up canyon all the way to the last shuttle stop, the Temple of Sinawava and the riverside walk to the Narrows. 

A mile of paved path along the north fork of the Virgin River, the river that pretty much cuts through Zion Canyon, ends at a fording space which itself leads into the Narrows. This canyon trek is not for the faint of heart and is perhaps the most famous attraction in the park. Note that it is often closed to the public due to flash flooding, which was the case today. (In fact the Narrows has been closed off and on quite a bit in recent days). 

We had neither the proper gear or shoe wear to go traipsing in the river and opted to leave it to the truly die-hard trekkers.

But the riverside walk was one of never-ending dramatic features that soared over our heads, truly a “place of tall land.”

Back  at the lodge we showered to get the sunscreen off and sat outside on our terrace that evening with a glass of wine enjoying the occasional flock (herd, gaggle, passel?) of turkeys walking right by us soon joined by a small group of mule deer that could apparently care less we were there.

What an incredible experience this is turning out to be. 

park visitor center

Springdale shuttle 

you can never have enough (good) information

lunch at Oscar's

lodge grounds

trailhead for the Riverside Walk

the Riverside Walk sort of ends here -- although one could ford the river and enter the Narrows just a few hundred meters beyond.

back to the shuttle stop

Las Vegas to Zion Canyon

[Monday 11 September]

We were packed and ready to go by the time our next-door neighbor Sandy pulled her car out of the garage. Although we had to slog through Monday morning school traffic we made it to the airport in plenty of time to check our bags and breeze through security. 

After grabbing a coffee we settled in to await the boarding call for our non-stop flight to Las Vegas. We did stop at the Hudson's to pick up a couple of books for the trip and we amazed at the selection -- and it was laid out just like a small but tasteful bookshop. Add that to it also being a center for the Michigan Wine Collaborative where you can tap and taste, we thought the space quite impressive.

Boarding went smoothly and before long we were airborne, rain notwithstanding. The four-hour trip was uneventful and, contrary to the pilot warning us to expect some light chop over the Rockies, quite smooth. 

Leaving the jetway into the terminal we were immediately greeted by banks of garish slot machines, the first of many we would encounter through the airport.

And the chaos. The airport was akin to a twisted indoor mall, replete with stores, food stops and seemingly endless banks of huge video monitors advertising the latest shows and what-not available in Las Vegas. 

And the heat. When we landed the local weather claimed 99 degrees F. Oh, but as so many are fond of saying, "It's a dry heat." Yeah, right.

We soon had our bags in hand, but before we made our way to the car rental shuttle, we took a break to sit and enjoy the sandwiches I had prepared earlier that morning. Once lunch was over we walked out of the terminal to the shuttle bus for the car rental location near the airport. A very well-organized system, the shuttle was for all the rental companies, which were themselves housed in a large garage complex near the Strip. 

We had a bit of a wait to check in for our car -- frankly I should have used the online system -- but we were soon in line to be taken to our car, a Honda Odyssey. After getting turned around just once leaving the garage we found I-15 north to Salt Lake City and were off  through the bleak Nevada desert into Arizona and up through the twists and turns of the dramatic Virgin River Gorge on into Utah. 

Hoping to use the bathroom, pick up some information and maybe fill our water bottle, we stopped at the Utah Welcome Center at St. George. Although well-signed, it was not easy to reach the Center. It was housed inside the a wildlife museum all nestled in the Dixie Center, apparently some sort of convention venue.  We were the only travelers there and, while they didn't have a designated water bottle filling station, they did provide us with a couple of handy maps -- and the bathrooms were free, of course.

We returned to I-15 and after just a few miles exited onto Rte 9 east into the Hurricane Valley. Our expectations that we would find ourselves in the midst of open land and wilderness were immediately dashed. Hurricane Valley was a seemingly endless strip of development. But we eventually found ourselves in the vicinity of Zion Canyon and the lovely town of Springdale next to the park entrance.

Using our Senior Pass we passed through the park entrance and made our way to the pull-off to the lodge. To access the drive into the park and the lodge we used the digital code provided us when I made the reservations -- otherwise the only way to get around the park is by shuttle bus, a handy and efficient system. 

It was a quick drive to the lodge. At check-in, it was suggested we make reservations for dinner at the lodge that evening, which we did. We then made our way to our room and unpacked. After strolling the grounds of the lodge and walking up the short, nearby Grotto Trail we returned to the lodge for dinner outside on  the patio overlooking the grounds. Stunning views all around and even a few deer strolling on the lawn, oblivious to us humans! 

Tomorrow we hope to take the shuttle to the Visitors Center to sign up for a Ride with a Ranger, then perhaps go into Springdale and pick up a few groceries. 

bookshop at the GR airport

welcome to Las Vegas

Utah Welcome Center, the small space on the far left

view from our room

lodge grounds

our building

views from the grounds

view down canyon from off the Grotto Trail

and up canyon

deer feeding on the lodge grounds while people were playing frisbee

a rather unremarkable meal but sitting outside was wonderful

Canyons of the American Southwest

It was nearly three years ago that Susie and I were scheduled to fly from Grand Rapids to Phoenix, and then head north to Flagstaff. That would have been the kickoff for visiting several of the country's most famous national parks: Zion, Bryce and the Grand Canyon. 

But the best laid plans of mice and men, eh? 

As we are all so painfully aware of now. that trip, like those of so many others, was cancelled due to a global pandemic. But we were so very fortunate to have pretty much escaped Covid unscathed, unlike the several millions of others who were not so lucky. A cancelled trip was small potatoes as they say.

So we're going to try this trip again. 

Tomorrow, Monday, a neighbor will drive us to the airport and we fly non-stop to Las Vegas to begin our ten-day trip to the American Southwest. 

After picking up our rental car we drive to Zion Canyon National Park where we will check in to the lodge within the park proper. (In fact, we will be staying at the park lodges at the North and South Rims of the Grand Canyo.) 

We then heading back to Las Vegas for two nights of quiet debauchery before returning home. Aside from some hiking and hopefully taking a Ride with a Ranger excursion (at least at Zion) we have reserved two seats on a helicopter tour in the Grand Canyon. A once-in-a-lifetime experience we have been told . . .  Stay tuned!