Last month I ended my southwest extravaganza by visiting Zion National Park in Utah. Just before reaching the Park, I passed through Red Canyon and was able to watch the sun rising. It was perfect.
As soon as I entered the Park, all the "too good to be true" vibes from Zion hit me. Wow I was here!
I drove in through the east entrance, and was immediately drawn into the sights, sounds and colors of Zion, my home away from home. If you are interested, here is the NPS website for Zion National Park, with all of the much needed information for visiting this gorgeous place.
Its so pretty to see the green pines mixed in with the red and white sandstone. In the fall you have the added beauty of the leaves changing color; a most spectacular sight.
I stopped all along the road to take picures, talk to people and admire the scenery. But it was hot!
How lovely the mountains in Zion are, so strong and majestic.
That would be me, shooting a selfie while climbing around on the rocks.
Each hour got hotter and hotter. Determined to cool down, I headed for the river.
One of my old swimming holes, from back in the day when I worked in Zion. Once a co-worker and I were lounging around in the water here, when one of the male waiters showed up and wanted to show off. He took off his shirt and dove into the water, without even checking it out first. He came up groaning and holding his arm, which ended up being broken. He tried to hide it from his boss, but how can you hide a broken arm when you are waiting tables? Obviously you can't as he soon discovered.
I hopped onboard the shuttle, as you can't drive past the turnoff to the lodge unless you are registered there. At the lodge I jumped out, and wishing to avoid the crowds, I walked across the street to the river and started wading downstream.
The water was ice cold, but that didn't stop me from taking the plunge.
It felt so good to escape the heat and submerse my body in the refreshing water.
An old gnarled tree stood on the riverside, a witness the passage of time here in the canyon.
After swimming a bit, more people jumped in and had the time of their lives. On my way out, I crossed the bridge and snapped this picture of a young couple that had befriended me. As soon as I took the picture, my plastic spray bottle fell out of my backpack and landed in the river, never to be seen again.
At that point, I decided to cancel my camping reservations in Zion National Park for the following week, and instead headed home. The 105 degree heat was proving too much for me. May God bless you and keep you safe and secure. May you get out into the natural world and see the things He has created. May you know and partake of His great love and mercy. Blessings! Susan Little