After a chaotic few days in Las Vegas, we headed a few hundred miles north to Zion National Park. We had heard great things about this part of Utah since we arrived & were not disappointed! The canyons & scenery were spectacular. The little town of Springdale was artsy & outdoorsy, full of interesting coffee shops, art galleries & adventure companies. The national park was not only beautiful but so well equipped with information, visitors centres & shuttle buses.
Our only regret was being unable to tackle some of the more adventurous hikes because of our two little ones that do not share their parents love for outdoor adventures. Saying that, we dragged them around in the chariot, on the shuttle buses & up a few small hikes.
We spent a lot of time down by the river, where the boys could paddle & throw rocks & we could drink beer & chill out. Everyones happy, except the water was REALLY COLD!
On the shuttle bus on the way up the canyon Jamin kipped out. They introduced shuttle buses in 2000 to reduce traffic congestion & it was a great move. They hook two together & can even load your bikes on the front if you are planning to ride down the canyon. The boys loved them so much that Jamin wanted one on his birthday cake! Now that is a big deal for a 4 year old!
A short hike up to the Emerald Pools with both the boys in backpacks. Made an easy hike a little bit, no a lot, harder! But they did love getting wet after walking under the waterfalls & the object lesson on why they are called waterfalls was educational for the whole family!
The hike back took a lot longer with our budding artist Kael stopping to draw in the dirt every few steps. His brother joined him & then we had two very dirty boys to carry.
One morning Danny took off on his own adventure, hiking up Angel's Landing. Here's the description of the hike but basically it is a feat of engineering that only the bravest hikers attempt. The drop offs each side of the rock below are hundreds of feet!
Danny stopped for snack at the top & this little squirrel tried to snitch some of his food.
The self portrait at the top.
Looking back down the ridge where he had hiked and had to go back down. Scary!
On our way out of the park on the way to Grand Canyon we got to go through a 1.1 mile long tunnel, built in 1830, complete with windows throughout to view the canyons. Apparently it is another feat of engineering & was pretty impressive & popular with the boys in the family.
Zion National Park did not disappoint, in fact we even extended our stay a few extra days to soak up the beautiful scenery. This is a place that we would love to return to if we are ever back in the area, as there is so much more to explore & do. It gave us some wonderful memories to hold onto.
