Zion

by Robin

Southern Utah boasts the Grand Circle of National Parks, and today we hit Park #1 on the list, Zion. From here we plan to enjoy Bryce, Grand Escalante, Capitol Reef, Moab and Canyonlands in a clockwise loop over the next ten days or so.

We were at Zion as the sun came up…and we weren’t the earliest ones! The parking lot was nearly full when we arrived. As I am still a little gimpy, we avoided the strenuous hikes. We rode the park shuttle to the Narrows and walked to the point where the land ends and water hiking begins. Watching all the hikers head up the river in the canyon felt like we were watching some kind of apocalyptic scene. “The zombies go off to meet their fate…”

We took another little hike in the center of the park: The Grottos and Emerald Pools. Light, easy and lovely. 

Zion is truly stunning. I often think about the first explorers to places like this. What must have gone through their minds when they saw these incredible rock formations and colors?

What we are learning:

Traveling is different now than when we were in the Magic Bus back in 2012, or even when we were traveling two years ago. The number of people RVing has massively increased…we think it’s a combo of more retirees and more van-dwelling millennials. It’s harder to get reservations in the campgrounds and you can’t fly by the seat of your pants as easily as we did before. Reserve a space well ahead of time or be prepared to boondock.

The National Parks, hiking trails and other tourist sites are more crowded than ever. The best time to do anything is EARLY. Which is OK by us. It’s our favorite time to be out on the trails…peaceful, birds are singing, the light is so pretty.