Festiva in the Park: Day 10

SUNDAY JUNE 10th, 2012

Welcome to Day 10. Today was a light driving day, only an hour or so up to Zion National Park and the same back to the hotel. It's a beautiful drive up to the park from Cedar City. We passed a lot of cyclists a large portion of them taking  part in a group ride. It's Sunday today, the weather is great and the parking lot was almost full when we got there. I think we nabbed the last spot in the overflow lot!

Not quite what you expect to see in the desert in June!

Welcome to Zion National Park

After parking and stopping in the visitor center we hopped on to the shuttle bus and headed up to the Zion Lodge. We sat on the grass and had our picnic lunch before taking our first hike up to the Lower Emerald Pool.

Lunch on the lodge lawn. Lovely.

Me, Sharon, I, B and E at the Lower Emerald Pool

Mr. Muscle

 

Once back to the lodge we hopped back on the shuttle and headed up the valley to our next stop: the Grotto. After that... Weeping Rock with water literally weeping out of several seams in the rock face; an oasis from the heat of the day.

We hopped back on the shuttle and went to the head of the valley and took the walk up to The Narrows. The first portion of this walk is on paved paths. At the end of the paved portion the canyon narrows, hence the name, and continues literally up the creek. We went up quite a way with I and E being the most adventurous.

B on her way up the Narrows

I and E find a spot of refuge on their way up the Narrows.

We stopped in at the Court of the Patriarchs on our way back down. After that it was a visit to the Zion Museum before heading back to the visitor center.

I pointing out his namesake.

Upon our return to the car we found that we were one of the few cars left in the lot, quite a contrast from our arrival!

Festiva in the park.

Zion National Park is another spot we would like to spend some more time. I suggested to Sharon that we should return to the south spending a week in Yosemite, a week in the Flagstaff area and a third week in Zion... but that's a trip for another time.

Day 11 will find us traveling north to Provo UT. See you there.

CLICK HERE FOR DAY 11