Hello from Zion National Park in Utah! Well, technically I’m in Springdale just outside the Zion Park borders, harvesting free Wifi from the Pioneer Inn Espresso shop. I’m a little too tired from our morning hike to tell an eloquent story about this leg of our adventure, but I’ll share what I can.
5/26: We last left off in Taos, New Mexico where we stayed for two wonderful nights at Inn on the Rio. We took our time and really relaxed in Taos, made all the easier by Innkeeper Julie’s awesome breakfasts, perfect weather, and the Inn’s hot tub.
5/27: But after “Princessing it up” in a B&B, we set out for this third leg planning to camp and visit a bevy of National Parks. We headed from Taos to the historic Mesa Verde, where Anasazi cave dwellings mark the landscape. Arriving later than hoped, we weren’t able to spend the day hiking but did get to see some of the ruins. At this moment I have no recollection where we camped, but do recall that I was starved and cranky by the time we got there (funny what we *do* remember).
5/28: After our brief stint in Mesa Verde we took a long days drive to the North rim of the Grand Canyon. You’ll be surprised to hear, it’s quite grand! The signs there say “It’s the canyon all other canyons want to be.” Have you ever heard a canyon compare itself to another? Me either. I think canyons are less superficial than that. We were slightly distressed to hear the camp ground was full, as we were many many miles from anywhere else to sleep. But this turned out to be a fabulous opportunity in disguise. Outside of the official park, but still around the Grand Canyon, you can camp along most of the fire roads. A friendly ranger asked us if we wanted to camp alongside the canyon rim for free. We said “Yes!” and headed miles and miles and miles away from civilization, up a rocky dirt road, where we found complete peace and serenity.
It was hard to believe we almost missed this “campsite.” To top it off, we’d picked up some locally made sausages on our way out of Colorado that provided the cherry on the proverbial sundae.
5/29: Before departing the canyon (and returning to another long day in the car) we hiked around the rim and examined the remains of a huge fire from 2000. Though the views were awesome, I did not yet realize that they had some “steep” competition in front of them.
It took us only a few hours to drive to Zion National Park, just across the Utah border. Yosemite-esque in its visual grandeur and planning, Zion is awe-some. The large jutting rocks create a lush haven in between, where wildlife and nature prosper. This is a site for sore eyes after hundreds of miles of dead desert. I think Hubby and I agree that this has been the most spectacular destination on our journey.
5/30: Taking advantage of our two nights in Zion, we got up early this morning to beat the heat hiking up the Emerald Pools trail. We made many lizard friends (they appear to have many different kinds here) along the route, whose tracks you can find in the sand. Hubby explored the infamous narrows and I meditated on the banks of the Virgin River. Now we’re spending the hottest part of the day hiding in the shade before we set out on a bike ride.
It’s been fun. It’s been hot. I’m ready to come home to my own shower and a clean bed, but our camper has made quite the nice nest and we’re already planning our next trips to follow.