After a restful night and a great early morning breakfast in Kanab we saddled up tor the trek to Zion
National Park and the famed Zion Canyon. The entrance we were planning to take was off of the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway and leads to what is considered the "East" entrance. Zion is astonishingly beautiful with at least four of the fifteen "life zones" found on our planet. The ones
in Zion are desert, woodland, coniferous forest and riparian (between areas of water). The reason I mention that is that the different zones also house different animal species and - we were on a QUEST!!! I was insistent that today we would find a Bighorn Sheep!!! But first - back to the road. The Zion - Mt. Carmel Highway was constructed to provide access to the park and was developed in several different stages. One of the most incredible engineering feats seen on the road is the 1.1 mile long
Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. Remember folks, the tunnel was constructed in the 1930s and for the equipment available, it is quite a feat. To add to the
wonder of the tunnel - there are several large "windows" cut through the rock to provide views of the canyon 'from inside the tunnel!!' Back in the early days of the park traffic was so light that stopping was possible. Now, however, it is just too busy to do that safely - and - the tunnel is now "one-way" at alternating times to allow
for large recreational vehicles. At the other entrance to the park - the Zion Canyon entrance near Springdale, Utah traffic is now too heavy to safely allow unrestricted travel so shuttle buses are provided there from April through October but cars are permitted at other times. The buses are frequent, comfortable and convenient though!! The main drive into the park is about five or six
miles long and on the way in we passed some interesting farm and ranch land. In several places we saw ranches where American Bison
(Buffalo) were being raised domestically and some ranches had cattle and buffalos in pastures together!! If you are planning to travel to Zion, please get in touch with the park or get some reliable information about the roads. There are a number of quirks about when they are open - having to
do with traffic volume, season, weather conditions, etc., so just do a little planning. The park is extraordinarily beautiful but - travel is largely through canyons so that makes it a bit restrictive for vehicles.
Otherwise, it is still one of the most beautiful in the country and, in my opinion, was one of the places that spurred establishment of the National Park Service. I know it sometimes sounds like I'm on the payroll of the park service and I'm not but, really folks, I think our parks
are phenomenal. To be able to protect and preserve these amazing places while still allowing easy access to the public - and - usually having first class visitor facilities that offer everything from "Five Star"
restaurants to "World Class" museums is just amazing. We are very fortunate!!! Zion offers incredibly
varied experiences depending on the time of year you are there. For example, during early summer months the blooming Cottonwood trees fill the air with wha
t appears to be tiny tufts of cotton. Animals are out foraging or looking for "that special someone" in late summer and early fall so that is an
excellent time to look for critters. But - as our visit went on and we covered more and more miles of the park I was growing despondent. I had been sure we would see some
sheep today!!! But, I finally conceded that we were going to have to head out of the park and reluctantly headed back toward Mt. Carmel. As we neared the tunnel Linda shouted "Sheep!!!!" And, sure enough, at the last possible moment it was as though a whole herd
 |
| Window in the Canyon Wall |
of those delightful creatures decided they couldn't let me leave disappointed!!! It was fantastic!!! As we prepare to head out of the park let me go back to something I mentioned earlier - the windows in the tunnel. I don't know if you can
do it or not but usually if you click on the pictures they expand to give a "big" view. If you can do that, take a look at the picture on the left. Right in the center, where the road curves out of sight there is a tree and if you look at the canyon wall directly above the tree you will see a 'hole' in the rock. That's one
of the windows folks!!!!! And, yes, it's waaaayyyyy down in the stone!! The picture on the right is interesting too. If you can expand that one, look at the red section in the center. The incredibly vibrant colors of the little flowers stood out brilliantly and they appeared when you least expected them. Beauty at
its most tenacious!!! And even the big guys get into the act. Tremendous Lodgepole Pines cling powerfully to the edges of the cliffs as if to say ... "I'm here and I'm not going anywhere!!!" The beauty of the distant mountains always moves us and as we exited the park we saw that enterprising folks had found yet another way to offer unique "Southwestern Experiences." One of the motels we saw offered rooms that were essentially "Tipis." (Most of the time you see that spelled "Teepees.") Hmmmmm...... Well, its been a long and magnificent day folks and I hope you've come to understand a bit more about this outstanding destination. We barely scratched the surface and Zion - along with nearby Bryce Canyon National Park - offer some of the best hiking, biking, fishing and relaxing
opportunities available anywhere. And - if you do come, try to give yourself enough time so that you can spend at least some time here after dark. Zion offers perhaps an unmatched view of the night sky with virtually zero ambient light in many places and skies so clear they give you the feeling you could reach up and grab the handle of the big dipper. Our trip is nearing its end but we've got a few more sights to see so rest up and come on back for the final legs of this excellent trip. See ya.
National Park and the famed Zion Canyon. The entrance we were planning to take was off of the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway and leads to what is considered the "East" entrance. Zion is astonishingly beautiful with at least four of the fifteen "life zones" found on our planet. The ones 
in Zion are desert, woodland, coniferous forest and riparian (between areas of water). The reason I mention that is that the different zones also house different animal species and - we were on a QUEST!!! I was insistent that today we would find a Bighorn Sheep!!! But first - back to the road. The Zion - Mt. Carmel Highway was constructed to provide access to the park and was developed in several different stages. One of the most incredible engineering feats seen on the road is the 1.1 mile long 
Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. Remember folks, the tunnel was constructed in the 1930s and for the equipment available, it is quite a feat. To add to the
wonder of the tunnel - there are several large "windows" cut through the rock to provide views of the canyon 'from inside the tunnel!!' Back in the early days of the park traffic was so light that stopping was possible. Now, however, it is just too busy to do that safely - and - the tunnel is now "one-way" at alternating times to allow 
for large recreational vehicles. At the other entrance to the park - the Zion Canyon entrance near Springdale, Utah traffic is now too heavy to safely allow unrestricted travel so shuttle buses are provided there from April through October but cars are permitted at other times. The buses are frequent, comfortable and convenient though!! The main drive into the park is about five or six
miles long and on the way in we passed some interesting farm and ranch land. In several places we saw ranches where American Bison 
(Buffalo) were being raised domestically and some ranches had cattle and buffalos in pastures together!! If you are planning to travel to Zion, please get in touch with the park or get some reliable information about the roads. There are a number of quirks about when they are open - having to
do with traffic volume, season, weather conditions, etc., so just do a little planning. The park is extraordinarily beautiful but - travel is largely through canyons so that makes it a bit restrictive for vehicles. 
Otherwise, it is still one of the most beautiful in the country and, in my opinion, was one of the places that spurred establishment of the National Park Service. I know it sometimes sounds like I'm on the payroll of the park service and I'm not but, really folks, I think our parks
are phenomenal. To be able to protect and preserve these amazing places while still allowing easy access to the public - and - usually having first class visitor facilities that offer everything from "Five Star" 
restaurants to "World Class" museums is just amazing. We are very fortunate!!! Zion offers incredibly
varied experiences depending on the time of year you are there. For example, during early summer months the blooming Cottonwood trees fill the air with wha
t appears to be tiny tufts of cotton. Animals are out foraging or looking for "that special someone" in late summer and early fall so that is an 
excellent time to look for critters. But - as our visit went on and we covered more and more miles of the park I was growing despondent. I had been sure we would see some 
sheep today!!! But, I finally conceded that we were going to have to head out of the park and reluctantly headed back toward Mt. Carmel. As we neared the tunnel Linda shouted "Sheep!!!!" And, sure enough, at the last possible moment it was as though a whole herd 
do it or not but usually if you click on the pictures they expand to give a "big" view. If you can do that, take a look at the picture on the left. Right in the center, where the road curves out of sight there is a tree and if you look at the canyon wall directly above the tree you will see a 'hole' in the rock. That's one 
of the windows folks!!!!! And, yes, it's waaaayyyyy down in the stone!! The picture on the right is interesting too. If you can expand that one, look at the red section in the center. The incredibly vibrant colors of the little flowers stood out brilliantly and they appeared when you least expected them. Beauty at
its most tenacious!!! And even the big guys get into the act. Tremendous Lodgepole Pines cling powerfully to the edges of the cliffs as if to say ... "I'm here and I'm not going anywhere!!!" The beauty of the distant mountains always moves us and as we exited the park we saw that enterprising folks had found yet another way to offer unique "Southwestern Experiences." One of the motels we saw offered rooms that were essentially "Tipis." (Most of the time you see that spelled "Teepees.") Hmmmmm...... Well, its been a long and magnificent day folks and I hope you've come to understand a bit more about this outstanding destination. We barely scratched the surface and Zion - along with nearby Bryce Canyon National Park - offer some of the best hiking, biking, fishing and relaxing 
opportunities available anywhere. And - if you do come, try to give yourself enough time so that you can spend at least some time here after dark. Zion offers perhaps an unmatched view of the night sky with virtually zero ambient light in many places and skies so clear they give you the feeling you could reach up and grab the handle of the big dipper. Our trip is nearing its end but we've got a few more sights to see so rest up and come on back for the final legs of this excellent trip. See ya.
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