More from Zion

This morning Mom and Dad once again got up early, 3:30 am, gave me breakfast and they packed their stuff for another day at Zion. They got to the park by 5:40 a.m. And the line for the shuttle was already well into its second row...

Mom doesn't like the Shuttle System that is required to be used in the summer months for several reasons. First, she said you are squished in like cattle, not something good for her immune system with RA, they don't get to see the scenery as well between stops, and it wastes time...still, they made the best of it, clowning around here at the Shuttle Stop...

Their first hike was an easy, paved two mile hike at the top end of the Zion canyon. They were surrounded by canyon and a peaceful babbling brook...

The trail ends at the narrows where folks wade in the water that is ice cold!

On the way back, they were treated to a momma deer and baby fawn

Next they waited for the bus driver to decide to leave while they plotted their course to the lower, middle, and upper emerald pools. The lower is an easy 1mi trail with only slight elevation change and mostly paved.

The trail starts from Zion Lodge in the heart of the Park.

The pool area is mostly weeping from rocks with a small waterfall dropping into the pool surrounded by greenery

The middle and upper pools grow harder to get to with the latter climbing up pieces of boulder in the hot sun and the reward probably did not out weigh the climb.

On the way back they saw this fella...can anybody tell me what he is?

At this point the temp was rising quickly to the day's 105 deg so Mom and Dad decided to take a car tour to the 2nd northern Zion Park area, at a much higher altitude, well outside of town on Kolob Terrace Rd. They were treated to some pretty scenery!

Tomorrow we are all taking a 2-3 HR drive to the North a Rim of the Grand Canyon. The temps should be much more pleasant at a much higher altitude!

We will post about the Grand Canyon North Rim tomorrow, but on our way home we drove the Zion Canyon Scenic Highway, the only part of Zion you can drive through all year round. Without a doubt this was the prettiest drive of our whole trip and now we really "get" Zion. The pictures don't do it justice so think of floor to ceiling colorful canyon at every turn of a switchback road that is carved through the canyon, It was just spectacular.

It included about a mile long tunnel right through the canyon and if you're in an RV you need a special escort to run the center, ours won't fit at all!

If you do one thing at Zion, drive this scenic road!