UTAH! Part 7 - May 14-21, 2016


We entered Zion National Park from the North entrance and traveled along the Mt Carmel Highway and through the 1.1 mile long tunnels carved through the red rock mountains. It's amazing to think about how much work actually went into constructing this highway and tunnel system, especially back in the late 20's. As we approached the tunnel we could see what drew the first settlers to this amazing place. Driving through the tunnel was especially fun with the large windows cut through the thick mountain walls to expose a quick glimpse to the beauty that awaited us.









We drove through the welcoming town of Zion and found our Hampton Inn Suites Springdale/Zion at the far end of town. We were so lucky to find a room within a mile of the park entrance since we started searching less than 2 weeks out. The Hampton Inn turned out to be perfect for us. Our room was huge and the heated pool/hotub area had a great view of the mountains and an outdoor fireplace to boot. We were booked to stay here only one night, Thursday. We planned one night because we wanted flexibility at the end of our trip. We loved the towns quaint atmosphere so much and of course the amazing park surroundings that we asked if a room was available for our last night on Friday and they said YES! one room was left but we would have to move rooms in the morning, NO PROBLEM! Once we quickly checked in we headed into town to walk the shops and have dinner. Enjoying great pizza, pasta and beer we were captivated by the bright moon cresting the darkening mountain tops, awesome.










The following photos include hiking various trails including a 2-1/2 mile trek to Angels Landing (Google this!). That probably doesn't sound like much, but you climb 1600 feet in elevation and it was, BY FAR, the most memorable hike of my life and I want to thank our daughter for recommending this adventure!

Instead of me rambling on in my typical fashion, I will commemorate the 2016 National Park Service Centennial by respectfully adding John Muir quotes to the photo's. Unfortunately this most famous naturalist died just two years before the Park Service was created, but he was so influential and rightfully has earned the title of "Father of our National Parks".


�In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.�
John Muir









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�I am losing precious days. I am degenerating into a machine for making money. I am learning nothing in this trivial world of men. I must break away and get out into the mountains to learn the news�
John Muir

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�Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.�
John Muir


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�This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming, on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.�
John Muir

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�Going to the mountains is going home.�
John Muir


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�Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.�
John Muir


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�The mountains are calling and I must go.�
John Muir

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"Muir tells us we're crazy to enslave ourselves in pursuing material goods, to be too "duty bound [and] business bound." He warns, "We work too much and rest too little." He tells us to seek re-creation in creation. To regain the free-spiritedness of children. To get out of the ruts of habit and find "ravishing revelation" and newness in all the miracles of nature." by Kristen Rogers-Iversen/The Salt Lake Tribune.


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THE END.

Thanks so much for the pictures and the eternal words from John Muir!!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

Thank you so much for taking us along! Great stories, wonderful pics, and a lifetime of memories!

The best part - you were nice enough to share this week with us.

What's the next adventure?

Thanks Carol! It was hard to choose the few photos I included out of the 1700 <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" /> The quality of the cell phone photos climbing Angels Landing are a bit grainy but are perfect to me because I wasn't going to handle the big camera hanging onto that chained ledge!! I knew a few of the Muir quotes, but reading through the Sierra Club website and others I discovered a bunch of interesting ones!

Tom thanks for always reading along! Next trip? dunno, so many places aye!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />

Tom + 1
I love going on vacation with you and
your family.
Thanks so much.

Mike

Thanks Mike "IWIWSE"! and thanks for the shout out on the BVI side, appreciate that! No boat in Utah, but a really great land cruise!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />

Rented a house boat on Lake Powell, SE Utah
in 2001.
The best "family" vacation we ever had.

Mike

Have really enjoyed your pictures and report. Thanks so much for sharing. As it turns out we are going to the Utah parks in mid-Sept. We were planning to go to Glacier NP for our anniversary, but were told that the weather for hiking might be iffy then so we are now flying in and out of Las Vegas. We have had brief trips to Zion and Bryce in the past, but want to explore them more fully. We will have 8 - 10 days. Based on what you did, what 2 other parks/places would be you next 2 to not miss? Really think we need 2 10 day trips to do this area justice. The more I read the more I see there is to do! On another subject, do you have more segments to your Switzerland trip? I have always wanted to hike that area so will be looking forward to any more tips and photos. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Holy crap, yall did Angel's Landing. How scary was that?

I'm planning a very similar trip for next year. I'm leaving in the morning for a camping trip. I'd love to pick your brain about your trip when I get back in town if that's ok?

My current rough plan:
Get to Vegas late on the Friday night of Memorial Day weekend 2017 and grab a cheap hotel
Sat: Visit the Hoover dam and Valley of Fire SP enroute to Zion. Explore Zion in the afternoon. We'll grab a room somewhere in the area.
Sun: Hike more of Zion. Late afternoon head over towards Bryce Canyon and rent a house for a few days.
Mon-Wed: Misc exploring of Bryce Canyon NP, Capitol Roof NP, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Vermillion Cliffs.
Thur: Explore more in that area in the morning and then head over to the north rim of the GC. We have a cabin booked in the NP on the rim. I want to see a GC sunset.
Fri: Explore more in the morning. I want to see a GC sunrise. Early afternoon we'll head towards Vegas.
Sat: Fly out early for home.

I have lots of details to work through. I have booked the only night we'll spend in a NP lodge. My kids will be 17, 15, and 10 at the time of the trip. My inlaws will probably go too. It's going to be awesome. I need to make sure I don't overschedule us.

For those not familiar with Angel's Landing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=LpmuakyEWpo

sailorjane, thank you for reading!

I do have one last report to post for SwissItalia(next week hopefully) it will include Interlaken and trekking through the Swiss Alps including Murren, Lauderbrunnen and Piz Gloria etc. This is a place we'll return!

We really enjoyed Moab with the activities I posted about, Arches deserves more time than we gave it. We were sooo close to Canyonland from Moab and wanted to spend time there, but time ran out.

Monument Valley is a must see in my book and I highly recommend staying right smack in the middle like we did at "The View". We would make a horseback ride a must there if there's a next time! there's a corral 2 miles into the dirt trail that looked perfect.

Zion was my favorite park for scenery and of course hiking, Bryce is very close, but once again we ran out of time...so next time!

We weren't able to make Grand Staircase National Park, so that's on the bucket list. Dixie National Forest looked beautiful and interesting and I'd suspect awesome camping there. We wanted to try Goblin Valley State Park but once again time, photo's I've seen show a wonderfully unique landscape.

There is so much to see, the state seems so huge and landscapes varied around every corner, you can't go wrong with any destination choice in my book! If you like hiking you'll find plenty ranging from short and easy, long and moderate/strenuous to short and scary, like the 2-1/2 miles to Angels Landing! Have fun!!!

dayhiker, thank you for reading also! Angels Landing was a tad intimidating in sections, especially with the 30-40mph winds that day! The video you linked makes it look much worse than it was, the chains gave us a little comfort. It's popular and I would suspect it can get much more crowded than we experienced. We saw a range of people hiking from fit and not so fit and a 6-7 year old boy and his father sat near us at the peak, the youngster had a blast so your kids may love it! Saw many people decide not to complete the last 1 hour stretch when the trail narrowed at the chains, but they still had an incredible experience.

Please hit me up if you have any questions, happy planning!

Enjoyed the Muir quotes.

I've been reading a book of short stories by John Muir.
He was almost killed while digging a well by hand in Scotland as a youth. It took him months, and when he got down to about 80 feet there was some kind of poison gas that crept in and nearly offed him.

Thank you soooo much for all those inspirational quotes and for always sharing your travels in such an inspirational way..
Amazing trip

Muir is awesome! Thanks for reading !

Looks fantastic. Did part of that trip a few years ago but then ventured west over to Durango Colorado and from there down to Santa Fe NM. And that was great too.