After we left the Grand Canyon, it was a relatively short drive to Zion National Park. This was sixth out of six national parks, and it was a great one to end our tour on! The park has all these winding roads down into the canyon, and we're surrounding by all the red rock craggy mountains. Once we got to the visitor center, we had to park the car, since only the shuttles can go through the rest of the park.
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| the obligatory sign picture |
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| Checkerboard Mesa |
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| Once you enter the park there's a short tunnel and then a longer mile-long tunnel right through a mountain! |
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| There were several huge cottonwood trees in the park. We're not sure how old this one is, but we think more than 100yrs! |
One of the highlights of Zion was going horseback riding! All the kids were excited, but especially Anna, since she loves horses. But once it got to her turn to get on the horse, I could tell she was so nervous! She was so still and stiff on the horse! But as we went along, she loosened up. Our guide was good at making jokes and helping the kids relax. Our ride was about an hour long, which was just right for us. We went along a trail next to the Virgin River, and it was absolutely beautiful! All the trees along with all the towering red rocks!
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| Anna on her mule - Pretty Boy |
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| view along the Virgin River |
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Daniel on Fender (horse), Justin on Leroy (mule), and Kevin on Doc (horse)
I was on Betty (mule) |
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| Anna had a "gas pedal," basically a small whip to help spur the horse on when he started going slow. The guide told Anna to hit the horse like she'd hit her brothers! Anna was tentative at first, but then she got really good at it! |
After the horseback riding and eating some refreshing ice cream, we went on a trail to see Weeping Rock. It was so fascinating! There's this rock overhang, and water seeps through the rock and drips down. The science behind it, if anyone cares, is that there's rain and snow that comes down on top of the mountain throughout the year. Then it gradually seeps through the soft Navajo sandstone, but once it gets to the harder shale rock, the water can't get through that part, so it just starts seeping through. Very cool!
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| We saw so many mule deer at Zion! |
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| lots of prickly pear cactus |
This part of of the Virgin River had a part where we could dip our toes in the water.
4 comments:
So sweet... I think that little girl needs a horse of her own (and not just a stuffed one). :^)
I'm loving you trip! Especially since we just returned from our "out west" trip. I hope our boys are getting to see your pictures. Looks like you guys are having the adventure of a lifetime :)
Seriously, it almost makes me nostalgic for home schooling. What an amazing trip! Lifelong memories!
I am enjoying your blog so much! I can totally hear my cousin's quirky sense of humor in his writing, so I hope you both keep writing. Keep posting so the rest of us can keep doing our armchair travels, reliving memories of our own travels & getting a preview of the rest. Yes, God is so amazing in how He makes nature more beautiful than it has to be to give us the gift of delight & wonder, & bring Himself the glory He is due!
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