We all slept so well last night that the kids actually slept in! Hooray! We had a great morning, a good breakfast and then headed out to Zion National Park. The landscape changed so much during the drive that we were constantly commenting on how beautiful it is. We were able to drive right to the Visitor's Center (after paying our park entrance of $30/week). It was a little fun trying to find a parking spot, but after searching for a bit we found a spot and got all geared up to go on some hikes.
We stopped at the Visitor's Center for a bit and got some info on the hikes that would be good for the kids. We then had to go catch a shuttle to the end of the canyon. There was a large line-up to get a shuttle, but the shuttles came almost every 5-7 minutes, so we only waited about 20 minutes or so.
We rode all the way to the last stop and got to watch all the scenery - which is absolutely amazing. Our first hike was the Riverside Walk. It was perfect for the kids!
The entire pathway is paved so it was easy to stroll along. The only downside was that we hadn't timed our arrival to the park very well and it was almost lunch time when we started hiking. The kids were hungry, but they did really well. Emma loved the trail mix I had packed, so she was good. Ben just wanted licorice. lol.
We made it to the end of the trail and found a bench to sit and eat some more. There were so many squirrels - that were WAY too tame. At first it was fun to see them, but they just wouldn't leave the kids alone while they were trying to eat! Emma stood on a bench and ate her snack and cringed every time a squirrel scampered underneath the bench.
Ben sat on the wall to eat his snack and ended up having a squirrel come right onto his lap and try to climb him! I tried to shoo it away, but it didn't even flinch. Ben started freaking out, so I ended up grabbing the squirrel and throwing it! ha! ha! Every time he saw a squirrel on the way back he would give them a wide berth!
The 'hike' was so amazing and beautiful. There was just enough shade to keep us cooled off and enough sunshine to enjoy the heat.
As we were on the shuttle, we saw some mountain climbers. Made me sick to my stomach just thinking about hanging off the side of that huge mountain!
This is one of the shuttles we took. Once we did the Riverside Walk, we filled up our water bottles again, and headed down to the Weeping Rock.
It was a steeper hike, but quite short. Once at the top, we climbed a few stairs and went up under the overhang where the water was flowing! The kids didn't like getting wet, but it was pretty neat standing under the rock and seeing the water and the spectacular view!
Ben loved finding different places to 'rest'. He thought this rock would make a pretty cool bed.
As soon as Ben got a picture, Emma needed one too! ha! ha!
By this time, we were all getting quite hungry, so we took the shuttle to the Lodge. We got some (overpriced) food and sat out on the patio to eat. The wind had come up though so it was interesting to try to hold everything down so it would blow away! The kids ate a bit and then were off to run around and find new friends (which they did!). Lennard and I both agree that we would love to come back and spend more time here! It is so beautiful.
After lunch and playtime, we decided to do one more hike. We went to explore the Emerald Pools. The kids were a little more tired this hike and let us know about it, although they did really well still.
I think if we'd come later in the year it would have been more impressive at the end of the hike. The pools were quite murky and brown and the kids didn't want to get wet again, so we didn't get to continue to see some of the other pools higher up.
Of course, I'm behind the camera, so no picture with me... but I sure do love this little family of mine! It was such a fantastic day. We had a bit of 'fun' getting a shuttle back to the visitor's center as they were completely packed! We let one go by, but when the next one was just as full, we decided we'd better just go. We had to stand the whole way back, but at least we got a ride!
The kids both fell asleep on the way back to the trailer. Their little legs worked hard today!
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