My friend Robbie was born 29 years ago last Friday, so to celebrate, we (sans Ty since he had to work all weekend -- whaw whaw) went to Zion National Park. I almost feel a little like I won the lottery having this mecca of red rock just sitting in my proverbial back yard. Just look at it! I just wanna hug it it's so beautiful. And while it is actually 4 hours from my actual back yard (which is technically a communal park in my condo complex), I will still count it as long as I live in Utah. Makes me kinda proud to live in this great state.
The number of tourists you run into in Zion is astonishing. I sat next to a little French speaking family on the tram ride back from one of our hikes, and it never ceases to enthrall me when when I hear cute little toddlers speaking foreign languages (lisps and all). I had to consciously keep myself from staring too often. I have a bit of a staring problem just in case you didn't know. Cute kids? Great outfits? Foreign speakers? Beautiful houses? You better believe you will find me staring in the most polite and fascinated way possible. Anyway, I am sure I heard no less than 5 languages while I was there. Along with a group of tourists listening to what sounded like an Asian Nora Jones blasting out of their iPhone atop Angels Landing. I mean, why not listen to a beautiful song while admiring a beautiful vista, right? Why the heck not? That's what I say.
The weekend included 2.5 hikes, the first of which I have been excited to do for years now -- Angel's Landing. It ended up being a lot of things that people told me it would be -- beautiful, strenuous, steep, sweaty, wiggly, chainy and totally worth it. But it was not (and this might be the mighty, zealous adventurer in me), but it was not as death defying as people made it out to be. Really. So let that be known to the blogging universe -- if you don't suffer from vertigo or acrophobia, and you are comfortable doing rock scrambling, you will be A-okay.
We also hit up the mile-long Canyon Overlook Trail. It's those pictures I posted at the top of this post, and the view at the end is out of this world. We got there just as the sun was setting -- slightly overcast and stormy in the distance. As I sat on a large red rock, gazing at the vista, my friend Lance asked "Can you think of someplace you've seen more beautiful than this?" I racked my brain. Somewhere in India? no. Ireland? no. Hawaii? no. Iceland, Italy, France? no. no. no. Grand Canyon? Havasupai? nope. It was decidedly the most beautiful place I had ever seen. Took my breath right away, I tell you. But in that content, I-could-sit-here-for-hours kind of way. Get yourselves to Zion, people. You won't be sad, I promise.
And now a teaser load of photos to help you get on that future vacation planning.
PS -- Thank you Robbie Preece for providing photos 1, 2, 7, and 8
1 comments:
Looks like you had a really awesome time- I would love to go here someday :) - Court | lovecourtxoxo.com
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