Sunday the 24th: Zion National Park, Utah
The cold is starting to set in and camping is not an option most days...not sure how much longer we're going to last. Suprisingly though, we are still fighting for parking spots and viewpoints as the parks in southern Utah remain in the high season!

Zion is a prime tourist destination and because of this, the park's main attraction (Zion Canyon) can only be visited by shuttle bus. Other areas can be seen from your own vehicle. So, with the buses running fifteen minutes apart and stopping at all the major points, we were able to see most of the Canyon in one day.

The only down side is that the most desirable area of the park, the Narrows, can only be seen with good kevlar shoes as you have to hike a few miles in an open river bed (Virgin River) to experience the narrow canyon walls. We tried to walk in with our bare feet but the water was absolutely freezing. Probably missed an opportunity to see one of the wonders of the world but, we've seen enough things on this trip to last us a lifetime. If you decide to go though, bring some good water resistant boots or go in the middle of summer.

Oh, the park was incredibly beautiful too!

Checkerboard Mesa:

Zion Canyon, first image shows the Virgin River running through:

Weeping Rock:

Rock face of Weeping Rock:

Kolob Canyon (northwest Zion) near sunset: