Zion National Park

After spending several days exploring everything around Zion we actually got to spend the day yesterday in the park! 

I don't have the words to describe how amazingly beautiful it is.  Nor do I have the pictures to show how beautiful it is.  I snapped some with my phone, but will have to wait until we are home from our trip to share Mark's much better pictures. 

It rained most of the morning while we did the tram tour.  It stopped in several places along it's route and we got out wherever there were kid friendly little walks/hikes to do with the kiddos. 

She's starting a new trend

 

After a morning in the park doing the free tram tour of the part of the park that you can't drive through, we headed into Springdale, a little town just outside the park, and had lunch and shopped a little.  We then headed back into the park to drive through on Highway 9.  It was breathtaking, just beyond words beautiful.  We even saw a heard of Big Horn Sheep!!!  Pretty cool. 

What I liked the most about it is that it is accessible to everyone!  While there are spots to stop and get out and walk around and take pics you could just take pics from your car window.  There were lots of wheelchair/stroller friendly spaces to visit.  Anyone can enjoy the beauty of Zion without having to hike in for miles and miles. 

There is however plenty of back-country stuff to do as well.  Tomorrow the plan is for the 4 adults to head into the park and attempt a pretty wicked hike.  Since we are having daily thunder storms with rain we will have to see how the weather is in the morning though, and if it rained all night or not.  If it's wet we won't be doing it...too dangerous and there have been some deaths on this particular trail.  We aren't taking on any additional risk like wet slick trail on the edge of a cliff! 

Check out THIS link for Angels Landing trail info.

As for running, we scoped out another trail to run on but then found out that Hunger Game style booby traps had been found on the trail, so now I'm done running in Utah.  I can't even imagine what a shock that would be to run into!  I'm going to have to hit it hard when we get back to be ready for the last half!