Mount Carmel Junction, Utah (Zion NP)

We are out in the middle of nowhere Utah where the people are friendly and the scenery is beautiful.  It has been a long day of driving but we made it to Zion National Park in time to see the canyon before the sun was down.  

I left my BlackBerry at the Red Feather Hotel in Tusayan.  Every hotel we have stayed in has had free WiFi in all rooms therefore emailing should not be a problem.

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

Leaving GCNP for the other canyons (Zion, Bryce, de Chelly) or Monument Valley, you pass the viewpoints once again.  This morning we stopped at Navajo Point for a farewell look at this majestic canyon.  It is so beautiful and such a spectacular sight, it is almost impossible to take it in. 

Bev, standing close to the edge getting some of her last shots of the canyon.

The weather was beautiful today.  There was not a cloud in the sky but this makes the canyon very bright and hard to photograph especially with a slight haze.  Here is my last look at the canyon, and perhaps hopefully I will return one day ....

LITTLE COLORADO RIVER GORGE, ARIZONA

About 30 miles from the GCNP exit is Little Colorado River Gorge.  After a short walk over a rocky path from the parking area it is quite scary to look down at the river below you.   With no handrails to hold onto it would be easy to fall over the edge and I get vertigo at this spot.

LAKE POWELL, ARIZONA AND UTAH

We stopped in Page, Utah, for lunch, pit stop, and change of drivers.  The drive from GCNP to Zion National Park is about 240 miles (386 kms) but with the slow speed limit within a National Park the driving time is longer than one would expect.  Lake Powell looked beautiful reflecting the bright blue sky and the white sandy rocks on the far side.

WELCOME TO UTAH

The elevation we were in went down ... then up ... then down ... and up again many times all day.  From a low around 4500 feet (1371 meters) to a high of 6910 feet (2106 meters) our ears were popping.   I thought this sign cute.

ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

Another day, another canyon.  The visit to Zion National Park is quite different than GCNP.  In Zion you travel along the canyon floor beside the Virgin River.  So this morning we were looking down into a canyon and this afternoon we were looking up at rocky butte's and mountains.  The turnoff to Zion NP is at Mount Carmel Junction so when heading to Bryce Canyon National Park tonight we decided to stay here and drive the hour to Bryce in the morning.

I will leave you with a few photographs from Zion National Park, Utah.

I see something in this formation, what do you see?

Progress remember .... to see the canyon it can only be done by Shuttle Buses.  We took the Shuttle Bus the length of the canyon, it stops at Temple of Sinawava which is almost closed in.