We eventually threaten the kids with severe beatings unless they get up and retrieve our car from the valet an call the bellman to bring the bags down... northbound on I-15 by 7am heading into a corner of Arizona and then into Utah towards Zion National Park....finally (for me) the vacation was starting...I hate big cities!

ZION NATIONAL PARK

We lucked out and found a parking spot (after circling the lot for 10 minutes) just before we were going to give up and head back to town to catch the shuttle bus to the Visitor Center. That saved 30 minutes or so. Zion doesn't allow cars into the park, and all traffic is Park Shuttle Busses. With extra water bottles in hand and fanny-pack stuffed with snacks, we all ride to the very end of the park road and get off on a trail called the River Trail towards "The Narrows".

 
Pic #06 was taken from the shuttle bus window as we were heading back downstream. There were several bucks hanging along the road as we passed by. Halfway back down the gorge, we stopped for lunch at the Zion Lodge - they don't take credit and the food is expensive! Took every bit of cash we had with us at the time. Kim and I left for a short hike to Emerald Pools, just west from the lodge, leaving the kids cooling off under some huge shade trees. Pic #07 - 11 is on the way to or at the pools, but the season is so dry it was just a muddy puddle, but the surrounding scenery is beautiful.

 
Pic #12 above is a little known pictograph of some ancient indian civilization that lived here long ago... its not too far off the road and a short hike revealed this one rock that Canden is showing off for us... asking what it may have meant I came up with the obvious... the indian who wrote it was bemoaning the fact that his dog was picked up by a killer tornado and flung into a cactus, killing it....the worlds first Country Western song, huh?

 
Back in the car, we drive to the eastern portion of the park, through a mile-long tunnel to a whole different landscape. The ride east was the most spectacular up-close scenery we've seen yet. Pictures just don't take in the whole scene well. I made a 360-degree panorama shots of the typical scenery we encountered going through this side of the park...very cool shit!

EAST ENTRANCE ROAD - ZION CANYON N.P.

 
Pic #17 is the ass-end of some kinda sheep, goat, antelope, whatever it was I dunno...I had him in my sights really nicely but by the time I clicked the shutter it was turned and running away. #18 is of Checkerboard Butte, and #19 is leaving the park on our way to Bryce Canyon.

 
BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK

#20-22 is on the spur road about 40 miles north of Zion N.P. heading towards Bryce Canyon. This short stretch is called, appropriately, Red Canyon. We got to Bryce a little too late for the best sunset shots, as it was already getting dark down in the canyon. (If you're going, get there by 5pm) We still took some obligatory pictures (#23-27, and planned to return in the morning for sunrise shots. The canyon mouth opened to the east, so I figure sunrise will be pretty good here... Again, pictures just can't take in the scope of this place. The rock formations here are unbelievable. I plan on returning in the morning for some 360 degree panoramas.