This time of year brings fall break and fall break to me is hiking and camping in Zion National Park. From the middle of October to the middle of November, you can walk along the Virgin River and watch the leaves change from their summer green to the golds and reds of autumn.
As a child, we would often sing in church a hymn titled "Israel, Israel, God Is Calling". The refrain of this song repeats the phrase "Come to Zion, come to Zion". Zion is promised to be a place where the Lord can be found and the individual is encouraged to rejoice as "Zion's walls shall ring with praise."
I think of the joy our family has found within these canyon walls, I know that we have been able to draw closer together and the memories and connections we have created here have been the good times that have helped us through the hard times. We have rejoiced.
Zion National Park has been home to many. While these individuals had diversity of culture, they all shared a belief in the sacredness of this place. Its beauty is a testament to a loving Heavenly Father who wants His children to be happy and find joy and peace.
At the entrance to Zion National Park stands one of the more distinctive features of the canyon; The Watchman. At its base is the campground that bears the same name. Many mornings I have sat by our fire and watched as the sun revealed this majestic peak and at night I have tucked by children nestled at its feet. To me the name calls to mind that hymn from my childhood.
I know that I have a loving Heavenly Father who is watching over me. He wants me to be happy and has provided a way for me to find that happiness. I am grateful everyday for that knowledge and the peace and joy it brings to my life.
To learn more about the joy found in God's light, click here.
So I am home from an amazing evening/morning with my forever best friend. Rick did such a great job planning our 24th anniversary celebration. It has become a tradition for us to sneak away to Springdale for a night away from the kids and just be us. It is kind of fun to play tourist once in a while and the residents in Springdale are very cool about not talking business when they see us together or they ask my permission first. Since Zion National Park is one of the big reasons we moved here, I am glad that we can enjoy it without Rick's job interfering.
Dinner last night was at the Bit N Spur. When we entered the restaurant, we were greeted by name. A woman standing in front of waiting to be seated turned around and asked us since we had obviously been there before, what we would recommend. Seriously, I go to the Bit N Spur when I want a fantastic steak or creme brulee, so that is my recommendation. By the time the host came back, he wanted to make sure we weren't with her. He knew us, but thought maybe we had brought her and her family, because we were chatting like old friends. Yep, that is one of the things I love most about Springdale - the people you meet.
We ate dinner on the patio and watched the sun set and the hummingbirds flitter. Unfotunately my phone was acting up and my camera wouldn't work.
Breakfast this morning was at another favorite spot, Oscar's Cafe. Rick has been raving forever about the breakfast burritos, so it was about time I tried them. It was so enormous, I only finished half and will still probably be full until dinner tonight.
My sweetheart
View from the patio during breakfast.
Last night we stayed at the Cliffrose Lodge and Gardens. I swear this place is magical. I love to wander through the gardens. There is such attention to detail and so many hidden surprises. Last night after dinner, we walked down by the river and sat on a bench looking at the stars. I know there are more stars in the sky over Springdale than anywhere else. We sat for over an hour talking, looking at stars and listening to the river. It was such a beautiful night. At one point we looked over and saw a deer walking out of the trees. She sat and stared at us for awhile while we stared at her and then she continued on her way along the river.
Here are some pictures of the beautiful gardens and the backdrop is spectacular.
View from the balcony outside our room. You can see the swimming pool
behind the tall pine trees
More of the view showing the playground area
The bench where we watched the stars. The bowery in the background and
all the open area is a beautiful place to hold a wedding.
This very well could have been the deer we saw the night before. Spingdale and
Zion Canyon are full of wildlife.
This path is behind the hotel and continues to the entrance to Zion
National Park.
The swimming pool, love the waterfall into the hottub.
Firepit by the river
Firepit hidden in the garden. There are lots of these little barbecue areas for guests.
This little patio area was right off our room. What a great place to meet with
friends to enjoy the sunrise or the beautiful evenings. We also had a small
private balcony right off our room.
It was such a great evening. I love Rick so much; more and more every year. I feel truly blessed to have been married to my best friend for 24 years and look forward to dancing forever together.
I mentioned in a previous post that my parents had been to St. George for a visit and we were able to spend time with them. For a very long time, my parents have owned a time share condo in St. George. I can remember coming here to visit as a teen. We always went to Zion Canyon or another National Park in the area. We always swam. My parents would go golfing. And I would always end up with a sunburn. I can remember sitting on the balcony of the condo looking at the St. George Temple lit up in the evening and thinking I had never seen anything so white.
Now my parents may have slowed down a little, but this time is still a break from home for them. It also affords them and my children a chance to have some one-on-one time that they get so little of with us living five hours away. This year my sister came with them so that was an extra bonus. It is nice to know that we do remember some things from our childhood the same way. (Insert big smiley face)
While Emily was at Girl Scout Camp, Jon and Lela went with my parents and Lorelei to the Grand Canyon. Not much hiking was done, but the view was spectacular.
Some wildlife
More wildlife
And even more wildlife
Jon's video of a lizard doing push-ups
On Friday, Lela, Emily and I took my parents and Lorelei to Zion. It had been years since my parents had driven up through the tunnel to the East Side of the Canyon. I love this drive up the switchbacks and the spectacular views. The tunnel is a engineering marvel. It stands as a tribute to the hard work and perseverance of all those who had a part in the construction.
For me exiting the tunnel to the East Side is like entering another world. It is a world of slick rock that appears to have been poured or oozed out to form this landscape that is a stark contrast to the towering sandstone cliffs found in the main canyon.
This trip we were able to see something I haven't seen in the previous nine years of living near the Canyon - Desert Big Horn Sheep. Not only did we see one, but four, including a baby. They most amazing thing about the wildlife in the Canyon is that to them people are part of their environment, so they are not afraid to walk down the road with you or stop and pose so you can take their picture. Make sure you don't try to pet them or feed them because they are still wild animals who need to be able to fend for themselves in order to survive.
For lunch, we stopped at Checkerboard Mesa and let the girls do some climbing while we ate. Then we drove back down canyon to catch the shuttle at the Natural History Museum for the ride up the Main Canyon to the Temple of Sinewava. There the girls did their best to get soaked in the Virgin River. The day ended with a stop at the Zion Canyon Lodge for an ice-cream cone.
Emily was so excited about seeing the Big-Horn Sheep, that she picked one as a treat at the gift shop in the Museum. Since the money from the purchase will go to the Adopt-A-Big Horn Program, she will soon be receiving an adoption certificate. She was even able to name her sheep - Bucky (Lela's suggestion).
My little mountain goats found a comfy place to hang out and eat lunch.
Mom, Dad, the girls and I with Checkerboard Mesa in the background.
Same group less me add Lorelei
Girls in the River
Made it to the rock.
All done!
Now if you want to experience driving through Zion - Mt Carmel Highway Tunnel and an excellent song to boot, you can watch this Emmy winning video, Rocks on Fire, by one of my favorite groups - Red Rock Rondo:
On our recent camping trip, we took our friends on one of my favorite hikes. I particularly like this hike in the Fall, because it allows me to experience the vibrant colors of my childhood autumns in Northern Utah. As my friend pointed out, you don't expect to see maple and oak in the desert. I especially love the contrast with our blue, blue sky; the red rocks of the canyon; the white sand and the green of the pine trees.
Here are some of my favorite pictures from this year and previous years:
