AS WE REMEMBER ZION

Yes, we camped in a desert dump a few nights ago but the next morning things got better. We headed to a haven for campers, Utah’s Zion National Park.

We drove faster than usual

so we could pass through Las Vegas quickly.

Two hours later we were in awe, meandering through a sandstone cathedral called Zion. As a park ranger put it, “At the Grand Canyon you look down in amazement. Here you look up”.

We looked up a lot as we wandered up the 20-mile basin. The single road inclines following the Virgin River

which flows down the valley.

The three million annual visitors clog up the place so now they’re required to ride around on comfortable, free shuttle buses.

That was fine with us. We put our bikes on the front, of one, took them to the top of the valley floor, then coasted down. It was the best ride ever.

It reminded me of the long rides you can take down Hawaii’s Haleakala Volcano. Those cost over a hundred bucks. Ours was free.

Camping was great too. When it got too hot, we’d float down the Cafe Con Leche River. Nights were in the high 50’s. Deer kept wandering into our campsite to freak out our dog which amused us.

At the visitor center in Zion, I asked if we should go further north to Bryce Canyon Park. He told me although there are a dozen or so canyon parks that connect in this park of the country, each was different. He said, “If you have the time, go check out Bryce. You’ll be glad you did”.