Today I made the reservation for one of the last RV parks we’ll stay at. The park is located in Grand Junction, Colorado. It is a hub that will allow me to visit customers in Denver and give the entire family access to Eastern Utah and Western Colorado. While finalizing the plans I realized that one week from tomorrow we’ll be back in California. We’ll be staying near Sacramento for a day or two before heading back into the bay area. This trip has flown by so fast, and I don’t want it to end. We do have a lot to do before the summer ends. Our reality dictates that it is unlikely we’ll be extending this particular adventure after we’ve attended a wedding for a close relative.
Zion National Park
I came into Zion as a complete newbie, I’ve only heard good things but I didn’t do a bit of research. When we first drove into the entrance area of the massive canyon I was immediately impressed with the scale. I was driving so it was hard to take in too much but as we drove further and further into the park I was shocked by how different it was from anything I’d seen. It had grand elements that rival Half Dome in Yosemite, but nearly everything about the park was unique and special. I can see now why so many people love this park and it was evident with crowds that exceeded what we saw even at the Grand Canyon earlier in our trip. After a quick walk around the museum, we settled on a trail to hike and headed out in search of parking.
Hiking the Watchman Trail
We opted to hike the Watchman Trail, the Watchman is the iconic peak in the southwestern corner of the park. It so happens that it is also the subject of a puzzle, more on that shortly. The elevation change isn’t too extreme but it’s enough to get your heart rate up and get a decent workout. I am not sure how it compares to other hikes visually in the park but the views were awesome from this trail. You start at the valley floor and trek through one canyon and up the far side via switchbacks. Once up to a higher elevation the trail meanders around eventually fully revealing the Watchman.
The Watchman with a bonus gnarly tree.
Before revealing the iconic Watchman, the trail brings you through a small oasis of sorts. The atmosphere of the environment changes from hot and dry to cool and inviting.
A mini Oasis complete with Cat-Tails, Chirping Birds, and Butterflies.
Zion was full of Magnificent views, we’ll be back.
What will tomorrow bring?
It’s critical to never plan too much on a trip like this. It’s the weekend so it’s dedicated family time and we’re not sure quite yet what our adventure will bring us tomorrow.
On a side note..
I really love all the encouragement and feedback I’ve gotten from so many of you on Facebook and elsewhere. The absolute best thing you can tell me is that my family’s adventure has inspired you to do something similar. This trip is so important for us, I believe it is one of many of our finest moments as a family. Here is another family endeavor, our newly acquired Zion Puzzle featuring the Watchman:
Zion Puzzle – the Watchman