Saturday, April 26, 2008
UTAH Rocks: Zion
5 days since we got back - and I'm starting to get used to having no desert around me. No cliffs, no majestic views other than traffic lights and Safeway signs. No living out of a suitcase, no more hiking shoes or Teva sandals composing my footwear wardrobe. It's good to be home, but - I am missing the views, the fresh air, the stars, the silence, that sense of awe that I felt wherever I looked.
Time to reminisce, then.
We flew to Las Vegas on Saturday, 2 weeks ago - one day later than planned, but let's forget this part.
Having never been to that city, I pressed my nose in anticipation against the window of the airplane, and was very surprised to see how small it actually is. I imagined it so much bigger, and very different. It was almost surreal to see a group of tall buildings bunched up, surrounded by a vast area of, well, nothing. I was very curious to see it up close, so we drove through The Strip.Hmm... I was actually amused to see the the mighty sphinx of Luxor ogling the Statue of Liberty, the juxtaposition of Eiffel Tower with Rio, and the cocktail of Tropicana with a sprits of Mandalay Bay, all garnished with the Bellagio. OK then... got the idea after a couple of minutes, but we were yet to make our way out of the busy traffic. I'm sure it's much more impressive at night with the lights and all. Plus - I wanted to see nature!
And so, after a few left turns and a quick lunch (In-n-Out seemed like the best choice under the circumstances), we started to head towards the little town of Springdale, UT, that resides on the edge of Zion National Park.
It didn't us take long to start enjoying the feel of the desert - weird cacti on the roadside grabbed our attention, and the winding road among cliffs had a great positive impact on our stressed-out mood.
Arriving at Springdale, we checked into the Harvest House B&B, overlooking The Watchman cliff. We had high expectations. Very high, in fact, as it was rated #1 on Trip Advisor. Got a very warm welcome from Tom, the owner, and followed him to our room on the second floor. WOW! Great room, meticulously clean to the extent that you are almost afraid to step in it - and the whole house had this wonderful fresh smell that is still a riddle to us. And - as I stepped out of the room to the private porch, The Watchman was, like, right there! As if it's the most natural thing in the world to have this majestic cliff peeking at the window. The room - and the breakfast - exceeded our expectations - this place gracefully made its way to the top 3 B&B we've ever stayed in (and we have a lot of B&Bs in our histories), in all aspects.Since we arrived in the evening, we took a couple of hours to fall in love with the very cute town of Springdale, its many little shops and the friendly people strolling around, before having a wonderful birthday dinner at The Spotted Dog café. Two friendly guys were sitting at the table next to us, looking like the ultra-hikers type, so I asked them what they recommend for newcomers who have one day only in the park. They diagnosed us as out-of-shape rookies (well, sadly, we were!) and told us about the easier ways to enjoy Zion.
The morning after, we had a wonderful breakfast prepared by Tom, the B&B owner. The star was a divine stuffed French toast - a dish I have never had before and I would give a lot to have again! That was accompanied by an interesting conversation with the two other couples who stayed at the B&B: one Mormon couple, and one very yuppie couple from Los Angeles. Quite a contrast, eh?
And - we headed to the park. We started off by a drive through the tunnel (very cool!!) and a hike to the Zion Overlook, where The JohnnyB has discovered - much to his dismay - that he has joined the rest of us mortals by developing a fear of heights. (Ah, I still recall when I first found out I adopted this fear - four years ago, on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, as we were climbing it! Not a good place to discover such a thing, so I just kept going, trying to look good in pale...). Anyway, looking down the overlook became a bit of an unexpected challenge, but the views were remarkable nonetheless.
See the tiny white spot sorrounded by a red circle in the photo below? (this red circle is my ArtPact for the day...). That's a white tour bus that had the courtesy to climb up the road and serve as a nice perspective reference so y'all can appreciate the size we're talkin' about.
From there, we drove back, parked the car next to the visitor center, and took the shuttle all the way to the Temple of Sinawava, taking the time to get off at some stops in order to overuse the "Wow!" word and take photos galore.
We took the shuttle back, and went for the Riverside Walk - a nice stroll (can't really call it a hike, as it's on a paved trail) that takes you down the Virgin River. A very popular route, so it seems, as it attracted quite a few fellow visitors.
We heard a lot about The Narrows and the fun walk in the water that takes you to the cliff called Wall Street - TexieD told me that was one of the best parts of Zion - but that trail was closed for the day. Too much water flowing too fast in too low a temperature. Bummer.
Still - The JohnnyB would never give up the opportunity to dip his feet in water. A true Minnesotan is not afraid of the cold. So, as we arrived at the river, he took his dusty hiking shoes off, and dipped - - -
- - - And, 10 minutes later, his feet got back to their natural color. A shame, really, as he was quite cute in his transformation into a smurf.We went back to Springdale for dinner. this time, went for the Switchback Grill. Another nice, friendly restaurant with decent food, that made me very happy because their presentation of the food resembles the scenery of Zion, with mashed potatoes and other sides arranged like the rock formations in the park. Now, that's creative!
And, after an obligatory orange sunset (oh yes, that's what it looks like. Really. Flaming rocks against the cobalt blue skies, and so much silence!), we hit the sack. A long day - and Bryce Canyon - were awaiting us.
More to come.
Labels: Holidays, Nature, Time Out, Vacation
# posted by Nava @ 7:29 PM 
Comments:
Wow. Gorgeous photos. As you might have noticed (thanks for popping in, by the way!), I love hiking, too. Unfortunately, I don't get to do it much (living in Wisconsin). I've always wanted to make my way out to the Grand Canyon; your post makes me want it even more...
# posted by 
: 4/27/2008 6:50 AM
Oh, how you take me back in memory - I also didn't believe the red of the red rocks. Thanks for the wry report and the photos.
And BTW thanks for ringing that white spot I thought it was a termite.
Val
# posted by : 4/27/2008 8:42 AM
Apparently it was more of tourmite.
ba dump Dah!
errrrr.... ;)
I too developed a latter-day acrophobia. Mine reared its ugly head on the 7th floor balcony of a condo in Myrtle Beach, a few years back. The hardest part to take, and what actually got me "over it" (for the most part) was just watchin' my step-girl and her friends leaning against the railing looking at the beach below. My concern for her overwhelmed the vertigo and allowed me to reapproach the railing and be able to enjoy looking over it for the next 6 days.
But {whew!} What a trip!
Glad ya had a lot of Wows!
Absolutely gorgeous!!!
It looks magnificently quiet...
Can't wait for more.
# posted by : 4/27/2008 8:25 PM
Ok - I did scream once like a little girl in Zion, but that was from the cold water, not the heights.
That was more of a tremble in fear. I was pretty good with railings, unless they only came upto my knees, and made an excellent way to trip and fall-over...
A tremendous adventure. I think I love the desert more than any other place. I don't know why that is, but my fascination for it far exceeds any other environment.
# posted by : 4/28/2008 10:45 AM
Fantastic!!! And LV is indeed a very very strange place. Your vacation was far better spent where you went. :)
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# posted by : 4/27/2008 6:50 AM
: 4/27/2008 6:50 AM And BTW thanks for ringing that white spot I thought it was a termite.
Val
# posted by : 4/27/2008 8:42 AM
: 4/27/2008 8:42 AM ba dump Dah!
errrrr.... ;)
I too developed a latter-day acrophobia. Mine reared its ugly head on the 7th floor balcony of a condo in Myrtle Beach, a few years back. The hardest part to take, and what actually got me "over it" (for the most part) was just watchin' my step-girl and her friends leaning against the railing looking at the beach below. My concern for her overwhelmed the vertigo and allowed me to reapproach the railing and be able to enjoy looking over it for the next 6 days.
But {whew!} What a trip!
Glad ya had a lot of Wows!
It looks magnificently quiet...
Can't wait for more.
# posted by : 4/27/2008 8:25 PM
: 4/27/2008 8:25 PM That was more of a tremble in fear. I was pretty good with railings, unless they only came upto my knees, and made an excellent way to trip and fall-over...
# posted by : 4/28/2008 10:45 AM
: 4/28/2008 10:45 AM 
