Zion National Park

After last night’s least well-liked motel and restaurant, Zion Lodge is on par with Lake Powell Resort or probably better, in my opinion. We traveled through cattle and horse country between Bryce Valley and Zion National Park, stopping at the Red Canyon Visitor’s Center

and then at a trading post that had its marketing strategy down-pat … the men’s restroom was accessible on the outside of the building, but to get to the women’s you had to go THROUGH the gift shop!

Then we were on our way again, with a brief photo stop at a buffalo farm...

We stopped for pictures on the rim of Zion Canyon,

then started our descent to the canyon floor. We passed through 2 tunnels in the rock, one short and the other a mile long with occasional windows cut into the sides of the rock. Traffic has to be stopped on both sides because tour buses can only fit in the middle of the tunnel, so there was a 10-minute wait ‘til we could pass through. Our bus driver, Gina, is very talented, handling that huge bus with skill and finesse. Once through the tunnel, we were able to stop for pictures again.

It was a beautiful winding trip to the Canyon floor where we arrived at the lodge and spent the afternoon riding the free shuttle, getting off at different stops for photos and to visit the Human History Museum where Mom discovered that Zion became a National Park just one month before she was born! (1916) She told the Park Ranger at the museum this and the ranger gave her a bunch of park stickers.

We saw the "Court of the Patriarchs," Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,

and other majestic feats of creation that really made you put things in perspective.

Zion Lodge has beautifully decorated rooms, a balcony for each room, no TV (there’s enough to look at right out our windows!) and we enjoyed a fantastic meal (on Caravan Tours) at the restaurant above the lobby. We ate with another mother-daughter team and got lots of advice on what to do and see in Las Vegas. It seems a number of tour members are staying over in Vegas for a couple nights, but so far none of us are staying at the same hotel.

We are so deep in the canyon that cell phone reception is poor and my internet doesn’t work at all. And I must admit, in this gorgeous spot, I don't miss it at all!

Tomorrow morning will be more leisurely with time to enjoy the morning light on the canyon walls, take a group picture and then head for Las Vegas at 10:00 a.m.