Christina’s Journey Journal

Category: Utah

  • Zion National Park Wrap Up🇺🇸

    Zion National Park Wrap Up🇺🇸

    This was the best week with my youngest son, Logan, exploring two national parks, hiking, and spending time together before he heads off for his senior year of college in August. Today is Memorial Day and I am not only reflecting on the trip but also on the sacrifices made by our service men and women — sacrifices that allow us the privilege of spending time freely in this beautiful country.

    Location: Springdale, UT is the perfect base camp. It’s right outside Zion and it has everything you could possibly want—small town feel, really yummy restaurants, convenience / grocery stores, gear stores, ice cream (who doesn’t like ice cream every night on vacation??), and even spas. I walked into one of those spas yesterday after hiking and was able to get a massage. The Spa at Cable Mountain Lodge is fantastic—jacuzzi, steam room, and a relaxing massage (thanks, Scott!). Highly recommend this place to soothe those tired hiking muscles. I feel like a new person today!

    Sitting on the patio and listening to the Virgin River

    Also, fellow Birkenstock fans—Simply Birkenstocks has Birks I didn’t even know existed and they ship too (don’t ask me how I know that). Also, they carry other shoe brands (Teva, Chacos, Naot, etc) and gear/clothing that you may have forgotten to pack—like Vuori and Kuhl.

    We stayed at the Desert Pearl Inn. I will write a Trip Advisor review shortly and link it here. It was everything we thought it would be and more. The pool and hot tub were nice after a long day of hiking. Our room was clean and modern. We backed to the Virgin River—the river was right out our back door. It was so darned relaxing to sit on the patio (we were ground level) and watch/listen to the water every morning/evening. That river moves fast! We had one small issue with a smell in the bathroom but they were quick to fix it for us.

    The weather couldn’t have been better—sunny, 70s/80s and no humidity. In the morning it was actually chilly and when the sun sets, it’s extremely pleasant. I could get used to weather like this!

    Yesterday was another full day of hiking. During this trip we did every major hike in Zion we could, other than 3 that were closed due to rock slides/high water. Unfortunately, The Narrows was the one closed due to high water. Oh well…gives us another reason to come back! We enjoyed the Riverside Walk Trail that follows the Virgin River and took us to the start of The Narrows. We also hiked the Pa’rus and Weeping Rock Trails. We walked from Canyon Junction to the Court of the Patriarchs where we took the shuttle to the Zion Lodge and ate lunch. Good lunch but not as good as the Lodge at Bryce Canyon.

    Riverside Walk Trail – a 2.2 mile (out and back) paved trail that leads to the start of The Narrows
    A waterfall along the Riverside Walk Trail on another beautiful cloudless day ☀️
    The Weeping Rock — a little oasis in the middle of the desert! It starts with melting snow and rain as the water travels down the Navajo sandstone. At some point, the water cannot pass through the rock so it starts to come out the side of the cliff, forming a spring!
    The Weeping Rock as we hiked up to it

    Last evening I had THE BEST spaghetti squash enchiladas at Whiptale Grill. In fact, it’s the only time I have ever had spaghetti squash enchiladas but I know I will crave them from here on out. Logan and I agreed that this restaurant and Oscar’s Cafe were our favorites. Check out Oscar’s Pork Chili Verde Tamales and the Salmon Filet.

    Goodbye Zion. We loved every minute with you. We felt your truly awesome creativity and force with all of our senses. Thank you for the experiences and memories. 🧡💚
  • Bryce Canyon National Park☀️

    Bryce Canyon National Park☀️

    We struggled with making a decision. Do we drive two hours to go to Bryce Canyon National Park today or do we stay in Zion? We had many recommendations to go and so we thought, let’s do it! BEST DECISION!! Bryce Canyon, or BC (which I will affectionally call it), was beyond our wildest imagination. It’s something right out of fantasyland. They even have a Canyon named Fairyland! Whether you see chess pieces ♟️ or other mythical creatures, BC was like a sugar craving. You know when you open a candy bar and say, “I am just going to have 1 square and save the rest for later”? Then next thing you know, the entire bar is gone. That was how we felt about these rocks. We couldn’t just see 1 — we wanted to see them all! I have over 500 pictures and videos from today…I know, it’s over the top but so worth it.

    The “rocks” are actually called Hoodoos and BC has the greatest Hoodoo collection in the world. And, the perfect climate, too, with the right balance of freezing and thawing to create them.

    So many pictures and not one can do this justice

    We started our drive through Zion National Park (Hwy 9) at 6:30 am, going through the historic 1.1 mile long Zion-Mount Carmel tunnel, which provides direct access for travel between Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, and Zion National Parks. In about 1 hour 50 minutes, we arrived at BC and started hiking at the Bryce Point trailhead (Elevation 8,300). We walked the Rim Trail, stopping at various points, including Inspiration Point, Sunset Point, and Sunrise Point. This led us to the Navajo Loop, taking us down to the Amphitheater (the floor) where we could hike amongst the Hoodoos. We joined up with the Queen’s Garden Trail, which brought us back to the top. I find it much more difficult to hike canyons—what goes down, has to come back up! I’d rather do the hardest part first.

    Hiking with the Hoodoos

    We then ate a really delicious lunch at the rustic Bryce Canyon Lodge. It’s been in operation since 1925 and designed by the famous architect, Gilbert Stanley Underwood. I had a Reuben on a GF bun—one of the best Reubens! We shared some garlic parmesan fries, which were also yummy. Maybe I was just really hungry from the hikes?

    After lunch we hiked back along the Rim Trail, saw some deer that didn’t seem fazed by us, and made a quick stop by Fairyland Canyon on our way out.

    Next time I would add another day for BC. Night time star gazing is supposed to be amazing. Also, there are a couple of other hikes we didn’t have time for in one day. I would love to see the shifting colors of the Hoodoos with sunrise and sunset.

    Naming all the Hoodoos
    (although some of the more famous ones have names – Thor’s Hammer, The Hunter, Queen Victoria)

    Let’s talk a little more about the Hoodoos, because they are fascinating. They don’t grow out of the ground. Rather, they are eroded out of cliffs. Rows of narrow walls form calls fins. Then cracks occur and holes appear. The fins now have windows. As the windows get bigger, the tops eventually collapse and ta da—a baby hoodoo is born. Rain/snow act like a sculptors and make the hoodoo look like you see in the pictures—a bulbous spire. They have their lifespan and eventually break down into lumps of clay while new Hoodoos are born.

    Picture perfect day with temperatures in the low 60s (Fahrenheit).
  • Day 2 on the Trail in Zion National Park – Angels Landing😇

    Day 2 on the Trail in Zion National Park – Angels Landing😇

    We did it! Well…I did it. Not sure there was ever any question my son couldn’t do it🤣

    “It” means hiking Angels Landing, a 1,488-foot tall rock formation in Zion National Park. It stands 5,790 feet tall and provides the most amazing, surreal views of the canyon. It literally took my breath away!

    This was by far the HARDEST 4 hour hike (5 miles out and back) I have ever done. 21 switch backs called Walter’s Wiggles, 1,500 foot elevation gain, and then we got on (what I call) “the chains course” for the longest last 1/2 mile of my life. You now need a permit to hike Angels Landing and we were the lucky lottery winners for today. I highly recommend this hike for adventure seekers but not for anyone fearful of heights or with two left feet! You can hear my out-of-breathe narration below if you want to add to your hiking bucket list.

    ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
    At the top!
    The weather was perfect—sunny and high 70s (Fahrenheit)

    We found out it’s called Angel’s Landing because a Methodist minister, Frederick Vining Fisher, once said that because it’s so massive that only angels might land on it. It’s indeed tall at 5,770 feet with rock from the Jurassic period. The trail is rated as one of the most dangerous hikes in the USA. There are no guard rails and 14 people have died due to falls. We played it safe in all ways – sunscreen + light weight clothing, plenty of water and snacks, took our time, used the chains, stayed away from the edges, and followed the rules of the park. Also, I didn’t take any photos/videos unless I was on a plateau or at a safe stopping point. Call me cautious but I wanted to write this post!

    Angels Landing used to be a very congested trail, thus the reason for the lottery, which designated our date and start time. Make sure you check the park’s website for details – they have a season lottery (which we did) or a day before lottery.

    Logan using the chains to descend.
  • Zion National Park – On the trails today 🥾

    Zion National Park – On the trails today 🥾

    As I write this I can barely stand. That’s what happens when I try to keep up with my athlete son who is 23! Almost 12 miles. Almost 28,000 steps. 60 flights climbed. My legs are screaming!

    Here’s me and my legs before they were screaming

    We started our day at about 8:00 am with the Watchman Trail. Elevation gain was around 650 feet and the sun wasn’t too bad since it was early and partly shaded. The wildflowers were abundant and added that little something extra to the hike.

    At the end of Watchman Trail

    Right now you cannot drive your car into Zion National Park. They have a well-oiled bus system that makes 9 stops throughout the park, starting at the visitors center and ending at the Temple of Sinowava (The Narrows, Riverside Walk). And there’s another bus line that makes 9 steps in Springdale, UT and takes you into the park at Zion Canyon Village so that you don’t have to drive at all. It’s an outstanding free perk! Stop 4 is right outside our hotel. That said, it’s only .9 miles to the visitor’s center so we walked there this morning, and then walked home.

    After completing the Watchman Trail, we hopped on the bus and then took The Grotto to Kayenta Trail and then on to the Emerald Pools Trails (lower, middle and upper). Another elevation gain of about 650 feet. Gorgeous waterfalls and hanging gardens. And the rocks! I said to my son, “gosh, these rocks never get old” and that smartie says “But they are old, Mom—they’re 270 million years old!” Ba-dum-bump.

    The Virgin River may not look like much, but it’s mighty enough to continue to erode through this canyon, shaping and carving what you see here!
    The lower Emerald Pool
    Cooling off from the waterfall spray
    The upper Emerald Pool
    Another view of the gorgeous upper Emerald Pool
    Lots of sand in the shoes in this hike

    We ate lunch after hiking at Cafe Soleil, a cute little breakfast, lunch and coffee shop that caters to hikers with smoothies and fresh food. Lots of gluten free options, including bread. For gluten free folks, it’s always a nice surprise when we can have a sandwich! Dinner was MeMe’s Cafe where we sat outside and enjoyed delicious homemade crepes (also had gluten free batter for the crepes).

    Now it’s time for bed because tomorrow is a hike we’re been waiting to do for years!

  • Springdale, UT – on the doorstep of Zion National Park🇺🇸

    Springdale, UT – on the doorstep of Zion National Park🇺🇸

    After landing in Las Vegas, we rented a car for the 3 hour drive to Southwest Utah. We arrived at a breathtaking place called Zion National Park, found at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions. We’ve here for the long Memorial Day weekend, filled with hiking, hiking, and more hiking. Oh and lots of people. Last year during this same weekend Zion saw 82,000 people! I guess you can say it’s the calm before the swarm (of people).

    I was curious as to what “Zion” means — and I found many answers: “highest point”, “utopia”, “holy place”, “Israel”, “heaven”.
    Our view just walking down the street!
    My son is with me on this trip because we are both hiking aficionados
    The honeysuckle! One of my favorite smells.💛
    Springdale, UT is charming, the resort is comfortable, and the Virgin River is out our back door. We had some really yummy rotisserie chicken for dinner from Camp Outpost (along with sweet potato hummus)

    Let the hiking begin!