Utah - Zion National Park - October 14-23

We truly fell in love with the Salt Lake City area of Utah during our month stay. 

We especially enjoyed the 26 mile (both ways) bike path located literally just feet from our RV site.

We especially loved the amazing variety of reasonably priced, beautiful golf courses.  During our stay in the Salt Lake Area we played about 15 courses and have about 15 new ones to try out on the next trip.

You also never know who you are going to meet on the course!  But, we've been here 30 days so its time to head south to Zion Nat'l Park.

 

Due to the speed of the spring water current we could not hike The Narrows on our first trip to Zion.  So we headed back and scored an RV site inside the park!

We took the opportunity to see Zion from a new perspective. On Kolob Terrace Road (east side) we found an overlook where you can even see the top of "West Temple," the highest point (7,810 feet.)

We biked from the campsite to the propane fueled shuttle to head out to Riverwalk which is the start of the Narrows.  I caught this photo out the roof top window of some rock climbers!

We got off the shuttle, hiked the mile riverside walk and arrived at the entrance of the Narrows, the grandfather of all slot canyons.  The river is the trail where the parallel walls squeeze down to their most slender dimensions.

Here we are moving toward the deepest water (it eventually came up to my waist) with our rented equipment: poles, neoprene booties, pants and boots. The water was a bit chilly but what an amazing experience!

Here we are at one of the lower water levels but getting ready to enter an area where you have to walk against the current.  It is a real challenge even at the shallower depths.

Its hard to get a perspective of a slot canyon but here is a view from the water level looking up to the top of the canyon wall. 

We also fell in love with the apple orchard in Zion where you can pick your own Fuji apples.  Mark's niece, Vanessa, came to visit and also got to enjoy the fun of apple picking.

Mark had promised Vanessa to take her horseback riding when we lived in Missouri.  He finally got to fulfill his promise when we visited Zion.

But,oh no, Mark got a Mule named, of all things, "Fancy! They took a 3 hr ride along the canyon ridge.  I'm not sure if Vanessa enjoyed the ride as much as she enjoyed chuckling at Uncle Mark's mule!

We had lots of fun during our return visit to Zion including a nice relaxing dinner at the historic Zion Lodge, But we have a few more stops before the end of October.  Next stop, a fun visit to Las Vegas with Vanessa taking her first ride in the RV!