Zion National Park Archives – One for the Money Two for the Road

Featured

Perhaps it’s because we’re born from water that we are drawn to it in nature, or maybe we are fascinated because its power can destroy as well as sustain life. In our travels we choose to cautiously enjoy the beauty of water while never daring to take it for granted. Today we are sharing some our favorite photographs of water. Dive in and enjoy.

“A calm water is like a still soul.” – Lailah Gifty Akita

Mirrored greens of spring. Hamilton Pool, Texas.

“Water is the most perfect traveler because when it travels it becomes the path itself!” – Mehmet Murat ildan

The milky Virgin River becomes The Narrows Trail. Zion National Park, Utah.

“Grace is finding a waterfall when you were only looking for a stream.” – Vanessa Hunt

We had no idea of what we might find when we set off on the trail, but we were thrilled to find ourselves alone with a stream and these beautiful waterfalls. Sabbaday Falls, New Hampshire. (Shot from an iPhone 10.)

“If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.” – Loren Eisley

Magical Caribbean blues with sparkles and steam. Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park.

“The power of nature can make fun of the power of man at any time!” – Mehmet Murat ildan

The muddy Ruidoso River surges angrily past the bridge its floodwaters destroyed. Ruidoso, New Mexico, 2008. See our post on Ruidoso here.

“Water is life’s matter and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water.” – Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

Sunrise reflections. Lake Mackenzie, Texas.

“Be like water. Flow, crash, fly!” – Md. Ziaul Haque

The sapphire hued Atlantic plays happily among the rocks. York, Maine.

“The fall of dropping water wears away the stone.” – Lucretius

The water-worn stone creates a perfect pour off for this little fall. Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire. See our Franconia Notch State Park post here.

“A river seems a magic thing. A magic, moving, living part of the very earth itself.” – Laura Gilpin

Early morning at John Dunn Bridge. Rio Grande River, New Mexico.

“An iceberg is water striving to be land.” – Salman Rushdie

Brilliant blue bergy bit. Tracy Arm Fjord, Alaska

“The earth, the air, the land, and the water are not an inheritance from our forefathers but on loan from our children. So we have to handover to them at least as it was handed over to us.” – Gandhi

Solitude and reflection. Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

“Water is the driving force of all nature.” – Leonardo Da Vinci

Wildfire smoke created a filter for this hazy evening shot on the Colorado River. Moab, Utah.

We are certainly not professional photographers although we do enjoy photography. Our method is to aim and shoot, and we rarely ever use filters or enhancements for the shots we post. We might crop a few, but we don’t know how to do any other editing. So, what you see is what we saw when we clicked. And once in a while we get lucky! It is a pleasure to share our photos and road trips, and we hope you enjoy seeing them. Let us know which one is your favorite. We would love to hear from you.

Need some road trip inspiration? Click on these great national park sites:

Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park

10 Amazing Things to See and Do at Big Bend National Park

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Thank you for joining us!

Mike & Kellye

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.

Featured

We covered Zion National Park several years ago. This is a new post with enhanced content and updated information.

Zion National Park is approximately:

308 miles from Salt Lake City, Utah — 427 miles from Los Angeles, California — 377 miles from Phoenix, Arizona — 159 miles from Las Vegas, Nevada

The closest city with a major airport is obvious. So, pack your bag, stash some cash in your pocket, and get ready for a ride because our first stop is Las Vegas!

Iconic Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada sign – Photo by Pixabay

Las Vegas

For first time visitors to Las Vegas, we recommend checking out the hotels/casinos on the Strip (officially Las Vegas Avenue). Each hotel has something different to see and do, and each one is worthy of a visit. Less expensive accommodations can be found off the Strip as well as downtown, and there are many RV campgrounds in and around the city.

Restaurant recommendations are difficult because we’ve never had a bad meal in Las Vegas. However, we think Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House at the MGM Grand and the buffet at the Wynn Las Vegas are definitely worth mentioning. As far as attractions go, there are too many to list here, but here’s a great link for things to do in Las Vegas.

Now, on to Zion National Park…

Leaving Las Vegas

Getting There

⇒Take I-15 North toward Mesquite, Nevada and the Arizona state line.

Bonus stop: Valley of Fire State Park. Exit I-15 at Crystal, Nevada then take the Valley of Fire Highway to the park’s entrance. The park road is a Nevada Scenic Byway, and the park features hiking trails, spectacular red rock formations, and petroglyphs. RV and tent camping are available. Drive time between Las Vegas and Valley of Fire State Park: 47 minutes.

⇒Continue on I-15 to St. George, Utah. Drive time between Las Vegas, Nevada and St. George, Utah: 2 hours.

Interstate 15 traverses the scenic Virgin River Gorge through northwestern Arizona into southwestern Utah.

Numerous hotel, dining, and camping options are available in St. George, Hurricane, and Springdale, Utah. Drive times to the park:

From St. George: 1 hour
From Hurricane: 32 minutes
From Springdale: 3 minutes. The park provides free shuttles around the town of Springdale and to the park for visitors who wish to use them.

Travel tip: the closer the hotel is to the park, the higher the rates.

⇒From I-15, take Highway 9 east toward Springdale, Utah and Zion National Park.

The Watchman, Zion National Park

Destination: Zion National Park

Ahh…Zion! From finding peaceful solitude, to hiking, climbing, canyoneering, backpacking, or simply enjoying the beautiful scenery, Zion has an adventure for every visitor. It is also one of five national parks in Utah. So, depending on how much time you have, a visit to Zion could lead to visits to Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches National Parks.

Website link: Zion National Park.
Accommodation in the park: Zion Lodge.
Restaurant and seasonal cafe at Zion Lodge.
Three campgrounds in the park.
Free shuttle. (Mandatory in Zion Canyon from spring through fall.)
When to go? Anytime. We like September.
Advance permits by lottery are required for hiking to Angels Landing. Check website for details.

No filters…the color is real!

Zion Canyon

We highly recommend getting to the park early in the morning. Parking can be difficult during peak tourist seasons and the parking lots fill quickly. Overflow parking is available in Springdale, and the Springdale shuttle runs to and from the park. Hop-on hop-off shuttles inside the park run the length of Zion Canyon with nine different stops. We never waited longer than ten minutes for a shuttle in the park, however, we waited in line for almost an hour to get on one of the first shuttles of the day. Did we let that bother us? Absolutely not! The park was definitely worth the wait.

Travel tip: carry a backpack with everything you will need for a full day in the park, including lunch, snacks, and plenty of water. Now get ready to say “Wow” about a million times!

View from the canyon floor

Riverside Walk

From the visitor center, take the shuttle all the way up the canyon to the Temple of Sinawava shuttle stop. This is where the Riverside Walk trail begins. The paved trail, which follows the Virgin River, is easy, and it is the gateway to the Narrows. The Narrows is a ten to sixteen-mile hike in the river, and it is strenuous, but it is one of the most popular hikes at Zion. Check with the visitor center regarding river conditions before attempting the Narrows. After Riverside Walk, work your way back down the canyon by hiking other trails (check out Weeping Rock Trail) or by taking the shuttle to another stop.

View of the river from Riverside Walk Entering the Narrows

The Grotto Trail to Zion Lodge

This is an easy, one mile hike, and the scenery is so much more spectacular from a trail than from a vehicle. The shuttle stop at The Grotto is also the trailhead for Angels Landing, which is another one of the most popular trails at Zion. Angels Landing trail is long, strenuous, and not for everyone, but we hear the views are incredible. Advance permits are required for Angels Landing.

Zion Lodge Angels Landing View from the Grotto Trail

Lower Emerald Pool Trail

From the Grotto trail, take the Lower Emerald Pool trail. This trail is just a little over a mile long, and it’s easy, though there are some inclines along the way.

Lower Emerald Pool trail Waterfall view, Lower Emerald Pool trail Another view from Lower Emerald Pool trail

Kayenta Trail

Return to the Grotto shuttle stop via the Kayenta trail (moderate, 1.5 miles) for great views of the Virgin River and Zion Canyon.

Kayenta trail passes through a slot between the rocks Tiny waterfall on Kayenta trail Zion Canyon from Kayenta trail

Kolob Canyons

Drive time between the park’s Springdale/South Entrance to Kolob Canyons: 47 minutes via Hurricane, Utah and I-15.

This underrated section of the park, which is much less crowded than Zion Canyon, features:

Visitor Center with restrooms and a water filling station.
Breathtaking scenery in a designated wilderness.
20 miles of hiking trails for all levels of hikers.
Kolob Fingers Road Scenic Byway – scenic drive. The road is five miles long with viewpoints and trailheads.
Kolob Terrace Road – another scenic road that begins in Virgin, Utah and runs for 21 miles in and out of the park. There are no services along this road.

Beautiful scenery awaits at Kolob Canyons

Adventurous hikers may want to venture into Kolob Canyons’ backcountry to view Kolob Arch. The arch, which pans 287 feet, is one of the longest natural arches in the world. The 14-mile roundtrip hike is rated strenuous. Check with the visitor center for recommendations on other hikes in Kolob Canyons.

Stunning Kolob Canyons view

Obviously, we have barely scratched Zion’s surface. There are many additional hikes, short trails, a museum, ranger led programs, and much more available in the park. Zion is a place where you can find your own level of adventure. We hope you have a fantastic trip! Leave us a comment below and let us know what made you fall in love with Zion. We would love to hear from you. Until the next trip…

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road.

Mike and Kellye

Featured Grand Tetons, Grand Teton National Park

Today we’re running away to the mountains! Since our goal is to visit as many national parks as we can, most of our shots are of beautiful park mountains. There are a few that are not in parks because they were too pretty to leave out. Enjoy!

Casa Grande in the rain – Chisos Mountains, Big Bend National Park Big Sky Country Bryce Canyon National Park Guadalupe Mountains National Park Agathla Peak, Arizona Zion National Park Idaho Beauty Yellowstone National Park Death Valley National Park Rocky Mountain National Park

Today’s featured image at the top of the page was taken at Yellowstone National Park.

Thanks so much for joining us on our mountain getaway. We hope you will return to our site again for more sights, scenery, trips, tricks, and tips. Be sure to sign up to be an e-mail follower so you never miss a post, and follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Tell your friends! We want to be friends with them, too.

Happy hump day, everybody!

Featured Agave blooms

We don’t pretend to be professional photographers, however we do love to aim and shoot. No fancy filters or special effects for us, but sometimes we get a lucky shot. You will see what we see through our lenses or on our cell phone screens! We decided to show you some of our favorite pretty pictures from our travels, most of which we have never posted before. Enjoy.

Paintbrush Morning Bloom Serenity Study in Pink Texas Next to grandma’s porch, perhaps Where the desert meets the sky – White Sands National Park National Grassland, South Dakota Waterfall Dahlia

Thank you for visiting our site. We hope you enjoyed the pictures as much as we enjoyed sharing them with you. Please visit us again for new road trips, exciting cities, and more pretty pictures. Become a follower so you never miss a post, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. We love having you along for the ride.

Happy hump day, everybody!

Mike and Kellye

Featured

In celebration of One for the Money Two for the Road’s first anniversary, we want to share some shots from some of our favorite national park posts over the last year. We cannot tell you how much we appreciate each of you for following us on the blog site and on Facebook. You are the reason we post our adventures! Enjoy the recap…

From our very first post: Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend National Park Zion National Park Inspiration Point, Bryce Canyon National Park Bear Lake with Hallett Peak reflection, Rocky Mountain National Park Grand Canyon National Park – North Rim at Imperial Point The Three Gossips, Arches National Park Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Canyonlands National Park Death Valley National Park Carlsbad Caverns National Park Bison grazing at Wind Cave National Park Badlands National Park Monument Valley Tribal Park (Navajo Nation) Gifford Barn, Capitol Reef National Park The Tepees, Petrified Forest National Park Great Sand Dunes National Park Lower Falls, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park Grand Teton National Park

Thank you for joining us over the past year. We hope that you will keep coming back for more fun adventures, tips, and tricks. Oh, and there are sixty-one “national parks” now, and we’ve only covered eighteen of them so far! We will be covering more national parks, national monuments, national historic sites, state parks, awesome camping sites, and some great cities during year two. We’re also going to give you some helpful tips on RVing and road tripping. You won’t want to miss a post, so sign up, buckle up, and let’s go. Until the next trip…

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road (or at a national park!)

Mike and Kellye

Website: Bryce Canyon National Park
Accommodations: RV and tent camping in the park, and Bryce Canyon Lodge
Hotel and additional RV camping just outside the park entrance.
Optional park shuttle available from April through October
Dining available at Bryce Canyon Lodge
When to go? We recommend June through mid-September.

Bryce Canyon is undeniably one of the jewels in the crown of the U.S. national park system. The breathtaking scenery leaves most who view it speechless. All we could say when we got to Inspiration Point was, “Wow!”, and it took a few minutes before another word was uttered by either of us. Every stop in the park is incredibly impressive, so let’s go!

Getting There

⇒From Zion National Park, take Highway 9 east to US Highway 89 north toward Panguitch, Utah.

Travel tip: when traveling in or with an RV, check with Zion National Park before attempting Highway 9 east out of the park. The Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel, which lies between the east park entrance and the south park entrance, may or may not accommodate your vehicle/trailer. The park has special regulations/fees for RVs traveling this road.

⇒Turn right (east) on to Highway 12 (Scenic Byway 12 – All American Road, and it lives up to its name for all 121 miles!) Drive time between Zion and Bryce Canyon: 1.5 hours.

⇒From Salt Lake City, take I-15 south to Cedar City: Drive time between Salt Lake City and Cedar City: 3.5 hours. At Cedar City, take Highway 14 east toward Cedar Breaks National Monument.

Bonus stop: Cedar Breaks National Monument. Deep canyon featuring gorgeous red rock formations and hoodoos. The perfect prelude to Bryce Canyon. Here’s a link: Cedar Breaks National Monument. Continue on Highway 14 east to US Highway 89. Take US Highway 89 north to Highway 12 (Scenic Byway 12 – All American Road) and turn right (east) to Bryce Canyon. Drive time between Cedar City and Bryce Canyon: 1.5 hours.

Bonus stop: Red Canyon Visitor Center. Hiking, biking, camping, and picnicking here. Another prelude to what Bryce Canyon holds in store. Great place for a rest stop or a picnic, plus some great photo ops.

Formations at Red Canyon

Suggested accommodations in the area: Ruby’s Inn at the entrance to Bryce Canyon. Here’s a link: Ruby’s Inn. There is also camping available and a small grocery store near Ruby’s Inn. Days Inn in Panguitch. Here’s a link: Days Inn, Panguitch, Utah. Campgrounds available in Panguitch. Drive time between Panguitch and Bryce Canyon: 30 minutes.

Destination: Bryce Canyon National Park

⇒From Highway 12, turn right (south) on to Highway 63 to the park entrance. Stop at the visitor center for park information, then continue on Highway 63 south. The park road is 18 miles long with stops for each amphitheater and point in the park. Rim Trail from Sunrise Point to Sunset Point to Inspiration Point is a popular hike. Inspiration Point sits at an elevation of 8100 feet.

View from Inspiration Point

⇒Continuing along the road, stop at all of the pull outs (there are at least 14 of them) for different views and formations. As far as we know, there is nothing else in the world like Bryce Canyon, and you will want to see it all. Outstanding photo ops at every stop! Here are a few of ours:

⇒There is a wonderful picnic area and overlook at Rainbow Point, which is the last stop on the park road. Rainbow Point sits at an elevation of 9100 feet.

Travel tip: dress in layers, as temperatures in the higher elevations may be much cooler than at lower elevations.

View from Rainbow Point

Click the website link at the top of the page for details about hiking in Bryce Canyon. We liked the Mossy Cave Trail. The trailhead is on Highway 12 east of the park entrance. The trail runs along a shallow stream to a small waterfall. There is no shade on this trail, so come prepared if the weather is hot.

Along Mossy Cave Trail Waterfall at Mossy Cave Trail

⇒Side trip: Kodachrome Basin State Park. Take Highway 12 toward Tropic, Utah, and then Cannonville, Utah, and follow the road to the park. Drive time: between Bryce Canyon and Kodachrome Basin: 30 minutes.

Cost: $8.00 per vehicle
RV and tent camping available
Bunkhouses available

Drive through the park on paved and unpaved roads for views of the rock formations or get up close and personal with the park’s features by hiking the easy trails.

Above and below: spectacular scenery at Kodachrome Basin State Park.

Some believe that the tower or pinnacle formations, such as the one above, are ancient thermal features, or parts of ancient springs, or geysers, perhaps. Whatever they are, they are interesting formations that probably can’t be seen anywhere else.

⇒When leaving Kodachrome Basin or Bryce Canyon, take Highway 12 east toward Escalante, Utah and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

Travel tip: Use extreme caution on Highway 12 through Grand Staircase-Escalante. There are twists, turns, and high points on the two lane road with no guardrails in some places. The scenery is spectacular and very worth the road trip. Continue north to Highway 24 east and Capitol Reef National Park or,

⇒Take Highway 12 west back toward Panguich and then north on Highway 89 to Highway 20 west to I-15 and back to Salt Lake City.

Bryce Canyon is one of the parks that you have to see to believe. We hope that you enjoy your visit there as much as we enjoyed ours. Please drop us a note below and tell us about your trip to Bryce Canyon, or any other trip, for that matter. We would love to hear from you.

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road.

Mike and Kellye

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