Zion National Park, Utah

April 20, 2010: We walked several trails in Zion National Park. The park has a great shuttle bus system, with waits no longer than 10 minutes.

Our first stop was at the Court of the Patriarchs, with views of Abraham Peak, Isaac Peak, and Jacob Peak, however we don't recall which is which in the following picture. Wait a minute . . . . Holy cow! There's Bill's head!


The Virgin River:




The Lower, Middle, and Upper Emerald Pools Trails climb to three deep green pools in the park. We hardly noticed the Lower Emerald Pool, as we were entranced by the waterfalls.

On the Emerald Pools Trails:








Bill's head again!




The Lower Emerald Pool:




Zion Shooting Stars:


A cute little distant (ahem) relative of the Grand Canyon Cousins:




The Middle Emerald Pool:


Bill's hat:


The Upper Emerald Pool:








Gorgeous red flowers on the Grotto Trail:


Weeping Rock is a huge rock alcove with springs dripping all around so that when we stood against the back wall, it was like looking out through a shower. Unfortunately, our pictures of it did not turn out at all. Maidenhair ferns grew beautifully there.

Zion Shooting Stars on the Weeping Rock Trail:


April 21st, leaving Willowind RV Park in the rain:

From Moab to Hurricane, Utah

We traveled from Moab to Hurricane on April 19th. Most of the following pictures were taken on I-70 west. The colors and formations were beautiful!

We loved this turquoise color:


This was our first glimpse of yellow over white, and it didn't last long.






The next two pictures were taken at a scenic area on I-70 West, overlooking Capitol Reef National Park. There was a large cross bearing the name of Trooper Dennis "Dee" Lund at the area. We found the story of his murder online. Very sad. http://publicsafety.utah.gov/highwaypatrol/history_2000/dee_lund.html

Neat zigzag edge near the center of the picture's lower half:






























Look at the amethyst color!

Moab, Utah Part 1

April 11th found us leaving Monument Valley, Arizona/Utah and traveling to Moab, Utah. One of the first towns we came upon was Mexican Hat. The town's namesake formation and colorful, zigzaggy hills nearby:




Grass! After miles and miles and weeks and weeks of desert . . . grass! Bill enjoying it in Monticello, Utah:


The Colorado River in Moab, Utah:


Arches National Park:




Petrified Sand Dunes (rock had worn down to piles of sand and then hardened back to stone):


The Windows:








Double Arch:










We climbed a trail to a point where Delicate Arch could be viewed across a canyon. The person in the lower left of the picture is standing on the edge of the canyon. People who climbed a trail on the other side of the canyon are standing under the arch itself:




Skyline Arch:


Landscape Arch and a neat tree on the path to it: