TravelStream™ news feed for member joanandjoe on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/joanandjoe en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 22 Jun 2008 23:45:18 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1214055600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1214055600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1214055600/tpod.html Sun, 22 Jun 2008 23:45:18 -0400 Joan and Joe's Adventure Nevada, Utah and Arizona June, 2008

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Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States

We're home! The flight from Las Vegas was uneventful. The Canyonlands, Grand Canyon and Rocky Mountains were spectacular sights by air. Our layover in Milwaukee was long - 4 hours - but we knew at the end we would be in our own bed! It was worth the wait. We saw a soldier at the Milwaukee airport apparently headed home. We could only imagine how good it felt to him to be on his way home. All in all, we put on over 1,800 miles on the rental car. We never paid more than $4.39 for a gallon of gas. Considering the horror stories we were hearing about gas prices out west, we considered ourselves lucky. You can't put a price on the beautiful scenery we saw. This is a trip everyone should make in their lifetime, regardless of the cost of gas. Scenic Hwy. 12 is a must-do!We toured mostly in Utah, but we are still commenting about the vastness of the United States and what a beautiful country we live in. We also appreciated that we were free to roam back and forth across state lines with no check points, security or paperwork required. Thanks to men and women like the soldiers mentioned above, we do live in a free country. And what a beautiful place it is!We can't even begin to add up the number of times we climbed in altitude, only to exclaim OMG or some such phrase at the vista before us on the other side. We never got tired of the views. The people we met spoke many languages, but were all friendly and kind. What we saw put things into perspective as far as how small our part is in the bigger picture.Another great part of the trip was when we were able to connect with our family and friends via cell phone or email. No matter where we were, that connection to our family is what makes us complete.As we flew over Milwaukee, we realized while the southwest is beautiful, we missed the oaks, maples and other green trees of our area. We missed the smell of the rain and the thunder and lightening of our storms. We missed, okay, I'll only say this once, the humidity. Already my skin feels better and less dry! Yes, it's a dry heat out west, but when you get over 100 degrees, heat is heat and it is hot! LOLI have well over 1,500 pictures to remember this trip by! I only wish I could have figured out how to get some of them uploaded onto this blog to share. Maybe our next adventure I'll have it figured out. This was my first try at a blog, so I feel good just getting something down in writing for every day of travel.It's good to travel. It's good to see the way others live. It's good to be home. Hope you enjoyed this journey with us as much as we did!Joan and Joe
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213994280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213994280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213994280/tpod.html Sat, 21 Jun 2008 16:39:30 -0400 Joan and Joe's Adventure Nevada, Utah and Arizona June, 2008

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Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

Map Pin Only
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213907700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213907700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213907700/tpod.html Sat, 21 Jun 2008 16:38:09 -0400 Joan and Joe's Adventure Nevada, Utah and Arizona June, 2008

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Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Our trip back into Las Vegas could only be described as long and scorching! The car thermometer hit 112 coming into Las Vegas. We found our hotel okay using Dora and my maps. We arrived at Sam's Town, checked in and stayed there the rest of the night! We can't wait to be on the plane home tomorrow. As much as we've enjoyed the trip, we want to be home!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213767900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213767900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213767900/tpod.html Thu, 19 Jun 2008 02:10:16 -0400 Joan and Joe's Adventure Nevada, Utah and Arizona June, 2008

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Page, Arizona, United States

Pulled out of Bluff this morning headed to Page, Arizona. We can't wait to see Lake Powell. It's been so long since we've seen a large, beautiful body of water. We made a quick side trip to Gooseneck State Park. It shows the force of water better than any place I've seen so far. Looking down into the canyon, we saw where the San Juan River had wandered through the canyon, eroding the rocks over the years. The result is a spectacular sight. There were two elderly Navajo women in the hot sun, shaded only by umbrellas, selling jewelry. I wandered over and spoke with the oldest woman. She had made the necklaces herself and was in the process of making more. I bought two of them for myself! These stands are everywhere tourists are on the reservations, but there was something about these two women that touched me. Did I mention it was hot again? No cold front moving through, just more hot, hot, hot air. But it's a dry heat! LOL Temps today ranged from starting out temp of 70 to ending temp of 103 in Page, AZ.Next of the road was Monument Valley, We saw the ghost of John Wayne riding through the monuments. More driving, more driving and more driving...Alas, is that blue water we see? Yes! It's Lake Powell! If ever there were opposites, seeing Lake Powell (160 miles long) smack dab in the middle of the desert is one! We checked into our hotel, grabbed a bite to eat and then took off to visit the Glen Canyon Dam. Impressive!!! It's a restricted area and we had to empty our pockets, walk through a metal detector and couldn't bring in purses, camera bags, etc. The visitor center is also where you can peer down at the dam. I think Jimmy Hoffa is buried in all the cement somewhere.We took a long scenic drive alongside the lake, stopping at the viewpoints and taking more pictures. I'm well over 1,500 pictures at this point! LOL Is it any wonder our drives take hours longer than they should? LOL I can't wait to get home and show my friends and family each and every one of my pictures! LOL Being near the water did nothing to cool the air temp. It was a stifling 103 degrees. We called home and heard that Grand Rapids and Lansing, MI, were cool and everyone was wearing long pants and hoodies. Oh, to be home! We did some shopping at the Lake Powell Resort and watching millions of dollars of house boats float by on Lake Powell. People rent these houseboats and travel up and down Lake Powell. They have boat taxis which take you from the shore to the houseboat you've rented. It's quite an operation.Back to the hotel for our nightly swim and cool down! Tomorrow Las Vegas! Friday we're coming home! No more blogs until I get home. I can't get Internet at Sam's Town and we won't have much time there. Trust me, I'm  going to get to Sam's Town, go inside and not come out until we have to fly home. Las Vegas is supposed to be 106 degrees on Thursday/Friday.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213682340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213682340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213682340/tpod.html Thu, 19 Jun 2008 01:43:55 -0400 Joan and Joe's Adventure Nevada, Utah and Arizona June, 2008

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Bluff, Utah, United States

Another early morning for us. We wanted to get back to Arches National Park in the morning when the heat was less and we were fresh. Leaving at about 7:30/8:00 a.m., it was a balmy 70 degrees. By the time we reached Arches, it was almost 85 again! But that was still less than the 100 degrees the day before. We had planned to see as many arches as we could before we had to get back to the hotel and check out at 11:00 a.m. We grossly underestimated the drive time to the arches. We had to pick one arch to hike to so I picked Landscape Arch. It's a very delicate arch and has had sections drop off in recent years. Many feel another piece will drop any time destroying this beautiful arch. Another "easy" .8 mile hike to the arch...yeah, right. Mostly level the brochure says? In my dreams! It was quite a hike but the sight of Landscape Arch was magnificent and well worth the walk. Along the path we encountered crews of young adults helping rebuild the path we were walking on. They had to transport water for their machinery along this path in a motorized cart. It was hot, hard work. I thanked several of them along the way. On the way back I commented to one woman I hoped they were paying her big bucks for the work she was doing. She said they were all volunteers! I was stunned! What an amazing group of people. After getting back to the car, we realized we had to hustle back to the hotel to check out. I was bummed we couldn't see more, but eventually decided I can't do it all out here! There's too much to see!We began the drive to Bluff, Utah. There's not a whole lot shakin' in Bluff. There's not a whole lot in Bluff, but it was a mid-way stopping point for us. We arrived at the Recapture Lodge in the early afternoon. We were able to check in early and the clerk gave us good advice to go to the Four Corners (New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah meet here) in the early afternoon as it's on the Navajo Reservation and they sometimes close early on really hot days.Ugh, back into the car for the 800th time (it seems) and on the road again. About the only thing interesting on this journey was the herd of goats we found walking down the middle of the highway. There is free range land everywhere in Utah. There are signs warning of every conceivable animal being allowed to roam freely...and they do! After waiting for the goats to clear, we drove a boring 45 mile drive to Four Corners. We were able to get our picture taken together standing in all four states at one time. We did some shopping at the Navajo stalls they have surrounding the monument marking the Four Corners. By this time it was a scorching 102 degrees and we both called it quits. Back to the Recapture Lodge for a little pool time.We found the pool nestled in an area of gardens and trees, There were four young children in the pool already. Ages ranged from 13 to 5. They were swimming and having a great time, but no parents were to be seen...hummmm. We jump in and start our cooling down process. The oldest of the children asked me about being white (the children were Navajo). We had an interesting conversation with them, answering their honest questions as best we could. The San Juan River runs through Bluff. There are walking paths down to the river, but the no-see-'ems were out in full force, biting everything in sight, so we passed on that stroll.We are ready to be home. We have been in seven states in 11 days. We driven almost 1,700 miles. We are winding down and glad to be near the end of this amazing, colorful, beautiful journey. I miss my bed and my own bathroom. I miss my son. I miss my mom.  
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213593660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213593660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213593660/tpod.html Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:28:52 -0400 Joan and Joe's Adventure Nevada, Utah and Arizona June, 2008

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Moab, Utah, United States

We left Torrey this morning. It was cool and very breezy, a perfect day. Within miles, it was over 90 and hot! What happened? We entered the desert again where there is little shade, little green, and little relief from the heat. The drive from Torrey to Moab went much quicker than we had expected. After 50 miles of switchbacks, we were on highways and doing 75 mph on straight roads. We were able to get some cell phone coverage and touched base with a couple of family members. That was great!The temps on this leg were up to 100. We saw something we haven't seen before...a dust storm warning sign. There was a three mile section of highway where dust storm warnings were posted. As we have never experienced a dust storm, that was a novelty. If one hit, we were advised to drop our speed to 30 and not stop...yeah, right! LOLAs we made such great time in our travels to Moab, we stopped at the Canyonlands National Park on the way into Moab. We were in the Island in the Sky section. Amazing scenery, wonderful vistas, and, well, you've heard it all before. Too beautiful to put into words. There was an arch (Mesa Arch) at this park with a "short" walk of a mile, easy paths, etc. I was feeling spunky and decided I could withstand the heat and go for it. And I made it...barely! This arch was so cool. We were able to walk right up to it. Through it you looked down a thousand feet to the bottom of the canyon. We were also able to see another arch in the distance.On the way to the arch, we were reminded of how important it is to never underestimate the heat. We came upon a woman prone on the ground with her traveling companions around her. They were shielding her with an umbrella. We offered our water and cell phone for 911, but they had water and had already contacted the park rangers for help. Within 10 minutes we heard sirens and somehow, I can't imagine how, they got her off that steep path and got her some help. After that adventure, we turned the a/c on full blast and traveled to the Grand View point and saw...well, a Grand View! It was quick trip to the rim for the both of us and then back into the a/c and on to Moab. At Grand View, we were able to stand in the searing heat and look out at mountain across the way which was over 10,000 feet and covered with snow. Guess where I wished I was standing at that point? Yep, the snow! LOLAs we were coming into Moab, we saw the entrance for Arches National Park and a bridge which crossed the Colorado River. We decided to wait to tour Arches until later in the evening when it was cooler. That proved to be a very good choice! We checked into our hotel and went to an Italian restaurant for dinner. A man we had met at Fruita/Capitol Reef recommended this restaurant to us. What a great recommendation! I have baked rigatoni (enough to feed 3 people) and Joe had chicken cannelloni. We were both stuffed and very pleased with the service and meal. Jay's Pasta is a place to try if you are ever in Moab!Moab is a very sport-oriented city. Everywhere you look, there's rock climbing companies, biking tours, jeep tours, etc. It is filled with lots of specialty shops (expensive) and young people. It is a city full of energy.After dinner we walked over the Colorado River via a new bridge opened in May, 2008. It is bordered by tall chocolate brown cliffs on both sides. We then hit Arches National Park. We arrived about 6:30 p.m. to find the visitors' center already closed...um, I need maps to travel...now what? We ventured out into the park without a map. Granted, there are many signs in the park to guide people, but we were trying to maximize our viewing of arches with the daylight left.We stopped at Balanced Rock which is exactly that...the largest round rock I've ever seen balanced on a thin straight rock. It is amazing. Erosion has created it, but looking at it you would swear an alien space ship dropped this rock where it is just to baffle us earthlings. We drove next to the one of the most famous arches ever, Delicate Arch. We didn't have enough time to do the round trip three-mile hike to stand under it, so we went to the lower viewing area and saw it from a distance. Pretty impressive no matter how close you are to it! All through the parks are signs warning of flash floods. We had noticed some dark clouds building and decided to call it a day. We stopped to take some pictures of a nearly full moon over the landscape when we were treated to the spectacular sight of lighting across the sky. WOW! Then it started to rain...okay, time to leave. All those warnings of flash floods were going through my mind. It sprinkled just enough to wet the windshield, but the wind kicked up and we were in the middle of a real dust storm! Ha, good thing I read those signs about how to survive being in a dust storm! LOL Our car's windshield was even hit by a tumbleweed being blown down the road! Right out of the wild west! LOL Tomorrow is Arches again to finish up there and then off to Bluff, Utah.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213507380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213507380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213507380/tpod.html Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:08:04 -0400 Joan and Joe's Adventure Nevada, Utah and Arizona June, 2008

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Torrey, Utah, United States

Happy Father's Day!Sunday has been our day of rest. We did tour Capitol Reef National today. We left at about 9:00 a.m. and it was already 90 degrees in the park. There are, again, many walking trails, but neither of us were up to them in the heat. Capitol Reef has an excellent scenic drive which we took. Ten miles out and ten miles back. There are signs everywhere telling you not to go into this area if rain is threatening. After seeing many washes, we can see why. The washes (gullies) are huge and you can see where flash floods have torn away at the edges of the bed and roadways. Also, they said even a 1/4 inch of rain in this area can produce flash flooding. It's been interesting traveling to different parks and seeing the same people. We all are on the same schedule  by a day or two. We've taken pictures of people together as a favor...two days later we see them at another park and they've taken our picture together. Capitol Reef has an exquisite set of petroglyphs. Some were destroyed in 1952 in a rock slide, but those that remain are fantastic. Vandals have ruined some of them. I think there will be a special place in Hell for those individuals who dare destroy history like that.This area of Utah had some of the first settlers. They liked this area because it was nestled between the mountains, had the Fremont River flowing through it and was a very hospitable climate for growing fruit. Fruit trees still are maintained in this area, as are the original dwellings, blacksmith shop, etc. of those early settlers.We saw some trees that were hundreds of years old. Joe paced off the base of one and came up with about 30 feet around at the base. The bark was a gnarled bark. There weren't any signs (or rangers) to tell us what kind of tree it was. After walking the petroglyph trail, my face was beat red and we retreated to the car, the a/c and back to our hotel. A quick bite of lunch in our room and the rest of the afternoon we were at the pool, hot tub, reading and resting. It was much needed.Supper tonight was out at a hamburger joint...supposedly the best around. I didn't agree with that evaluation, but it was food and tasted okay.There's only about five restaurants in town, two very, very expensive and three cafes. We've been eating b-fast and lunch in and going out for dinners. We're trying to save some of Andy's inheritance $$ for him by eating in! NOT!Tomorrow is a huge driving day. From Torrey to Moab, we figure it will be well over 200 miles. The good news is after a short drive (in Utah miles that's about 50), we are on two main highways which look relatively straight. We should be able to drive the speed limit which is 75!The most expensive gas we've seen was $4.29; however, Joe's friend from G.R. that he ran into in Torrey said he paid over $4.50 in Moab, $5 in Page, AZ. We'll see when we get there. Tomorrow is driving and then Arches National Park. Stay tuned for more...
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213519800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213519800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213519800/tpod.html Sun, 15 Jun 2008 16:21:45 -0400 Joan and Joe's Adventure Nevada, Utah and Arizona June, 2008

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Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, United States

Up at at 'em at 5:30 a.m. I am going to Bryce Point and see the sunrise. It was worth the effort. I videotaped the sunrise at times as you could see the sun lighting up the rocks and hoo-doos an inch at a time. WOW!! This made the trip to Bryce worthwhile.Our accommodations in Bryce N.P. were a rustic cabin. It was a great place to stay for a night. The mattresses were the worst in the world so one night was all our backs could stand. We had a fireplace and it was a log cabin. It was an older cabin and decorated as such, but it fit the park and the mood of the place.When we viewed sunrise, it was 38 degrees. When we got back to the cabins and left around 11:00 a.m., it was almost 70. It never ceases to amaze us the difference in temps as we travel. Our next stop is Torrey, Utah. This is a long day of driving and while the mountain elevations and scenery are spectacular, Joe is tired of driving/riding/stopping for pictures and wants to be in Torrey. We leave Bryce and travel to Kodachrome Basin State Park. More views, more pictures!We drive Scenic Hwy. 12 to get to Torrey. It's the most scenic road in the world...okay, at least in Utah. But because it's scenic, that also means lots of climbing to 9000 ft, going down 2001 feet and back up again. It's a slow drive. We pass through Escalante, Boulder and arrive in Torrey...tired, one of us was a bit crabby (and it wasn't me). We unload the car, I start the laundry and Joe heads to St. Anthony of the Desert Church for mass. That was just what he needed as he came back in a much better mood! LOL Outside the general store (run by the same folks who run the hotel), Joe runs into a man from Grand Rapids he's know for years who is vacationing with his family. They were stopping at the Chuckwagon for groceries and gas. Small world, huh?We finally have Internet here in Torrey, population 120, so we check out the five restaurants in town for recommendations on Trip Advisor. We decide on Brink's Burgers and Dora sets our path. We follow Dora's directions but end up in a different town 8 miles down the road at the Sunrise Diner! Beats me what happened! I think Dora (the GPS) was as tired as we were. We ask at the Sunrise Diner if they've ever been named Brink's Burgers as Dora insists she is right on the money. Our waitress says no, Brink's is back in Torrey. Sure enough, as we drive back to town, we see Brink's about 2 blocks from our hotel! Oh well, it was a fun adventure.Back to Austin's Chuckwagon Lodge where we are staying for an evening in the pool, some Internet time and some rest...Oh, yeah, one other fun thing in Torrey is the traffic enforcement unit of the Wayne County Sheriff's Department. As we entered town, the speed drops dramatically to 35 m.p.h. and, according to the sign, it is strictly enforced. Sure enough, we see a Sheriff's cruiser alongside the road running radar...or is he? We check it out further and stop by the cruiser to say hi. We meet Parker Bogus Doolittle, Deputy Sheriff. Parker is a dummy dressed in a Sheriff's uniform who is a decoy. He's really quite ugly but is said to resemble the past sheriff. Parker has a legal pad at his side, his uniform shirt is laced through the steering wheel and he's wearing a badge, name tag and hat...he's too funny! Right down the road is another deputy in a full-sized pickup truck who IS running radar. I guess when you have this much territory to patrol, you will resort to any means to keep the travelers' speeds down! LOL LOL 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213384260/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213384260/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213384260/tpod.html Sun, 15 Jun 2008 15:44:30 -0400 Joan and Joe's Adventure Nevada, Utah and Arizona June, 2008

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Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, United States

Up early and leaving for Bryce Canyon National Park. There's a short way and then there's Joan's way, which is the way we took! I had my heart set on seeing Kolob Canyons, which is on the northwestern side of Zion Park. We drove to Kolob Canyons and again marveled at the diversity of the landscape. This is a park with a few walking trails for the hardy and a nice scenic drive for the less-than-hardy...again, you know which way we took! LOLAgain I snapped a zillion pictures trying to capture the flavor and color of the rocks. No pictures will ever do this justice. Again, it is a must see to believe.From Kolob Canyon, we drove to Cedar Breaks National Monument. I didn't exactly remember what we would see there. I was blown away. We were almost 10,000 feet and this is a miniature Bryce Canyon. It's about three miles across, but absolutely stunning. The rocks were bright red and the hoo-doos smaller than Bryce, but when you walk up to the rim, you are blown away (yes, I know Jennifer Granholm coined that phrase first, but unlike her, Cedar Breaks delivered! LOL)We left the main visitor's center and drove around the rim. We stopped at one point and looked out over the canyon. I was talking to my dad in my mind and telling him how I wished he could have seen this place. I mentioned to Joe how much he would have loved this view. We walked back up the path, got in the car and I started to replace my memory card in the camera. I looked out to my right and saw the shadow of a bird...A BIG BIRD! I started my frantic Joe, Joe, Joe thing I do when I want him to look at something. We both saw it (yes, I have a witness). It was an eagle and it flew no more than 10 feet over the top of our car and swooped down towards the canyon ahead of us. I shoved in a new memory card, hustled to the edge of the cliff, only to see him again so far away I couldn't get a good picture. It was amazing and I know my dad was with me in spirit.We then drove up another hundred feet (four cylinder cars from CA have a hard time on these roads) and saw Brian Head, a ski resort in Utah. Yes, there was still snow on the mountains! We stopped at a couple of places in the higher elevations and snapped pictures of us in shorts, 70 degree weather, standing on a snow pile.Lunch at Panguitch and a very breath-taking drive through the Red Canyons brought us closer to Bryce. When we arrived at Bryce, we were trying to beat the clock and see the sunset over the hoo-doos. We checked into our cabin and started our scenic tour right away.Bryce N.P. has quite a few view points. We started out with the one closest to our cabin...Sunset Point. It's an easy half-mile walk to the other closest point, Sunrise Point. We got to the rim and....I was disappointed. Okay, I know, that doesn't fit, but I must say I was. It wasn't anything like I've seen in the pictures and at this point I thought Cedar Breaks was far prettier. The hotel clerk had told us about two other points for even better viewing at sunset and sunrise, Inspiration Point and Bryce Point. We drove to Inspiration Point and climbed what felt like a mountain to the top of the viewing platform. I made it to the top! The view was better, but still not what I thought it would be. Am I hard to please or what? We had decided to stay for the sunset from this point, but I ran out of batteries for the camera and you-know-who didn't bring the camera case with her with fresh batteries in it. All the way down Inspiration Point we trudge to the car to get more batteries.We are minutes away from sunset and drive to Bryce Point. There was no way I was climbing back up to Inspiration Point and living to type this. We reached Bryce Point right before sunset and, there, finally, was the tear-making, take-your-breath-away sight I had been hoping for. Bryce Point is the spot where most of the fabulous pictures are taken. This is what I came to see. Sunset was glorious on the rocks, but I knew sunrise would be even prettier.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213249800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213249800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joanandjoe/1/1213249800/tpod.html Sun, 15 Jun 2008 02:12:11 -0400 Joan and Joe's Adventure Nevada, Utah and Arizona June, 2008

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Zion National Park, Utah, United States

Our second day in Zion consisted of more OMGs, oohing and ahhing over the landscapes. We saw wild turkeys and mule deer in the park. We checked out where we were going to have dinner that night in the park, The Red Rock Grill. We walked the Riverside Walk which is a hike along the Virgin River. The sheer face of the rock walls are within your touch, looking straight up is the only way to see the top, and the Virgin River is flowing nearby. It was a peaceful walk, slightly strenuous and worth every step! The hanging gardens occur when water seeps through the sheer face of the wall of the canyon. Flowers, I recognized Columbines, and many others grow seemingly out of the face of the rock. We noted how quiet and reverent most people were on the trails. It is a hush brought on by the sheer magnitude of what is around you and what you are blessed to be seeing. When people were speaking, we heard languages from everywhere. There was a family with many children traveling on the path back with us. The little boy, around 4, was running ahead and yelling at the top of his lungs. His parents assumed no control and simply yelled his name over and over. Needless to say, I will never hear the name Ashton again with cringing! After touring the park, we headed back to the hotel for a swim and then to the Red Rock Grill for dinner. Andy, our son, paid for our meal at this restaurant as a Christmas gift. We asked to be seated on the balcony looking up at the rock wall. The sun was starting to set, so the colors were magnificent. We were able to call Andy during the meal and describe how beautiful it was. Our waiter, also an Andy, took a picture of us together at dinner. We had a delicious meal of Chicken Oscar (Joe) and Santa Fe strip steak (me). Um, um, good. It was a perfect end to a great day. Thank you, Andy!
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