Utah and Zion National Park

We hadn't planned on going to Utah. Like many states it has a reputation for one thing... with many more things to offer. We found this out at Zion National Park. Pictured above: not Michelle's best drive-by welcome sign photo.


This lake was called Lone Rock Lake. We think. It might also be called Rip-off Lake, No Shade At All Lake, or Friendly Europeans Scamming the Parks System Lake. Some euros stopped us before we got to the toll entrance and gave us their parking ticket which they were done using. We stayed for about 20 minutes and bounced. We tried to pass on the ticket, but apparently no one trusts a giant green van.


That rock mound in the middle was called Molly's Nipple. We giggled.


This is Freddie barking viciously at a herd of corralled buffalo. They stampeded away in fright. Just kidding, they kept eating grass.


We were lucky to enter Zion National Park through a somewhat back road - a winding route which starts at the top of the canyon and snakes its way down down to the bottom. It was sooo incredibly gorgeous - easily among the best few miles of drive for the entire trip.


There were a handful of awesome tunnels which went right through the mountains, and they had these windows with views of the canyon.





As is usually the case, we arrived too late to reserve a spot at campground. So we milled around the visitors' center, drank some of the spring water on tap, and looked at bats. I have an obsession with immersing myself in nearby natural bodies of water, so we also found a spot in the shallow river where I could sit on some mossy rocks and wash my sins away. Ok, not sins so much as the last couple days of grease since we hadn't had the chance to shower for a bit. Michelle was scared of the 2 foot deep creek so she did not partake.

Like I said, no campground, so we found a dark area of the parking lot to park ol' Vanpers and settle in...


...for a couple hours until park security kicked us out. Bummer. We slept on the road just outside the park entrance and re-entered the next day to ride the shuttle bus, NOT hike, and take more pictures.