We had every intention of getting up and heading to a bluff with a 360-degree view of the sunrise. These were good intentions, but we’re just not great with time management in the mornings. We were about 30 minutes late seeing the sun rise over a plateau in the distance.
This put us behind by about an hour and would make it much busier in Zion National Park. We looped down to an already full visitors center parking. Lord help me, but I get frustrated with crowds. The older I get, the less patient I get with the general public! Zion is still in peak season, so the scenic drive is closed to vehicle traffic. You must take the park shuttle. With the visitors center parking lot full, we’d have to park way off in town and take a shuttle to get there.
There were a good many spots available still within walking distance through. We made a quick stop for, you guessed it, coffee as well as a bathroom break before we headed in. We were already behind, so why not, hoping coffee would ease the social anxiety setting in for the dreaded shuttle ride!
All the open parking spots would be filled now as we returned. I grumbled as we drove back to town to pay to park on the street and ride another shuttle just to return to the park. Amanda, much more level-headed in these situations, nudged me to go back and look one last time. None were available, then looping through the main parking lot, we spotted an open one, but it was 2-hour parking. We had three planned stops, but one was closed, so we figured we could make back in time. That was about as long as I could stand the crowds anyway! Waiting for the shuttle was like waiting for an amusement park ride, a long line.
One shuttle bus would pull another; we were in the tail position and some of the last to get on. Oddly, the front was empty, so we sat where the driver’s seat would have been. This was the best seat in the house, as the lead bus’s seats faced each other. We had views in front around the lead bus, to both sides, and up through a sunroof. Amanda joked that sometimes I follow that close, so she was use to it. The buses were packed with standing-room-only for many, so this made our upfront seats even better.
I can’t even begin to describe the views we experienced. Breathtaking would be an understatement. There were few pictures to prove it because we were too busy rubbernecking. However, the photos captured are woefully inadequate to convey the majesty, beauty, and sheer size of what we were experiencing.
Our first stop would be Weeping Rock, where spring water weeps through the shear rock face above an alcove. Moss and vegetation drop from the face as hanging gardens. The view from inside the alcove with gardens dangling above was spectacular.
Our next stop was Riverside Walk; it was a 2-mile out-and-back paved trail. It led to the coveted Narrows hike and was the busiest of the trails. The weeping rock trail was short but steep with stairs, so Amanda’s knee was already smarting. We almost skipped the stop and headed out but got off to look. There was a giant bluff on the river bend. So we took a short walk to see it. The sheer rock wall would stand a thousand feet high and was amazing.
With Amanda’s knee already sore, we skipped the 2-mile walk and hopped back on the shuttle. First in line, we picked our favorite spot up front again. We picked the opposite side to sit on for the ride out to not miss anything. Climbers would dot the rock faces seeming to defy gravity.
As we managed the crowds to the visitor’s center I couldn’t help but notice the clothing of some or the lack thereof. Girls would walk with arms crossed, obviously cold, wearing only a sports bra and short skin skin-tight shorts. I hadn’t even shed the lightweight puffer I’d had on for the cold morning air. I know they had to be cold, all in the name of fashion I guess! After grabbing the obligatory sticker and tee shirt we would now drive through the park toward Bryce Canyon National Park.
We arrived at the car about 45 minutes after our slotted 2-hour parking. No ticket or parking boot so we hightailed it! Pulling out of the visitor’s center parking lot we landed in a long line of cars waiting to enter the park. We’d planned to have lunch on the road so the slow line would be the perfect spot for car console crudites. An array of veggies, crackers, and hummus would be out lunch today. Not to forget the cookie for dessert.
