April’s Big Adventure: St George & Zion NP
First on the itinerary was to ride up the canyon floor, then hike a bit near the mouth of The Narrows. And wow, that area really takes your breath away!
We were lucky enough to be there to catch this huge waterfall! Thanks to this crazy wet winter, the water is really flowing in Zion, and there were ‘pop-up’ waterfalls all throughout the canyon. But this one was truly special!
After the hike, we headed back through the canyon on the tram:
….gawking at the astonishing beauty en route…
And then back in our car, we drove the other section of Zion — up through the tunnel to the top portion. All the while we were looking for a beautiful spot for me to spread Warren’s ashes. This day — April 22, 2023 — would have been Warren and my 20th wedding anniversary. And Zion National Park wasn’t just ‘our place’, it was also Warren’s favorite spot on this earth. The timing and location were perfect. Time to find a final place of rest for Warren!
At the top of the canyon, almost to the eastern entrance, we came upon this perfect spot, off the beaten path, under a large shady tree, with a beautiful quintessentially Zion view.
And
so, after some time tearfully talking to Warren, thanking him for the beautiful life they experienced together, and saying a final
emotional goodbye, I spread Warren’s ashes around the tree, in view of his beloved Zion.
It was sad but perfect. And having Jac there with me made tackling this hard, emotional thing a lot easier.
___
Next, we headed back down the canyon, catching a rare mountain goat herd sighting en route…
…and stopping for a delicious picnic among the red rocks:
The drive down Zion Canyon and out to our next little pitstop was all downhill…and Amelia loved it. Check out that average miles per gallon! 🙂
The ghost town of Grafton
On the way back to St. George, we made a quick stop to see Grafton, a picturesque little ghost town that was the backdrop of several movies (incl. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid).
We were even able to explore inside a few of the buildings, although it felt pretty sketchy on some of those second story wood floors!
With such beautiful surroundings, it’s hard to imagine why anyone would abandon this absolutely perfect little corner of the earth. But then again, the day we were there the town wasn’t in the midst of a torrential flood like those that drove the residents to move on. I’m sure it was a very sad choice. Grafton is still beautiful even today!
Snow Canyon State Park
On our second day in St. George, we drove out to Gunlock State Park (along with the rest of the town) to see the waterfalls that were going bonzo with all this year’s snowfall. We also did some scenic drives, but the highlight of our day was spent exploring Snow Canyon State Park.
We even went on a few short hikes. Here are some pictures:
Desert Botanical Garden
After Snow Canyon, we had a little more daylight, so we visited the city’s small botanical garden. It was moderately interesting, but I had a blister on my foot so I was having none of it. So…it was a short visit.
During both days we did a lot of scenic driving as usual, and here’s a few scenes we caught:
And, of course, the FOOD!
Jac delivered! The food was a highlight as usual….
…and the setting made it even more fun! At first Jac cooked just outside our motel room…
But then I had the brilliant idea of moving the whole operation across the parking lot to this cute little grassy area. The weather was beautiful, there were palm trees and a nice breeze… It was glorious.
From then on, Jac prepared all our meals in our little grassy heaven, sometimes with an audience even. 🙂
It wasn’t until near the end of our trip that we finally read the sign and realized our much loved outdoor dining area was actually the hotel’s doggy poo park! Hahaha. Oh well. We just laughed about it….and kept eating there for the rest of the trip. That’s just how we roll.
