We have been home now for a few days and I have had a chance to get back into routine here. This vacation was truly amazing and wonderful. We saw so much and did so much it took a while for it all to sink in and for me to absorb it all. I will try to recap the trip.
We left here on Sunday July 3rd about 4:30 pm. The ironic thing is that it was raining pretty good when we left. It was the first rain we had seen here in months. Fortunately, it wasn't bad enough to stop us or even slow us down. We were on the way!
We hadn't gone very far when I realized we had a problem with the car. I don't drive much or very fast around town, but as soon as we got to highway speeds, the car was shaking and shimmying really bad. It was really hard to control the car. I was hoping it would work out as we drove on. The more we drove, I knew it had to do with the front tires. We decided they needed to be replaced as soon as we could. I hoped they would make it to Spokane where we would be with family and stopped for a few days.
Our first night was spent in Flagstaff. We stayed at a very cheap but very nice motel. The bed was a bit stiff but the rest of the motel was great. It served its purpose and then some. It was good that we had four hours of drive time behind us as it would give us more time to see Zion National Park the next day.
The drive to Zion was beautiful and very scenic. Zion was also wonderful. We sounded like little children oohing and aahing constantly. Such awesome rock formations and beauty everywhere. Words just can't describe it! It reminded me of another favorite place of mine, Sedona, Arizona. But, this was like Sedona on steroids! So incredible!
We drove through the park and headed to our motel in Hurricane. We made lots of stops along the way and checked it all out. The main part of the park is only accessible by way of their shuttle system. We decided to get checked in to our motel, grab a bite to eat and come back in the evening when it was cooler to see the rest of the park.
Again, we had another nice room. The girl at the front desk gave us a great suggestion for dinner at a little Mexican restaurant, so we went there. After dinner, we drove back to the park to take the shuttle. It turned out to be the best idea ever! The park was much less crowded and a little cooler. I can't even begin to describe how beautiful it is. Even pictures can't do it justice. (As soon as we go through all our picture, I will post some. We took almost 1000 pictures on this trip, and if this were still the days of film, we would be broke. Thank goodness for digital!)
The next morning, we went through the north part of the park and drove the scenic drive. Its not a very long drive but very scenic and it was not crowded. Again, we saw so much beautiful scenery and a herd of mountain goats. They were right off the side of the road and more than willing to pose for us. (Pictures to follow later.)
Even as I write this and think about what we saw, I am overwhelmed by the majesty and grandeur of this country. Being in nature is a spiritual experience for me that allows me to reconnect with the rest of the universe. I feel a sense of peace and love that completes me and grounds me.
This was just the first 24 hours of the trip! There is so much more to write about that I will break this down into smaller bite-size pieces.
So, to be continued........................Stay tuned!
Pictures... yay!
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