Tuesday, May 24, 2011

What We Loved About Watchman Campground In Zion Park--Spring Vacation Continued

Our campsites with the electrical hookups and stunning views.



Bicycling on the beautiful Pa'rus Trail at 7 am. The scenery was spectacular!








The evening ranger programs were fascinating! We learned about mountain lions the first night and natural arches the next.

The tent caterpillars which were everywhere. Actually, it was the kids who liked these little critters. In fact, they made a huge collection of them on the last evening as we were eating dinner.

Monday, May 23, 2011

What We Discovered in Scenic Kolob Canyon--Day 2 of Our Spring Vacation

1. There were magnificent breathtaking views around every bend!





2. Granddaughter, Becca, is a great traveling companion--as long as she has plenty of snacks and exercise to calm her tummy when it's hurting. Naps don't hurt either.



3. Hiking with Becca is an unforgettable experience. She'll entertain you with stories about everything she sees. I got to hear the one about the round pine cones that got turned into Easter eggs.





4. The snowstorm we encountered at the end of our hike, although certainly uncomfortable, only added to the scenic drama.




Unforgettable!

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Our Spring Vacation Got Off to a Great Start at Minersville Lake Park

A few months ago, our daughter, Elly, and her husband, Brian, invited us to join them on their spring break trip to Zion National Park. We excitedly accepted. On May 9, Elly, Brian and family in their Cruise America RV and me and Jim in our trusty camper (both RVs filled to the brim) departed on our grand adventure. We spent the first night at Minersville Lake Park where I learned the following:

1. For being in the middle of a desert, the park was surprisingly beautiful. I'm not sure what it looks like in summer but with all the recent moisture it was a veritable wonderland . We awoke to a mostly overcast sky but the morning was thankfully mostly devoid of rain and warmer than we had expected.






2. Rumor has it that the showers were the best ever. Mine was not at all wonderful which just goes to show that not all showers in the park are created equal and you'd better test out the shower first before you commit or you might be sorry.

3. It really was, in the immortal words of Grandpa George, "a lot of fun herding kids like these around."






4. "Look, the fitheth are thwimming" spoken by three year old Becca as she pointed to the sky (and repeated three times because I couldn't understand what she was saying) translated means, "Look, the fishes are swimming!" (And no, silly grandma, they aren't swimming in the sky but on the sign ahead of us.)




What a great way to start a vacation!