Tag Team
We love Zion National Park and have tons of great memories in it. Prior to kids it was our favorite place to go canyoneering, and we spent many long weekends playing there. One of the great things about Zion is how easy it is to get away from the crowds, and I mean crowds, as it is the most visited National Park at three million people a day on average. If you are like us and enjoy less people, then you can either hike a couple miles on a trail or drop down into a canyon, and you will find the solitude you seek. This is the first time in Zion where we did not really have the luxury to do either. We checked at the backcountry office and all the canyons were full of water (meaning super cold), and we did not pack enough gear to keep everyone (namely the wee ones – Elijah & Tirzah) warm in those conditions. We did go on two hikes, but our limit right now is two miles, any longer and the kids start dragging. So, we were part of the masses while in the park and started getting a little claustrophobic by the end of the day. Then I remembered our secret swimming hole, so off we went. We all had an incredible time swimming in the clear blue water, jumping off the fifteen foot jump rock, and catching frogs. Once the kids could no longer control their shivering we called it a day and headed to our favorite restaurant in town, Zion Pizza & Noodle, to have a yummy dinner. Well fed, tired, and after a nice hot shower, we retired for the night with the huge sandstone cliffs of Zion surrounding us.
We're hungry
PIZZA!!!
Before leaving Zion we decided to hike up Keyhole Canyon as far as we could. The kids were super excited to find the canyon full of water and tadpoles. Kendall and Chloe even decided they wanted to see how far up the canyon they could swim. They made it about ten feet before deciding it was too cold to go further. It was fun to be in a canyon with the whole family even if we were only doing a very small part of it. With big smiles we left Zion to journey home.
My Prince
Geronimo!!!
Canyoneering Kendall
Canyoneering Family Style
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Didn’t realize you were off on another adventure until I talked with Anne a few days ago. Was that the swimming hole at the bottom of Pine Creek?
From the title, thought you might bring in some creationist info from Tom’s book. Sure hope you are using it to teach the kids.
Travel safely. When is Jodi due?
Hi Paula,
You are absolutely correct, that is the swimming hole at the bottom of Pine Creek and we loved it. We all also love the True North Series (http://truenorthseries.com/index), guide books that provide a biblical interpretation to our National Parks which Tom helps create. They are great tools to help us teach our kids. We forgot to take these guidebooks on our trip and missed them terribly while in the national parks. Love you guys!
Too fun! Reminds me so much of our trip to Zion when your first born was just a toddler. I’m so glad to see you continuing with your Fun Hog Adventures. Wishing your family many more safe journeys full of blessings!
XO Annie