Zion Never Faileth...

....to delight, inspire, excite, awe, educate, fortify, strengthen, gladden, and unify.

Keeping with traditions, we spent a week in Zion National Park just as soon as school let out. Just before we left, Raycito remarked that he loved the way he felt while we were getting ready to go (that exciting ticklish feeling). I love that he loves to go to one of the places that I love.

David led us to this swimming hole for the first time on our first full day in Zion. It is just off one of the switchbacks heading toward Mt. Carmel. You climb over the wall and head down the ravine and a rough short trail leads you to a gem. The water was refreshing (really cold) and deep.

We had the place pretty much to ourselves. Raycito jumped right in.



We were all thrilled by the presence of a lot of frogs. It kept the boys entertained for quite some time (and for the rest of the trip, Raycito wanted to go back).

Lou here is ready to jump off the boulder. Ready....

Set...

Gotcha!

Dave really is going to jump.

Very cold water!!!

We started with our feet to get used to it.

This must be the frog that Little D named Leopard.

When a few other people showed up and started to jump into the pool, I got the courage up to do it too.

Really really really cold water!

After the hidden pool, we drove through Springdale and found our way to a ghost town called Grafton. The people were hearty Mormons, known for their music and dancing. They farmed the land for a while until flash floods and Navajo Indian attacks caused them to abandon the town and head for Rockville. A few movies have since been filmed here.

Shoe Tree

I think the frogs were Raycito's and Little D's favorite part of the vacation. Every night they gathered several up and played for a while - but then of course, set them free.



Although we've done it twice or thrice before, we took the pleasant walk up to Emerald Pools the next morning.

Raycito, hike veto-er, was bribed to do the hike without complaining with a purchase. A picture of the purchase will be shown later on.





Lou has started to request her picture be taken often. She thinks she doesn't know how to smile a genuine smile with teeth, so she has started to perfect her thoughtful closed lip smile.

Little D - emerging

Raycito - breech

Lou - thoughtful

Lower Emerald Pools

Upper Emerald Pools

Raycito was disappointed not to be allowed to wade or swim in the water and the frogs here were reclusive. But he still did not complain (except for a little).

The water was a lot less emerald than we remember last year.

This year, the river was swift and deep. Usually we do a lot of swimming in the river near our campsite but this year it would have been unwise. The river was a lovely shade of aqua green though.

We did something different with the kids one of the days. We loaded all our bikes on the shuttles and got dropped off at the Temple of Sinawava. We biked the 7 or 8 miles down the canyon back to camp.

The day was perfectly calm and beautiful. I wanted the kids to experience the walls of the canyon in a different way.





We stopped along the way at Weeping Rock to explore the stream bed.








Raycito got a little intimidated by the slope downward and the rushing river to his side. He was cautious and concerned, as is his nature. Little D, on the other hand, was biking fast and doing little tricks along the way. He feels that after doing the bike ride he is ready for his first triathlon.

Hi.

The mess that is in this jar is how we purchased Raycito's good attitude on the hike. It contains tiny itsy bitsy creatures that we bought at the gift shop. They are tadpole shrimp but Raycito calls them his parameciums.

Good times digging in the sand and dirt by the river.

Lou and I created this shrine to the river.





Early one morning, I hiked on my own up to Angels Landing.



Refrigerator Canyon

Walter's Wiggles

It really is a freaky hike when you look down.




This is a favorite place to be.








Before going home, we went back to the hidden pool. The weather had been cooler all week than in years past but on the last day of our trip, it was 85 degrees and clear skies.

Once again, frogs were gathered.

Other animals we saw were turkeys
birds, lizards, deer, chipmunks


and way too many of these

We took the road through Mt. Carmel to get home and stopped at the East End Pizza place. We recommend the pizza!

Raycito's Top Three:

Tadpole Shrimp

The Frog Place

Pizza

Little D's Top Three:

The Froggy Place

The bike ride

Smores

Lou's Top Three:

Getting an owl

Drinking HiC

Swimming

Kaerlig's Top Three:

Jogging down the canyon

Biking down the canyon

Hiking in the canyon

Dave's Top Three:

Secret Swimming Hole

Quality time with the kids

Sunshine

Bottom One: Allergies