Day 9 – May 28 On the Road to Zion

Today has been a kind of interesting day. I began by treating myself to breakfast before leaving Moab, and the Huevos Rancheros I ordered were kind of ho-hum. That was a little bit of a disappointment as that’s one of my favorite dishes.

 Dixie National Forest

After breakfast and picking up my mail, I drove a few hours on the interstate, trying to make it to Zion by the early afternoon so I could find a campsite. I realized that interstate driving makes me feel isolated and lonely. I never realized it before, but it makes sense. The feeling of being in your own little pod, barreling down the highway, getting where you need to get with maximum efficiency and little distraction, is not meant to create or foster any sense of community. Part of what I love about traveling is the sense of community I find on the road, so when I saw the sign to take a back highway, I jumped on it. And what a relief that was. I felt myself relax and settle into the drive from that point on.

On the way to Zion, I went through the Dixie National Forest

I pulled into the very northern section of Zion to get information and found out all the park campgrounds were full. The ranger gave me a list of available campgrounds near the park and I called a few of them. I found one on the east side of the park, which would be better for a number of reasons, and the sites were only $10.50 a night. A real bargain. So I headed there.

When I arrived, after a long drive up a winding mountain road, I found not a campground but a resort which had tent camping in addition to the cabins available. I felt I’d landed in the lap of luxury. I have access not only to a nice restaurant, a store, and showers, but also a pool and a hot tub. I can go horseback riding, mini golfing, or rent an ATV if I want to spend the money, and everything is carefully designed for my comfort. What a nice little unsuspected oasis. Of course I won’t spend the money on the extras, but I do intend to take advantage of the hot tub tomorrow night after I get back from my hike – if I go hiking.

Pool and Hot Tub at my "Campground"

I’m near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, and I’d really like to head down there to see that again. I also want to spend a little time in Kanab, and I might drive out near Paria Canyon. Zion doesn’t have a lot of hikes that look terribly interesting to me, and visiting all the other things in the area seems more appealing at the moment. But I’ll decide tomorrow. I do want to take the shuttle up the scenic route here in Zion, and there are a few short hikes I can access by taking that same shuttle, so I may do that early.

 

I need to be careful not to push myself so much that I quit enjoying the trip. I know I need to train for the big hike in July, but I also want to balance seeing all the things I want to see with that training. I will be backpacking five days beginning next Sunday, and that will be good training. I’m a little anxious about that – spending five days with someone I’ve never met will be an interesting experience. And the backpacking will be tough most likely too. But I’m way ahead of myself here, so I think for now I’ll just enjoy my temporary luxurious digs and get some sleep.