My friend Adrielle suggested I visit Zion, her favorite national park. While I love my friend, we are birds of a different feather, so I was a little nervous that her glowing recommendation might render 4 nights of boredom in the South Utah desert. And when she suggested a restaurant and said she ate there all three nights of her stay, I was sharply reminded that Adrielle is a creature of habit. I am a bit of an adventure zealot and adrenaline junky, slightly unstable and neurotic. Adrielle, on the other hand, is how I would describe my concept of home; she is warm, kind, comforting, consistent, and reliable.
To my great surprise, I found Zion National Park to be the perfect blend of Adrielle and Kelly. The town of Springdale was accessible and inviting, a good home base to explore the multitude of canyons. The staple hikes of the park were controlled but challenging. The excursion hikes to glowing slot canyons and peaks were breathtaking.
I spent the first day exploring the main drag of the park via shuttle, the Emerald Pools Trails, The Weeping Rock, and Riverside walk along the Virgin River. It was a pleasant afternoon and I closed out the night with Adrielle’s recommendation, Pizza & Noodles, which proved to be a good staple, carb load for tomorrow’s day of hiking. I have to say, that like her taste in men and fashion, Ms.Fry’s taste in national parks is impeccable.
On day two of the trip, I hiked to the top of Angel’s Landing, a lookout atop a sliver of a peak within the canyon. Acrophobic, beware. It was not as scary as summits of several Colorado Peaks, but it was surprisingly exposed and steep for it to be such a popular hike within the park. I would highly recommend this hike to visitors. In the afternoon, I took the West Rim Trail, towards the northwest part of park to some relatively tight slot canyons. It was a pretty long day of hiking, and not particularly impressive views; I think if I came back with some canyoneering or rock climbing skills, I would have really enjoyed this area.
After a long second day, I ventured out to my second restaurant, and since it was Cinco de Mayo, I gave Oscars a try. I tried to order a Margarita and was offered a Winerita, those Utah Mormons and their alcohol.
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