Day One of Zion National Park


Fri, September 7, 2012:  Drove from Kodachrome Basin to Zion Canyon Campground.  The drive included a 1.1 mile tunnel in Zion NP to access the main entrance via the east entrance.  The tunnel took 3 years to build and is quite impressive.  We arrived at Zion Canyon Campground and RV (quality Inn as well)….not terribly impressed….not planning to stay there again.  The site at times had an odor, the showers were dirty, and it was jam packed despite being after the Labor Day holiday.  We then had lunch at the Pioneer Lodge (great Cobb salad and good French dip).
After setting up the Weasel, we headed into Zion.  We did not realize that you could not access the main areas from your own car.  We promptly returned to camp (to park) and figured out the shuttle system.
 
We began with the Emerald Ponds, via the Zion Lodge stop.  
 
View from the bridge starting our hike to the Emerald Ponds


Alongside the first Emerald Pond

Weeping from the second Emerald Pond

The second Emerald Pond....they must be more spectacular earlier in the year?

.  This hike took us to the first 2 Emerald ponds (ok, not spectacular), then to The Grotto stop in approximately 3 miles. 


  
We then shuttled on to the Weeping Wall.  This felt more like hiding under a rock cave from a light storm.  There were interpretive sites along the way, ok overall.  We then returned to the Visitor’s center for some SWAG!! Oh yah!!


Larry at the Weeping Wall (underneath the weeping rim)


 
We then had dinner at a little Mexican restaurant (smelled too much at the camp site…like sewer gas…EWW!)

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