The last few days of a road trip.

So far I have shared my first few days of our summer road trip with you. We went to Utah, Wyoming and Colorado. Went to Rocky Mountain National Park and then stayed in Boulder, Co that evening. After this, we were off to St. George, Utah and a huge change of scenery: from the tops of the Rockies, the the desert southwest. We wanted to hit Zion National Park during our adventures, so heading south and making a loop on the way back home was the best way to do that. We stayed an evening in St. George, Utah and tried not to melt. It was 114 degrees F that day, which the boy said was the hottest temperature he has ever experienced in his life. We stayed in the hotel room during the hottest part of the afternoon and got ice cream later that night, however, when you are dealing with temperatures this extreme, it never really cools of enough. My advice: Lots of sunscreen and lots of water.

After a very warm day, we knew we would have to get up early the next morning and head to Zion NP. We were at the park by 7:00 am and it was already warm and becoming crowded. I had never been to Zion before, but I was so excited. The colors of the rocks are stunning and what a lovely place to be before the sun is too high. We arrived at a good time to explore before the heat got to us.

Zion is so different from Rocky Mountain but spectacular just the same. Here are some of my pictures from the morning in the park!

 The way into The Narrows

 Don't feed the wildlife.

Here is my advice for visiting Zion:

1. If you can, don't visit in the summer. Not only is it extremely hot, but it is also very busy and crowded and there is a line for the bus that takes you around the park. We only waited 30 minutes, but could have easily waited much longer.
2. Bring your own water bottles and make sure they are reusable! The national parks are no longer selling plastic water bottles (good for them!) so bring your own or plan to buy a reusable one there. Also, make sure you bring PLENTY! 
3. Watch the weather. Not just for heat, but flash floods as well. Flash floods come quickly and could easily funnel straight into the canyon, leaving you with no way to get out. Check the park postings for more info. and if they are expecting rain. 
4. SUNSCREEN! I am a freak about sunscreen and my family and friends will say the same thing. I always have it with me and always have it on. I even have 2 bottles in my car at all times, just in case. I hate being sunburned and in a place this sunny, it happens quickly.
5. Do not feed or try to pet the wild life. Keep the wild life, well, WILD. We say many people trying to put the squirrels. Just don't so it.