Zion

Did Zion National Park today. Hands down, this was the best park we've been to. It was simply breathtaking. So beautiful, in fact, that I didn't bother taking pictures. They couldn't do it justice, anyway. All I have to say, is that if you go out west, this park is a MUST-SEE.

To paraphrase my wife: "they must have named it Zion, because you can truly see God here."

Seriously, if you ever have the chance, don't miss seeing this park.

48 hours

The past two days... where do I begin?

We went to Bryce canyon, and saw some really cool stuff. Went hiking on "The Arches" trail. I climbed up some slopes, and stood in the arches, like EVERYONE typically does. I did take one pic that reminds me of all the yoga-fanatic girls Facebook profile pictures. I think it's my favorite pic so far this trip.

Then today, we hiked a trail on private land (with permission) that we were told ended in an underground lake. It did not disappoint.

After the lake, when we hiked back to the truck, I went barefoot, because it was on a cattle road, and I had as much sand in my shoes as was left on the road, so I figured "hell with it".

It reminded me of being 12, walking in the fields my dad owned, barefoot, with not a care in the world.

It was a great two days.

11 years

It's hard to believe me and this beautiful girl have been married 11 years, today!

She went into the town close to where we are camped to see the local animal shelter. The Boy-o and I are piddling around camp. When she gets back, we plan on buttoning everything down, and seeing the small western town and it's rock shops and antique malls. Afterwards, we are going to grab dinner at a local Bavarian Restaurant.

It's shaping up to be a good day!

Deer!

HOLY CRAP! There are some big does in Arizona!

Chili

Maybe it's being in the West. Maybe it's that we spent the day playing in Snow. Maybe it's just that camping makes me want hearty, simple, filling fare.

Whatever it is, I wanted a bowl of The Red this evening, so that's what we cooked. Served with Saltines, it really hit the spot, and warmed up my core.

Chili hits the spot on a chilly night.

Thanks, Pawpaw, for teaching me to cook. It's a skill that I am grateful for every day, and I'm glad I had a Pop to show me how from an early age!

Grand Canyon

It's huge. I mean, I know you hear about how big it is all the time, but words don't do it justice. It's truly an impressive sight to behold. You actually get to the point where you aren't registering the size and scope anymore, after a few hours. It's like your brain can only handle so much vastness before it starts seeing it all as background. Then you realize your brain is skipping over cool stuff, and it's like being hit with a sledgehammer, because the cool view suddenly gains perspective again.

And apparently, it snows here in May.

This is one hell of a trip!

The West

Some random thoughts:

The West is BIG. There are stretches in West Texas and New Mexico where you can drive for hours and see nothing man-made. Just scenery. And I'm not just talking an absence of gas stations (Make sure you fill up!), but not even a bill board or telephone pole. If it wasn't for the road you are on, you'd be halfway convinced you were the first person to lay eyes on the land.

Carlsbad caverns is something to behold. You walk down over 700 feet. That doesn't sound like much, but it's FAR. and that's vertical distance. The trail down is over a mile long.

There are some truly cool towns in New Mexico and Arizona. Roswell, Holbrook, and Winslow are some of the ones we stopped at.

Louisiana has no idea what Authentic Tex-Mex is. Green Chili could be worshipped as a religion. I hear it is, in some parts.

More later. I have a Meteor Crater to go see.