Zion National Park

Today was a very majestic day as we visited the magnificent canyon of Zion Nat'l Park.
One of the most popular questions is "How did Zion get it's name".  Well, naming the area Zion is credited to one of the settlers, from the 1800's by the name of Isaac Behunin.  Zion is a biblical word that is prominent in the Mormon lexicon that refers to a place of spiritual sanctuary.  To the LDS aka: Latter Day Saints, it symbolizes an eventual religious utopia and a final gathering place in the last days.  The selection of Zion represents the area, shows the level of respect and awe these pioneers had for it.  As we know today, we would not disagree this unmatched beauty of Zion Canyon.  To me Zion feels Heavenly, with it's colorful landscaped wall formations & valleys, stunning views of red rock against the blue sky. Watching Zion take life from the Virgin River's scarce desert waters that form the cliffs, towers and deep canyons is MAJESTIC!!!

We started with the Free Shuttle to the top at Temple of Sinawava.  The Temple of Sinawava is the massive amphitheater that unofficially marks the beginning of the canyon.  But clearly as we took the 1 mile hike through the canyon on the "Riverside Walk" to the "Narrows", which was closed because of high waters, it was clear this is not the beginning of the canyon.

Temple of Sinawava

Weeping Rock

Our next stop was Weeping Rock.  A small hike to the top of the cliff clearly defines the Rock as "Weeping".  It received its name from the continuous water "weeps" out of the Weeping Rock alcove, which keeps the hanging gardens moist.  The weeping is from above the Echo Canyon, where one of the parks many slot canyons is located.

Zion Lodge

1863 Issac Behunin built the first log cabin in Zion Canyon, near the future of the Zion Lodge.

1924 Zion Lodge was designed and built by Gilbert Stanley Underwood.

1927-29 The guest cabins and employee housing were built

1966 A fire destroyed the original lodge.  It was rebuilt within 100 days, but the original rustic look was lost in favor of expedience in reopening the lodge.

1990 The lodge was remodeled to its original design

We ended our Zion day trip at the Museum where we watched a 30-minute documentary on Zion Nat'l Park and explored the Museum's artifacts.

Our evening dinner outing was at a restaurant recommendation from our friend Ginger.  Sakura Japanese Steakhouse in St George.  Again, another 5-star restaurant.  The place was packed and there was a 45-minute wait time...URGH.  We were already tired and were lucky enough to being seated at the Sushi Bar. PHEW!!!