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Road Trip to the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park
by Brad Maxwell
 We all climbed aboard our Chrysler Mini-van, complete with bucket seats, CD stereo system and a front and back climate control system, and headed east toward Arizona. On this trip, our daughters who are teens, had the center section of the van as a sanctuary all their own. Our son, who had the back seat all to himself, was busy playing video games and would chime-in on our conversations as the "voice from the back".
Although we love road trips, we also like to take our  time and go slow. So on this trip, our first stop was in Laughlin - a gambling town set right next to the Colorado River. After a good nights sleep and a big breakfast, we continued our journey east until we came to Highway 66. Highway 66 is a historic highway that we wanted to explore. Along the way, we spotted signs advertising the Grand Canyon Caverns. So off we went to explore the cave that was discovered by some cowboys in 1927. And luck was with us too, they have a great little restaurant and gift shop.
By early evening, we were making our way into the  Grand Canyon National Park heading for the El Tovar Hotel, the historic hotel on the rim of the Grand Canyon. This is a very popular hotel and you must make reservations months in advance. And since we didn't make reservations early, we were actually staying at the Thunderbird Lodge but we wanted to see if there had been any cancelations. The Thunderbird Lodge was nice, sitting next to the El Tovar and right on the rim of the Grand Canyon. As you can imagine, the views were spectacular. And although we stayed at the Thunderbird, we couldn't help but spend time over at the El Tovar, a grand hotel built with  logs and stones surrounded by trees and the breathtaking beauty of the canyon.
First thing in the morning, my son and I snuck out to watch the sunrise and take pictures of the canyon as the morning sun danced across it's cliffs. He and I are the early birds in the group. Once the ladies were up, we jumped on one of the Grand Canyon trams that take you along the canyon rim, stopping along the way at the different trails and vantage points. We got off at a popular spot and walked out to the edge of a cliff, looking down thousands of feet. We could see the daily train of mules and riders, making their way down the canyon. It sure looked like fun, but unfortunately, I was just over the 220 weight maximum and couldn't go.  After a day of hiking, we settled back at the hotel and had dinner at the El Tovar.
It was another beautiful day as we all climbed aboard our mini-van for another trip across the country heading to Zion National Park. I must say, that the country we saw driving from the Grand Canyon to Zion was simply spectacular! We were driving on roads that were surrounded by red cliffs similar to those of the Grand Canyon, and prairies as far as the eye can see. We spotted a few trading posts along the way and had to stop and shop. It seemed as if we were on a journey through some distant faraway land.  Some of the roads seemed almost deserted prompting us to gas up when we could. And for lunch, we happened upon a little restaurant, gas and motel that was the perfect spot -- smack dab in the middle of the red canyon area we were driving through.
We entered Zion National Park, in Utah, and made our way down its long and winding road, with sculptured cliffs and canyons on either side. We had reservations at the Zion Lodge in the main area of the park and we were very glad we did.  What a wonderful lodge with great rooms surrounded by the giant red cliffs of Zion National Park. The main lodge also had a great restaurant that we made reservations at for all three nights we were going to stay.
On the first morning, we spotted the stables just across the road from the Zion Lodge and decided we would go for a trail ride. We walked over and made reservations for a trip right after lunch. The stables had some great trail bosses and the horses were, well, horses. A bit uncomfortable, bumpy and always kicking up dust. But did we ever have fun and see some great country.  I always like to remind my family that I grew up riding horses, that I was a cowboy at heart, and was quite at home in the saddle. Somehow the trail bosses thought differently when they saw me with a camera in one hand and a video camera around my neck.
On day two in Zion, we decided to go hiking up one of the canyon trails. Zion is famous for it's trails that take you thorough tall winding canyons to places like the Emerald Pool, Weeping Rock or the Hidden Canyon. Although it's impossible to get away from the sun, many of the trails have partial shade from trees and cliffs, and some offer the opportunity to get your feet wet.  As we hiked, we couldn't help but think about what it would be like to leave a big city and live in the country. Zion is a paradise that everyone should take the time to visit. We found ourselves wanting to stay longer, but it was time to go.....
We made our way south from Zion, early the next morning, heading for Las Vegas. There was one more stop on our journey home. Of course there won't be any serene hiking trails in Vegas, but it does offer a chance for us to get cleaned up and go out for a night on the town!
For more information visit:
www.grandcanyonlodges.com
www.gccaverns.com
www.nps.gov/zion/
www.utah.com/nationalparks/zion.htm
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