In mid April, my husband and I decided to take a weekend trip down to St. George and Zion National Park. It was my first time visiting both places, so I was incredibly excited for the adventure.
As you may have read in my last post, we are expecting a baby, which made this my first big adventure while pregnant. I had just entered my second trimester and was learning new things about pregnancy every day. One of the biggest things I discovered on this trip is that you start losing your breath long before you start gaining much weight. The first set of stairs I climbed had me completely out of breath!
Because of that, we decided to stick with shorter and easier hikes while exploring Zion. Luckily, there are plenty of amazing trails that are not too strenuous, and we were still able to spend the entire day exploring and taking in some incredible views.
Canyon Overlook Trail
The most exciting view of the day came from Canyon Overlook Trail. The hike is fairly short, about an hour round trip, and not very difficult. The best part was that I finally got to take a photo I had been imagining for weeks.
We actually used that photo as our baby announcement for friends and family on Facebook.
The view from the overlook was absolutely incredible. At one point Shane got a little nervous because he thought I was getting too close to the edge. I was at least five feet away, but I cannot blame him. The drop from that viewpoint is pretty intense!
Along the trail there was also a fun little bridge that crossed between the rocks, which made the hike even more enjoyable.
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Weeping Rock
Next we visited Weeping Rock, which was another beautiful stop. Water slowly drips down from the rock face, creating a lush little area along the canyon wall. It was a peaceful place to stop and take in the view for a while.
The trail leading there was full of interesting scenery, including trees stretching right over the path.
Riverside Walk
One of our favorite stops was the Riverside Walk. We really enjoyed wandering along the river and exploring the area at a relaxed pace.
At one point we even made a few small friends along the trail, including some furry caterpillars.
Of course, no adventure with Shane is complete without our usual feet photo tradition.
We also dipped our hands in the water and quickly discovered that it was freezing. Since this trip was in April, we decided we definitely want to come back during a warmer month.
It is also amazing to watch the rock climbers in Zion. It is hard to believe people climb those massive canyon walls every single day.
Zion Shuttle
One of the best things about visiting Zion is the park shuttle system. The buses take visitors to different trailheads and scenic stops throughout the canyon. It is a great way to get around, and the air conditioned ride was a very welcome break from the sun.
Snow Canyon State Park
Before heading home, we made a stop at Snow Canyon State Park near St. George.
We were surprised to find some incredible sand dunes there. The sand was soft and felt almost like a beach, so we kicked off our shoes and took a little walk across the dunes.
It ended up being the perfect way to wrap up an amazing day of exploring.
Until next time.
