Zion National Park Adventure (While Expecting!)

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.

Buffalo, Bugs, and the Great Salt Lake: Our Trip to Antelope Island

Trying to take advantage of my unemployment, Shane and I decided to take a drive up to Antelope Island on his day off!

Since we had never been to Utah before moving here, everything still feels new and exciting. I knew the Great Salt Lake would be large and salty, but driving out onto the island completely surprised me. For a moment, it honestly felt like I was back on the East Coast. The salty smell, the breeze off the water (well… lake breeze), and the seagulls everywhere made it feel strangely like the ocean. It was peaceful and oddly familiar.

Before this trip we had done very little research. We assumed there would be antelope on the island, but we didn’t really know what else to expect. It costs $10 per car to enter, and I would definitely recommend making sure you have plenty of gas so you can drive around and explore the whole island.

One thing that confused us right away was seeing a huge buffalo statue near the road leading onto the island. At the time we thought it was odd… buffalo on an island in the middle of the Great Salt Lake? Hmm…

Our first stop was Bridger Bay, where you can park and walk out to the beach. If you want to float in the Great Salt Lake, this is where they direct you on the island. Being the tourists that we are, we were ready for the experience—bathing suits and water shoes on. We were ready to float!

We walked down across the salty sand flats toward the water, and that’s when we noticed something strange. Every time the seagulls near the shoreline moved, a huge black cloud would puff up into the air.

As we got closer, we quickly realized what it was… millions of flies.

If you get within about five feet of the shoreline, you are guaranteed to be swarmed. Unfortunately we discovered this the hard way and ran back as fast as we could—holding our breath and plugging our noses the whole way. Other people walking down watched us sprint away and immediately turned around themselves after seeing the swarm.

You may notice in one of the photos that a family was already out in the water. My guess is that once you get past the flies, you’re fine. They probably floated around happily while we were running for our lives! But by that point we were no longer in the mood to float peacefully in the lake.

My recommendation: skip the walk to the shoreline and enjoy the lake views from a distance. There’s plenty more to see on the island.

Next we headed up to Buffalo Point, which offers an incredible view of the lake and makes for a great photo stop.

From there we continued exploring the island, driving along Antelope Island Road toward the other end.

Then something amazing happened.

At first we saw something in the distance…

“Buffalo? On an island right outside Salt Lake City? No way…”

Then suddenly—there they were.

My very first buffalo sighting! And not just one… hundreds of them.

And of course… we finally spotted the island’s namesake too—antelope.

I had no idea how incredible this day would turn out. I was absolutely in buffalo heaven.

After a few hours of driving around the island, a storm started rolling in and it was time for us to head home.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend visiting Antelope Island if you’re anywhere near the area. It makes for a fantastic day trip and offers some truly unique views and wildlife.

Just… maybe stay away from the flies.