September 7: What Does Zion Mean?

Today's post is dedicated to all the meanings of Zion because they all apply to the things I have seen today. Meanings: heaven, utopia, stronghold, of the highest, paradise, chosen. I could not stop myself from taking an incredible amount of pictures today. I fell in love with the city of Kanab, Utah. The rock formations are so AWESOME and so beautiful. So unique from each angle. What an AMAZING planet we live on. Kind of makes me believe in something or someone divine.

"I believe the world is incomprehensibly beautiful - an endless prospect of magic and wonder." - Ansel Adams

"You cannot describe Zion, you can only experience it." - Unknown

"When you do things from the soul, you feel a river moving in you." - Rumi

"Keep pushing even when things don't go as planned. Everything that happens holds a lesson and everything that happens serves a purpose." - God

The Grand Staircase that I never found. This is an internet image

The sign said, "No Drone Area."

Driving into Utah

Chamberlain

Dance hall area

Dance hall stage

Chamberlain's grandson

Such a unique rock formation

Apparently Jean-Luc doesn't have a problem with statues of people only animals.

When I woke up this morning - (Finally slept - I think because it was pitch black - usually there is a light coming from somewhere that bothers me.) - I heard a weird whistling sound. I checked everything and nothing seemed wrong until I tried to take a shower and realized it was the water pump. Sh*t, no water. I asked if others had water. They said they received an email yesterday stating that the water would be shut off this afternoon -NOT this morning. I didn't get that email. Good thing I filled my water filter pitcher last night or the dogs and I wouldn't even had water to drink.

So that's the way the day began. Camping is so fun. I went about packing up and unplugging from the campsite. Then we took off to see Horseshoe Bend. It was only about a mile down the road from the campsite. As I'm driving I look out my left side view mirror and see my electrical line bounding along beside me. I was so sidetracked about the no water issue that I did not unplug. So when I took off I pulled the plug out. So the unfathomable depths of my stupidity have reached an all time low. Well I think the electrical cord and plug are the only thing I hadn't broken yet on this camper, so it was inevitable. :0)

I pulled off to the side as much as possible. Pulled the cord in, inspected the considerable damage and then just let it go. Swoosh - just like that I thought - "gee I hope I can still pug in tonight - oh well, if I can't." Gotta go with the flow. It's life, some days you think you're in control and you're just tooling along, giddy and happy and chill. But, some days life grabs you by the shoulders and says WTF were you thinking? You've never been in control. So you have to take the bad along with the good and see them both for what they are - a moment in time. Cherish it or Endure it and then let it go.

On this trip I have concentrated on staying in the moment, so that I don't have accidents that hurt me or someone else - or that damage other's property. My own, oh well. I think I still need to work on this. I'm a work in progress. As Jessie J sings, "I still fall on my face sometimes...'Cause I'm perfectly incomplete, I'm still working on my masterpiece."

The day goes on. We hiked the trail from the parking lot to the Horseshoe Bend scenic view. Pretty spectacular, I must say. There were several dogs there and the boys behaved so well. I took lots of pictures. On our way back to the parking lot I met a very nice couple from Chattanooga, Tennessee, Cindy and Chuck. They were very interested in the dogs. I shared the web address, so they can follow us. Cindy gave me a pamphlet with a "letter from Jesus." I haven't read it yet, but I will. They were the sweetest couple - I might have to give this faith thing a go.

Next we went through Page, Arizona - so close to the beautiful campsite at Antelope Point and the Horseshoe Ben. then on to Glen Canyon Dam Bridge. When I was in college I wrote a paper on how dams in the southwest reshaped the landscape and the work of Edward Abbey. I find dams to be fascinating and awesome engineering wonders.

On our way to Moqui Cave we passed Old Paria, a huge red rock formation with a great many striations from millions of years of geological events. We also passed Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument. I didn't see a sign to get to it, but Siri kept saying "you've arrived." So I took pics, but didn't see what I was looking for.

Next stop was just outside of Kanab, Utah (The most adorable little city with adorable houses. So close to the beauty of the canyons.) Moque Cave. This was a very interesting stop. The man who told me about the cave was the grandson of the original owner. He bought the cave in the 50's to create a dance hall and tavern for the actors who came to the area to work on western films. It was hot and no air conditioning, but the cave was cool. It was first used by the Anasazi people for food storage and shelter. It was a Speak Easy in the 20s. In 1951 the young man's grandfather and grandmother, Garth and Laura Chamberlain purchased the cave. Garth had a degree in geology, archeaology, and paleontology from Brigham Young Univeristy so he always intended for it to be a museum. The bar is still there and the dance hall became an exhibit area. There is the Moque Cave Cafe where we got some great panini sandwiches and iced chai latte. :0) So good.

Then we went to Zion. Part of the drive through Zion is through the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. I had to pay an extra $20 because I have an over-sized vehicle and they had to stop traffic on the other end, so I could drive directly down the center of the tunnel. It was worth the extra twenty to see the line of cars waiting for me to exit the other end of the tunnel. Is that bad? I was thinking, "Are you all waiting for me?"

Zion is too beautiful for description. The red rock formations are mind-bogglingly huge. The different patterns that have formed due to various geological events is fascinating. I would love to come back to hike, but I don't want to hike alone. I was able to make a campsite reservation at the Zion Canyon Campground and RV Resort, which is just outside the National Park entrance/exit at the southwest end. The dogs have been pooped out since their hike to Horseshoe Bend and Moqui Cave. I think we all deserve ice cream for dinner.

The internet connection here is spotty, so I'll probably catch up on posting when I get to Vegas. Looking forward to that - I've never been there! My sister-in-law says that I'm like a unicorn; the last person on Earth who hasn't been to Vegas.