We spent 3 days in 3 of our nation's most majestic national parks: Zion Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Arches. While our time may have been abbreviated, our appreciation for the natural beauty of the region cannot be overstated. We arrived at Zion at night, and descended into the shadowy canyon blind to the scale and magnitude of the rock walls. At sunrise we awoke and explored the park, appreciating the details brought out by the sunlight. Unlike the other sites we visited, Zion places you in the valley of the canyon, looking up at the massive rock formations with craned necks as the sun crested the valley.
After Zion, we packed up the van and headed to Bryce Canyon for the afternoon, climbing as high as 9000 feet to observe the endless landscapes surrounding it. That night we landed in Salt Lake City before departing in the morning for Arches near the town of Moab. We searched for campsites up and down the Colorado River, as it was the week of the Jeep Jamboree and the area was overrun with rowdy off road vehicles and families. We managed to find a spot along the riverbed, and spent the morning exploring the most celebrated of Utah's parks (Delicate Arch is on the state sign, as well as license plates across the state) before setting out towards Boulder, Colorado.
