November 28:  Grand Canyon to Zion National Park. Starting mileage:  38,969.

This morning, we drove out of the Grand Canyon area, back through the South Rim road and by the Desert View Watchtower. Of course, we stopped again and again–enjoying the light, the sun, the colors, and the fresh air. Today, we were headed for Zion National Park in Utah. Despite the fact that Zion is less than 100 miles away if you were a flying crow, today would be about a four hour ride because the roads have to go around the Grand Canyon, then north to Utah, before jogging back west.

Through Navajo Nation

This land was high desert land, and Navajo Nation land. To the left, was sand and rock with bits of small green bushes. There, we saw what looked like giant ant hills piled among the sage bushes. To the right, were red clay mountains, with foothills that looked wrinkled, like elephant ankles. Along the way, there were stalls for Navajo people to sell their wares along the road side. And we passed through small villages–maybe just a house or two. Spread-out communities with six-sided houses and small buildings dotted the desert. Somewhere near Hidden Springs, we saw a lone man, sitting at the very peak of a small mountain–arms wrapped around bent knees and face to the sun. A tan dog crossed the road.

 

Marble Canyon

Eventually, we’d drive up, up, up. The road took us to the shelf of a mountain, a vast valley to our left. We stopped on a curve, with a road crew holding signs directing us to follow a pilot car around a rock slide repair area. Up, up, up. And then, on the crest of the mountain shelf, there was a viewpoint. The valley below ran for miles–cars like ants in the distance. We walked a bit in the sun, the breeze, surrounded by red rocks, before getting in the car and driving through the small gap in the mountain.

 

Desert Landscape

We entered another desert scrub landscape–this one higher. Miles and miles of dirt and sage bushes. And then came rocks, and canyons hidden in the rocks. The rocks looked like stacks of red mud pies. And as we passed hills, we’d see deep clefts in the land revealed. Just after Glen Canyon Dam in Page, Arizona, we crossed into Utah.

A yellow caution sign had the added benefit of red lights zooming around the edges. The sign alerted us there might be deer in the area. And we laughed to see a deer standing right behind the sign pole, chewing and staring at us as we slowed down. Later, we pulled over to see a herd of Buffalo, scuffling along in the dust of a field.

 

Zion National Park

We were entering Zion from the East on the the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway. Some of the dollops of rocks looked like they were melting–like chunks of caramel or white chocolate drops. It was a clear blue sky and the yellow leaves seemed to glow against the rock backgrounds.

 

The Tunnel

Imagine our amazement when suddenly a very large, red mountain with a mouse hole appeared on the road ahead of us. Another car was stopped in front of us waiting to enter this mouse hole. Signs all around warned us to turn on headlights, and “DO NOT STOP!” in the tunnel.

We entered slowly. It was the most narrow tunnel I’ve ever seen, I wondered if the top of the car would scrape. And oh so dark. And it went on, and on, and on. Every now and again, we’d pass an opening in the rock and see a valley far far down. It was a terrifying surprise. Finally, we exited the tunnel and I had to stop for a minute.

This Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel is 1.1 miles long, was completed in 1930, and is basically the same as it was upon completion nearly 90 years ago. However, because of the softness of the sandstone mountain through which it passes, concrete ribs now reinforce the entire tunnel. After a pillar collapsed in 1958, the tunnel is now electronically monitored twenty-four hours a day to warn park officials if there is danger of cracks or movement.

 

The Scenic Zion Canyon

After I’d had a few minutes to get over that tunnel, we continued on–driving carefully through the switchback roads down to the Zion Canyon floor. We stopped for the bighorn sheep standing on the red-layered hills and road shoulders all around us. One stood beside the stopped car, and we played that game “no, you go first. Oh, ok, I’ll go. Oh, ok you go.” Every time he was still and I let the car roll, he’d make a step. I stopped, he stopped, and we stared at each other. Please don’t ram the car Mr. Bighorn Sheep.

 

Usually, the scenic drive in Zion Canyon is closed to private vehicles from April through October, and all visitors have to ride shuttle buses to the valley. But it was November, and we got to drive on the flat valley floor. We studied the National Park map and info and saw that the peak to our left, “the Sentinel” had collapsed some 4,800 years ago. The giant landslide covered this canyon floor with rock debris for two miles. At the time, my first thought was about our need to exit the park through that crazy narrow sandstone tunnel.

Beginning in the 1860s, the floor of Zion Canyon was used by European settlers who farmed corn, tobacco, and fruit trees. Settlers in the area also took trees and used the valley for grazing farm animals. Finally, in 1909, the area was recognized as the Mukuntuweap National Monument, and established as Zion National Park in 1919.

 

Zion Details

Zion’s canyon walls are Navajo Sandstone eroded by the North Fork of the Virgin River. Not surprising, there is such beauty in these tortured, twisted, melted rocks–the colors, the shapes, the layers, and how the mountains and their trees jut up to the sky. As we drove along the valley floor, we stopped often–sometimes in sun, sometimes in shade–to admire the sheer red rock walls, the sheer white rock walls, the trees hanging on and reaching high, the yellow leaves of autumn, and the birds singing through the canyon.

 

Good people

Later, we made our way to the Zion Lodge to see about pressing our pennies and mailing postcards. We purchased a few postcards and as we were preparing to sit in the lobby and write greetings to drop in the Lodge mailbox, we inquired about a penny press machine. Yes! They had one! Alas, it was locked in the cafe–which was closed for the season. Maybe they could see our utter disappointment, or maybe they were just sweet people…but while we sat in the lobby working on our postcards, those guys MOVED that big old penny machine to an accessible area for us. We must have looked like kids at Christmas when they came to the lobby to tell us: “M’ams, the PENNY MACHINE is ready in the gift shop now if you still want to make your pennies.”

Afterwards, we drove out of Zion, safely passing through that tunnel.  We checked in to our hotel in Mt. Carmel Junction a perfect location between Zion and Bryce National Parks. We were starving. Thankfully, the Golden Hills diner was close…and surprise…they had a salad bar! We had the place pretty much to ourselves and filled up on a delicious salad and soup. The people were friendly, the menu had lots of options, the food was good, and the prices very reasonable. It became kind of like our Zion-Bryce kitchen while we were in Mt. Carmel Junction, as we ate all our meals in their cozy diner.

Some photos are available on Etsy.

Finally, if you liked this post, please leave a comment and
Thank you!