ENCHANTED BY THE CANYONS - Part 2

My travel blogs remind me of Ibn Battuta's quote:

"Traveling - it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller."

So here's Part 2 of my story...

The Narrows, Zion National Park

The next day we hiked through The Narrows - for a fun and COLD adventure. The Narrows is the narrowest section of the Zion Canyon - an amazing gorge, about 20 feet wide, with canyon walls stretching thousand feet high.

Hiking The Narrows in late October meant wading and sloshing through the freezing Virgin River - over slippery and uneven rocks. This hike became my practice of 'balance and endurance.' And the walking pole was my invaluable 'yoga prop'! I spent a good portion of this hike looking down to make sure I didn't slip...

But whenever I got a good foot holding, I would look up and be filled with awe - completely captivated by the blanket of red, orange and green colors on either side of us. Taking it all in, a deep sense of gratitude filled my soul. I was so grateful to finally be here - It's like John Muir says, 'In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.'

Why had it taken me so long to get here - considering, I've been on this planet 55 years, and in this country 30 years!

In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks. ~ John Muir

Next we headed to Bryce Canyon National Park for yet another stunning landscape - a red-rock wonderland of orange and pink rock spires, or hoodoos, created by the forces of nature - water, wind and snow. And as the park ranger explained the formation of these spectacular canyons, I couldn't help but reflect on the fact that nature knows no good or evil - its a concept born of the human mind.

"Nature is always lovely, invincible, glad, whatever is done and suffered by her creatures. All scars she heals, whether in rocks or water or sky or hearts." ~ John Muir

I couldn't help but reflect on the fact that nature knows no good or evil; its a concept born of the human mind.

The Park may be small in size but has quite a wow factor - its as though you were entering a whimsical world of Dr. Seuss! These spiral cones cover the entire floor of the canyon. Unlike Zion where you enter the park from below, here you climb down into canyon forest.

We set off on the Queen's Garden/Navajo Loop trail with fabulous views at every turn. The hike, considered to be of moderate intensity, seemed rather challenging towards the end - to my exhausted legs by now -with countless switchbacks.

Bryce National Park may be small in size but has quite a wow factor - its as though you are entering a whimsical world of Dr. Seuss!

Our last stop was the Grand Canyon National Park and I have wanted to visited it for as long as I can remember. The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River and its tributaries (for at least 17 million years) which cut their channels through layers of rock while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted. While appreciating the Grand Canyon from the top of the rim is incredible, the real experience comes from hiking down into the canyon and feeling it’s power and beauty all around you. We hiked down through the different layers and got to truly experience its overwhelming size, changing landscape and changing colors!