Zion National Park, UT

We made it to Zion around noon, and we're in the South Campground. 

As we neared the turnoff into the campground, I saw some deer on my right, then when we turned into the South campground, these guys were foraging in the grass to my left.  Maybe I'll actually get some animal shots here.  I seem to be pretty good at birds and lizards, as you all know.  I'd like to graduate to larger animals.  :)

Here's the deer photo:

 Close-up of the buck - isn't he pretty?

Luckily we have a campsite for the next four days.  $8 a night with the Senior Pass.  It's a "pull-through" site, although I don't think they call them that.  I was just lucky to drive down the road I did, because the sites in my row have a road on each side.  I took this photo, then I backed The Palms up into the table/BBQ area where it's flatter.  Here's our campsite:

We were in the parking lot of the Hurricane, UT Walmart last night, as I posted in last night's post.  Well, I've gotta tell you - I was up and down from 10:00 until 2:20, when I gave up and got back on the road.  There was another Walmart in Washington, UT, and another in Saint George, UT, and I decided I'd rather get a few hours of good sleep than lie awake worried all night.  There were a few small trees that lost branches, the light post by my rig had it's lights go out.  I moved the rig about 11, trying to get into a better position, but the wind gusts never let up all the time we were there.  I like a little wind and the rocking The Palms does, but this was really bad.  I don't think I've ever been in winds that bad.

This morning I woke up at 9:30, and got right back on the road on the way to Zion.  I didn't want to get here so late that we wouldn't get a campsite like what happened at Bryce. 

As we retraced our steps and drove through the town of Hurricane, past the Walmart, etc., the wind was still howling.  It was super windy all the way up the mountains.  I was praying as I was driving, "Please let Zion be calm."  It's a little breezy, but that's all so far today.

Everywhere you look in this area you see beauty.  This is just along the freeway:

There are strangely shaped and colored rock outcroppings everywhere, and then the beautiful mountains, one after the other, each with another behind it, and another taller one behind that.  And they all look different.  I can see why people love Bryce, Zion, and Utah in general.  I can't imagine there's another place on earth that has this kind of rugged beauty.

These are some of the photos I took while I was driving along the highway on the way to Zion:

As you can imagine, they are unbelievable in person.  Or in mountain.  You know what I mean. :)

And finally, our next door neighbor:

We have no hook-ups here for four days, but the other campground where we have reservations starting Saturday does have electric.  This is the longest we've dry camped, so we'll see how we do.  I've already figured out the coffee - boil a pot of water on the gas stove, cut open three Keurig coffee cups and dump into the water, heat, strain, and pour into coffee cup.  I didn't have time for coffee this morning, and really wanted a cup when we got set up here.  So that's what I did, I made three cups and put two into a thermos for later or tomorrow morning.  Of course, we can use the generator for two hours in the morning and two at night.  I think.  I've got to look up the regs.

Katie and I are going for a walk now, before it gets too cool.

From Me and My Dog, have a great Wednesday evening, everyone!  :)