Day 5, Headed to Zion National Park: The Riverwalk

On Day 5 we got up early and said goodbye to our friends, the Hunt's. Leah and Charlee were both sad but decided that they are going to Facetime to keep in touch. Charlee was Leah's first BFF, so it was sweet to see them together again. Ryan and Carrie had told us about a Carhop restaurant in Fillmore, UT on the way to Zion, so of course we had to stop. Cluff's carhop served up a great burger and girls even got milkshakes too!

Then we were off to Zion. Ryan and Carrie also gave us a heads up of what destinations might be the easiest for the girls so we stuck to those. We began with the Riverwalk. Once again, I had to remind the girls that dry clothes were not going to be easy to come by, so please stay on the path. They listened for the most part.

We were about halfway into our hike when Search and Rescue Rangers went running past yelling "Step aside, search and resue coming through". When we got to the end of the trail, there was ranger in the water. I let the girls take their shoes off and stand on the rivers edge. The ranger said that they had received a report of a woman slipping on a rock and face down in the water but they hadn't been able to locate anyone. And no one at the end of the trail seemed to have any knowledge of anyone injured. When we got back up the beginning there were lights blazing. And even later when we were back at the welcome center, there was an ambulance that was empty. We kept our eyes on the news, and there were no reports of a fatality, so we take comfort in knowing that some one was found safe. But it helped have important conversation with the girls about following the rules and listening to the adults.

Zion was a beautiful place. The pictures don't do it justice. The color of the rocks, the gorges and grooves through the canyons are just magnificent. It's fascinating to think about how years of the river running over the rock can create such beauty!