Zion National Park has to be one of the hottest places on this planet. We had been warned, so we changed our plans for the day. Rather than spending the night in Zion, we instead spent the night outside Bryce Canyon so that we could hit the last sights in the morning with the early morning sun. We basically had the place to ourselves, which adds to the magic of the experience.
After a few last stops in Bryce, we hit the road for Zion, taking the Zion-Mt Carmel scenic highway 9. No photos there since I was driving. Just before the Mt. Carmel tunnel, there is a Canyon Overlook trail that we wanted to do…before it got too hot.
This trail was crowded, and mostly with people who didn’t adhere to masking/social distancing rules. And it was hot. Still, pretty cool sights…
After the hike we hit the visitor center. We planned to drive back out on the same road and then find a spot in the Kaibab National Forest in Arizona to camp, but the heat really did us in. We sought a restaurant for lunch with air conditioning (we even ate inside!) and reconsidered our plan. At this point, we were all sweaty, tired, cranky, and just desperate for a cool shower, clean clothes, and a place to sleep that wasn’t in the triple-digits. How people live in these climates is beyond me. Dry heat or not – 108 is too hot for humans, period.
After some deliberation, a gallon of ice water each, and some much-needed food, we opted to just ditch Zion and head to AZ. The crowds and the heat combined to leave us a bit disappointed, especially after the fabulous experience we had in Bryce. Well, can’t win them all!
Vacation Days 