Today by the Numbers:
Length of Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel: 1.1 miles
Number of Souvenir Stickers Bought Today: 5 (to add to the 5 previously acquired at Zion)
An Easy Day Exploring the Zion Area
A slow morning followed by a relaxed day of playing tourist in Springdale was the theme for today. We got into Springdale at about 11:30 and dealt with the usual parking situation there. At least we know how to play that game now! We stopped in at the visitor’s center at Zion and then headed to the core of the town to check out some shops. After buying a few souvenirs, we had some burgers for lunch at MeMe’s Café.
After lunch we made our way back to the car to head into the park to see some things we hadn’t yet seen. A stop at the Human History Museum was first where we learned a bit about the people history of the region from Native Americans to the Mormons, and finally the establishment of the park. It was nice to get out of the car and see the landscape we had only seen through crowded shuttle windows before. The sandstone mountains are quite impressive.
Next was the drive up the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway through the tunnel that was completed in 1938 to make Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks more accessible to each other. There were several photo stops to try to capture the impressive landscape and the interesting sedimentary lines in the sandstone. Trivia for today: What are some special constraints for driving through the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel? As usual, you’ll find the answer at the end of the blog post.
We turned around shortly before the east entrance to Zion to head back to camp. Along the way, we were rewarded with another bucket list sighting that required making a U-turn. There was a small herd of Bighorn Sheep grazing just off the road! We watched them for a bit, took many pictures, and then they decided to cross the road and continue up the mountain. They seemed to love munching on the Yucca plants.
When we got back into Springdale, we stopped to get a sweet treat. Some ice cream at the Springdale Candy Company filled that wish. After that it was back to camp. Not being very hungry after our bigger lunch and late desert, dinner will be a light snack. Cocktail of the evening was a Lychee Bourbon (they’re healthy because they have the lychee fruit, right?!).
Tomorrow, we pack up camp here in Hurricane and head to the Bryce Canyon RV Resort. That will serve as our base for visiting Bryce Canyon before we head to Moab.
Trivia Answer: If your vehicle is 11’4″ (3.4m) tall or taller or 7’10” (2.4 m) wide or wider, including mirrors, awnings, and jacks, you will need a tunnel permit. This includes many motor homes (why we decided to make the drive on this road in the Jeep today and drive the RV on a different route between the parks). With the permit, you have to plan to drive through the tunnel between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM. The rangers on duty there will stop traffic in the opposite direction to allow the oversize vehicle to pass without risking an accident with an oncoming vehicle.
