March 15, 2013. The scenery surrounding me as I fished the Sevier River last week was inspiring. I am very serious about writing my book and blogging, so I had to convince myself that a few field trips would be just fine! After all I am taking the year “off”. I can’t think of a better place than southern Utah to take advantage of some day excursions.
I spent the better part of a day at Zion National Park traveling up the easternmost north/south scenic highway past Angel’s Landing where I had hiked once before. I followed the road to the end where the Riverside Hike takes you up to the Narrows. My sister and I hiked the Narrows many years ago but this was not the time of year to do that.
The North Fork of the Virgin River was already in run-off mode and was a luscious caramel color. It blended in with the mud on the banks such that some of my photos looked like I captured shots of roads instead of rivers. Lots of people roamed the various stop-off points but nothing compared to what it will be like in another month when spring breaks start.
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is also another gorgeous place to visit. I picked a perfect day that included a cool morning, no wind and no ATVs. Yes, they do allow these vehicles to roam the dunes. Unlike the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado, there are really only two large dunes here.
Fascinating patterns on the sand featured everything from commonplace whitetail deer to stink bug tracks. It was wonderful to spend a morning with my new friend, Bunny who I met at the Smith Hotel.
Lastly I want to mention the Best Friends Animal Society. At the core of their dream is that no pets will be killed in shelters anywhere in the world. At any one time they have about 1700 animals that they are providing love and care for. They operate on about 20,000 acres in a pristine environment. Their website tells it all.
Everyone needs to visit southern Utah once in their lives. I still have my second visit to Bryce Canyon to look forward to as well as the Beaver and Fremont rivers.
