Zion is awesome - and we haven't seen much of it, yet

Wow. This place is amazing. We imagine that this what the Grand Canyon is like if you were at the bottom of it looking up. Huge, crazy tall cliffs overhead. Sheared sides with monstrous rocks at the bottom, clearly matched sets that were once together. Streams at the bottom, with lush trees and vegetation - such a contrast from the rocky cliffs overhead with cacti sticking out.

We checked into the lodge and unloaded our bags and quickly got back out to walk around and get oriented before sundown. We took a short walk up to a picnic area (1 mile RT) and saw lots of mule deer, mostly females, a couple of whom looked pregnant, and even a couple of young males with short antlers beginning to grow. Several had already bedded down for the evening in a low-lying area with tall grass. All you could see was their heads and those big ears for which they are named (the ears are huge like a mule's). Very sweet. They were still munching on the grass around them while they laid there leisurely. Looked like they owned the place, which they do.

We walked back to the lodge area and crossed the road and did a short portion of a trail (Emerald Pools Trail) that we will do tomorrow. Looks beautiful. Warning signs reminding folks that the edges of walkways (no rails) are to be avoided, as the rocks here aren't stable - evidence of that fact is strewn about everywhere. We will have to watch the kids like hawks around here - they have the attention span of gnats when they're excited. No sugary cereals in the morning! We'll need campers who can control themselves and pay attention to instructions. ;)

On the way back, I noticed a felled tree that was sharpened to points at the part where it fell over - beavers! I had never before seen this firsthand, so that was a neat experience.

We've also seen lots of wildflowers in bloom, and in lots of colors - red, yellow, purple, white - very, very pretty.

I'm hoping we can do a jeep tour of the Park tomorrow - seems like the best way to see this huge place. But, it's Memorial Day weekend, so they may be booked. We'll do what we can, even if we just do some hikes and ride the shuttle bus further up from the lodge (they don't allow cars beyond the lodge) - that will be fabulous, too. I don't think we can go wrong either way.