"A Photo Journey Through Zion National Park"

Above, can you spot Darth Vader's helmet on this rocky mountain in Zion National Park? Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is fitting to post this as today is Memorial Day.

One of my late parents' favorite places to vacation at was Zion National Park in Utah. It is also one of mine as well.

Zion is a day's drive from Los Angeles on a route that will take you though Las Vegas and Mesquite, Nevada, a tip of Arizona, the Virgin River Gorge and St. George, Utah.

The World Is A Book website has posted an article, "A Photo Journey Through Zion National Park" that will provide the reader with great photographs and informative text.

It begins with:

We have many attractions we’ve visited largely in need of a “do-over” due to lack of time or weather. In honor of National Parks Week here in the US, this is our re-visit to Zion National Park in Utah. Our trip last month was a stark contrast to our visit a few years ago when it was covered with snow and we practically had the park to ourselves. Zion is popular among hikers and outdoor enthusiasts and a natural spectacle of canyons and cliffs. 

It was designated as a National Park in 1919. Zion is Utah’s oldest and most visited park.The Mormon pioneers who settled in the area in the late 1800s called the canyon “Zion” which was a Hebrew word for refuge or sanctuary. We entered the park this time through the East Gate along Mt. Carmel Highway after our trip from Lake Powell and the Lower Antelope Canyon in Arizona. Our last trip was through the South Gate and the town of Springdale. The reddish-brown paved road was a welcome sight. It almost seemed natural and blended in nicely with the surrounding red rocks.

Some trivia: Some scenes of The Eiger Sanction that starred Clint Eastwood were filmed in Zion National Park. One of the scenes at Zion was the swimming pool bar scene with the late Jack Cassidy meeting a bikini-clad girl named "Buns." The swimming pool was at the Zion Lodge, but was removed in the late 1970s.

To read the full article, go here.