Zion National Park Day 2

I am in love with Zion! I feel a little more oriented today and feel like I have my bearings here now. Not hard to do because this park is so well organized and laid out… they have a shuttle that takes you up and down the canyon with trails and overlooks at each stop. So we started out taking the shuttle from the visitor's center and got off at the Zion Lodge to do the Emerald Pools trail. God's creativity and imagination is so at work here in Zion, the rocks and cliffs look unreal as they tower above you. This trail was simple and paved and lead to a little pool that is green (or emerald) from the algae. But the most amazing part is the waterfalls dripping down into the pool; you look up and can see the water dripping down with the sun shining through it. Even the rocks above you have water seeping from them. The kids got soaking wet from the water falling and then the trail gets slippery too. Then it was back down and we made a stop in the Zion Lodge. Leah bought a stuffed reindeer (of course) and we had some soft serve ice cream we all enjoyed after a very hot hike. Then it was back on the shuttle and then Noah and I made a spontaneous stop at the Zion History Museum while the others headed back to camp. Noah and I did a ranger lead talk where they discussed the formation of Zion and all of the different rock layers. Zion has always been considered a spiritual place where people are drawn to God. Most of the mountains are named from Old Testament references (the Three Patriarchs, The Great White Throne, and Angels Landing). The cliffs are made from Navajo Sandstone in white and then in red from zinc oxide. Noah and I then took in a movie there to learn more and then it was back to camp. Then we went back to the river for more swimming. Plans for the rest of the day are to be determined; I am being very flexible with my spreadsheet and just using it as a guide instead of the rule of law and that is working out but I do hope to get a bike ride in on the Pa'rus trail… probably not Leah though, I don't feel like listening to screaming for 2 hours and I'm sure she would choose not to go as well!