Entering Zion National Park feels like coming upon an alien paradise. Driving through the East Entrance, you are surrounded by swirling dunes of an ancient sand seabed frozen in time, scraped and combed into flowing patterns.
But through the tunnel, you are confronted by sheer mountain faces, glowing vermilion, amber, and chalky white, intricate and soaring.
Farther down, at the base of the valley winds the trickling, teal Virgin River, through meadows and scrub, a tiny footnote at the base of the patchwork cliffs.
As you continue through the canyon, peaks rise like ancient monuments, painted into the sky like crowns.
Visiting Zion was always one of my favorite memories from when I was a kid. Here, you can see me being tormented by my older brother. There’s a lot more photographic evidence of this.
And this is me being disappointed that we wouldn’t be able to finish the incredible Narrows hike which goes through a riverbed. (My brother and I blamed my mom for this, but in hindsight, I think the water would have been over my head for half the hike). I didn’t make it back to The Narrows this time either, but there’s always next time!