Zion National Park, Utah is about 2.5 hrs drive from Las Vegas. The Park is located on the Western edge of the Colorado Plateau. The rock layers have been uplifted, tilted and eroded forming a series of sandstone cliffs with the Virgin river meandering through the heart of the canyon. The canyon narrows as you drive further into the canyon. A walk along the virgin river in the narrow canyon, surrounded by the towering, enigmatic sandstone formations leave you spellbound. Hanging gardens on the sandstone cliffs, thorny cacti and reptiles on the way are a constant reminder that you are traversing a desert, a unique and one of the most beautiful deserts on this planet.
You marvel at the forces of nature that continue to shape this incredible landscape around us. There are moments when you seek a break to meditate or come to terms with the fact that you are indeed in a wonderland!
During our visit to Zion, morning skies were usually clear while afternoons witnessed isolated thunderstorms thus offering some interesting photography opportunities. Warm sun light on the sandstone formations accentuate their reddish hues.
And if you think you have been indulged enough, think again. An hour drive from Zion lies Bryce Canyon National Park. The park pampers the visitors with a magical spectacle of hoodoos filled natural amphitheaters. Viewing Hoodoos during the sunrise is considered to be fairly rewarding experience although I was not able to make it.