Today it was Zion National Park - surprisingly VERY busy for a Monday. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that the park is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year (it was declared a National Monument on July 31, 1909, and became a national park in 1919). The Zion Canyon portion of the park was closed to private vehicles in 2000 due to excessive traffic; instead, the Park Service provides continuous free shuttles up the canyon road with multiple stopping points along the way.
We took the shuttle up to the end and hiked the River Walk trail, an easy 2 mile round trip. Of special interest are the "hanging gardens" along the walk - although the climate is generally dry, the rock walls along the trails "weep" water, providing a rock foothold for a variety of plants.
Another interesting points about Zion: "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" was partially filmed in this park in 1968.
An observation: from the time we reached the greater Four Corners area last weekend, we've noticed an inordinate amount of foreign travelers, many touring the west via RV's rented from companies such as RVAmerica, CruiseAmerica, and others. To be more specific, the RV renters are typically Europeans (our neighbors at Monument Valley on Friday night were two couples from the Netherlands), while the Oriental visitors usually travel by bus.
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