I must admit, it was a very unsettling feeling driving away from our high-rise apartment for the last time. Homeless and 'on the road' and heading for Utah. When we first told our 3 kids of our plans, we had 3 very different reactions. Gavin said "sounds like fun, but at the end of the day, I cannot imagine not sleeping in my own bed". That counts him out! Natalie got a little teary - her family support and babysitting pulled out from under her. However, she came through in the end with her blessings. Robbie, who is currently traipsing around South Africa, told us that he and his friends think "we are just too cool for words".
And so...here we are, in a hotel in a small town called Hurricane, just South of Zion National Park.

Over the past 2 years we have done a lot of hikes in parts of the country. We had decided to make a point of not visiting the same place twice or doing the same hikes as we have done before. Needless to say, the is our third trip to Zion in under a year, and the second time climbing to Observation Point. Our policy did not work too well it seems. We just could not resist the beauty here.

Today we did the awesome climb to Observation Point (again) - one of the highest points in Zion Canyon and definitely one of the most strenuous hikes. As tough as the going was, every footstep brought us to the most spectacular scenery. For 4 miles straight up, we went through slot canyons, hiked narrow paths cut out of cliff face, and up steep, never-ending switchbacks until the summit - up and up, in a relentless heat. However, the sweat was well worth it.