Celebrating a Trip out West, Part Two

Zion National Park

Last week I posted about my trip to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. While I was there I was fortunate enough to visit Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, both of which are within easy driving distance from the sanctuary. Both were so spectacular I'm still celebrating the trip!

I'd heard great things about Zion and it definitely didn't disappoint. It was hard to be anything but speechless while driving through it. I felt as if there were majestic temples towering over me on either side of the road.

I really couldn't stop saying "Wow" the whole time I was at the park. I would love to go back sometime and explore more of it. It's so spectacular that one afternoon wasn't nearly enough time.

Amazingly, Bryce Canyon is just as spectacular in its own right. The amount of beauty in this section of the country was extraordinary to me. If anything, I almost enjoyed Bryce more simply because it was less crowded.

We drove up to the highest point in the park, which is at 9,115 feet. That's the highest elevation I've ever been at and it was simply stunning.

The snow made it even more beautiful, although I was glad that none of that snow was on the roads!

The natural bridge at Bryce is also amazing. We read that there is no way to know when the arch could collapse, as similar structures at other parks in the west have collapsed without warning. I was glad that nothing like that happened while we were there, and the arch is so beautiful I hope it remains intact for thousands of more years.

I haven't been able to stop thinking about this trip and the extraordinary landscape since I returned home. I now have a special place in my heart for Southeastern Utah and I definitely hope I can return again someday. I felt so fortunate to be able to visit such a phenomenal place.

The Celebrate the Small Things hop is hosted by my buddy Lexa Cain and co-hosted by L.G Keltner at Writing Off the Edge, Tonja Drecker at Kidbits, and Katie at The Cyborg Mom. Visit Lexa's blog here to find out how join in the hop yourself and to see the list of participants.

I hope you have all had lots to celebrate this week and enjoy the weekend ahead!

Celebrating a Trip Out West

Hello, all! I missed the Celebrate hop last week because I had the good fortune to be traveling out west and visiting Utah. It was an amazing trip and definitely something to celebrate.

I've wanted to visit Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, since I volunteered as a writer for them back in 2010. That experience led me to the blogging and writing journey that has changed my life in truly wonderful ways, so it meant a great deal to finally visit the place in person.

The sanctuary is located in beautiful Angel Canyon, shown in the picture above, which is of the view from the Angel Cafe lunchroom. It's home to nearly 2,000 animals, including dogs, cats, pigs, horses, birds, rabbits, and many others.

My friend and I stayed at one of the sanctuary cottages, which was located right by Horse Haven and Piggie Paradise. So we got to meet these cuties.

Three little pigs enjoying an afternoon nap

I volunteered at Bunny House and met some adorable bunnies. I also held bunnies for the first time ever. They are the sweetest!

I also volunteered at Dog Town and took several doggies on walks along trails in the canyon. That was not a chore, as this was the view at the end of one of the trails.

Two of my walking pals:

Petunia

Rumba, who was found as a feral stray in the Mojave Desert

Best Friends was one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I've ever visited, and I loved it even more than I thought I would. It was heartwarming and good for my soul to see so many sweet animals being treated with love and kindness. And while I'm sure it's not a utopia, the people we encountered all seemed happy and peaceful too. I think maybe there is something in the Angel Canyon air. ;) 

The sun going down over Angel Canyon

I also visited Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks and will post about those adventures next week. It's safe to say I'm now totally in love with Utah's Canyon Country. 

The Celebrate the Small Things hop is hosted by my buddy Lexa Cain and co-hosted by L.G Keltner at Writing Off the Edge, Tonja Drecker at Kidbits, and Katie at The Cyborg Mom. Visit Lexa's blog here to find out how join in the hop yourself and to see the list of participants.











Happy April and best of luck to everyone participating in the A-Z Challenge. Have fun! :)