Free Bird to Zion

Saturday morning I woke about 6:00am, with a wild hair idea. I was going to pack the kids and do something spontaneous. I have been feeling a stir within, feeling the monotony of life enslaving me to the daily grind, not that my life is bad in any way- you just get in those ruts where life becomes so routine. I was determined to bust free of the feelings I had become consumed in, I was going to fly like a free bird. I didn't know where I was going, but I was going to find a place to perch in solitude. Some place where I could meditate and discover the air that makes me feel free.

So after some thought, I picked Zion National Park. Utah has some incredibly scenic and diverse terrain and this is my favorite park in Utah. The kids and I rushed to finish household chores and packed a overnight pack, stopped to get the oil changed, tires pressure checked and headed south for the next 24 hours. I booked a cabin in the park so we could take full advantage of our scenic trip. The selling point for the cabin resort was that they had buffalo on site. I knew the kids would go silly over this idea, and they did. Chandler packed his soft air gun and pocket knife convinced he was going to hunt a buffalo.

We arrived to our cabin feeling a little worn out from what I thought was going to only be a four hour journey, but ended up being six hours- after several pit stops, a sit down dinner and me trying to drive and navigate at the same time. By 6:30 we had made it to the park and now to find our cabin, this became a real challenge. Zion is a good size park and I was not really sure where this cabin was. No cell phone, but the kids helped navigate by reading me the directions I had printed off before hand. Chandler and Alexis were fretting in the back, convinced we were lost and that we may drive off a cliff or hit a dear. Olivia was in the very back reading her book, not even phased by the whole episode of the two older children. We made it to our nicely furnished cabin by about 7:00pm. Usually I would be against the Idea of watching movies while we were there to enjoy nature but, I selfishly admit I had started the ever so trendy Twilight book and wanted to sink into it.

The next morning we woke up around 7:00 and got ready for a day of hiking, adventure and lots of picture taking. The kids ran down to observe the buffalo and wild life while I finished getting ready. We had breakfast at the Buffalo Grill. As we ate our breakfast, we could look out from our window view and see the endless meadow full of roaming buffalo.

After a nice breakfast the kids picked up a souvenir at the gift shoppe, they all picked out arrowhead necklaces. Then Alexis, Chandler and Olivia played pioneers and Indians.




Rode in a covered wagon











Olivia rode a buffalo









Alexis "Princess Happy Home" (her Indian given name in 2nd grade) writing Indian hieroglyphics









and Chandler was still scheming how he was going to bring home a buffalo





After some fun play we headed for the trails and drove the scenic peaceful roads of Zion. No ipods, no games, no cell phones allowed during the time we were in Zion. My hope was with out distractions, the kids could really enjoy the serene and phenomenal surroundings that encompassed us.

The kids became quite animated about some of their observations. The wild life we saw, the brilliant colors that looked as though angels had used water colors to paint the evolving scenery.















Life tasted so sweet, my soul felt free and a compilation of a vibrant memory has been built, tucked and saved.


Mark Twain gave good advice: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

A great motto to live by-