Zion National Park (29)

Odyssey Unlimited description of today's activities: 

We spend the day amid the wondrous natural world of Zion National Park. Despite its modest size, Zion counts as one of the most diverse national parks in the United States. Deserts and forests, rivers and canyons, buttes and natural arches all greet us here, along with numerous plant and animal species. As with most of the Southwest, the area is dominated by red-rock bluffs that show eons of sediment buildup; indeed, the rock formations here represent about 150 million years of geological history. We take a guided hike and have ample free time for exploration and lunch on our own. This evening we enjoy dinner together at our hotel.

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With rain threatening, we returned to the park this morning in the hope of walking the Weeping Rock Hiking Trail before the precipitation began. Our bus dropped us at the entrance to the park where we caught the tram, riding it to Stop #7.

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As we rode the tram back to the South Entrance, it started to rain, then pour.  We sprinted across the parking lot to Zion Canyon Brew Pub where we had a good lunch.

We rode the Springdale shuttle from the South Entrance back to our hotel where we had a relaxing afternoon, including a fun impromptu gathering by the pool.  We walked across the lawn to the Switchback Grille where we enjoyed a group dinner.  Leaving the hotel, it was raining hard enough to accelerate our walk back to the hotel.