June 10, 2021 - Zion National Park

JUNE 10, 2021 OUR RV ADVENTURES:
We spent this last week camped in Dixie National Forest between Zion National Park and Bryce National Park.  Peaceful.  Cool.  We wanted more of this.  We basically just slept here because our days were so full.  We wish we could have stayed longer.  We wanted to ride bikes through the forest and explore, but we have to be in Estes Park, Colorado on the 16th, and we still want to go to Canyon ReefsNational Park, Canyonland National Park and Arches.  We did find reservations fo Canyonland for Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.  We will see if we can camp in Dixie Forest for the next three nights - somewhere around Canyon Reef.  We have to find someplace to dump first.  We stayed six days in the forest with no problem.  We still have water - don’t know how much.
Can I say that we are enjoying this time so much.  Before we left Brownwood, while we were on the river at Fabis Park, I stopped for the first time and really enjoyed the moment.  STOPPED.  AND REALLY ENJOYED THE MOMENT.  I don’t know if I have ever done that before.  There was always too much to do, and I was always living in the future.  Preparing.  Planning. What do we do next.  Now we are riding through the most beautiful places in America on the motorcycle.  We went through Zion four times.  The first time I had to take pictures.  It was so beautiful.  The other times, I sat back and drank in the beauty.  Zion was good for my soul in so many ways.  Now we are riding on Hwy 12 on our way to Canyon Reef.  Beautiful.  There is a paved bike trail right beside us.  It goes all the way through Red Canyon and Bryce National Park.  Miles and miles of bicycle trails.  Now we are stopped.  They are working on this road.

RV LIFE:​

It is getting easier.  At first, we knew nothing.  Now we stop and kind of know what to do.  I fill the water tank while my husband does the crappy stuff.  We never know where we are going to stay.  National forests are our preference, but we never know until we get there.  For anyone who wants to do this trip, you can stay in Dixie National Forest for up to 16 days and then move.  There is so much to do around there.  I would like to spend a month or more here.  Next time.


OH THE PLACES WE GO!


NATIONAL PARKS:  From the beginning of our trip, we knew we were going to follow National Parks.  Our goal is to see them all.  What I didn't expect is how beautiful!  The most amazing places I have ever been.  And I did not realize how cheap these trips are.  We have an AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL pass, so we get into all parks free.  Unlimited entertainment.  The most beautiful places in America - free.  The most amazing things to do - free.  Oh my goodness.  I feel like I have a free pass to all of the best rides at the most exclusive amusement parks, and no one is trying to take my money.  National parks do not sell food or water.  You have to bring your own.  They have places to fill water jugs.


BRYCE NATIONAL PARK:  Gloriously beautiful.  We did not get to touch this place like we have others.  Like the Grand Canyon, we saw this place from a distance.  Breathtaking.  We only spent 2-3 hours at this park.


ZION NATIONAL PARK:  This place is near and dear to my heart.  Zion.  I am blogging a lot about this place, because everything here is taking me to God.  Spiritual.  I have prayed more in this place than I have ever prayed.  The mountains are textured and white and pink outside the park, but grand and towering inside.  I tried and tried to capture the beauty and majesty, but I couldn’t.  We spent four days in this park.  We could have stayed a lot longer.  We hiked the “touristy” hikes.  There are many hikes that are more advanced.  We didn’t come close to seeing what we wanted to see.


THE NARROWS:  The Narrows is a famous hiking trail through a slot canyon in Zion.  Many people do this.  You hike through water.  WEAR CLOSED TOED SHOES THAT HAVE SUPPORT AND ARE COMFORTABLE!  Many people hiked the trail in sandals.  This is difficult.  I thought this was a difficult hike.  Upstream over rocks.  Sometimes chest deep.  We started out trying to step on the rocks, but it was easier to walk over them in the water.  If you take this trail, don’t stop too soon.  Go to where the canyon splits.  To the left, they call that canyon Wall Street.  To the right, a small canyon - beautiful, easy - leads to a waterfall.  It took us 8 hours to hike to this place the first time we did it, and 5 hours the second time.  You have to hike a mile to get to the place where The Narrows starts.  Coming back was hard.  We were tired.


ANGELS LANDING:  This is another strenuous 5.4 mile hike up to the top of a 1400 foot mountain. The path is paved the whole way.  Switchbacks. Hard.  I had to stop often to “blow” as my husband would say.  GLORIOUS!  At the top of the mountain, there is another half mile hike using a chain to keep your balance.  If we ever go again, I might do that.  Not this time.  Lyndyl went half way.


OH THE PEOPLE WE SEE:


This week we didn’t meet many people.  I connected a lot with the land.


WITNESS HIM NOW:


I want to record what I see God doing.  Sweet Jesus!  I am seeing Him do so much, but it is all in the spirit.  He is teaching me how to call forth life out of death, blessings out of curses.  Redeeming that which was lost or stolen.  It feels like He is doing something so much bigger than I am.  Annabeth Martin told me something a few weeks ago that spoke volumes to me.  She said that Jesus was the prophet.  Then He was the prophecy - the Word.  Then He fulfilled prophecy when He came to earth.  Now, because He lives in us, He is continuing to prophecy and He is continuing to fulfill prophecy.  It is Jesus who is doing it.  He lives in us.  He uses us to do what He wants to do on this earth.  If that is true, Jesus is speaking life over the land right now.  He is also speaking life over people.  I am doing things I have never done before, but I know that it is not me doing it.  Shan Newton said, “Ask God where to go and what to say.”  Sweet Jesus!  Who would have ever thought that I would be talking to the land!  If you want to know more, follow my blogs.


NOTE:  The life that I am speaking over The Narrows and Wall Street and Angels Landing is also the life that God wants to speak over you.  If you, too, want “HOLY,” open your heart wide to Jesus.  If you see inside of yourself places where you have “missed the mark,” confess it as a sin.  Come to God and say, “I am guilty.  Please forgive me.”  Then ask Him to do for you what you cannot do for yourself.  Call on His mighty angels to help you.  Live free!  God is taking us all into the Promise Land, a land flowing with milk and honey.  This is the place that He had prepared for us from the foundation of the world.


THINGS THAT TAKE MY BREATH AWAY:

• A 70 year old man standing heart-wide-open to Jesus.
• Driving through the Zion/Mt Carmel tunnel - the heart of who we are. Praying. The presence of God was so thick I couldn’t breath.  Seven times through the heart of both mountains.
• Driving though Zion - in the moment - breathing in beauty