Zion Day Four - We Bid Adieu

Alas we come to our fourth and last day at Zion post. We needed to head back to Las Vegas to catch a show (David Copperfield!, very entertaining) then to the airport for our red eye flight home.

Before we left Zion, while we had some thoughts of climbing yet more trails with crazy drop offs and views, in the end we decided to take it easy. We strolled along the Pa'rus Trail which meanders along the Virgin River in the valley of Zion Canyon. This gave us a different perspective on the awesome Zion scenery.

Driftwood

I thought I'd try a panorama shot, which in this case was a combination of six separate photos covering at least 180 degrees.

Zion Valley Panorama

Virgin River with Mountains Backdrop

Since it was mid-April, we were a touch too early in the season to see all the Zion flowers, but there were a few. The Watchman Trail and this Pa'rus Trail afforded the best opportunity for colorful flowers to grace our way. Here's a sample:

Utah Purple

Since the Virgin River was the star of this Pa'rus Trail, I thought it only appropriate to take a few more "silky river" shots. These next three pictures are all 1/15 second exposures, which is not particularly slow, but slow enough to cause the water to look this way.

Water Dance

It was mid-day and we were under bright sun. I wanted to slow the shutter speed down as much as possible, so I really needed a neutral density filter on the lens. Lacking that, I thought I'd try my clip-on sunglasses. Deb helped hold them in front of the lens while I held the camera steady atop a rock. Check this out:

High Class Lens Filter

The above photo didn't turn out quite the way I wanted. You weren't supposed to see my "lens filter". After cropping the photo a bit in post-processing, I obtained the next photo. Perhaps it isn't the most spectacular photo, but it's more or less what I originally had in mind.

Virgin River Show

Just twenty feet away from the last shot, this cactus flower was adorning the trail:

Cactus Flowers

This turned out to be the last picture of note. We left Zion to head home via Las Vegas.

We left feeling incredibly moved by the beauty and majesty of Zion National Park. We have had the pleasure of visiting many of our nation's National Parks, and, while they all have something to offer, our Zion visit was truly special. It will remain a fond memory for us always.


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