Westward Ho! Day 9: The Travel Day That Stole the Show!

10 People in a van...we are actually getting into the swing of things! What was supposed to be "just a travel day" turned into one of our absolute favorites so far, despite the hours mysteriously multiplying!

Before leaving the Grand Canyon, we had a sweet church service with the Canyon as our cathedral, and the kids officially became Junior Rangers!  One last breathtaking look, and we were off... or so we thought!

Our drive to Zion National Park somehow morphed from 2 hours to nearly 9 hours – a true time warp with changing clocks and who-knows-what-else! But oh, the BEAUTY we discovered! Driving north/east around the Grand Canyon showed us its IMMENSE scale in a way we'd never seen.

Hot tip: take the scenic route! The views just kept unfolding.

Then came Highway 89A – WOW! Vast canyons, cliffs of every imaginable color, sweeping plains... just incredible. We crossed the Colorado River (thrilling the kids to see the river that carved the Canyon!) and stumbled upon a spot called Cliff Dwellers. It looked like a movie set! The kids had a blast scrambling on the rocks and canyon walls. So many "God's paintbrush" moments.

We then tackled our first HUGE mountain climb with "Buzz"! A bit nerve-wracking, but the views from the top (near the North Rim turnoff – oh, how we wished we had time!) were breathtaking. So many amazing boondocking spots up there too – mental note for next time!

Another almost midnight arrival, this time at Zion. We can't see much, but the HUGE dark shadows against the night sky promise something spectacular. Can't wait for morning! Sometimes the longest roads lead to the most beautiful discoveries.