For today we had planned to go cycling in the canyon. It was a tip we had gotten from the travel agency. As they were head on with their tips in Australia we thought we’d give it a try. However, when we arrived in Zion National Park the day before we were really skeptical about cycling being such a good idea. The weather was really dry and hot. But we decided to talk to the guys at the bike rental (Zion Outfitters @ www.zionoutfitter.com) nonetheless to see what they thought about taking the tour.

They recommend we take the bikes up the canyon on the free shuttle buses. These buses run within the park from the Zion Canyon Visitor Center up to Temple of Sinawava (see all bus stops here: www.zionnationalpark.com/zion-national-park/shuttle-system). Each bus can take up to three bikes. This meant that we had to split up. But with the buses running every few minutes that was no issue.

From Temple of Sinawava the road goes down hill all the way with one tiny uphill part (this one is absolutely doable even if you are not on the sporty side). The big advantage of cycling over taking the bus from one trail head to the next is that you can stop wherever you like. We even came across a herd of deer on the way.

Cycling from top to bottom takes about 30 minutes when you don’t stop we were told. But we stopped frequently so it took us about 2,5 hours.

After we returned the bikes we boarded the (free) shuttle that connects the park with Springdale. We were glad that we had not attempted to take the car into the park as parking will cost you a steep $20 fee.

We got off at stop 5 and as hubby needed a coffee and the kids were asking for sandwiches we stopped at the Zion Park Deli. Their sandwiches were heavenly! Fresh and juicy. Just perfect! And I am not getting paid to write this!

Having been active all morning we figured spending the afternoon at the hotel pool was quite okay. We all needed some time to relax and read and swim.

But we still had a surprise waiting for us. When I got out of the pool area this deer was calmly grazing in the hotel”s parking lot. Isn’t he beautiful?