While Google will tell you it should take just over 2 ½ hours to drive from St. George to Page, Arizona (about 154 miles), it doesn’t tell you is that the scenery will be simply stunning along the way. Gorgeous landscapes that you would quickly try to imprint in your mind as you drove past.  Each mountain pass, each change of the sunlight, each new vista seemed to be better than the one before.  There was seriously competition for the best view on the day’s drive.  This was like a movie playing on either side of the car and it was nature in all its glory.

Google also fails to mention that bathroom facilities are few and far between (about an hour apart) so while you are in desert like surroundings and expecting to drink buckets of water, if you are like me, you will limit your water consumption to avoid becoming one with nature along the side of a road with zero hiding spots or bushes.  You’d think with the amount of traffic on the road someone would have built a roadside convenience shop or trailer shop by the side of the road by now, but alas, there is nothing.

Driving from St. George to Kanab, Utah

When I left the St. George airport after picking up my Hertz rental car, a lovely Hyundai Sonata with XM Radio, the road ahead was mostly highway (UT-9E) until I followed Google and missed a turn at US89-S (the signs showed US-89 with a left arrow and a straight arrow, how does that help?).  Anyway, I was driving along the barren two lane road with nary a car in sight ahead or behind me as I climbed up the mountain, drove around it and back down to the road below.  Each twist and turn revealed something new and exciting for my eyes.  It was at this time, I wished the rental car had a dash cam to record the stunning landscapes around me – a huge differences to my life at home full of small space, city skyscrapers and congested highways.

Along the route, I finally saw a Chevron gas station that advertised “clean restrooms” and pulled over quickly to get a few snacks and see how clean those restrooms were (surprisingly quite nice).  For me the initial road trip snacks are chocolate, banana, apple juice and water. From here I continued on the road not really knowing how far from Kanab I was yet – Google Maps had an estimate but didn’t clue me into the rural roads, the farm animals and other interesting small town life I would encounter along the way.

Driving from Kanab to Page, Arizona

The halfway point for me (and confirmed with the front desk prior to leaving Red Mountain Resort) was Kanab, Utah.  It would take more than an hour to reach this town and I was directed to stop at Glazier’s Market to stock up on supplies and use their bathroom.  They also had a prepared food area in the back with a few seats so you could eat in house and not in your car.  I picked up bananas, a package of bottled water and contact lenses solution (I flew carry on with limited toiletries).  I surveyed the town as it would be my halfway point back from Page, Arizona after seeing Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon on my way to Zion National Park.   The area had the required gas stations and a few fast food outlets to satisfy all road trip needs.  I only wished I had planned enough time to visit the Best Friends Santuary in town for a tour or volunteer day (it will need to wait for another trip).

As I set out from Kanab, Utah back onto the roads of landscape after glorious landscape, I had a bit over an hour before arriving in Page, Arizona. One bonus on the long two lane roads in the middle of the mountains was that the speed limit was 80!  I had to look again as my city life is limited to 25, 35 and 55 mph on the roads.  Driving 80 mph is a rarity at home so when I drove 80 on the way to Page, I was surprised to have a bunch of cars overtake me and pass clearly not wanting to tailgate me any longer at my slow pace of 75-80 mph!  This took a bit of getting used to as I preferred to wait until passing lanes appeared as trying to judge the distance of the pass with oncoming traffic you could (and couldn’t) see was a bit precarious especially the trucks which were pulling double or triple loads.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCOX4X32J20[/embedyt]

Roadtrip to Page, Arizona

The Utah views definitely differed from the roadside life of Arizona (speed limit 60, 55, 35, 25 mph). As I slowed down to enter Arizona, I saw a bridge in the distance that spanned over the Glen Canyon Dam along the Colorado River.  Once I crossed that bridge, I was very close to my hotel for the night, the Courtyard Marriott Page.  The whole of the town and its many food outlets and tour companies was only right up the road.  When I say “a whole town”, I mean a few stretches of road, it’s not a big town – everything (food, shops, hotels/motels) seemed to be clustered in the few blocks of road ahead.

Road trip Verdict – St. George to Page, Arizona

I rarely get the opportunity to road trip by myself in the vast expanse of the country and this drive was quite restorative with a wonderful XM playlist to accompany me.  With hints of acoustic coffee house mixed with channel changes to classic rock of the 70’s and a side of Tom Petty, I was pretty happy on the road that day singing in the car on the road trip from St. George to Page Arizona. The gorgeous landscapes made me forget the real world at home and allowed me to escape to the desert and mountains that called me back to the West.

Note: I would recommend doing the drive in daylight hours to enjoy the incredible scenery and not need to worry about driving a two lane highway at night with the twists, turns and potential wildlife hazards. I would also recommend bathroom breaks in each town.

Visiting Zion National Park is easy to do for travelers of all ages and activity levels. There are two paved accessible paths at Zion that are lovely walks and easy to do with fantastic sights.  I had planned on doing more intensive hiking at the park but was waylaid by two injuries sustained at my Red Mountain Resort Spa escape – naming a wonky big toe on my right foot and a hamstring injury on my left leg.  So I was hobbling slowly by the time I made it to Zion Lodge in Zion National Park.  Luckily, Zion offers a range of hiking options so I chose to start with the Riverside Walk (2.2 miles, 1.5 hrs.) which leads to the Narrows Hike for those with water gear and a few hours (8+ hours for the 9.4 mile trek).  The Riverside Walk is at the end of the Scenic Drive and shuttle stop #9.

The paved path has a slight elevation at parts and allows you to go off the path down a few stairs to get closer to the waters of the Virgin River if you choose. As it was early morning in November, I had the path to myself for the most part and was able to stop frequently to take photos. I did see a few people – some friendly “good morning”, some not so much.  The air was crisp and cool, the views simply stunning and the only noise was the rush of the river.  You really can’t ask for more than that on a morning walk.

Stopping to view the plants, the water, the rocks, the views was a wonderful entrée into the vast wilderness that is Zion National Park.

Here’s the video at the end of the Riverside Walk when I walked down to the rocks.  Sounds of the wind and the river are so relaxing.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdslaVHR3gg[/embedyt]

Some more views during the walk.  It was so quite for the most part that I was just enjoying the view and kept my camera down for much of the walk in order to take it all in.  As someone from the city, I’m rarely out in nature to enjoy it and on this wellness vacation, I was really enjoying being disconnected from the world and discovering all the beauty that nature has to offer.  Simple rivers, rocks, plants, trees and views.  Just simply….stunning all around at Zion National Park in Utah.

Note:

Parking for the Riverside Walk and The Narrows was easy at 9 a.m. on a November Thursday, however, by 10:30 a.m., the lot was full.  Generally, this location is served by shuttle bus during busy season.  When the shuttle isn’t running, the Park Service will close the Scenic Drive when parking is full so I’d recommend an early start to get that coveted parking space.

For many they have to wait more than a year to stay at Zion Lodge in Zion National Park so I consider myself quite lucky to have booked a room only two weeks ahead of my stay.  To be fair it was a November visit, not quite high season but the bonus was that I felt like I had the place to myself.  My visit to Zion National Park was a stopping point on my wellness/birthday vacation adventure St. George (Red Mountain Resort & Spa) – Page, Arizona – Zion Lodge – Las Vegas.  It was a great mid-point on the road trip to appreciate the beauty of nature and take a much needed time out staring at the stars above (I needed to wish on them all!).

Driving to Zion Lodge (Route 9 and 89 entrance)

I didn’t realize there were two distinctly different entrances at the time so I entered Zion National Park from Page, Arizona (Routes 9 and 89 entrance from the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Page direction).  I followed the road through the stunning scenery which included driving through a tunnel (built in the 1920s) and then twists and turns of the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway as the car went from the higher elevation down to the base of the park.

As it was November and just before sunset, I was able to pull over multiple times to get out and take photos and just marvel in the quiet beauty of nature.  Once I reached the bottom of the park, I made a right onto the road normally closed during tourist season (Spring-Fall) and serviced only by shuttle busses. Those staying at the lodge get a special parking pass from the Lodge prior to check-in (mine arrived by mail after my trip so the hotel provided me a car hangtag at check-in. I followed the road past shuttle stops #3 and #4 before I saw the Zion Lodge sign (shuttle stop #5).

If you enter from Springdale, Utah, the drive to Zion Lodge is easier as you are at the bottom of the park already so the drive is quicker, less scenic and less thrilling in my opinion.

Zion Lodge – Check-In

Zion Lodge is spread over two parking lots and multiple buildings. There are 40 cabins, 75 rooms and 6 suites in cluster of buildings.  It is managed by Xanterra, which manages many national and state park lodging as well as a few tour groups and Windstar Cruises. The main lodge is for check in, restaurants and gift shop while the sleeping rooms are a quick walk away but have their own parking lot.  So you can use the main parking lot (small, limited to 20 minutes) to get checked-in and pick up your keys and then drive to the parking lot to unpack your gear to take to the room (or cabin).

The main lodge was, as expected, warm, friendly and decorated nicely.  The front desk welcomed me and offered an upgraded room (front of building) which I declined because I wanted the quiet in the back.  The front would be next to walking path and the road which could be noisy when busy but offered a gorgeous view.  The hotel also offered to extend my stay as they had open rooms at a discounted price but unfortunately I had already booked my next leg of the journey (Las Vegas).

I was given the key card and a laminated property map with the Wi-Fi code (surprisingly good connection for social media) and other information.  Armed with my key card and map, I refilled my water bottle at the station in the lobby before I went back to the car to move it to the guest parking lot nearer my hotel room.

Zion Lodge – Hotel Room (Standard Double)

I was not able to book the separate cabins that sat out front of the buildings.  My “hotel room” was on the second floor (no elevator) and I should have only brought in my overnight bag but I brought everything in with me, lugging it all up the stairs.  I was a bit apprehensive as the online photo looked nice but didn’t have much else to go by – no video of the room or photos of the bathroom.  When I opened the door, I was pleasantly surprised that it was nicer than online.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwwDr-vm1qw[/embedyt]

Upon entry, the bathroom was on my left with a sink and open closet area outside of the shower/toilet room. This was actually great design as I took my hiking boots off in this area and tons of sand poured out from my earlier visit that day to Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon.

With only my hiking socks on, I walked on the carpeted part of the room and put my things down on the desk noticing the recycle bins along the side.  Zion Lodge has recycle bins throughout the property and their toiletries are also in refillable bottles.  Being kind to the environment is taken seriously here.

My double room had two beds, a chair in the corner, desk and television area as well as an outdoor patio with two chairs.  The view outside in the back of the building was very quiet but I realized I passed on a million plus stars out front – I only had a few thousand in the back.

The shower had a good water pressure and the toilet is similar to a cruise with a vacuum system (not quiet).  The bathroom décor was simple with a few forest animal tiles but practical with a night light option.

Zion Lodge Restaurant – Red Rock Grill

My overnight rate (Winter Bed & Breakfast Promotion) included a buffet breakfast in the main lodge restaurant, Red Rock Grill, on the second floor of the main lodge (the seasonal Castle Dome Cafe was closed).  The buffet had the standard breakfast fare – scrambled eggs, pancakes, French toast, oatmeal, potatoes, bacon, fruits and breads.  Unfortunately for me, the scrambled eggs were made with milk so the buffet wasn’t quite for me as I’m dairy and gluten free.  Fortunately, the server was able to have the kitchen make me two over easy eggs which I paired with potatoes, bacon and fruit. As for the juice, I asked if “fresh squeezed” and the server said “it’s fresh from the machine” so I stuck with water.

The restaurant is massive and includes an outdoor patio for warmer times. I can only imagine how packed this place gets in summer with hotel guests and visitors on the shuttle system.  Advanced reservations are recommended.

For dinner, my rate included a bar drink but I wasn’t in the mood for a big supper or drink after my busy day in Page, Arizona and the subsequent three hour drive to Zion Lodge so I ate my takeaway sandwich I picked up on my drive (I’m always prepared with a snack bag of food). The restaurant décor echoes the warm and friendly vibe of the lobby.  The menu is quite varied in options and price points.

Zion Lodge Shuttle – Zion Scenic Drive

Zion Lodge is shuttle stop #5 and there is an outdoor waiting area near the main lodge.  You can take the shuttle down to the final stop #9 (Temple of Sinawava) for The Narrows Hike (8+ hrs roundtrip) or the easier Riverside Walk (1.5 hrs roundtrip).  Going the other way, you can take the shuttle to the first stop #1 Visitor Center.  As I visited in November, the shuttle was done for the season so I was able to drive the car to the various shuttle stops for pictures and hikes.

While I started at Riverside Walk prior to 10 a.m. when parking was easy to find on a November Thursday, by 11 a.m. most of the shuttle stop parking lots and side of the road were full so I had to pass on a few photo opportunities. The scenic drive closes frequently when there is no parking available (people get creative on the side of the road) so best to follow @ZionNPS on Twitter for updates.  No matter as I had a lovely drive to myself and even saw an animal on the road. I was able to stop and take photos on the empty roads.

Overall Impression of Zion Lodge

I loved the quiet serenity and star filled sky at Zion Lodge and was disappointed that I hadn’t booked a longer stay, if only to sit on the deck and admire the beauty and sounds of nature.  Reserve your room at Zion Lodge as soon as you have an inkling that you want to go to Zion National Park.  It was a wonderful experience and so easy to do.

It’s in the simplicity that you find luxury – time saved from shuttles, time saved from commuting in/out of the park, more time with family and loved ones.  I learned that “Zion” means peace and refuge and my stay at Zion Lodge was just that – a refuge away from the daily drama bubble that I live in, away from the work drama, a time to reconnect and be mindful in appreciating the small details along the path. And the star filled sky, well, that was just stunning bonus that is captured in my memory and reminds me to breathe and enjoy the silence.