Hi again : )

We're right in the midst of planning our specific hikes for our trip and it brought me to a question. As of now, while in Zion, we're planning to do Emerald Pools, Weeping Rock, Riverside Walk and Canyon Overlook, but as far as I can tell, these are all pretty easy "strolls" and we're looking to include something with a bit more challenge. I've been looking at the Observation Point trail in Zion - it looks absolutely gorgeous. But is it appropriate with a 5 and 7 year old? They have done pretty strenuous hikes before, but my concern is... how exposed is the hike? Most of what I'm reading compares it to Angel's Landing and talks about how it's not nearly as exposed/dangerous as that... but in reality, how exposed is it? Would we have to be nervous throughout the hike and keep our kids right by our sides (therefore, completely limiting the enjoyment)? Is it a hike where we could do a partial hike -- is it worth it to do part-way? I'd appreciate insight from anyone who has done this hike (and in particular, with kids!).

And the next question is, if Observation Point isn't a good hike, are there any recommendations for a "moderate" hike in Zion that would be a good one with the kids?

Thanks all!
Jenn

Check out the NP site that describes the hikes:

http://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisi...ngMG2015-2.pdf

As I promised, we've just completed our stay in Glenwood Springs and wanted to give you a brief report!

The Hanging Lake hike is absolutely beautiful, but it is a little strenuous. Plan to spend some time just enjoying the scenery at the top too. While you are there, make sure you walk up to Spouting Rock, which is actually above Hanging Lake. You can walk out to the top of Hanging Lake and it's a fantastic view from looking out over the lake and into the canyon. We did this hike semi-early (around 10am), and I definitely wouldn't do it any later. It gets crowded, so I would recommend doing it first in the morning if possible.

The boys will love the Adventure Park, as long as all the rides are open. The only rides open when we were there was the alpine coaster and zipline. There's a day pass you can get that is definitely worth the money if you plan to do the rides. The King's Row tour is better than the Fairy Caves tour, but both are worth doing.

A surprising find for us that we absolutely LOVED was the Glenwood Vaudeville Revue. If you have time, I would highly recommend doing this one evening. The food is ok, but the show is fantastic and appropriate for children. We had my 12 year old nephew with us, and he wasn't happy about us doing it, but once the show started he loved it. The service staff are the performers, which I thought was a nice touch.

Restaurants that we ate at (and thought were great) were Juicy Lucy's Steakhouse and The Lost Cajun. Juicy Lucy's is a little pricey, but you can get wild game there (if you like that kind of thing), and the food is great. My family raved about the au gratin potatoes, and they probably had the best salad I've ever eaten (Spinach and Pancetta salad). The steaks were great, as was the halibut which was a special the night we went. The Lost Cajun is obviously Louisiana style food, and it's great. We also really loved the atmosphere. They bring you a flight of tastings for all the gumbos they have when you come in the door. We all had po boys, which were fantastic. The fried okra was also very good, as were the hushpuppies. We definitely didn't expect to find a cajun place in Colorado as good as this one.

You could also take the boys up to the Linwood Cemetery, which has Doc Holliday's grave and Kid Curry's grave. It's an old graveyard that overlooks Glenwood Springs. It's not a sight I would say is a must see, but if you are looking for something else that doesn't take much effort, then your boys might find it interesting. But I think you will have enough on your list in the couple days you are there! Also, one more place that is pretty cool and I'm sure your boys would love is a little shop downtown called HIgh Country Gems and Minerals. When you go in, you have to ask to see the geode at the counter and for them to play the bowls for you. I hope you all enjoy Glenwood Springs as much as we did! It really is a great little town!

I could also suggest leaving yourselves a little extra time (maybe 30 minutes or so) driving to Denver and taking Route 6 from Silverthorne across Loveland Pass instead of staying on 70 and going through Eisenhower Tunnel. It's a very pretty drive, and you will be crossing the Continental Divide (great photo op with the sign ). It didn't take us much extra time when we drove it from Denver to Glenwood Springs, and it was definitely worth it for us.

Side note - I'll be in Zion on Tuesday and am doing a hike called Hidden Canyon, so I'll report back and let you know how it rates!

Wow Virginia -- thanks so much for the update/report! Very valuable information! My hubbie and I are going to go through it and make notes.

Thanks again! And I look forward to hearing about Zion!

Jenn

The strange story about Doc Holliday's grave:
When Doc died he owed a lot of money to creditors from out of town. It was rumored that someone would dig up the coffin and hold it for ransom. There was a quick service and a coffin full of rocks was buried. His body was held for many months in a basement in town before it was buried at night. No one living knows exactly where he was buried in the cemetery. The monument surrounded by a wrought iron fence was put up years later.
There are often partially consumed whiskey bottles and other things placed on the base of the monument.
Doc was a graduate of a Philadelphia dentistry school and contracted TB from one of his patients.
The virtual Patron Ain't was my first Colorado geocache find.

You're welcome alwaysafrica! For Zion, we did Hidden Canyon, the Narrows, and Emerald Pools. I would say doing Hidden Canyon with the kids should be fine. There is an area that is exposed to drop offs, but I think it would be fine for the kids. I would consider it a moderate hike overall, but the first part is a lot of switchbacks and a fairly steep climb. I think it's a 2.5-3 mile hike roundtrip, and there is a canyon at the top that is fun to walk through, the kids would probably have fun climbing on the rocks. It's very pretty, and not as long as Observation Point. I would also recommend doing at least some of the Narrows, the water level is lower than normal for this time of year and it's not too terribly cold. We did it in the dry pants, but I saw plenty of people doing it in shorts and tshirts. It's very scenic and worth seeing if you are going to be in Zion, even if you don't make it to Wall Street or Orderville Canyon. Hope this helps you out!

Great info as always, Virginia1990 - thanks! Does this mean that the Narrows are "open"? I thought I had read that the Narrows hiking didn't really open until late May... is this not true? Or is this an unusual year because of the low water levels? Either way, we'll now definitely consider doing a little bit of Narrows hiking! It's something that my husband and I were really hoping to be able to do, so I'm excited to hear that it's a possibility. We'll definitely look into renting the pants and water shoes... And one more question. Our youngest son is only five - do you think that the water levels were sufficiently low that he might be able to handle it? I know that in "normal" years, it sounds like he's too young/short to be able to partake...

Yes, the water levels are much lower this year. I'm tall (5'10"), but the water never went above mid-thigh level on me, and we saw plenty of young children doing this when we did it last week (some looked as young as 5). I think he will be ok, at least for the beginning of it. You can always check on the status of the Narrows when you get there. We rented our equipment through Zion Adventure Company, which is almost right across the road from the Quality Inn campground. They are open 8am-7pm, and are very helpful as far as letting you know what equipment you may need for that day and what the status of the Narrows is.

I went eastbound on the California Zephyr through the Narrows on St. Patrick's Day. The train got mooned by a rafter.
I didn't see any snow left until we got up near Granby.

So we've just discovered that much of Mesa Verde appears to be closed when we are going to be there : ( We are going to be there during the week before Memorial Day and it appears that Cliff Palace is closed. It also appears that Wetherhill Mesa is closed? Is this the same every year? I can't believe we're not going just one week later! Any suggestions on things to fill a couple of days in the park with all of the dwellings apparently closed?

Thanks,
Jenn

Wetherill is open only from Memorial Day til Labor Day, always. I would have told you, but didn't know your exact dates and I saw no mention of Wetherill here.

This is why Cliff Palace isn't open, not a regular thing in April...

Please note: The complexity of preservation work that needs to be completed at Cliff Palace this spring, will delay its opening. Please see the Interpretive Program Schedule (above) and the recent press release for further information.