Skiing — Zion National Park, Utah — The drive from Zion Park to the East Exit and dinner at the Thunderbird Restaurant, Mount Carmel, Utah
The drive to the east exit, dinner in Mount Carmel and the night sky
February 2015
The drive from Zion Park to the East Exit
We drove out of Zion Park via the East Exit for dinner and fuel in the evening. The drive was fantastic as it passed through some incredible scenery.
We saw many warnings about deer on the road, which were a serious risk. I have never seen so many deer on or near a highway, and we had a couple of close calls. So, we drove slow, and everyone in the car was deer spotting.
The ‘Great Arch’ was on the drive. These arches (there are a number of them around the park) are caused by water undercutting a lower soft layer of rock and then the upper harder layer ‘sloughing’ off.
As part of the drive, we passed through the new tunnel. The old tunnel was still visible, but how would you get to it?
The rock formations and structures were spectacular.
Dinner at the Thunderbird Restaurant, Mount Carmel, Utah
After leaving the park, we found a great looking roadside restaurant called Thunderbird Restaurant.
We had to stop because of the great sign.
And the fact that it was the “Home of the Ho Made Pies”.
We had a burger and a beer; not the best burger ever, but it was good. Service was quick and efficient, which was what we wanted.
The sign looked even better in the early dusk light when we left the restaurant.
If you are passing, it is worth checking out.
A night walk in Zion National Park
OK, it was not a long walk. It was just around the grounds near the lodge, but it was magical.
When I visited the park, I lived in Malaysia, and for two reasons, I rarely got to see the night sky. First, and this may sound odd, it was often cloudy at night in Malaysia as the weather usually caused clouds to build up late afternoon/early evening. Second, where I lived, there was a tremendous amount of light pollution from Singapore, obscuring the sky. So, the chance to walk around and look at stars on a clear night with no light pollution was something not to be missed.
Being in Zion Valley meant the view of the sky was limited, but a good portion could still be seen, and the surrounding high cliffs made it even more special. Plus, the park authority has installed low output lights with minimal upward leakage. This meant the place was dark. Also, there was no moon.
The sky above Zion was dark, and I can't remember the last time I saw a night sky that dark. And the stars were astonishing. Orion was particularly impressive, but it was tricky to make him out due to the background of fainter stars not normally visible in towns.
It was well worth the effort to go out. And if you are in Zion and the night is clear, it is something you should try.
