Showing posts with label National parks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label National parks. Show all posts

Friday, September 21, 2012

Zion National Park


This Park is named after the City of David in the Old Testament, Zion.









This park reminded us of the Bible verse:
Psalm 48:1-2 A Song and Psalm for the sons of Korah. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.
Psalm 48:2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.





 




Spectacular views from the moment you enter the park
 
These three mountains were named after the Biblical characters Abraham, Issac and Jacob. A Methodist preacher by the name Frederick Vining Fisher in the late 1800"s gave them their names 
 



I took a picture of the information placard with the heights and names of each peak

According to the guide on our shuttle these sandstone cliffs are the highest sandstone cliffs in the world. When you stand at the foot of these cliffs you can see they are really high.

Every park we have gone through has shown us the magnificence of God's great artwork. Many artists try to capture this beauty on canvas and photographers also try to recreate these images on film, however there is absolutely nothing like the real thing. God spoke and it came into being.






Donna getting her feet wet in the cold waters of the Virgin River which runs through the Park









The Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel
Construction of the 1.1 mile Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel began in the late 1920's and was completed in 1930. At the time that the tunnel was dedicated, on July 4, 1930, it was the longest tunnel of it's type in the United States. The purpose of the building the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel (and the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway) was to create direct access to Bryce Canyon and Grand Canyon from Zion National Park. (Zion National Park web site) I think we needed this crew for the Big Dig in Boston!!
The men used pick axes and shovels and worked on an incline in the building of this tunnel





A view of the tunnel as we exited it on our return trip.
















The sun setting over Zion











 
A magnificent end to a magnificent Journey through a magnificent Park. Praise God for His beauty in creation. His works are wondrous and cause those who believe to stand in awe! 
  Psalm 33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
              

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Death Valley and Red Rock Conservation Area

One of the hottest places we have been
 
 
One very HOT day
Picture taken at the Visitors Center at the lowest point in the USA



Barren Land as far as you can see

Interesting Plateau
A very pretty place to take a leisurely trip through

Some of the wildlife in the area

Some of the mountains in the Conservation area



This is why it is called Red Rock

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park




                     A rock climbers haven






Donna and her two little brothers







     One of the waterfalls of Yosemite





 




A spectacular view






           Half Dome Rock





 





          Donna and Mark
              at Yosemite




             John and Carol







         A beautiful sunset
            over Yosemite

Friday, September 14, 2012

Sequoia & King's Canyon National Parks






Home of the BIG trees












Cool little tunnel we passed along the way


Standing in front of the General Sherman









This tree was just to big to fit in my snapshot


Donna taking a look up the tree
 
 
 
 
A look at the top of the tree
 
 






            The mountain tops



          Another Canyon




Views of the Canyon





A very high cliff


Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Mesa Verde CO



Wilson's Arch, on the way to Mesa Verde


Took a little time out to read a newspaper of olden days



This is the news of old



Entering Colorado




Entrance to the park



A quick run through the mountain



Beautiful scenery




A view at Cliff Palace





The place to go to be in four states at the same time





The intersection






The four states

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Arches National Park



We finally made it!

Picture a wagon train coming across this will terrain

God's balancing act

 



Elephants on a rampage






The Delicate Arch



Looking up between the cliffs
Life in the desert

Donna hanging around the Sandune Arch






So much to see in this great National Park