Zion, Utah, Sept 2025

 Utah: Road trip through Zion, Bryce, Kodachrome Basin and Escalante with grad school friends Bunny and The Walkers in September 2025

We started off in an AirBNB in La Verkin.  Cute little town-we had great food from Red Fort Indian Cuisine several times.  On the first afternoon we hiked to the Lower Emerald Pool.  Lovely ferns and moss tucked at the end of a hot dusty hike.

The second day, E and hiked up The Narrows!  We have a long history with this hike and it is amazing every single time.  We caught one of the very first buses so were able to grab a walking stick from the free pile. Most of the others had rented the shoe and stick combo that you get at the park entrance-very handy.  We saw a lot of rocks! 

Though we love our favorites, it is also good to try new things.  So on the third day we went to the other park entrance and saw Kolob Canyon.  WOW!  A totally different perspective of the canyon.  The colors are impossible. Fewer people make it more relaxed.  10/10

We hiked the Timber Creek Overlook Trail which packs so much grandeur in such a short distance.  The other trails are along the creek and I'd like to do them next time.

Lookin' at lichens

Filoli trolls, October 2025

 Filoli trolls

Filoli got Thomas Dambo to make a set of 6 trolls for their wooded trail.  I visited once with Green-Eyed Girl and a second time with my family.  

The appeal is in the giant size and personalities. I like the hair on the troll examining the car and here is a  fun foot detail.

This troll is super into birds, so she builds bird houses and puts them up.  I'm not sure the birds need houses in the forest, but they are pretty.

They are a satisfying size to climb on.

They really decorated along the trail for Halloween

These glow in the dark for the night time experience.

Creepy!

We dashed through the inside, love the atmosphere.