I’ve hiked to Babylon Arch several times, it’s one of my favorite hikes in the St. George area. After talking to a gentleman near Babylon Arch, he suggested going to the top of nearby Sandstone Mountain. Off we went!

After losing the trail several times (slickrock doesn’t show footprints or create an easy-to-see path) we finally made our way up to where we could tell the trail climbed and became rocky… and rocky… and rocky… and a lot of fun!

At this point in the trip my knees and feet were very painful after the descent from the Zion West Rim Trail above Angel’s Landing on day 2. Going up Sandstone Mountain was fine and we had a great time, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to get back down the way we had come up. Especially after getting to the top and looking back down the rocky and steep gully we had climbed up (first photo, we started from waaaaay down below).

After a long lunch sitting in the sun, I was able to find an old Jeep trail on the GaiaGPS map (thank goodness for Gaia, it’s saved me more than once!). While that it was a longer return to the car, it was much better for my knees. The sand was incredibly deep in places, it reminded us a bit of snow-shoeing in deep powdery snow, each step forward sliding downhill a bit, and it actually cushioned my knees to a tolerable level.

I would absolutely hike this again, it was so much fun minus the knee and foot issues.

Another new location for me. Access to the trailhead can be tricky and has changed over time because of new construction and developments in Washington, UT. The access was well-signed, though, which we appreciated very much.

From the parking area, the hike begins along a dirt service road, then opens up into a massive dry wash. It’s impossible for me to imagine what this would be like during a flash flood. From there the trail is very easy to follow, until toward the end it starts braiding and forking, and it’s difficult so see exactly where the arch is.

We had to do a bit of exploring and backtracking, but finally saw the arch above us. It’s a bit of a climb to get up to the arch itself, but easy enough if you don’t mind using your hands a bit. Elephant Arch does indeed look like an elephant head, eye, and trunk. As with other places in the area near the winter solstice, the light and shadows can be tricky for good photos.

I love seeing critter tracks in the sand, trying to figure out what made the tracks, and imagine what it would be like at nighttime seeing everything scurry around.

After spending a few minutes around the arch itself, we found a wonderful area to sit nearby in the sun for lunch and tea/coffee. We were visited by a hummingbird, which was a treat on such a cold day. That tiny bird visiting us in the desert in wintertime warmed our hearts.

I love beautiful drives, and combined with a hike that makes you feel like you’re walking straight into a Dr. Seuss book, it makes for a wonderful day. This is another that I had been to before, but this time we went much further and saw incredible rock and sand formations.

The trailhead is out a long but beautiful gravel road, very well maintained (at least the times I’ve been on it, and compared to some of the forest service roads in Washington) near Silver Reef and Leeds. It’s not the kind of road you would want to be on during or after rain, though. Always check weather conditions before heading out. Part way on the road is a beautiful gorge, well worth a stop to stretch the legs and peer down.

The first part of the hike is easy, but the last 1/3 of a mile or so is a slog through deep sand, the kind that makes you work hard for every step. Once you get to the cliffs and rock formations, though, the deep sand is completely forgotten. Once to Yant Flat / Candy Cliffs (I’ve heard it called both), you can literally wander anywhere that pulls at your heart. There are 2 main areas, and one can wander and explore anywhere. The drop-off at the edge of the cliffs is steep and deep and would not end well, so always make sure to not get close to the edge.

I love this place, I love the shapes and formations and colors. There are dozens of great lunch spots, so many places to just sit and look around and use your imagination. This area is a win all the way around.

Zion National Park is special, there’s nothing else quite like it. While I’ve been many times before, it never ceases to impress me.

We began our early freezing morning with a drive through the Mt Carmel-Zion Tunnel to Canyon Overlook Trail. It’s a fun trail with expansive views at the end, but the freezing wind was fierce and we didn’t linger. We did see a few bighorn sheep on the way back, which was a bonus.

We decided to hike up the West Rim Trail to Scout Lookout, where the Angel’s Landing cables begin. I’ve been part way up Angel’s Landing before, and decided that I have no desire to do that again. Unfortunately, the 3 miles of trail from car park to Scout Lookout are steep and paved, not a good combination for my knees. Going uphill is a great workout, slow and steady up up up …. Walter’s Wiggles always amazes me, what a feat of imagination and engineering to build this part of the trail! Well worth a minute to do an Internet search to see what it looks like from above.

After availing ourselves of the facilities at Scout Lookout, we decided to continue up the West Rim Trail from there, thankfully not paved from this point on. Pausing to turn around look behind from this point offers a great view of Angel’s Landing. After about 1/2 mile we noticed a little side trail that took us out onto an incredible rock ledge with far-off views into deep canyons. It took us a few minutes to realize that we were actually looking across and down at the Temple of Sinawava and the beginning of the Zion Narrows.

From there we chose to head back down, knowing it would be slow with my knees. It’s fine for most people, but my knees are already screwed up – 3 miles of steep downhill hard pavement on day 2 of our trip set me up for daily severe knee and foot pain for the rest of the trip. Thank goodness the views going back down are incredible, because my knees and feet were screaming at me and otherwise I would have sat down in the middle of the trail and refused to go any further. Again, that’s just my personal cross to bear, this hike is very well worth the effort!

We had a lovely vacation in Victoria, BC. Not a hiking trip per se, but we did a lot of walking and exploring, including a short hike to East Sooke Regional Park, Butchart Gardens, and the Victoria Butterfly Gardens. Getting there involved taking the Black Ball Ferry from Port Angeles into Victoria Harbor.

Victoria itself has a very European feel to it, and we enjoyed walking around taking in the sights. The Royal BC Museum is worth a visit, it’s between the Empress Hotel which is beautiful and the Parliament House, also beautiful. We topped off the trip with the AdrenaLine zipline, which is always fun!

Butchart Gardens is 55 acres of an estate that used to be a quarry, now turned into a beautiful series of themed gardens well worth a visit. There is a Sunken Garden, the site of the old quarry, Rose Garden, Japanese Garden (our favorite), many ponds and fountains, Italian Garden, the Piazza, and Mediterranean Garden. I could type for hours about all the plants (yes, I’m a plant geek to the core!), but I’ll just let the photos speak for themselves.

Next stop was the Victoria Butterfly Gardens, where we were enchanted by the plants and hundreds (if not thousands) of butterflies all around. They also take in rescue animals including a flamingo, parrots, macaws, tortoises, turtles, an iguana, a caiman, and finches. It’s a place to slow down and take notice of the small things, to walk slowly and quietly and just be with the animals, insects, and plants. Other than the frogs and caiman, all animals are free to move about through the large indoor area as they please. If I were a rescue exotic animal, this is the place I’d want to be.

We started our final day there by driving to East Sooke Regional Park and hiking the short Creyke Point trail, looking out over a wall of fog in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and across to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. The Madrona trees here are fantastic!

Last but not least, our family LOVES to go on ziplines. I’ve been on them in Idaho, Utah, New Zealand, and now Vancouver Island BC 🙂 So fun, and I got to do my usual flip upside-down several times.