Kanab - Best Friends and Zion

We left Arizona and headed for Utah.  There are so many great things to see in Utah that we had a hard time picking where to stay.  We settled on Kanab because it was close to Zion and also because it was in the same place as Best Friend's Animal Sanctuary.  Because we shortened our time in Kanab from our original plan, we had to get them both in in one day.  

en route

Kids playing at the campground playground with the best view ever

Best Friend's Animal Sanctuary is an amazing place.  If you have some time, I strongly encourage you to click on over and read all about their mission.  We have been seriously missing our fur-family, so Best Friend's came right at the right time for us.

As far as volunteering there goes, you have to be 10 to work with dogs, which is really what everyone wanted to do, so we split up - Jax and I went to help with cats, and Lea and Pete worked with dogs.

Jax and I took the cats for a walk.  Naturally.

We felt like we were able to be helpful and we got to spend some time with the animals, so it was a win.  

Unfortunately, moods were soured a little bit when we found out that we couldn't take a dog with us for the afternoon, as everyone in the group has to be 10.  It was a real disappointment.  At this point we were all, especially me, exhausted.  I was at the end of my rope and not sure I was going to make it.  I especially had to dig deep to make it work.  

Conveying our physical and emotional state.

Thankfully, we were able to rally to get over to Zion.

Greeting us as we drove in, 

Zion was packed, so we ended up driving all the way through the park and parking in the town on the other side.  We took the shuttle bus in and decided to walk to the Emerald Pool loop.  It was beautiful.

Mama and baby deer.

A refreshing spritz from the waterfall.

It was hot, so at the end of the walk the kids took a mini-dip in the river, which was extremely refreshing.

Right before Jax fell in.

We then ate some lifesaving, best ever in the whole world ice cream.  

All in all, it was a really good day, even if we had to push through there in the middle.  

Next was an originally unplanned stop in Moab, which was great, if super super hot.

more Kanab pictures here