Returning to Zion National Park always feels like coming home. Last year, because of health issues, I wasn't able to visit as much as I'd like, nor was I able to make my yearly Narrows hike a reality. Thankfully, with the strengthening of my body, we were able to make the short trip to this beautiful place to rejuvenate my spirit. Visiting in late March is a transitional period for the Park and the lovely town of Springdale, just outside the gates. The weather is warming up and the crowds are starting to increase, but it's not quite in full swing like the busy peak summer months. You can make your way along the trails without feeling so much like waiting in line for a ride at Disneyland. We sampled much of the incredible food available in many of the restaurants in Springdale, the smells drawing us in while we walked along the street.

Although I was sans-DSLR for this trip (I was anxiously awaiting my Nikon D7100 pre-order to come in, more on that in another post), I had my trusty Panasonic LX-5 with me at all times. It is quite freeing to be able to travel so light and still have a good camera with a good sensor for any photographic inspiration that comes along. That's something that tempts me about the Micro Four-Thirds system that I might succumb to someday (OM-D EM-5, you sexy beast). I still managed some images I'm happy with from the trip.

The above was a shot I took along the Riverside Walk (AKA The Temple of Sinawava). The early spring lends a mysterious quality to some of these scenes, with the trees still barren, but the ground teeming with life.

A black and white taken from Springdale. I love the multi-aspect sensor of my LX-5. Being able to shoot in 16:9 lends a cinematic feeling to the images. It's nice to see the framing in the field, rather than cropping after the fact.

I can't wait to return to Zion again in the summer for a Narrows hike the my new D7100. Thanks for reading!