More from Utah

Hi First Graders,

Let me show you some more things that happened on my Utah trip.





Another day, another hike! We are ready to go.             

Trey and Tyler have hats for sun protection.
It is important to keep from getting too much sun
on your skin when you are outside for a long time.

We are going to hike on the Narrows Trail along the Virgin River.

The water is very cold...no swimming today!
There are lots of rapids in the Virgin River.
We had fun throwing in sticks and watching them float away before hiking to the slot canyon, Zion Narrows.

A canyon is a deep valley with steep sides.
This one is called a slot canyon because it is very narrow like
a slot for a coin in a vending machine.
There is a shallow river in the bottom.
You can hike inside it for miles, but it is so narrow that you have to hike in the river.
We didn't do that - BR-RR ! Too cold!
I'd like to come back when the water is warmer, so we could try it.

 

The trails have signs along them to teach you  about what you are seeing. Stopping to read the signs gave us a little time to rest along the way.

Another way that we learned about the park was from the Rangers. Ranger Zach talked to us about geology. We learned a lot about sandstone. We also learned about the animals that live in the park. It is home to grey foxes, mountain lions, elk, bighorn sheep, snakes, lizards, toads, tarantulas, and many, many more.

 

We finished all the activities in our Junior Ranger book. We are taking the pledge that we will take care of our planet, Earth. I will bring a Junior Ranger book back for you to see.
   If you haven't been to a national park, you should go. When you do, sign up for the Junior Ranger Program. It is so much fun!

 

Another great thing I did in Utah was to visit Trey and Tyler's school. I went to kindergarten for a day. The children were very friendly. After story time, the teacher took a class picture with the book that the children had heard. It is How the Chipmunk Got Its Stripes. Have you ever heard that story?

 

My trip is at an end. I will be back in Rock Hill soon. I know that your Spring Break is about to start. I hope that you all enjoy it and have a lot of fun. I will be at school when you get back.

 

 

Your Friend,

Flat Stanley



 

 

Howdy from Utah!

Hi First Graders,

I am having lots of fun out West! Dr. Kevin's mom, Mrs. Clarke, took me along on her vacation to Utah. Utah is in the southwest corner of the United states near Arizona and Nevada. It is the 13th largest state. Zion is Utah's oldest and most popular national park. 

We went on a camping trip to Zion National Park. I made 2 new friends, Trey and Tyler. We had to check in at the Visitor Center to get our Junior Ranger books so we could do the activities to earn our Junior Ranger badges. This is the National Park symbol. Can you tell what symbols mean plants, wildlife, and scenery?

 

It is pretty dry out here. That makes a good habitat for a cactus. I saw some of them, and took a picture with this one. I had to be VERY careful about not getting too close.

 

Zion is for hikers. Some trails have signs. I'm looking for frogs on the Emerald Pool Trail.
These are the colors of Zion...green canyons, red rocks and blue skies. I'm hiking high up!

 

 

On the hike back down the Emerald Pool trail I found a yucca plant. Now I have 2 plants to check off in my ranger book.....a yucca plant and cactus.

                                                 

I also spotted some pretty wildflowers along the trail. I remembered not to pick anything, just look.

 

 

When we got all the way down the trail, look at what we saw - horses. Would you like to go on a trail ride? I would!

 

I've done a lot of hiking. It's time to take a break and have a snack. My backpack will be lighter now.

 

 

This has been a great day at the park. I am so tired and happy. I can hardly wait until we have more adventures tomorrow.

 

 

That's all for now.

Your friend,

Flat Stanley