ZPR aka Zion Ponderosa Resort

In August Samuel and I, sadly Matt could not come along, ventured to my family ranch on the east rim of Zion National Park. This little piece of heaven is filled with so many memories for generations in my family. It is breathtaking. There is so much to do but I find myself just wanting to sit back with all my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents and enjoy each other.

When I was growing up our many trips to the Ponderosa were spent staying in a large family cabin that was pieced together with all kinds of random scrap building material around an old camper (where my great grandma & grandpa Lewis slept) and big trees to stabilized the shifty structure. Little time was actually spent in the cabin as we were so busy chasing lizards and building forts during the days and sleeping under the stars at night. When I was a teenager a cabin to accommodate all the distant family coming together was built. This was luxury with bathrooms and running water, I never thought the ranch would have these amenities.

The ranch resort (http://www.zionponderosa.com/) was not part of the original plan when my great grandfather bought the 10,000 acres in 1961. It was a whole new wave of luxury at the ranch that started small about 15 years ago and has grown tremendously. I spent summers working in the kitchen, cleaning cabins and checking guests in at the front desk. It was a huge step with a swimming pool, electricity and a paved road all the way there.
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This most recent trip I felt a little out of sorts. Instead of catching blue belly lizards I was eating at the new 4 star restaurant the Blue Belly grill - divine. I toured all the multi million dollar mountain homes that have been built in the new home division. I had a massage at the spa and sipped pina colodas by the new endless pool with waterfalls and all. This was not how I was used to the ranch, but I definitely enjoyed every minute of it.


I was taking Samuel down to see all the animals and little kids were running up with news that a new colt was just born and none of the wranglers were around. My lucky little sis was playing with a few of her cousins near the horses when the horse was born. She said, "We saw a big white thing fall out of the horse so we ran to see what happen. The horse then ripped it with it's teeth and a baby came out of the white thing." We got there a few minutes later and it was amazing to see this little colt stumble around trying to stand. Then the little colt found his way to his mom's milk, it was so interesting.