Happy Wanderer

Zion National Park

Today we headed into Zion National Park to hike. The day reminded me of a song I sang when I was little. Do you remember it? The Happy Wanderer. It goes like this:

I love to go a-wandering, 
Along the mountain track, 
And as I go, I love to sing, 
My knapsack on my back.
Val-deri,Val-dera,
 Val-deri,
 Val-dera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha
Val-deri,Val-dera.
My knapsack on my back.
I love to wander by the stream
That dances in the sun,
So joyously it calls to me,
"Come! Join my happy song!"
So anyone else sing that song?? 
John byt he lower Emerald Pool
The canyon follows along the Virgin River and the first hike we took was the Riverwalk trail at the end of the Scenic Byway. It is a paved very easy trail but the scenery is incredible. John and I walked along without even talking. The sites just leave you speechless. There were a few others on the trail but much of the time we were alone with Zion. Wow. I don’t know what else to say.
Our second trail was the middle and lower Emerald pools. Due to an earlier snow and the recent rain the waterfalls at the lower pools were amazing. I like hiking here. So where is that song when you need it.......Val-deri, Val-dra........
There are many more trails and if the weather holds out we will hike as many as we can fit in. I am truly hoping the weather will cooperate at Christmas so we can share these with our sons.
The Virgin River
Happy Trails......



Comments

  1. owensontheroadDecember 6, 2010 at 8:37 PM

    Oh my. I remember that song! They used to play it on the accordion on the Lawrence Welk show. Geez..I'm showing MY age now :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Gypsy G-MasDecember 7, 2010 at 12:03 AM

    Ah, Zion NP...one of our favorite parks! If you can handle the elevation gain and aren't afraid of heights, I would highly recommend Angels Landing. It's a bit strenous but well worth it. Another really nice hike is hidden canyon. There's quite a bit of uphill right at the beginning, but it levels off once you're in the canyon. There's one section of narrow ledges with chains, but it's not too long nor difficult. Enjoy your time!

    ReplyDelete
  3. cruzin2someDecember 7, 2010 at 7:19 AM

    Beautiful Pictures, Thanks for sharing.

    Travel Safe

    ReplyDelete
  4. Travels with EmmaDecember 7, 2010 at 10:07 AM

    Great tune to go with a great day! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. RV Khronicles of KevelynDecember 7, 2010 at 10:48 AM

    Beautiful pictures. You definitely had more water at the falls than when we were there.

    I'm not sure if I told you, but I was born in Germany and my parents immigrated when I was a year old. My mother used to sing that song to me in German all the time when I was little. Great memories!

    Enjoy your hikes. Will you be going on the Angels Landing hike? I was too chicken. Make sure to get over the the north section of Zion at Kolob Canyon. It's also very beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  6. WilDecember 7, 2010 at 2:38 PM

    Oh yes, "the Happy Wanderer" was used as the theme song for Bud Leavitt's outdoors show on Saturday nights on WLBZ-TV, Channel 2 in Bangor, Maine when I was growing up. Bud (Ralph W. 'Bud' Leavitt Jr. (1917–1994)) was a sportswriter for the local paper and somehow became a compatriot with local baseball hero Ted Williams. I have sung that tune, or more likely whistled it, while climbing the highest peaks in New England as a young man. Later, it echoed off the faces of El Capitan and Half Dome in the sixties, across the glacier of Mt's Hood, Baker, Ranier and other High Cascades. I've even left fly with it for no reason other than I am fond of the tune. Glad to know there's others like me. I do believe it was originally an Austrian song from the Tirol region, but I may be mistaken - memories are getting fuzzier these days.

    ReplyDelete
  7. SueDecember 7, 2010 at 6:32 PM

    Looks like a gorgeous place to see and I can't wait to do just that...like you guys. Have fun exploring from one Iowan to another.

    ReplyDelete
  8. John and CarolDecember 7, 2010 at 8:49 PM

    We love Zion and totally agree that it can take your breath away. It was there that our full timing plans began. We met two couples on the Narrows trail who had been full timing for two years and told us all about it. It was an "ah ha" moment for us. Five years later and we are now on the road. Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete

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