Naturally Beautiful James G. LaRonde

Demanding to be looked at, the unique landscape of Zion National Park presents an imposing image of unforgettable beauty to its beholder. It may not be contained in the Louvre, but I consider it a masterpiece nonetheless. It is not that I do not appreciate great traditional works of art, but I have not yet found anything particularly meaningful to me within the walls of a museum. I find art in nature infinitely more spectacular than anything that could be created by an artist in a studio.

The best example of natural art that I have ever seen was discovered accidentally by my father and I while we were on a short trip to the Southwest. Having entered Utah from the south, we noticed an odd-shaped building, which appeared to be a giant beehive, off in the distance. We stepped into what turned out to be the Utah Welcome Center. There we found a delightful older woman who gave us very timely advice for a driving tour of her favorite places around "color country," otherwise known as southwestern Utah. One place she suggested was Zion National Park, and since we had never heard of it, we trusted her instructions would direct us towards a memorable experience.

Entering Zion from the west, the scenery was much the same as the...