I’ve found my new favorite place to adventure.
Which is surprising, because the recipe was all wrong. 100 plus degrees. A smoke cloud lingering from a wild fire miles and miles away. Dust and dirt and heavy air. Never enough sunscreen.
And, yet, the beauty. The extreme beauty of Zion National Park overtook me completely.
It’s the type of place where you round every corner and an audible, “Wow” escapes your lips. Where palettes of creams and pinks and reds meet the blue of the sky.
Wonder fills your mind and adventure overcomes your soul. You can’t help but want to throw open your car door and leave it parked for another time when technology seems necessary. Because at that moment, when you’re gazing up and feel so small, it doesn’t. Metals and service and to-do’s and all those things that seem important in the every day are now mere memories. (Besides a camera to capture said moment, of course.)
Rocks are your walls and the feeling is freeing. 
Of course, I’m not so crazy as to attempt a climb with 3 inches below my soles. These photos were all too necessary, because when you’re in a setting that inspires you, it’s important to let your creativity shine. I quickly swapped my dress for cotton and heels for hiking boots, but in the meantime, isn’t the combination lovely?
I wasn’t planning on blending in with this look – the dress that I wore to the wedding rehearsal of my cousin Kristin – but call it coincidence or fate, I was one with the sandstone cliffs. (It also comes in white, and the black option is 40% off right now!)
It was with this dress on, in this setting, I looked around and realized that a desert palette may just be the perfect scheme for summer. It screams warmth, which I mean in both a literal and metaphorical sense. Paired with bright turquoise earrings, a nod to the sky, it’s a look that carries elegance and yet showcases the adventurous side of your young soul.
:: Shop The Look ::
More to come on our Zion National Park adventures! From one of the most beautiful weddings I’ve seen, to hiking upstream surrounded by canyons, this place has stolen my heart.We’re currently finishing up our wild, wild west trip with a visit to Salt Lake City. Utah is a gorgeous state that I’ve only scratched the surface of, and it’s making me want to stay in my adventure mode forever.
11 comments
That dress is amazing!
xx Jennifer
Effortlessly Sophisticated
It’s one of my favorites for this summer!
Gorgeous photos, Emily! You look amazing in this dress- did you even have a baby? Love the lace with your skin tone and how you styled this with the turquoise earrings. So pretty!
Thank you so much! Ha – the no dairy diet has helped a lot – as has breast feeding! This was so much fun to photograph! I’m so obsessed with this dress.
This is SO beautiful!
Taylor | http://www.livingtaylored.com
Thank you, Taylor!
You look stunning in that dress surrounded by the gorgeous rocks!
Aw, thanks Mom. 🙂
i don’t know how there weren’t a million cars around you, lol. we just got back from our own tour (which i’ve dubbed america the beautiful, lol, but the wild wild west sums it up!) and zion was our last stop. while it was beautiful, i wasn’t a fan of being at the mercy of the shuttle and waiting for the shuttle to go into the park. give me bryce, capitol reef, or arches any day!
b
We went to Bryce after and, I have to say, it was probably my favorite! Zion was SO gorgeous, but I agree, being at the mercy of the shuttles was a bit frustrating. Well worth it though!
I went to Zion last September and absolutely fell in love with it! Can’t wait to go back