Love in Zion National is a love letter to the National Park and the Anasazi Native people who lived there generations ago. Now called the Pueblo Nation, the Anasazi’s history is rooted in the land now called Zion National Park. In 1919 the land was declared a national park. Located in Southern Utah, this is one of the “Big Five” national parks in the state.
Lauren (Cindy Busby) works at the Denver Natural History Museum. When three vases are donated to the museum, Lauren figures out there is a fourth vase that is missing from the group. Unfortunately, the nephew of the woman who left the vases to the museum is contesting the will and wants to keep the vases. If she can find the fourth vase, Lauren might be able to convince the judge that the vases belong to the Anasazi people and should be returned to them.
This headstrong woman heads down to Zion to look for the missing vase. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack, but with the help of Park Ranger Adam (David Gridley), an Anasazi, she might be able to save this piece of their heritage. Decoding the images on the vases gives them clues along with the diary left to the museum by the woman who donated them. Her diary leads them to a rarely seen area of the park.
There is a bit of drama as the nephew hires people to get to the vase first, but thanks to Lauren’s ingenuity, she still might succeed in returning the entire set of four vases to the Anasazi people.
The scenery is magnificent, and for viewers who have never been to this park, it might just be the impetus to make this their next vacation destination. It is a beautiful park filled with all kinds of history, nature, animals, and yes, snakes.
The only problem with the story is the pronunciation of the word Zion. Lauren pronounces it Zi-On, but it is really pronounced Zy-en. People who live in the Southwest will undoubtedly know her pronunciation is wrong, but just let it go and enjoy the scenery that has a sweet story threading through. And yes, this is a Hallmark movie so you know there will be a romantic aspect, which happens at the end.
Love in Zion streams on Hallmark Movies Now, soon to be Hallmark+.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.
Image courtesy Hallmark media
