Sensory Overload

We got up a little after five this morning so we could get to the Bryce National Park to see the canyon in early light. The temperature was 32 degrees and it took a few minutes for me to get the windshield cleared of frost.

The views were spectacular as expected. We drove back to the motel and fixed some breakfast and loaded the van. We were back to the park by 8:30.

We revisited some of the viewpoints that we saw yesterday. The difference in the lighting affects the viewing.





After leaving the park we continued along Utah highway 12 heading for Capitol Reef National Park. UT 12 is a scenic drive and it is hard to come up with words to describe awesome views.

We stopped at the visitor's center for the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument

On to Another Canyon

We are getting ready to go to breakfast, then we will drive to Bryce National Park area. There will be some stops along the way then we will spend the night at Foster's Moteln in Bryce, UT.

We ate breakfast at Oscar's Cafe in Springdale then went back to the lodge and loaded the van. We retraced a part of the route we had taken to Zion and it took us back up the switch back road and through the mile long tunnel that was completed in 1930. Wehad to wait a few minutes for a bus to come through the tunnel on the way to Zion. We got a video of the trip up to the tunnel.

Our route to Bryce Canyon National Park took us through Red Canyon. It is a part of Dixie National Forrest and offers some spectacular viewing.





We stopped at Foster's on our way and found that we could check in early. We drove back to Bryce Canyon Pines Cafe and had lunch.

We spent the afternoon in the national park visiting the different viewpoints. We didn't walk a lot as we viewed the awesome statues created by erosion. Around five o'clock we were in a rain shower that also produced a bit of small hail. We waited in the van before getting our last glimpses of the canyon for the day.






We had planned to dine at Bryce Canyon Lodge, but since we didn't have a reservation we would have to wait two hours. We came back to Foster's Motel and fixed our supper in the room.

We plan to get up before sunrise so we can be in the national park to view Bryce Amphitheater as the sun comes up.

A Second Day at Zion

We at supper at the restaurant here at Majestic View Lodge. Lynda and I shared a broasted chicken dish with rice and steamed veggies. It was ok but nothing spectacular.

This morning we fixed breakfast in the room and got to the shuttle bus stop just after a bus left. After a ten minute or so wait we were off on our visit to the park. Our goals today were 1) retrieve the credit card that I had left or dropped at the gift shop at Zion Lodge, 2) take the lower emerald pool trail, 3) have lunch at Zion Lodge area, and 3) do the river walk trail at the temple of Sinawaba.

We have completed our goals and we are now back at our room resting a bit.

A Day at Zion

This morning we took the shuttle bus into Zion National Park. We left El Rio Lodge at 10 a.m. and drove down the street to Majestic View Lodge where we are staying tonight and tommorrow night. The shuttle bus route begins at Majestic View and we parked our van there. We rode through Springdale to the entrance to the national park.


Today was National Public Lands Day and there was a no fee day at national parks.

We took the Zion shuttle and rode to the first stop (Human History Museum). There we looked around and watchd a 22 minute video about Zion.
Our next stop was the Court of the Patriarchs. Then Zion Lodge where we ate lunch.


We got on another shuttle bus and went to the Weeping Wall stop. We walked the trail.
It was a bit cool for us.

A Restful Friday

Today we slept a little late, and then I got online and did some blogging and emailing.
We stayed last night in a small, but clean room at the Bob-Bon Inn in Kanab, UT. The wireless internet access is wonderful. It seems ironic that the two best places that I've had wireless access have been the two cheapest motels. The lack of access at Cameron Trading Post caused further mess-up in the postings.

We were the last ones to check out of the motel (14 units). The distance to Springdale, UT wasn't great and even with the slow driving (mountain roads) we got here slightly before two. We had a good nap after lunch at the Pioneer Restaurant. We took a short drive and shopped for some food items before coming back to the motel for supper. Tomorrow we plan to take the shuttle bus into Zion.

Thursday and The North Rim

We had breakfast at the Cameron Trading Post this morning then loaded the van and headed for the north rim of the Grand Canyon. From Cameron it is a two to three hour drive. We stopped in Jacob Lake, AZ at the welcome center, then drove to the park. The road to the lookout points is long (about 45 to the last one). We visited Cape Royal, Angel Windows, Roosevelt Point, Bright Angel Point, and Point Imperial.
It was after sundown when we got to Kanab for the night.

Then on Wednesday

Wednesday we went back into the park and did the Hermit Rest Route shuttle bus tour.

As we drove back to Cameron we saw some elks.