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It was a beautiful ride to Bryce Canyon.  There is so much of our great country to see.  We arrived at Bryce (I got to use my Senior Pass) around 11:00 a.m. and set-up camp.  This time I had a job to do – sweep and vacuum the throw carpets.

After getting situated, we walked to the Visitor Center and watched a film and walked through the museum.  When we were ready to leave, the skies opened up and it rained for about 15 minutes and then the sun was out for the rest of the day.

Hoodoos!  I thought the sights at Zion were breathtaking, the Hoodoos were spectacular!  Hoodoos are pillars of rock left by erosion and are of fantastic shapes.

At 5:00 p.m., I did the Rim Walk along the Bryce Amphitheater with a Ranger and Maureen and Al hiked the Navajo trail.  Both walks started at Sunset Point and I ended at Sunrise Point where I met Maureen and Al.  My walk was 1 mile and took about an hour and a half while their hike was about 1.3 miles.

After the walk/hike, we went and took showers – $2 for 8 mins – and that sure felt good!  We had water at Bryce but no electric which was not a problem – Al had a generator if needed.  That night we had a campfire, made s’mores and watched the night skies … saw three shooting stars!

The next day, Al went on a bike ride in the Dixie National Forest – he had a lot of uphill pedaling to do - and Reen and I took the 3+ hour Rainbow Point Tour.  There are 14 overlooks along Bryce Canyon’s 18-mile (one way) scenic drive.  The most famous views are found in Bryce Amphitheater, including Sunrise, Sunset, Inspiration and Bryce points.  We all got back about the same time.  Did I mention how much pedaling Al had to do?

After lunch, we rode around the park so I could get pictures of the historical buildings in Bryce and Reen was hoping to see Prairie Dogs – no luck!  Bryce is home to Pronghorns, frequently called antelopes, and the Utah Prairie Dogs.  We then rode out to Fairyland, the last overlook from the Rainbow Point Tour.  Reen and I decided to get off the bus before that stop.

When I was on the walk with the Ranger the day before, he had said to be aware of thunder and lightning because of the high elevation.  The week before, a man was struck and killed by lightning in the park. That evening we had rain, with thunder and lightning, so we just stayed at the campsite and relaxed.

Bryce was an unplanned stop for me and a return trip for Reen and Al.  In a day and a half, I got to see all the “points of views” but only one hike.  That was just fine with me since I was having some altitude issues.  I thoroughly enjoyed the stop at Bryce.  Tomorrow, pack up and head to Salt Lake City.

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