Bryce Canyon National Park

We drove through the eastern part of Zion to reach the road to Bryce Canyon. The drive was very pretty, through small farms, meadows and a lovely river that followed us for miles. 1 1/2 hours later, we arrived at Bryce. After stopping in the Visitor Center and viewing the film on Bryce, we decided to use the shuttle instead of driving. The shuttle system was not as sophisticated as at Zion, but it worked fine. We were surprised to see nothing but trees and grass from the shuttle. The canyon is hidden until you walk out to the view points.

We stopped first at Bryce Point, the most distant shuttle point, where the ranger had told us of a nice rim walk. As we reached the viewpoint, we were awe-struck! This point overlooks the Amphitheatre, one of the most beautiful sites in the park. This bowl-shaped area is filled with Hoodoos. Hoodoos are pillars of rock, usually of fantastic shape, left by erosion. The other meaning for Hoodoo is to cast a spell- which these certainly do! It was amazing to see them lined up in rows, looking very much like the China Terracotta Army.

As we walked along the rim trail, the views just got better and better. In addition to the Hoodoos, there were windows and arches, all as a result of erosion. The colors were amazing, ranging from orange, to pink to cream. This is just an amazing, beautiful park.

After stopping at Sunrise Point, we had a late lunch and headed back to Springdale for the night. We would head for the Grand Canyon tomorrow.

Seen in a restaurant outside of Yosemite: "Wishing you shade and sweetwater"- a perfect wish for the dry, hot, Southwest.