Sightseeing Day
- Bryce Canyon National Park
Off to a bit of a slow start this morning, as Dave had to go out and have coffee with the new camping buddy that was waiting for him.
After Dave's coffee experience (Hee Hee), we drove to Bryce, UT, and had breakfast at Ruby's Inn. We ordered the buffet only to find out when we picked up our plates that it was shutting down in 3 minutes. So, back to the table to order off the menu.
We shopped for a bit, looking for a charm, but we couldn't find one that was appropriate.
Next stop was the visitor's center to hop on the bus that would take us to most parts of the park. We decided to ride to the end of the line, and then get off at each stop as we headed back. Riding out to the end of the line first, gives us an overview of what's to come.
The first stop was Bryce Point. And, we were just not prepared for what we saw. I am totally running out of adjectives to describe the beauty we see as we travel around this grand USA. But, I'll try jaw-dropping. As I've said several times previously, there is just no way to capture the vastness of the 180-to-360-degree views before us. A camera just can't take it all in.
To get some of the previous pictures, we had to walk quite a ways out on a trail that at one point was on a precipice that had no railings. With my fear of heights, I had to look only at the ground and not at my surroundings so I wouldn't get dizzy. Here's a picture (looking upward) of what we had walked down and now had to trudge back up. It doesn't look that bad in the picture; but, trust me, it was very steep--and scary.
This walk just about did Dave's back and knees in. We had to stop quite a bit to rest and catch our breath as we are about 8,000 feet above sea level. So, oxygen isn't that easy to obtain for my poor little asthma-damaged lungs. We finally made it back and got on the bus.
Our next stop was Sunset Point. So, here's those views.
This picture shows you the railings that were at Sunset Point--and some other viewpoints. I'd say the park service did a great job of making them functional and attractive. The walk for us was much easier at this viewpoint.
These next three pictures show some of the trails that you can take down into the canyon. Most of these trails are fairly short, like a mile or less roundtrip. But, all I could think of was the hike back "up" the trail. Look closely and you can see the trails and some people on them.
Now, here's a funny. I have been snapping pictures left and right (at this point, I have over 100 pictures). I have been overwhelmed with the deep red colors of these hoodoos. I was a bit disappointed in my camera because it didn't seem to capture this deep color. Then, while standing at the rim, I had to clean my glasses. When I took them off, I realized that these hoodoos were not deep red at all. They are a golden red. We both started to laugh hysterically. Dave and I both wear Transition lenses. These darker lenses made such a difference in our preception of the colors, that I thought I'd show you by taking a photo through Dave's glasses. Cool, huh?
And, what would a visit be to the park without sharing some critters with you?
We rode the bus back to the visitor's center and skipped the last two view points as they weren't too much different from what we had seen (they were at least in the same area). We decided to drive out further than the bus would take us and view some spots on our own. Again, we went out as far as we could go, and then turned back to view the spots on our return drive.
The forest service is doing a controlled burn at the far end of the park. There was a caution sign, but we were allowed to go into the burn area as long as we only got out of the car at designated areas. I have been having trouble with my asthma at these high altitudes, and with the smoke added to it, we turned back rather quickly. But, here's a couple of burn pictures.
Our first stop on the way back was at the Natural Bridge. We didn't have to walk far at all. The remainder of the stops were a matter of parking your car and walking about 20 feet forward to the rim of the canyon. Yipee!
Next viewpoint: Agua Canyon.
We saw a few other views on the way back, but most are similar to what I've already shared.
We continued our ride back toward the visitor's center, when Dave spotted some deer. If you have riden in the car with Dave, you know he can spot critters miles away--while driving! He spotted this entire herd of mule deer quite a distance from the road. Of course, he pulled over, and in no time, we had 8 other cars following suit--everyone jumping out to take pictures. The deer kept moving closer and closer to the roadway--unaffected by the numerous cars and gaukers. This herd consisted 7 deer--one buck, at least 3 does, and several fawns. I have never seen that many deer together in the wild. So, it was really quite trilling.
We finally reached the vistor's center where I obtained a brochure about the park's controlled burn procedures, purchased a wildflower and tree field guide, and where we watched a 25-minute video about Bryce Canyon. We love watching these videos as we learn so much about the geology and the wildlife.
We headed back to the campground to rest and recoup. We had leftovers for dinner.
Just as the moon was rising, Dave went outside to see it coming up over the mountains across the street. So, with camera in hand, I rushed out to take some pictures of it. Not really very good, but it will be a remembrance. It sure was interesting to watch as it seemed to explode up over the mountain at warp speed. Such a nice view to end the evening with. So, pleasant dreams.
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