Part 10 Continued … On to Bryce Canyon

The 84 mile drive to Bryce Canyon had us twisting our heads to catch the rocky beauty equal to the National Parks themselves. The first twenty-four miles took us out of Zion on Route 9. The switchbacks belied the height we climbed to take us out of Zion Canyon. The 1.1 mile tunnel was really different. The only light in the tunnel is the three “cut outs” along the path of the tunnel that are cut through the rock wall and overlooks the canyon we drove out of. Driving in the narrow, dark tunnel was fine and it was an incredible experience. We still plan to avoid the tunnel on our drive to Flagstaff. Our rig and HHR will be over the 50’ maximum length which means we are required to disconnect the HHR and drive both vehicles through the tunnel separately which we’d rather not do.
The switchbacks provided us with spectacular vistas at every “pull off.” Once out of the tunnels (2), we encountered towering, bleached rock mesas that looked as if “The Man Above” “whipped” up a massive bowl of pudding and “drizzled” the viscous mix on the landscape to harden.
Leaving the park and heading north on Route 89, we didn’t realize that we were climbing in elevation. It seemed so subtle we hardly noticed we were climbing. We passed through the beautiful “Red Rock Canyon” and on into Bryce. It is striking! While walking to “Sunset Point,” Pat saw a lightening bolt that appeared to be much too close to where we were headed. Pat wanted no part of that! Bravely, I said I’ll just run over to the overlook and take some pictures and be right back. On the way, a park Ranger was returning from the overlook and politely suggested that I’d be better off not walking to the “point.” She told me about their saying, “if you hear it, leave it! And, if you see it, fear it!” I took her advice. From then on, our time at the various “points” (as they are called) I was cautious, but I had to see this incredible expanse of color and time worn sandstone… and it was worth it. Some of the observation areas are very short walks so Pat did take in quite a bit of the beauty of Bryce. Bryce is laced with hiking trails that traverse the bottom of the canyon and take you through many of the “steeple” like sandstone pillars. It is a grand beauty of the work of “Mother Nature.”
Being 8000’ above sea level, we finally enjoyed cooler weather. The cloudy, cool day never dampened our spirits and gave us the opportunity to walk outside without baking. The drive back seemed somewhat shorter, but we also knew what to look for and Pat was ready with the camera in hand. This time we were ready for what awaited us as we sauntered down the Mt. Carmel Highway!
It’s time for us to point the Motor home east!