We drove from Las Vegas to Bryce Canyon Pines Campground Utah on 17 May 2023. What a beautiful drive! We were in awe of the colors and magnitude of the mesas and mountains and canyons and especially the Virgin River Gorge! We even had to drive through two rock arches to get to our campground. Our fifth wheel height is 12’8”, so we had plenty room with the clearance of 13ft 6in.
On our way in, we had noticed a great bike path along Scenic Hwy 12 that goes for miles into Bryce Canyon NP. We got our bikes out and went for a short ride (5 miles) to check it out. It was very windy that day (elevation 7777 feet), so not as enjoyable as it could have been.
Bike Trail right outside Bryce Canyon Pines RV Park
We enjoyed a nice campfire that night...
We went into Bryce Canyon National Park on the 19th, and again were just speechless with the beauty of the park. Having seen the Grand Canyon a couple of weeks before, we were amazed at how different Bryce Canyon is with so much more greenery. There are trees along the mountain sides and just nice colors mixed in with the rock. We opted for the Queens Garden/Navajo Loop Combo hike (3.1 miles and moderate difficulty). We started at the Sunrise Point trailhead and hiked down through the Queens Garden, where we saw lots of desert flowers in bloom. The Navajo Wall Street Loop was closed due to flooding damage, so we went straight back to the Sunset Point, cutting our hike distance to 2.9 miles. It was a great hike. The altitude (about 8000 feet) has been challenging for Anita on the uphill parts of hikes, but we never turn back!
Hoodoos are “totem pole-shaped bodies” in Bryce Canyon (This is called Thor's Hammer)
A sacred oral tradition of the Paiute Indians states that the hoodoos are ancient legend people turned into stone by coyote as a punishment for bad deeds.
Signage is good!
Switchbacks
This was called two bridges (between a slot canyon)
Young lady operating a dirt tampering tool that sounded like a jack hammer in Bryce Canyon repairing Wall Street
Sunrise Point to Sunset Point Loop trail Bryce Canyon National Park
More hoodoos
Sunrise Point to Sunset Point Loop trail Bryce Canyon National Park
Sunrise Point to Sunset Point Loop trail Bryce Canyon National Park
Sunrise Point to Sunset Point Loop trail Bryce Canyon National Park
The first weekend we were there, we went to mass on Saturday in Cedar City. That’s about 75 miles from our campground. We took the scenic drive along Hwy 14 to get to Cedar City and oh my, what a beautiful drive. At its coldest point it was 48 degrees and warmest, it was 80 degrees! There was still lots of snow and much ice still on the Navajo Lake. We drove through Duck Creek, where we saw quite a few people fishing from the bank and on through Cedar Breaks River Valley. We attended mass at Christ the King Catholic Church in Cedar City at 4:30 pm.
Scenic Hwy 14 between Bryce and Cedar City Utah 20 May 2023
Navajo Lake
20 May 2023 Hwy 14 between Bryce Canyon and Cedar City Utah
Hwy 14 closer to Bryce Canyon
That first Sunday in Utah, we decided to “take it easy”. We drove to the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument (designated 1999). Once there, we saw there is a 126 ft. waterfall to see if you hike 3 miles in. Of course, that means 3 miles out, so on our “take it easy” Sunday, we hiked 6 miles to see the Calf Creek Falls. It was definitely worth it! We had plans to drive to Zion National Park on Monday, so it was an early-to-bed night for Anita.
Drive to Escalante National Park
Grand Staircase Escalante
Escalante National Park
Lupines Outside Visitor Center Escalante National Park
Along trail Escalante National Park
Escalante National Park
Calf Creek Falls Escalante National Park (6mile hike well worth it!)
We were up at 5:30am on Monday to leave at 6:30am to drive to Zion National Park. That was a beautiful drive from the east entrance Mt. Carmel Zion Road and the park itself had its own unique beauty. We drove thru two tunnels and one was a mile long. We had researched and learned that the only way to see Zion main part of the park is by shuttle bus and that parking is limited. We got there early enough to park for free at the Zion Visitor Center and the shuttle bus picked us up right there. We got off the bus at the last stop, the Temple of Senawava, and did Riverside Walk. The Riverside Walk is a relatively flat 2 mile round-trip trail in the northern end of Zion Canyon. This easy trail follows the Virgin River and was a welcome change after Sunday’s 6 mile hike. The Virgin River was flowing high and causing cottonwood trees to become uprooted and was too swift to allow tourists to wade upriver into the slot canyon narrows. Steve did another quarter mile steep uphill hike to Weeping Rock but Anita sat that one out. On the way home from Zion National Park, we stopped in Mt. Carmel Utah to check out Thunderbird's “Ho-Made Pies”. Steve got a piece of Thunder berry pie and Anita got the chocolate cream. Wow! Anita’s was the best chocolate cream pie she’s ever had! The restaurant/gift shop/diner was built in the 1930’s and the story behind the sign is that when the original owner made the first home made sign for the restaurant, he didn't have enough room to spell out the words, so he shortened it to the folksier sounding “HoMade.”
Checkerboard Mesa (6,520 feet) Zion National Park
Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
(Altar of Sacrifice) Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
(Weeping Rock) Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
Virgin River Zion National Park May 2023
River Walk and Narrows Virgin River Zion National Park May 2023
Narrows Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
Columbine Zion National Park May 2023
Riverwalk Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
Zion National Park May 2023
Wednesday of that week, we decided to go for a 3.5 hour horseback ride through Red Canyon. That was awesome! It was just us and our wrangler. The horses took us places we'd of never gotten to on our own. My horse's name was Pepper and Steve's was Apache. Apache had to be right behind Ally because there were a couple of steeper climbs at which Apache has turned around before. Ally had to take Apache's guide rope to keep him focused. Pepper was full of personality and got impatient with Apache's slowness a couple of times. She stopped and just looked back at Anita, as if to say "you know why I'm stopped, don't you?". Pepper would proceed when Apache was completely out of her way to get momentum and get up the incline. Our wrangler's name was Ally and she was great! A very nice 22 year old working hard at construction and trail guiding. We were a little surprised at the hard work we observed a couple of young women doing. There's no reason they shouldn't be doing it, but we'd not seen women doing the "harder" construction work in Maryland. The pictures from our horseback ride are below. The one of us holding hands and on our horses is taken from one of the most photographed spots in Utah in Red Canyon.
Ally photo bombed us
Indian Paintbrush Horseback Riding Trail
Horseback Riding Trail View
Horseback Riding Trail View
The next day, we went out to Capital Reef National Park. Google describes it as being in Utah's south-central desert. It surrounds a long wrinkle in the earth known as the Waterpocket Fold, with layers of golden sandstone, canyons and striking rock formations. Among the park's sights are the Chimney Rock pillar, the Hickman Bridge arch, and Capitol Reef, known for its white sandstone domes. In the north are the towering monoliths of Cathedral Valley.
We wanted a shorter hike that day and opted for Capitol Gorge, a 1.1 mile hike in. We had heard at the visitor center that it was closed to vehicles, but we noticed it was opened while we were eating lunch near what we thought was the trailhead. The sign just said "Capitol Gorge this way". We saw several people walking on that trail, so we assumed the gorge was at the end of that trail. Well the 1.1 mile felt really long for some reason. It turned out that we had walked 2.4 miles to the actual trailhead leading to the gorge! It was sunny and hot that day, so we went just a little further (about a quarter mile) and saw petroglyphs and the Pioneer Register and decided to head back since we now knew how far we had to go. We were almost back to the parking lot where our truck was parked and another truck stopped to talk to us. They were an older couple like us and they had seen us on their way up and now on their way down, so they wondered how far we'd gone. We told them and they offered to drive us to the parking lot, where they were headed. We accepted the ride and were surprised to learn they're full time RVers too! They also have a Grand Design Reflection! We talked with them for quite a while and exchanged contact information. Their names are Rudy and Andi, and they're from South Dakota. Just another example of how we never know what our day will bring. It was fun meeting them and chatting.
Road to Capitol Gorge Trail in Capitol Reef National Park
Petroglyphs at Capitol Gorge
Capitol Gorge Pioneer Register (Mormon original family settlers 1911)
Petroglyphs at Capitol Gorge
Variety of cactii and other blooming flowers at Capitol Reef National Park
Road to Capitol Gorge Trail in Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Mule deer just outside of Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Flowers on the Capitol Gorge Trail
The next day (Saturday), we went to Kodachrome Basin State Park. This was about 12 miles from our campground and we enjoyed a late start that day. A Utah State Park did not disappoint! We took in more breathtaking views on a leisurely hike (~1.5 miles) on the Grand Parade trail. Not a day went by that we were out in Utah that Anita didn't say "wow, look at that!". It was just beautiful with pictures not giving the justice the views deserve.
Grand Parade Trail Kodachrome Basin State Park Utah May 2023
Spires along Grand Parade Trail Kodachrome Basin State Park Utah May 2023
Grand Parade Trail Kodachrome Basin State Park Utah May 2023
Grand Parade Trail Kodachrome Basin State Park Utah May 2023
Sego lily blooming in desert Grand Parade Trail Kodachrome Basin State Park Utah May 2023
Grand Parade Trail Kodachrome Basin State Park Utah May 2023
Grand Parade Trail Kodachrome Basin State Park Utah May 2023
Grand Parade Trail Kodachrome Basin State Park Utah May 2023
Grand Parade Trail Kodachrome Basin State Park Utah May 2023
Grand Parade Trail Kodachrome Basin State Park Utah May 2023
Grand Parade Trail Kodachrome Basin State Park Utah May 2023
Grand Parade Trail Kodachrome Basin State Park Utah May 2023
Grand Parade Trail Kodachrome Basin State Park Utah May 2023
That evening, we went to Ruby's for their "Cowboy Buffet". Ruby's is right outside of Bryce Canyon and is really the hub for the area. Reuben (Ruby) Syratt started it and his grandchildren still run it today. The Internet tells that: In 1923, when Bryce Canyon became a National Monument, Ruby moved his "Tourist Rest", to the location of his ranch and named it Ruby's Inn. The Post Office established services at the inn (his wife managed it) and still serves the area throughout the year. Anita can attest to the fact that Ruby's is the only place in the area to mail anything. The next closest place is Panguitch, about 20 miles from our campground.
The second Sunday (28 May) we went to St. Gertrude Catholic Mission in Panguitch Utah. It was the same priest who at Christ the King in Cedar City the week before. Father Adrian Komar is very busy with his churches being about 50 miles apart. Mass at St. Gertrude was at 2pm Sunday afternoon and there were about 20 people in attendance with half being tourists. Catholics make up only 9% of the population in Utah. The majority of the people in Utah are "LDS" , short for Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon). Our wrangler on our horseback ride, Ally, calls herself "LDS". That morning we had gone for a bike ride through Bryce Canyon National Park.
After mass we took the scenic route home. The Cedar Breaks Scenic Byway, U-148, highlights the scenery of the Dixie National Forest and the multi-colored rock amphitheater of Cedar Breaks National Monument fifteen miles east of Cedar City. Cedar Breaks is a large amphitheater about one half mile deep and three miles from rim to rim. We saw more spectacular Utah views. Again, on 28 May it was still 40 degrees and still lots of snow on that stretch of U-148 at the Cedar Breaks. We drove a few miles more and the temperature rose to 78! We definitely learned to wear layers while we were here. We often started the day with long pants and long sleeves, but got home in shorts and short sleeves after zipping off our long pants into shorts and shedding the long sleeve shirt to get down to a short sleeves.
Bike ride through Bryce Canyon morning of 28 May 2023
Bike ride through Bryce Canyon morning of 28 May 2023
Bike ride through Bryce Canyon morning of 28 May 2023
Bike ride through Bryce Canyon morning of 28 May 2023
Bike ride through Bryce Canyon morning of 28 May 2023
Cedar Breaks National Monument 28 May 2023
Brian's Head Ski Resort across from Cedar Breaks National Monument
Cedar Breaks 28 May 2023
Cedar Breaks 28 May 2023
It was very windy at this lookout!
On 29 May (Memorial Day) we wanted to drive out to the Grand Canyon's North Rim, but it was still closed due to snow melt and flooding. It was expected to open on 2 June if repairs are made in time, but might be 12 June before it opens. We visited Kanab Utah instead. Kanab is a scenic little town that was the setting for many western movies and TV shows in its heyday. The visitor center recommended the Little Hollywood Museum, and they gave us directions for a nice driving tour. We asked about an "easy" hike and were told about Jackson Reservoir with the 3.2 mile Sherry Belle trail around it. That was a great walk, paved all around the water and we even saw a few birds. The reservoir was getting busy with paddle boarders, kayakers and beach goers, so we drove to a quiet park for lunch. It was a beautiful day with lots of people out and about with the holiday.
Little Hollywood Museum Kanab Utah
Little Hollywood Museum Kanab Utah
Little Hollywood Museum Kanab Utah
Little Hollywood Museum Kanab Utah
Little Hollywood Museum Kanab Utah
What's left of Gunsmoke TV show's set at Jackson Canyon
"Cowboy Billboard" along scenic drive Kanab Utah
Sherry Belle Trail around Jackson Flat Reservoir Kanab Utah
Along Sherry Belle Trail
Today, 30 May 2023, we're relaxing and getting ready to drive to Yellowstone tomorrow. Actually, we plan to drive about 300 of the 467 miles tomorrow and arrive at Henry's Lake State Park in Idaho on
1 June. That will be our home base to see Yellowstone and the surrounding area. We've really enjoyed Utah and plan to come back to see more of it at some point. Below is the view from the campground exit. Every time we've gone out, we've seen this!
I'll miss seeing this on our way out each day!
Most times we've gone out, we've seen Pronghorn antelopes within a couple of miles of our campground in an open field on Scenic Hwy 12.
30 May 2023
Kommentarer