We left our yurt today for our last adventure in Utah. We were going to visit Bryce Canyon National Park in Bryce City, Utah. On our way, we passed Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument. We did not stop as this park seemed more suited to hikers and at my age, there isn’t much hiking in my bones.
We drove on Highway 12 for an hour before reaching Bryce Canyon National Park. We were told by others that we met that this was the most beautiful of Utah’s parks. We couldn’t wait. We were not sure what to expect in the park for our lunch, so we stopped at a very popular inn, restaurant, grocery store called Ruby’s Inn which was established in 1915. We bought sandwiches and made our way into the national park.
Before we left on our trip, we purchased an app that provided guided driving tours of all of Utah’s national parks. That app is worth it’s weight in gold. As we drove, it tracked up by GPS and told us where to turn, what to see and explained the background of all the different viewing areas as well as the legend of the areas of the park. It made the drive so much more enjoyable.
We used our senior “America the Beautiful” national park pass. This pass costs $80 and it is good for the rest of my life in national parks. It is a bargain compared to $35 for each park that we visit.
Our first stop, thanks to our guided tour app was Sunset Point. It provided us with an example of the wonders of Bryce Canyon National Park. It introduced us to hoodoos, which are columns or pinnacles of weathered rock. The scene was breathtaking. We thought that we had seen some great views, but this was the best.
There were plenty of places to stop and view the landscape and all were on the left side of the road. Some parking lots (like Sunset Point) were packed, and some were not. We had to skip at least one site because we couldn’t get a parking place.
Our next stop was Inspiration Point. It was also another beautiful scenic experience.
We continued to Bryce Canyon Amphitheater overlook.
We (the car) climbed to an elevation of 8175’ to Paria View.
At 8819’, we visited Fairview Point.
Our next to last stop and one of my favorites was Natural Arch. You need to read the sign below to understand how cool this is.
We saw some wild looking vehicles during our trip but this one was unique.
Our final stop was at Rainbow Point and the reason I liked this one so much is that I call my lovely wife – Ronnie Rainbow. This was her spot.
You will probably notice that Ronnie is using a hiking pole. We found out that it really helps her when her balance isn’t the best.
We called it a day after this. We are staying the night in Bryce Country Cabins in Tropic, Utah. They are quaint and comfortable.
Tomorrow, we are heading north. We have changed our plans again. We are not doing well in these high-altitude climates. Ronnie’s left eye is really blood shot. We think that part of it is due to the altitude. We have decided to skip Rocky Mountain National Park and head to Yellowstone National Park and then to Mount Rushmore. It only adds five hours to our itinerary, and we would love to see Yellowstone.
© 2023, Herb Segars. All rights reserved.
