Southbound part 2: Utah Charms

Day 5 continued

Somewhere along the drive north in Utah I remarked to Kathleen that I had no idea that one could drive so far along simple interstates and have no less than spectacular scenery for hours on end. I became aware that I was no longer remarking at sights that on ordinary days would compel me to stop, snap photos, coo and write postcards over. We circled east a few miles and drove through Utah's version of Red Rock Canyon. Turns out Arizona, Utah, California and Nevada each have their own version. I have to say the rocks at the entrance were probably as rich a red as I could imagine.

Red Rock Canyon

The road was beautiful and winding. Up, up we went and then a plateau. A strip of tourist stops and the entrance to Bryce. We entered the visitor's center and the question I was going to ask was being answered as I stepped up. How to best spend 3-4 hours for folks who like to hike. Off to the Sunset and Sunrise points with a tour down the Queens Garden trail. OK sounds good.

Good doesn't cover it. Kathleen and I have gently debated if this wasn't the most incredible natural place we've ever been. I was on the fence but leaning towards a yes. Ditto Kat but she was more inclined to say this was it. The Frommers guide to the American Southwest actually says: "If you could only visit one national park in your lifetime, we'd send you to Bryce Canyon." I think I just might agree.

Bryce Canyon is essentially constituted by a ridge of land that roughly wanders north to south with an evergreen forest running right up to the lip of the rim on the west end and the canyon dropping down on the east. The effect is remarkable because you drive up not unlike the Grand Canyon amongst trees and walk up to this edge and the canyon drops away in front of you. Not nearly as dramatic a drop as GC but the interior of the canyon below is unbelievable. From above it looks like an outdoor, giant coral reef of undulating patterns of color and shape that goes on for miles.

Bryce Sunrise Point with Rim Trail View

But you have to go down. There's nothing like the experience of walking among, within and through the giant hoodoo's of stone. Their shapes from above seem so delicate that the premise of walking down among them seems akin to releasing the proverbial bulls through the china shop. But from below they are so much more massive and intimate that you can't help but be awed.

Around the Corner

Maybe it was the sunny weather, maybe it was the near blinding intensity of the colors, maybe it was the stark contrast of evergreen trees seemingly dropped randomly around and on the hoodoos, maybe it was just our spirit of adventure running high... The effect was literally stunning. I don't know if I've been anywhere this beautiful. It made me want to do nothing but travel forever. To see the worlds sights. To never stop searching for this kind of effect. Just wonderful.

Down a Little

Sloping Trail

We hiked back out and then drove to a nearby overlook. The kids opted to stay in the car. I shimmied out to a ledge that came a little to close to the end for me in the terrific winds blowing that day but got the shot I wanted of the canyon below. This is looking due north and covers only about a third of the full canyon the rest lying further south.

From the Bryce Overlook

Well we had to leave sometime and we did.

The next leg was a reverse drive for about 90 minutes west and south. Then a right onto route 9 into Zion National Park. Turns out this is the only road through and you have to pay the entry fee to continue through to Springdale, our destination for the night. The road through is gorgeous, winding and towering once again. There is a mile drive through a winding, black tunnel, every thousand feet or so is a large opening with a brief view straight down a cliff face into the canyon. The effect is startling. The end of the tunnel drops you into the southern end of Bryce canyon with mountains that tower several thousand feet overhead.

We zip out of the park directly into Springdale. The town is dotted with reasonable tourist fare, B&B's and such. Under the Eaves has room at the inn for us and it's just two minutes from the park entrance. We had the whole top floor of a house, nearly 1200 square feet. More room than we knew what to do with.

Under the Eaves B&B

Lovely really. The owners an English couple. We grabbed a bite at the Bit and Spur down the street. Nice snacks but the wait was long. Bedding was fine as was sleeping.


Day 6

Breakfast was at 8:30. We chatted with several other couples traveling to and from the various nearby spots. That's what we've really come to look forward to at B&B's. The other travelers are kindred spirits with the same zeal for adventure. Many good bits of advice and tales of excitement were traded. We were in the park by 9:30. You take a shuttle bus up the canyon with about 10 stops along the way where you can venture off. We went to the end and then ventured back. The first "hike" was rather pedestrian though pretty. The name of the spot, "Temple of Sinawava", has this aura of mystery. We proceeded intrigued.

Turns out the spot was literally named by a marketing guy to draw people in. It has no other special meaning. Groan. What a start.

Nevertheless it was a nice, simple hike to start the morning.

Easy hike

The weather threatened but ultimately clouds came and went throughout the day. We quickly determined that the "strenuous" hikes were not as daunting as they might have seemed so we moved on to another spot down the valley. We hopped off the shuttle bus and craned our necks up a vertical 1200 foot climb. This is a fabulous spot in the middle of a circular canyon with switchback trails up to the "top". The top is really just a plateau which is the beginning of a "slot" canyon there called Echo.

The kids were a little wary of the climb and we suggested that we go just a couple hundred feet up for the view. The hike up is called the Overlook trail.

Angel's Landing

We're up a few hundred feet here. If you click the image you'll see a larger shot and the two-car white shuttle bus below middle. That beautiful peak in the middle is called Angel's Landing. We're hiking that on our first trip back.

The switchbacks were roughly paved with a pale red concrete and stone. The angle was not brutal but there were at least 20 switchbacks varying from 100-500 feet in length.

Overlook trail switchback

The walls along the switchbacks varied but many were sheer rock face.

Up and up

The view along the way up didn't suck.

Further up the trail

We're probably 700 feet up here. Note the switchbacks we had come up on below right. Click the image and you'll see people walking along the switchbacks. That dark arch on the lower left is a spot called Weeping Rock. The arch is about 100 feet in height.

About 1200 feet and an hour later the cliff finally leveled off and spectacular views were had all around.

Top of the first leg

Kelsey and Mitchell are troopers. Always have been. We are way the heck up there.

Turn around from this splendid view and you realize you're just at the beginning. In front of us is a "slot" canyon that had even more impressive views within. We were all tired but pressed on a bit more with rich rewards.

Just a few steps along the top of this plateau and you enter Echo canyon.

Entering Echo

Echo is a slot which narrows and expands from tall canyons to tight squeezes.

Echo wall

Turn around and you see this:

Slot slopes

We hiked only a half mile or so up Echo. Everyone was tired but these views were so compelling.

There are many other shots on my Flickr site but here's a couple going further up the slot.

Slot

Slender slot

Boy in Slot

Boy in slot

A huge wall started to literally curl over the slot until we went through what was virtually a tunnel.

Slot light

We turned back but there was so much more to see. Another journey for our next trip back.

Kelsey's way

That's Kelsey in the middle.

We make out way out of Echo back to the top of the switchbacks. Here's another view of the canyon below, Angel's landing and the changing light of the afternoon.

Out of the slot

The hike back down was a relief and easy. The late lunch at the Zion lodge was comically bad. We enjoyed it nonetheless.

We moved on to the Emerald pools which were made "Emeraldy" by moss. While not nearly as scenic as Echo there were some pretty views.

Winding way

Not bad. Fatigued we decided to call it a day. We shuttled back to the car. You leave the visitors center and in three minutes we're back at the hotel. Kat and I bought a bottle of wine and sat in the garden at the Eaves.

We ended up chatting with a charming British couple (Vince and... darn what was her name) who had an amazing wanderlust. He's and engineer and a fellow SciFi nerd. They have backpacked through New Zealand finding the shot locations for the Lord of the Rings. OK he wins on the nerd scale. I was impressed.

We chatted for about two hours in front of a fire.

Kathleen and I declined to go out for dinner. The kids had food from earlier and watched movies in our room.

We collapsed.


Day 7

Breakfast for the kids in the room. Really wonderful. A huge frittata, muffins, yogurts, cereal, juices, cocoa... We went downstairs and shared breakfast and some more lore with our fellow travelers. We checked out with the plan of one more hike.

We had to go back up one more run through the tunnel and immediately at the end of the tunnel is a lot and the start of the Overlook trail. This was a wonderful, winding trail through and along a small slot canyon.

Overlook trail

The trail climbs and twists and turns.

Slot canyon below

Finally it climbs and drops us to a cliffs edge with this view:

Top of Overlook

Zounds!

Valley view

Along came Vince and... [darn it she was so nice too!]. Anyway more chatting and an invitation to come visit them in Cambridge. We really should do that.

We amble back, hop in the car, back through the tunnel, back through Springdale and off on route 9 to climes further west. We're on our way to Vegas.

We slip through a few small towns and then drop on highway 15 southwest. It's not an unpleasant drive. The mountains give way and we're back in a desert climate. We cross over into Nevada and decide to take the loop through the Valley of Fire state park on route 169. It loops the northwest edge of lake Mead. Remember when I criticized those people who called the Grand Canyon a big hole in the ground. Well that is lake Mead. Sorry it's just a giant, artificially-created, house-boat-bumper-car, tree-less, plant-less, life-less mud puddle.

The first 15 miles along the route are cheapo vacation shacks and the driving is slow. The road then empties out and you take the right [don't miss it like I did and have to turn around 5 miles later] into said hellish valley. Turns the valley's title is appropriate. Strange mounds of deeply red rock. It was a very overcast day so our photos just don't do the place justice. We amble up some slopes to the Elephant Rock. I figure it will sort be elephantish whatever that means. No it's a friggin elephant!

Elephant Rock

Mitchell has endless fun terrifying his mom with scampering through tiny holes, caves and such but we need to keep moving. Vegas awaits.

I won't say much about Vegas. It delivers the goods. It's fun... sorta. We stayed well south off the strip in a gigantic new hotel called South Point. Has a 36 lane bowling alley and a 12 screen multiplex inside!

When you go to a Vegas hotel, unless you're willing to pay major bucks for valet service you have to drag your own bags through the hotel casino. So you stroll by about a zillion slot machines, tables, smokers, women in absurd cocktail outfits and parents gambling away the groceries. Well past them we ambled. We settled in our huge, shiny new, double-queen, giant-bathroom, high-floor, 42" plasma screened, impeccably clean, new, comfortable and merely $75-a-night room. So staying in a Vegas casino is a compromise.

We quickly jumped back in the car and headed up to the strip to eat and see the water show at the Bellagio. Our original destination was a pub in the Monte Carlo but we opted for the buffet. I have to admit it was fun eating anything you wanted. Merriment ensued.

We hiked up to the Bellagio. Now the map showed "two blocks". Those were half-mile blocks. It took nearly 20 minutes to make those poorly-lit, incredibly-congested, traffic roaring past, blocks. Blocks endlessly peppered with men (and women) trying to hand you cards inviting you to a massage. Charming.

Bellagio reached the water show was still fun but slightly disappointing in a way. I guess the first time was more dramatic and new. I doubt we'll be back.

The casino's are smart. You can't put quarters in a slot anymore. It's all electronic cards. They know everything about your habits that way. We opted out of gambling entirely therefore. When we got back to our hotel we walked in from the self-parking garage and there, in the hallway, just on the edge of the casino floor, technically not in the casino, probably as far as you can go off the casino floor but still be seen... is Bobby, Cindy, Jan, Greg, Marcia and Peter Brady huddled on the floor. It's about 10pm. Mom and dad are off gambling away their college funds. They're just sitting on the ground in this connecting hallway doing absolutely nothing but waiting. I've seen this before in a previous Vegas trip. I swear its worse than seeing homeless people on the streets.

You kids wait over here. Mommy and Daddy will be back in a few hours.

OK I'm done.

We went upstairs and bowled a frame. Mitchell was delighted. There were probably 200 people bowling this Thursday evening at South Point Casino.

Again collapsing in bed we did have memories of a fun evening but I can't shake those kids from my eyes.

Note the lack of pictures. I took zero. Not worth it.

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