Driving into Bryce Canyon National Park we decided to park our car and ride the shuttle to many of the most scenic spots. The aptly-named Bryce, Inspiration, Sunset and Sunrise Points allowed us to gawk at the orange and white creamsicle-colored spires and rock formations below our vantage points. We stopped for popsicles at the general store and ate them quickly while a dark thunderhead started to roll in.
We took the scenic drive to Ranbow Point and Yovimpa Point. We couldn’t help taking dozens of pictures of the brightly-colored formations. Meandering our way back through the overlooks resulted in even more pictures, but another dark cloud speeded our return trip.
After supper, we attended “Star Stories” an evening program on constellations and the seasonal location of stars. It was featured as part of Bryce’s “Astronomy Week.” We didn’t stay up for much of the stargazing before we fell asleep around 10:00.
We woke up at 5:30 and quickly packed the car to go to Bryce Point for sunrise. We found ourselves among a Japanese tour group but enjoyed the orange light on the formations despite the crowd. There were just enough clouds in the air to reflect the light as pink and red.
Since it was cool and early, we hiked the Queen Victoria Trail, which connected to the Navajo Trail loop. It took us through many of the hoodoos and rock formations. Since we were starting from 8,000 feet above sea level we huffed and puffed on the hills. We deemed it one of the best hikes that we’ve been on this trip.
Hoodoos:
On the trail:
Leaving Bryce, we found a diner for a Grand-Slam Breakfast! We stuffed ourselves and are now on our way to the north rim of the Grand Canyon.
The sunrise picture was spectacular!
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