Day 2- Bryce Canyon National Park

We woke up early on day 2 to grab breakfast at our bed and breakfast before heading out to Bryce Canyon National Park. Bryce Canyon is actually not a canyon at all. The hoodoos and spires are formed by a freeze thaw pattern of erosion.

We had a quick drive to the park which allowed us some time to explore the "Mossy Cave" just outside the park entrance. Zion National Park had set a high standard and I wasn't sure anything could outdo the views of the huge canyon walls. I was wrong. The entrance to the park area is breathtaking and unreal.


Unfortunately, we spent much of the morning outracing a storm which meant we didn't get to spend a lot of time at each of the places on the scenic drive. You can see the storm in the distance here.


We drove up to the top of the canyon, where the elevation was close to 9,000 feet. We were blown away by the views.


One of the great things about this park is the visibility. It has the second highest visibility of any location in North America.



Along the way we met this huge black bird...we think it's a raven. He was rather intimidating.



We drove back down to the Bryce Canyon Lodge where we had lunch and drinks in the dining room. It was such a fun experience to relax like that in the park.

After lunch the weather had cleared so we walked around the rim trail of the amphitheater. I cannot get over the fact that these hoodoos are naturally forming.


We had hoped to do some hiking in Bryce Canyon. There are various trails you can take to walk down into the canyons but it was just too hot. We also weren't able to see the sunset because more storms were rolling in. As a result, we're going to need to go back :-)

After we left the park we headed to the Circle D Motel in Escalante, UT. I have to say that I loved this place. Escalante is a small town with a population around 1,000 surrounded by the rock formations of the Grand Staircase National Monument. Our motel was really nice, considering the remote location, and it even had a restaurant attached. The menu featured local beef which was delicious! The restaurant was actually really modern, with a covered patio and outdoor patio. We were able to catch some of the World Cup finals highlights on the flat screen tvs. In the morning we got breakfast here and it was delicious...as was the coffee!