Our road trip is coming to a close (only one week left).  We left the Grand Tetons on a high and made the long trek down to Bryce Canyon wondering if we should just stay put and enjoy the beauty of our surroundings.

But, knowing that we have a deadline to return our vehicle, we pressed on.

Bryce is an interesting place-quite different from the mountains we were enjoying.  This park is filled with incredible rock formations-most of them red-that come in all shapes and sizes.  We have seen “the city of Athens”, “knights in full armour”, “castles”, “squirrels on their hind legs wrestling with each other,” and much more.

I have been impressed with the creativity and imaginations that have come to surface in these girls.

The weather has also changed significantly.  Where we were in long pants and sweatshirts in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, we are now in shorts and the lightest shirts we can find.

We also learned that in the desert one water bottle per person is not nearly enough for a 6 mile hike down into a canyon and back up the other side.  We did survive, but we were definitely in need of hydration when we finally completed the climb.  In fact, my eight year old ended up with either dehydration or altitude sickness by the time we completed the climb.

Some of our favorite sights were “The Windows to the World,” “Thor’s Hammer,” and “Wall Street.”  The kids also loved the challenge of the more strenuous ‘Peek-a-Boo-Loop” trail, which had some steep climbs and narrow ridges.

In the end, I am glad we did not miss Bryce Canyon-definitely a very unique place with scenery that you do not encounter just anywhere.

After Bryce, we moved on to Zion National Park, where we encountered more beautiful mountains (no longer snow-capped, but still beautiful).  Here, we decided to hike up what they call the Narrows-through a narrow passage between canyon walls in the river.  This kept us cool and provided some very unique views of the canyon.  No longer were we looking down from the top of the canyon-this time we were looking up at sheer cliffs looming above us on both sides.

Again, we would have liked to go much further, but as the sun began to set, we decided we had better head back so as not to find ourselves navigating the river in the dark.

It was interesting to hear their explanation of how the area was formed.  A “small ocean” must have formed there “millions of years ago” carving out the landscape and depositing minerals only found in the ocean.  Abby (13) just looked at me and said, “Could it have been a flood?”  :-)

A favorite memory from Zion was our midnight hike from the visitor’s center back to our campsite without flashlights.  It was exhilarating-especially when we startled a mule deer-who then startled us as it crashed through the brush right beside us.  No bear sightings though-much to the relief of some and the disappointment of others.

Tomorrow, we head out to the Grand Canyon-our last national park stop before we head to California to visit family and complete our camping adventure.

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