After our visit with Andrew, we headed off to Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park..so excited to see what would be around the next corner (literally!)
Again, I can’t even describe the scenery along the way – it’s so amazing to see what the Lord has created in our world, and all four of us kept talking about it at every stop! It seemed like each place we went to was prettier and more amazing than the one before it! And, of course, the photos from my iPhone don’t even do it justice!
As you approach Bryce Canyon, things are pretty and there are a lot of cool rock formations, and then!!!!!!!…all of a sudden, you see THIS!
I have never seen anything like this – the color is unlike anything I have ever seen! The canyon is a beautiful reddish orange, standing out amongst everything around it!
The formations in Bryce Canyon are called HOODOOS – what a funny word!
Here is what I found about these hoodoos:
The word “hoodoo” means to bewitch, which is EXACTLY what Bryce Canyon’s rock formation do! (I can AMEN that for sure!)
These hoodoos are tall skinny shafts of rock that protrude from the bottom of the basins…while hoodoos are scattered through other areas (Colorado and the Badlands region of the Northern Great Plains), NOWHERE in the world are they as abundant as they are in Bryce!! WOW!
At Bryce Canyon, these hoodoos range in size from that of a human to heights exceeding a TEN STORY BUILDING!!!!!!!
Our desire was to hike down into the canyon, so after some searching about which trail to do, we decided upon the Queen’s Garden Trail
After talking to one of the employees from our campground about which was to go on the trail was easier (HAHA) for people our age, we decided to go down on the part of the trail called WALL STREET ( it is only open in the summer) and then walk the trail and come up and out on the other side of the canyon…WOW!!!!! I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS TRAIL!
(The website says this: “THE QUEEN’S GARDEN TRAIL IS THE LEAST DIFFICULT OF THE TRAILS DESCENDING FROM THE RIM INTO THE BRYCE CANYON…HIKE THIS OUT-AND-BACK TRAIL TO THE QUEEN VICTORIA HOODOO AT THE END OF A SHORT SPUR TRAIL AND EXPERIENCE THE SPLENDOR OF HIKING AMONGST THE HOODOOS”)
DISCLAIMER: LEAST DIFFICULT can mean a lot of things – haha – least difficult of WHAT?!
This first set of photos (and one video) show the beginning of the Wall Street part of the trail – it was STRAIGHT down!!!!
After getting to the bottom of the canyon, we were so amazed at the view from the there looking UP!
As we continued walking the trail, it was nice and flat and easy…but we quickly realized that we had to GET BACK OUT OF THE CANYON!
“But the man from the campground said we took the ‘easier’ route, so we will be fine!”
Well….let me just say….
It was NOT easy!
It was STEEP!
It was LONG!
But it was BEAUTIFUL – and WE MADE IT OUT! we just took our time coming back up the canyon, and tried to enjoy every moment in this beautiful place!
Bryce Canyon was probably the prettiest place we have seen so far on this trip! We all four said we would come back for sure!
On to ZION National Park – I have heard lots of wonderful things about Zion and was excited to see it!
Our campground was awesome because this was our view!
We had a campsite in the sun, and it was hot! Our friends happened to get one of the FEW shaded campsites – we were so thankful because we could sit outside and have dinner each night in the “cool” shade! And they were right next to a river…so beautiful!
In the spring and summer, you cannot drive your car into the park, so everyone boards a shuttle bus to go in…let me just say that the line was like a Disneyworld ride!
SO many people! We went into the park and hiked a few trails, and it was BEAUTIFUL! However, we all decided that it was just too crowded – even hiking the trails was a little difficult because of the crowds!
After seeing both of these parks, the consensus in our group was this:
THUMBS UP for Bryce Canyon – it was SPECTACULAR!
THUMBS PARTWAY DOWN for Zion – haha – it was beautiful but TOO crowded!
We are so glad we saw both of them! Even with the crowds, Zion show just how awesome our God is to have created something so beautiful!
Hope you enjoyed the photos!
UNTIL NEXT TIME…..
Thank you for sharing your journey, Susan! What a beautiful part of the world! Our God is an awesome God!
He sure is amazing! So much of HIS world to see!
Wow, what beautiful scenery. The hiking would be tough for me. I need flat areas. In one picture it looked like you had to scale the side of a mountain. Looks like you’re having beautiful weather and a great time! Susan, only you could be hiking in the hot sun and look pulled together and look like a million bucks! Travel safe my friend.
I need a thesaurus to come up with more magnificent, fantastic, amazing, majestic, awe-inspiring, fabulous “describing” words!
As always-thanks for sharing!
you are right – not enough words to describe it all!
Bryce Canyon is the most spectacular park!! So glad you got to experience it! I could marvel at pictures of it for hours and hours!
it sure was amazing!
You will be ever changed by your experiences on this trip. Totally awesome!
You are right!
Oh Zion is one of my favorites! Bryce is on my bucket list and your photos bumped it up higher. Enjoy!
I’d like to go back to Zion with out all the crowds! Dead of winter???? haha
I loved these pictures!! Totally agree with you – Bryce Canyon is magnificent and indescribable! The photos are fabulous. I can only imagine how it looks to be there in person! I remember how I felt seeing the Grand Canyon. Pictures didn’t do it justice. I’m sure this is the same. I’d loved to go there someday!
You are right – pictures never really totally capture the beauty!
Wow! So beautiful, love all the photos, and love hearing about your amazing adventures!!!
xoxo
Just amazing! Have to add the
”hoo doos” to my bucket list! The pictures are really wonderful! Are you starting to feel overwhelmed by all the beauty??
i would DEFINITELY add the hoodoos to the bucket list – it was the prettiest place of all!