The Icing on the Cake

Day 48

          Bryce Canyon National Park is vying for our coveted Favorite National Park Award which will be announced at a Black-Tie Reception before a Joint Session of Congress later this year.

           Be sure to check your mailboxes for your invitation.

          Bryce is smaller than a lot of Parks, but it loses nothing in the Grandness Department. In fact, it may outrank some of the more renowned ones. It’s hard to put your finger on why….

           Maybe the size helps, the place is so manageable.

           Maybe it’s the way that the shuttle system works and the way that the Shuttle Drivers are so enthusiastic about informing you about their Park and hoping that you have a great day.

          Maybe it’s the immersion factor, the hikes are nothing like we’ve encountered before.

          And then there’s the simplicity of these incredibly grand, stoic, static, geological formations that seem to welcome you to travel among them and marvel with every step and turn.

          Who knows?

          All we know is that our time here was one of the highlights of our trip so far. And…. We weren’t supposed to be here! If the weather had cooperated we would be somewhere in Michigan by now! But we jammed on the brakes, made a Big Right Turn, headed south, and ended up here.

          No complaints!

          After hiking the rim of the storied Amphitheater and gazing longingly down and across it, we decided that our next day there we would take the plunge (literally) down into the 900- to 1000-foot-deep Canyon Floor and hike amongst the Hoo-Doo’s, and see from down there what we had seen from so far above.

          The recommended travel path was to go clockwise when combining two of the best routes. The Navajo Loop and the Queens Garden together were a fine choice for the day. Our new friends, Sherry and Scott, had done this route the day before and mistakenly did it “backwards”, much to their delight. In talking to folks on the trail they came up with the realization that even though the entry/exit points that they used were 18 feet higher on the exit, that the ways and means to get to that exit were much harder (read steeper)going the other way. See example!

          So, we followed their advice and when we were finished we knew that, as the Old Monk in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade says, “You have chosen wisely”.

          After our hike we asked a nice couple if they would mind sharing their picnic table (in the shade!) with us and of course they obliged. After a few minutes we asked them where they were from as their language was certainly European. The Netherlands was their response and we then entered into a lively conversation about all of our collective travels. This gave Paula and I a wonderful opportunity to practice our Dutch as we really don’t get to meet many people from there. They also speak German, English, and French so they had us beat in that department.

          Hah! Who’s kidding who here?

          We were lucky that their English was excellent even though they thought that it was poor. We felt woefully unprepared to embark on a European Vacation if we had needed to converse in other languages. But it appears that almost everyone in Europe is encouraged (made) to learn English.

          Smart move.

          We depart this area of Utah today to parts yet to be determined, but we will need to decide soon as we will need to know if we should turn right, or left, when we exit the campground!            Keeping you in suspense…. Details to follow