The Sevier River meandered along side the highway as we passed by FishLake National Forest on our right. Before the river pulled away heading for the Piute Reservoir, we saw a doe drinking the water. The river returned later, but now we only saw cows. To enjoy the mountains, trees, river, and fresh clean air, we rolled down the windows and turned off the tape. By now Kelly was hooked on the story and wasn't happy with our "fresh air break". David reminded her that she had brought her CD player. As she plugged herself into her "rock-n-roll" music, Kelly made me promise to let her know when the tape was going again.
The big town before the turnoff to Bryce Canyon National Park was Panguitch. Its claim to fame is being the boyhood town of Butch Cassidy. However after a supply stop, we found the Panguitch Wildlife Museum to be of interest. The museum had a large collection of animals in natural panoramic settings. Deer (d), beavers (d), pronghorn antelope (d), lynx (d), a multiple animal desert (d), coyotes (d), bobcats (d), and bighorn sheep (d). In addition, they had butterflies from all over the world, as well as a sizeable bug collection.
A few more miles with our book tape once more on, we turned onto Hwy 12. Signs indicated we were getting close to Bryce. A couple of Utah Prarie Dogs (d), (d), played in the field by the road. We passed through the Red Canyon (d), (d), on our way through the Dixie National Forest. The highway took us through 2 short rock tunnels (f). By now everyone was hungry, so a reststop became our lunch stop. Fed and watered, we loaded back into the van and continued to Hwy 63 and Bryce Canyon. After passing through the Ranger Gates with a $20 fee, we noted the speed limit of 35 mph or less was well enforced. We drove to the absolute end of the Hwy and stopped at Rainbow Point (d). At 9,115-feet, this stop ranked among our highest elevation. We stretched our legs on the Bristlecone Loop Trail and took in the Ponderosa pines.
Since we planned to do all our stops on the return trip, we turned off the book tape. This was making Kelly crazy, since we were getting to a good spot in the story. According to her - you've seen one hoodoo; you've seen them all. Kelly decided to only get out of the car on about 50% of the stops. On the one hand, this was good because we didn't want to shut the car up too long. David's Collared Lizard might overheat. On our long stops, we put cage and all in the ice chest.
David and I, with cameras in tow, stopped at Black Birch Canyon, Ponderosa Canyon (d), and Agua Canyon (d). For the most part, Kelly was right. These hoodoos were starting to blend together and we still were up around 8800-feet (f). Then we saw Natural Bridge (f); not formed by a stream, it was carved by both rain and frosts erosion and is more accurately an arch. Continuing our way back, we dipped down to 7900-feet and then back up to 8100-feet at Bryce Point. From here we could see a large portion of Bryce Amphitheater (f), a natural drainage area. To my left, I could see the next stop of Inspiration Point. I included it with the Amphitheater in another shot (f) (the white dots at the top of the cliff on the left are people). At Inspiration Point, David tried to make me nervous again (f) (He is the dark figure in the upper left). At Sunset Point, we saw Thor's Hammer (f), and one of many small squirrels (f).
We made a stop at the Visitor Center next. They were doing remodeling. No doubt funded by the $20 entry fee per vehicle. Kelly went in with us and she shared a postcard purchase with me; we liked the pictures. Their educational displays on how the canyon was formed were quite interesting. Leaving here, we made our last stop at Fairyland Point (f), (f), (f). Now with the sun going down, David opted for the Bryce Junction Inn where we had seen the Prairie Dogs. Dinner at the neighboring restaurant gave Kelly that "old time country" feeling. The people at the next table were discussing the size of their belt buckles and the length of their Bowie knives with the waitress. The radio was playing Country-Western music. You could just see Kelly's toes curling and her mind registering the need for the "City" and rock-n-roll music.
7/01/01 - Sunday morning retracing our way up Hwy 12, we stopped at the Bryce Canyon Pines restaurant for a delicious breakfast. We had decided to go this way, because of our need for the multiple services that the Ruby Inn could provide and a side trip to Mossy Cave and Fall. After getting gas, we checked out the major gift shop, grocery, and lodge. Not that we needed the buy anything. My major concern was finding an ATM, as my purse was looking thin. I found one and loaded up. David found some weathered wood (f) nearby interesting. After rounding everyone up, I headed the van up Hwy 12 towards the town of Tropic.
About 7 miles, we found the turnout, parked the van and settled the Lizard in the ice chest. The trail was a .5 mile roundtrip. With cameras in hand, Kelly, David and I walked along the Tropic ditch (d). This man-made ditch was dug by the town of Tropic from the East Fork Sevier River and through Bryce Canyon following the natural flow of the drainage. When other riverbeds are dry, the Tropic ditch flows year round and provides water for the town of Tropic. The hoodoos were in evidence above us, as the trail cross the ditch via a bridge (d). Rounding another bend, we saw the waterfall (d) to the right. As the trail became steeper, the fork for the Cave appeared. We turned for the Cave and continued. The Mossy Cave is more an overhanging ledge (d) than a cave in our definition of the term. But due to the water constantly draining through the rock (d), the cave lived up to its name with luscious green moss (d) . We took the fork for the waterfall (d) on the return and took several pictures (d), , including a tiny waterfall (d) on the way. Above the waterfall on the ridge, we discovered some more windows in the hoodoos (d). This one reminded us of Goofy. On the way to the van, we saw a bush with an interesting glow caused by sunlight shining through fuzzy things on the branches. It had an ethereal look (d).
With the morning mostly gone and one last hoodoo picture (d), we decided to head toward Zion National Park. Back down Hwy 12, we turned South on Hwy 89 and came across some Buffalo grazing (d). Just before the turnoff to Hwy 9, we stopped for lunch at a small diner. There was some interesting joke books at each table that kept us entertained.
Soon we were at the Zion Ranger Station paying yet another $20 fee. I told David to think of these fees as a "Modeling" fee for our pictures. Upon entering the park, we noticed the road (d) was now redder than most of the landscape. We were still seeing petrified sand dunes, but more dirt and vegetation (d). We passed the interesting Checkerboard Mesa, but missed the photo turnout. A couple of days ago, we had shot pictures of clouds (d), . Today, it was pictures of sandstone just for the texture of the rock (d), (d), (d), (d). Soon the traffic stopped for the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel (f). The rangers would signal for one-direction traffic through this "built before motorhomes and SUVs" tunnel. Previous tunnels were through individual rocks, while this one was through a mountain. The tunnel is over a mile long with windows where it bends. But it is only a fleeting look, as you are not allowed to stop once you enter the tunnel. On the other side at a turnout, we looked back and could see the Great Arch of Zion (f), a "blind" arch carved high in the vertical cliff wall adjacent to the tunnel. The scenery continued as we wound our way to the south entrance (d). At the Visitor Center, the largest one of any we had seen, we learned the only way to other areas of Zion required a shuttle bus ticket and a lot of walking. Since no one had the energy and it was getting to be late afternoon, we decided to hit the road for Las Vegas. Our last stops gave us one last vista (f) and a couple of interesting rocks at a rock shop (f), (f). Temperature today was in the mid-90s and climbing all the way to Nevada.
Kelly was very happy to have "The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Ilse Witch" book tape back on, as we had saved the last tape until we were out of the park. But an hour and a half later, we all got the surprise -- This was the first book of a trilogy and we didn't have the other ones. Now, it was desperate times. Kelly had to choose between a Star Trek or a Western book tape. It was a toss-up between the Bad and Ugly as far as she was concerned, since we had just finished the Good one. The Western tape won and we listened to tales of burros, saloon girls, and claim jumpers. Soon, Utah and Arizona were behind us and Nevada's casino signs were looming ahead.
This being our last night, we tried a new hotel for us and stopped at the Rio. David and Kelly waited at the car, while I checked us in. Then pulling out just the essentials, we carried our bags up to our room. Kelly carried her backpack and the Collared Lizard and walked in front on the way through the casino to the elevators. One of the casino workers passed by, noticed the cage, and said, "Oooh, it's alive!", "Isn't that cute taking her pet lizard with her". Kelly rolled her eyes and we kept moving. Our room was on the 15th floor (d) with a big picture window view of the pools and was a bit pricier than the Excaliber, but it was plush. After setting down the bags, David and Kelly took turns mugging for the camera: on the couch (d), the bed (d), and in the bath (d).
A chorus of "we're hungry" was heard next. David and Kelly looked at their decision-maker expectantly. We took the elevator down to look for a buffet, but the Rio's pricing of $27 and $35 each (for their 2 buffets) was a bit much. My decision was Circus Circus and we drove over to find their pricing much more oriented to my thinning purse. After the meal, we went upstairs to the Midway. At a game of rolling balls to gain points and move your camel in a race, it took us 3 races before one of us won in a field of 12 contestants. David came away with a stuffed giraffe. Next game was baseball tic-tac-toe and the winner was Kelly - a tall green alien plastic drinking glass with an equally tall straw. We watched a performance of aerial gymnasts (f). Back at the games, I propelled a chicken into a moving pot via a hammer blow and walked away with a stuffed monkey. Not to be out done, Kelly matched my accomplishment for her own stuffed monkey. In our Rio room, Kelly and I luxuriated on the couch and watched "Millionaire". David went to the casino to play video poker. An hour and half later, he returned only $7 lighter. TV News announced the temperature had reached the low 100s and more was expected tomorrow.
7/2/01 - After breakfast and gas stops, we stopped at UNLV to send email to Kelly's mom so the family would know we'd be a day late. While mine was more straightforward, Kelly's email message alluded to an imaginary "cliff fall" as the reason for the extra day. Still trying to shake up parents. Our final stop was the Forum shops at Caesar's Palace. We put the lizard in the ice chest and valeted the van. We walked through several of the shops and rode the "Race for Atlantis" 3-D motion ride. I guess we just can't get enough motion rides. This one was over far too soon. Kelly took pictures of the statues at the main fountain. Our final trip stop was lunch at Planet Hollywood, where we caught a glimpse of an Addams Family prop (f). When we reached home Monday night, we promised ourselves a do-nothing day with some sleeping late. We (f) had had a lot of fun and still had a few bruises to prove it. And, yes, the Lizard made it home safely.
Return to Utah - Part 1
Return to Utah - Part 2
Return to the Utah Gallery
