Bryce Canyon | Queen's Garden Trail

Saturday - 22 June 2002: Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah - One of the greatest experiences in Bryce Canyon is to watch the sunrise over the hoodoos in the amphitheater. Or, so the guide books say. I agree with the guide books, which is why we were up at 5:30 this morning and on the rim of the amphitheater waiting for the sun to pop over the horizon. It was worth the wait. The gate is not staffed at 5:45 am, so if you ever want to sneak into the park, this would be the ideal time. However, beware of the deer chomping away at the flowers and grass at the park entrance.

Bryce Canyon at sunrise

Did you know that in the summer at 8000 feet it can be freezing in the morning? Not EXACTLY freezing, because it was only 39 last night - but pretty dang cold! Luckily, there was little wind, or I wouldn't have been able to stay up on the observation deck as long as I did. After about 45 minutes, I had a chill, so I went back to the car to wait for DT. (I am happy to report the heater in the BC2 is still in working order.) We came back to Goldie and I went back to bed to shake-off the chill and DT went for a run. (Why he needs to go for a run before we go for a hike is beyond me.) This morning, as I was dozing under the duvet, DT saw a group of eight deer on his 8-mile run.

DT on the Queen's Garden Trail

This morning we hiked two inter-connecting loops - The Queens Garden Trail and the Navajo Loop. Both were spectacular - views similar to yesterday, with the notable exception of Wall Street. We started at Sunrise Point, where the sunrise photo above was taken earlier this morning, and went down a long, steep track to the canyon floor. It is a great route and gives the hiker a bottom-to-top view of the hoodoos. It is called the Queens Garden area because one rock formation seems to look like a side-view of a very plump Queen Victoria, holding a bouquet.

 
Two Majestic Momma's on the Queens Garden Trail

At the bottom of the Queens Garden trail, we took the path to Wall Street, in the Navajo Loop. Tall, straight cliffs of Navajo sandstone rise from the canyon floor to the sky. There is a narrow trail between the hoodoos - a really awesome place to hike!

Tree at the bottom of Wall Street


Wall Street

It was incredibly cool between the Wall Street rocks - we lingered and rested, because there is a steep, though quick, climb back to the canyon rim.

That's a hike: the switch-back path to/from Wall Street

Luckily, I am a tough old gal and didn't have to huff and puff too much climbing back and forth across the switch backs. DT just strolls along, not fazed at all by the slope, heat or altitude. A young family, hiking in front of us, carried their baby boy - about 14 months old. The baby was laughing and laughing and this joyful noise put a little spring in my step and I was up to the rim in no time. Of course, this adorable child was flirting and laughing with DT - babies are crazy for him. After the 4-mile hike, we drove over to the Lodge and made dinner reservations. The afternoon was spent by the pool and hot tub, and watching a 1988 Austin City Limits featuring a singer I enjoy quite a bit. (Remember when Jimmy Buffett had hair?)

Bryce Canyon Lodge lobby

At eight o'clock, we found ourselves at Sunset Point - pretty appropriate as 6 am found us at Sunrise Point!  Both sites (and sights) would have been incredibly romantic if there weren't 100 other people appreciating the same view at the same time. We went up to the Bryce Canyon Lodge and were seated in the dining room. The Lodge is quite old, and not one of the finest examples of lodges in Our National Parks. It is quite cozy however and the wait staff (college kids) was very friendly. The menu wasn't outstanding, but it did look promising in the appetizer department. We tried smoked trout and something really different: fried olives. The huge black olives are stuffed with fiery-hot jalapeno jack, battered and deep-fried. (Hey, in Sedona, I fell in love with fried pickles, so you can imagine how much I loved the olives!) My "on the lighter side" dinner was just awful - uninspired grilled boneless chicken breast, which was okay - but the over-cooked wild rice and the under-cooked and COLD zucchini was just too much. DT had the most wonderful of entree and the same yucky rice and veggies. He tried their famous house specialty: deep-fried boneless breasts, slathered in honey-butter! Yummy! (Oh, did I mention he ran eight miles, hiked four and swam today?) So, if you are in Bryce Canyon and must dine out, have appetizers and a salad for dinner. Normally, I would just advise you to just go to the bar, but there is no bar - drinks served to your table only. This may be a National Park, but it is a National Park in Utah.

RV Park: Ruby's Inn RV Park & Campground