Canyons and windstorms and backroads oh my…..

Well I certainly don’t usually post every day, not to mention twice a day but….I wanted to go ahead and get my thoughts to paper before they leave me…

We did indeed pack up from our campground ….and really, for being a “parking lot campground” it wasn’t bad.  http://www.pagecampground.com/  There were quite a few folks “living” there but they kept the wanderers (like us) in a different section from the permanents…

So, of course the question before us was..which way?  Quickest route to the interstate or the more scenic route…well, I am betting you know which we chose…we ambled up highway 89 until lo and behold….signs pointing us to Bryce Canyon.  Now I know you think I am making this up but yes, I have “always wanted to go to Bryce.”  Again, a few years back this was another place I had secretly yearned to go  (not like the way I “bucket listed” Lake Powell)  ….but I have had people tell me that Bryce in some ways exceeded the Grand Canyon in beauty and awe—someness…surely not….The drive was absolutely beautiful….weaving in and out of southern Utah farm land..lush and green with fat cows and really quaint little towns.  At the right time we turned down the road to Bryce.  I was EXCITED!!  I couldn’t believe it!!!  Like a delicious meal just set before me for my pleasure…..

 Excuse me m’am….we have a limited amount of time…what do you recommend we do to really enjoy the park in our time frame?  Take the shuttle or drive?”  we asked the entrance park employee.  “just drive through…you can drive and see the views.”  Ok…off we go…and….the most popular stop, according to the park literature has a restriction….absolutely no trailers….ummmm park lady, did you miss the trailer we are pulling when you told us to drive through or did you just start work today and didn't finish orientation?  So, back to the visitors center to park and catch the shuttle….to park….to park….no parking….not for folks hauling campers.  We have never encountered a park or “attraction” that did not have designated parking for campers.  No campers in the canyon viewing areas, no parking for campers…what now? We eventually found the “overflow parking” and headed for the shuttle and waited and waited and waited…people left…grumbling. 
  

Memories of the efficient Grand Canyon shuttle system was too fresh to not feel frustrated at this, especially as we felt the clock ticking and the need to get some miles closer to our destination.  Finally the shuttle….and the most popular stop (and for us the only stop)……and it really did diminish, even eliminated the frustration of the parking shuttling experience …..it was spectacular. 

 Bryce, in its own right is absolutely magnificent. I am not ready to bump it up to first in my canyon experiences but by golly, I have to say…if there were a place for two firsts…it would be the other one….right next to the Grand Canyon.   Dennis and I both agreed that we need to return to Bryce and take the entire park in…it was worth the stop, even if it was brief and it will be worth it to return…We drove through Red Canyon going into and out of Bryce.............. 

Red Canyon was also absolutely  stunning.

So off to Nevada…this time we decided to hightail it to the interstate but…it seemed this little road….highway 21 to highway 50 might be a faster route….NOT….While interesting and beautiful the wind nearly blew us off the road, we encountered dust storms so bad that at one time the visibility was at ZERO!  And to top it off again we were in “open range” country and  actually saw a dead cow on the side of the road….we limped toward Ely Nevada….drove right past the campground we had planned to stay at and checked into the local Ramada Inn….which also sports a casino…hahahaha! Dennis took a hot shower, I soaked for an hour in the tub and we are going to lounge in the luxury of a hotel room until tomorrow morning when we get back on the road again…..