Monday, August 16, 2010

Day 42 Summer 2010 Park to Park Road Trip

Today promises to be a good day for scenery according to one of our research book. We are going to visit 2 National Parks and one National Monument and drive on several scenic byways.

The first National Park is a section of Zion National Park that we have saved until today because it is at the North end of the park and we can do this on our way to the other places we will visit today.

This section of Zion is known as the Kolob Canyons.

Unfortunately because of the hour of the day, the sun is in the wrong position and is washing out all the colour and clarity of the photos. We stopped at the visitors center and got our passport book stamped and bought some souvenirs.

3907 Kolob Canyons ZNP UT3909 Kolob Canyons ZNP UT

The canyon road is about 10 km to the dead end.

3932 Kolob Canyons ZNP UT3930 Kolob Canyons ZNP UT

3936 Kolob Canyons ZNP UT Stitch

After leaving the Kolob Canyons, we continued on along the Markagunt High Plateau Scenic Byway.

3975 Markaguant High Plateau Scenic Byway UT3981 Markaguant High Plateau Scenic Byway UT3988 Markaguant High Plateau Scenic Byway UT

We then turned onto the Cedar Breaks Scenic Byway and entered into the Cedar Breaks National Monument and showed our National Park Pass and bought souvenirs at the visitor center.

4000 Cedar Breaks Scenic Byway UT4003 Cedar Breaks National Monument UT4007 Cedar Breaks National Monument UT

We are above 10,000 ft and it is a little cool to be dressed in shorts and t-shirt. The scenery at the Point Supreme lookout behind the visitor center makes up for the chill.

4012 Point Supreme Cedar Breaks National Monument UT4017 Point Supreme Cedar Breaks National Monument UT Stitch

4023 Point Supreme Cedar Breaks National Monument UT4024 Point Supreme Cedar Breaks National Monument UT

Next stop in the park is Sunset View.

4039 Sunset View Cedar Breaks National Monument UT4044 Sunset View Cedar Breaks National Monument UT Stitch

This is not a big National Monument, but what it lacks in size it makes up in stunning beauty among the rocks and the wild flowers.

4011 Cedar Breaks National Monument UT4052 Sunset View Cedar Breaks National Monument UT4057 Sunset View Cedar Breaks National Monument UT

We exited the park and drove along the Patchwork Parkway Scenic Byway.

4059 Patchwork Pkwy Scenic Byway UT4062 Patchwork Pkwy Scenic Byway UT4088 Patchwork Pkwy Scenic Byway UT

We turned onto the Journey Through Time Scenic Byway. This is where the scenery got really interesting and just kept getting better and better till we got to our hotel in Bryce Canyon UT. We took over 300 photos today, I am finding it difficult to whittle it down to just a few photos for the blog, but here goes…

4103 A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway UT4117 A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway UT4118 A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway UT

We drove through an area known as the Red Canyon.

4123 A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway UT4125 A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway UT4127 A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway UT

4132 A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway UT4133 A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway UT4137 A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway UT

There were even a couple of arches to drive through.

4140 Twin Tunnels A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway UT4141 Twin Tunnels A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway UT4143 Twin Tunnels A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway UT

After the arches we drove into Bryce Canyon National Park. Got our passport stamped and bought more souvenirs. My collection of a hat pin from each National Park and National Monument is really growing.

4147 Bryce Canyon National Park UT4148 Bryce Canyon National Park UT4155 Bryce Canyon National Park UT

It is early in the afternoon and we have plenty of time to explore part of the park before we check into our hotel room. We will drive out to Rainbow Point and then stop at all the overlooks on the way back.

Rainbow Point.

4162 Rainbow Point Bryce Canyon National Park UT4165 Rainbow Point Bryce Canyon National Park UT Stitch

Black Birch Canyon.

4205 Black Birch Canyon Bryce Canyon National Park UT4209 Black Birch Canyon Bryce Canyon National Park UT Stitch

At Ponderosa Point we had fun posing with a raven.

4228 Ponderosa Point Bryce Canyon National Park UT4230 Ponderosa Point Bryce Canyon National Park UT4231 Ponderosa Point Bryce Canyon National Park UT

4233 Ponderosa Point Bryce Canyon National Park UT4234 Ponderosa Point Bryce Canyon National Park UT

Agua Canyon.

4239 Agua Canyon Bryce Canyon National Park UT4240 Agua Canyon Bryce Canyon National Park UT4241 Agua Canyon Bryce Canyon National Park UT

Natural Bridge.

4252 Natural Bridge Bryce Canyon National Park UT4255 Natural Bridge Bryce Canyon National Park UT Stitch

You really need to park at each of these overlooks and get out of the car. If you just drive along the road, this is all that you can see from the car, you will miss all the natural beauty 100 feet beside the road.

4264 Natural Bridge Bryce Canyon National Park UT

Farview Point.

4265 Farview Point Bryce Canyon National Park UT4267 Farview Point Bryce Canyon National Park UT Stitch

Paria View.

4284 Paria View Bryce Canyon National Park UT4286 Paria View Bryce Canyon National Park UT4292 Paria View Bryce Canyon National Park UT

Bryce Point.

4308 Bryce Point Bryce Canyon National Park UT4312 Bryce Point Bryce Canyon National Park UT Stitch4323 Bryce Point Bryce Canyon National Park UT

Sunset Point.

4324 Sunset Point Bryce Canyon National Park UT4326 Sunset Point Bryce Canyon National Park UT

On our way to Fairyland Canyon we saw some mule deer.

4329 Deer at Fairyland Canyon Bryce Canyon National Park UT4338 Deer at Fairyland Canyon Bryce Canyon National Park UT

Fairyland Canyon.

4340 Fairyland Canyon Bryce Canyon National Park UT4342 Fairyland Canyon Bryce Canyon National Park UT4344 Fairyland Canyon Bryce Canyon National Park UT

While we were here we also spotted a Steller’s Jay.

4352 Stellers Jay at Fairyland Canyon Bryce Canyon National Park UT4354 Stellers Jay at Fairyland Canyon Bryce Canyon National Park UT4360 Stellers Jay at Fairyland Canyon Bryce Canyon National Park UT

And we spotted a Pronghorn, but only got a blurry photo as proof.

4361 Pronghorn at Fairyland Canyon Bryce Canyon National Park UT

So there you have it. What a wonderful day. We will return to the Bryce Canyon area in the future, there is so much more to see and do here.

The day was topped off when we arrived at the Best Western in Bryce Canyon, they upgraded us and gave us at no extra charge, an even nicer room than we had originally booked.

4389 Best Western Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel UT4363 Our Room Best Western Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel UT4365 Our Room Best Western Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel UT

To see all of our photos from today, be warned there are over 300 of them, you can see them all on my FLICKR site.

1 comment:

  1. Each day of your trip has looked great but today's scenery seems just a bit above the others. Wonderful stuff. And the picture of the Jay adds just the right touch of color.

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