I woke to the sound of thunder and heavy rain around 3:45 a.m., then again at six when it was still lightly raining. By the time I got up at 7:30, the skies had cleared and the sun was beginning to break through — a welcome sight after such an early wake-up.
see why this place reminds me of Drumheller?
The Schmitt trailer was to the left of us, see how close the fire pits are to us?
We started packing up both trailers, but as the sun climbed higher and warmed the morning air, we had a change of heart. Since we’d already paid for our $80+ USD campsite and there were no refunds, we decided to stay one more night and make the most of it, heading home tomorrow to beat the incoming snow back home.
Horse sites with the larger tres they show on brochure
I like the fun horseshoes in the sidewalk detail
By 11:30, we had a cooler packed, Harley’s blanket taken out, and the Schmitts loaded up for a day trip to Bryce Canyon National Park. We drove all the way to Rainbow Point first, then made our way back, stopping at nearly every lookout to admire the spectacular and ever-changing rock formations. This is the right order to see them as most spectacular is last. However if you have limited time see the first couple - sunrise and inspiration and the natural bridge stops.
The main park road is 18 miles (29 km) from the park entrance in the north to the end of the road at Rainbow at Yovimpa Points. While the Bryce Amphitheater area is found along its first 3 miles (4.8 km), the next 15 miles (24 km) to the road's end are known as the Southern Scenic Drive. Along this section of the main road are 9 scenic overlooks and vehicle pullouts that offer opportunities to see the lesser-seen geology and wildlife of Bryce Canyon.
On the way to rainbow point we did stop at the famous natural bridge which is pretty cool
Like some other features in the park, Natural Bridge is not what its name would suggest. Natural bridges are formed by the movement of a stream or river cutting through rock. The impressive feature seen here is instead a natural arch, or window, formed primarily by the expansion of ice in cracks deep within.
Now on to rainbow point, the sights are similar yet a wee bit different at each stop
Now some stops on the way back down the road
Sheldon was determined to get right beside this resident raven
This point of interest stop had a longer trail to wander to piracy point and today had a food truck on site.
This is inspiration point within the amphitheater and that it is
By far the most iconic section of the park, the Bryce Amphitheater is home to the greatest concentration of irregular rock spires (called "hoodoos") found anywhere on Earth. Viewpoints along the first 3 miles (4.8 km) of the main road provide access to views overlooking this area.
This area is referred to as an "amphitheater" as it is a bowl-shaped area shaped by the drainage of seasonal rains and melting snow (not truly a canyon, as those are shaped by flowing rivers).
If you zoom in you can see people walking below which gives insane perspective to how far down it is
Around 2:30, a light rain began to fall, so we ducked into Ruby’s Inn buffet for a late lunch / early supper. No sooner had we sat down than the skies opened up, pouring rain in true mountain fashion.
photos of photos in Ruby's
Once we finished our meal, we toured the shop and art in the halls of the hotel, Sheldon pulled the truck up to the front door to pick us up under the shelter, and we drove back through the rain — which thankfully let up to a drizzle by Tropic, where we stopped to fuel up. We were back at the campground by 4:00, where I fed and walked Harley before settling in for the night.
closer "horse" campsites - fire pit, water, power, table and your own horse pens
from here you can ride to Bryce Canyon which would be fun
The evening turned into a perfect game night, finally getting to play cards and Ticket to Ride with plenty of snacks, drinks, and laughs. It was the kind of simple, fun evening that makes camping so memorable.
By 9:00, the rain had started again just lightly, so we packed up the last few things — folding up the table and chairs we’d brought in for the games and tossing out the trash. The truck was semi-hooked up and ready, making for an easy morning departure. We said our goodnights and off to bed where we watched more Netflix.
Great sights and interesting looking game.
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