BRYCE CANYON

We have crossed the state line once more moving across from Arizona to Utah, famous for Mormons and national parks.  Think Donny Osmond and wide sweeping prairies.

Crossing the state line

The endless road ahead 

Why pay mega bucks to spend the night in a swanky hotel when you can sleep in a glorified shed?  Staying at Bryce Country Cabins in a lovely rustic cabin.  The other half being a shed man is in his element!

Bryce Country Cabins in Tropic

Those little homely touches

It's a very big shed

Our country cabin is only a few miles away from Bryce Canyon where we’ve spent the day ‘hiking the hoodoos.’  

On the way to Bryce Canyon

Yes you might well wonder what on earth a ‘hoodoo’ could be but although it sounds like something straight out of a Doctor Seuss book it’s basically a strange rock formation.

Hoodoos or dollops

I’d go as far as calling it a dollop.  The entire canyon looks like the aftermath of a psycho concrete mixer rampage.  The dollops or hoodoos resemble large pinnacles of ready mix rising from the canyon floor.  No doubt there’s a proper geological explanation as to how they came about but I prefer to go with my theory.

There are hundreds of hoodoos

Definately a martian landscape

Also remind me of Thai temples

Hiking the hoodoos is what everyone does when visiting Bryce.  There’s no shortage of well-marked trails snaking all over the canyon, you’ve just got to pick the right distance and suitability as some are graded ‘difficult’ – trails of more than 4 miles but with steep elevations.

View from the Queens Garden trail

We chose to walk the Queens Garden/Navajo loop one of the moderate trails of 2.9 miles.  If you walk this clockwise, it’s downhill to begin with but then ends with a fairly steep zigzag back to the starting rim. 

Looping the loop from Sunset Point

It took us most of the afternoon to complete but it’s a great way to top up your tan and get really close to the hoodoos.  Another zillion rock photos to add to the ever growing collection.

More hoodoos

Getting closer to the canyon floor

Hoodoos anyone?

A great way to unwind those aching leg muscles is to go prairie dog spotting.  Bryce Canyon is home to some of these cute little critters and if you get lucky, you might spot some in the tall meadow grass.  

Is that Gordon the gopher?

He's a fat little prairie dog

Oh no -  tourists!

They’re like oversized guinea pigs and so sweet.  Please can we take one home?