Day 33: We slept in while Mom & Don drove to Bryce to get a campsite for the two of us (they’d be getting a motel close to the park).The campground is 1st-come-1st-served & can fill up quickly so we didn’t want to chance it & wait until we arrived by bike. Ben & I enjoyed the complimentary breakfast at Riverside Ranch & chatted with Barbara & Bill some more. They’re so sweet, kind & generous. I blogged a little until Mom & Don returned, then we packed up & headed to the park: us by bike, parents by car. They offered to take some of our gear to which I said “never!” 🙂
The ride was mostly uphill, but nothing too steep. We passed through Red Canyon on the way in, which was so vibrant & beautiful. Here is where the bike path begins that takes you all the way into Bryce (about 15 miles). It was wonderful. We met Mom & Don at Pines Restaurant for lunch on the way. After lunch, back on the trail, there was sort of a roller coaster section that was fun: up, down, up, down – rolling hills, like a game again 🙂 We made it to our campsite (way in the back, up a steep hill) & ended up switching sites for something closer. We were feeling lazy & knew we didn’t want to have to make that trek every time.
We quick set up camp, met Mom & Don at the Visitor Center, watched the park history film, & took the shuttle for a full loop to get the lay of the land. We dropped Don off at the motel, grabbed a quick bite in town, then headed to the rim of the canyon (halfway between Sunset & Sunrise Points) for a ranger-led stargazing program. The sky was clear, stars were plentiful; it was a beautiful night. The ranger brought a telescope so we got to see Jupiter, a red star, a blue star, & Saturn. You cold see the rings!!! It was awesome! We were like little kids (my mom most of all), giddy when you saw them. We were out on the rim until about 11:30pm – late night, but worth it. Mom dropped us off at our campsite, we gave our food bags to her just in case, & she headed back to the motel. It was a nice, chilly night so we slept great 🙂
Day 34: Mom & Don came by around 8am. I had a quick breakfast, did some laundry, then I gave my mom a haircut with Kindergarten-quality scissors. Yes, you read that correctly. She’s been wanting her hair cut so bad but for some reason keeps putting it off & was finally at her breaking point so she whipped out a pair of scissors & told me to chop it off! I was very hesitant; I’m not a barber! It’s going to look really uneven but she didn’t care so chop I did. Ummm, it could’ve looked worse? She didn’t care, she was just happy to have it off her neck. Oh, Mom 🙂
The guys dropped us off at Sunrise Point for a 3 mile hike (The Queen’s/Navajo Combo Loop) while they went out for breakfast. The weather was nice, trail not too busy, & full of great views. The hike took us about an hour & a half. It was nice, just Mom & me 🙂 Once we made it back to the top, we quick refueled our water, had a snack, & caught the shuttle back to the Visitor Center.
Don picked Mom up to go back to the motel & clean up. Ben & I went back to the campsite to research & argue about the next stretch of our trip. I want to go to Canyonlands, Ben doesn’t. He thinks it’s too far out of the way, too steep, no water…the usual. I tried to show him there are enough opportunities for water. We’re only young once. What’s the rush to get home? Why should a 3 day detour really matter? For the time being we settled on going, but maybe hitchhiking to the furthest point of the park once we get inside the gate.
The 4 of us met back at the Visitor Center for the Rainbow Point Shuttle Tour, from 1:30-4:30pm. The driver was full of epic bad-dad jokes. Real groaners. Ben’s dad, Ralph, would’ve loved them. We stopped at lots of places with beautiful views. It was a nice relaxing afternoon & a great way to see a lot of the park. Afterwards, we grabbed dinner at a place in town. We all got some version of the salad bar. Oh, salad, how I’ve missed you. Back to Mom & Don’s motel for a shower, blogging, TV, & lots of laughs. We ended up sleeping there as we were up late & planned to be up early for a sunrise in the park. Ah, nice comfy bed.
Day 35: All, but Don, woke up early, jumped in the car & drove to Sunrise Point to…well…you know…watch the sun rise 🙂 There were a fair number of others doing the same but it was quiet, just how it should be. The sky was full of clouds but they made for beautiful colors where the sun bounced off them. It was chilly – still a welcome change. It was a great way to start the day. Back to the motel for a little extra shut-eye, then breakfast at Pines Restaurant again. We sat & chatted for quite some time before they dropped us off back at our campsite & said our goodbyes 🙁 It was so nice to see them. We enjoyed our short visit & will miss them. Thank you for everything, Mom & Don! We appreciated your visit so much.
Once they left, we did a little trip planning, packed a lunch, caught a shuttle to Bryce Point, Inspiration Point, & finally, Sunrise Point to hike the 3 mile Tower Bridge Trail. It was about a two hour round trip: cooler weather but still plenty warm in the sun, nice views, quiet trail. After the hike, we stopped at the General Store for a few snacks & to catch up on things. Back to camp for curry dinner, laundry, & a hike up the hill behind our campsite to the top of the rim for a sunset. Beautiful. Back to the tent to slumber under the stars. No need for a rainfly when there is no rain! Cooler sleeping weather again…aaahhh, so happy 🙂
Reflections
1. When we first rolled through Red Canyon I thought it was Bryce & based on how vibrant the colors were I said “it should be called Red Canyon instead!”…little did I know 🙂
2. In case you never learned this at camp or school, let me shed some light on something. At night, when it’s pitch-black, especially when you’re trying to build up your night vision (aka Rhodopsin) & gaze at the stars, either turn down the intensity of your phone light to as low as it will go or, if using a headlamp, use the red, green or blue lights (or again, the lowest intensity setting regular light, shielded by your hand if necessary). There were so many people at the stargazing program that were clueless about this & would blind everyone with their phone’s flashlight blazing, depleting everyone’s night vision & we’d have to start all over again…let it build up, start appreciating the dark & the stars again…until someone else blinded us with their phone. Don’t be those people, please 🙂
3. Hiking was MUCH less crowded at Bryce than Zion & Yosemite. Not sure why…