June 23 & 24, 2015, Tuesday-Wednesday, Bryce Canyon City, UT (Bryce Canyon NP)
Day 54 & 55

Slept late, easy drive to Bryce Canyon City and checked into Ruby’s Inn RV Park & Campground for 2 nights at elevation 7600.  After lunch took the shuttle bus into Bryce Canyon National Park.  If the Grand Canyon was “Wow!”, this park is Wow Wow!  Incredible colors and “hoodoo” formations. These formations are not formed by any river but by a freeze thaw cycle.  This unique area has 200 days per year of freezing temps at night and above freezing temps by day so that the water in the rocks freezes and thaws creating cracking and eroding. The white layer is limestone, the red is sandstone and the ugly cement gray is manganese.  The limestone and sandstone are the softer layers which results in some columns with the manganese still intact on top and the softer layers eroding underneath. The park consists of 10 “amphitheaters” of hoodoos over about 18 miles.  The best part is there are numerous hiking trails which take you from the rim down to the canyon floor to walk among the hoodoos. We viewed the Bryce, Inspiration, Sunset and Sunrise Points and then walked the Navajo Loop, a trail of about 1.3 miles. The walk was incredible.  This park should be on everyone’s bucket list. We returned to the coach finally after 8 pm.  The next day we took the free Rainbow Bus Tour (3.5 hours and reservations required).  The tour takes you to along the entire 18 mile road with several stops at several points with the tour guide describing the geology and pointing out what we were looking at including views of the north rim of the Grand Canyon and other views of over 100 hundred miles.  We spent the afternoon at Mossy Cave and Waterfall, remembering to bring our water shoes this time for a wade down the river.  Supper was at the Bryce Canyon Lodge (built in 1924) was delicious.  After a bowl of Elk Chili, my main courses was birch black boneless short ribs, black bean risoto cake and green beans together with a Squatters Organic Amber Ale brewed in Utah.  Rosemary had salmon in a chili lime sauce, cilantro jasmine rice and green beans. Great meal, great park, great time.  Almost forgot, a/c’s working great and heater at night due to temps in the 50's.