Another World

Our time at the Grand Canyon had to end at some point.  I can’t believe we were able to spend an entire week there – no matter the circumstances!  Rob’s health had improved markedly since our arrival and we had experienced all the areas that were accessible to us and it was time to move on.

Our first stop was Desert View and the Watchtower at park’s exit.  With a final exceptional view of the canyon’s expanse, it was a perfect ending. We were able to share some brews with our neighbors in the parking lot there who enjoy Holy City Brewery each year during their visit to Charleston!

The plan was to move in baby steps to test how driving would affect Rob but Lake Powell didn’t entice us and things were going well and we made our way to Bryce Canyon without incident.  Surprisingly, we easily found a campsite in the park.  We wasted no time getting settled and headed out to see the Bryce Amphitheater, the reason for the park’s existence.

WOW!  From the grassy, forested hills of the park’s roads and campgrounds, a simple path to the rim trail and … the world opens up before you!  With geologic shapes and expansive views, the area is stunning.  We wandered from viewpoint to viewpoint enjoying talking to people along the way. 

An interesting finding on this adventure, Rob and I guess that well over half of the visitors in the parks are from other countries.  There is very little English heard as you walk, ride the shuttles or enjoy the views.  We hear LOTS of German, Asian and French but the variety is endless.  I would love to know exactly what the statistics are for this.  I know the Grand Canyon has expectations to exceed their usual attendance by over 20% this year – is it international travelers?

So, back to Bryce…we had a fun evening with 3 groups we met within our first hours here.  Canadians, Gary and Susan (who we met at the ever-popular waste dump station) stopped by for a beer.  Before they headed out, Lauren and Sean (whose picture we took for them on the rim earlier) came by as well.  They had been on a 4 day backpacking trip and were anxious for a great beer.  No problem there! 

Sean, ironically, grew up in Charleston.  He graduated from College of Charleston, worked at Roper Hospital for a while and played for our wonderful soccer team the Charleston Battery!  Our paths had crossed unnoticed several times over the years through our business and our connection with Dragon Boat Charleston.  SMALL WORLD!!!

By then it was dark and getting cold fast so we headed inside when a knock on the door brought the campsite hosts in to join us!  We all got along famously.  It’s funny how such diverse folks can so easily find common ground.  I ended up making a casserole and we spent the night sharing beer and stories.  By the end of the night, we parted not just acquaintances but friends - just exactly what we needed to get us back on track!

Today we set out to hike the “hoodoos” of Bryce Canyon.  We descended from Sunrise point into the magical world of what makes Bryce so unique.  Each twist and turn brought breathtaking views and we wandered around three different trails until we were both spent.  We hadn’t expected the trails to have so much elevation change but once we were out there, there wasn’t any going back so we conquered!

Back to clean up from the dust and sweat, the plan for the rest of the day is the Visitor Center and park video along with the shuttle through the other viewpoints in the Canyon park.  The sun is shining and the weather is warmer than we’ve had in a good 10 days.  The scenery is gorgeous, we’re making friends and all in all, it looks like things are definitely going our way!