Finishing Bryce and Hitting the Road

Thursday July 14, 2005 Bryce then off to Moab

The kids got their ranger books signed and took the official Bryce Canyon Jr. Ranger Oath. They received their official badges, and we also purchased them each a JR. Ranger patch for a mere $1.00 each. Zion didn’t have a patch that we know of…

Wanting to actually walk among the Hoodoos, we headed out on for the Queens Garden Trail. The Navajo Loop, which offers a walk through the slot canyon named Wall Street, was closed for trail maintenance, a major bummer. You could get to WS from the Queens Garden trail, but it would be 2 miles there and back, so that was out.

The Queens Garden trail leaves from Sunset Point, which affords a nice view from the lookout, but we headed right down the trail. It’s a pretty steep trail, with a lot of switchbacks, but we managed to make it all the way down. Unfortunately we were almost to the end when we realized that it’s not a loop, and that we would have to walk all the way back the way we came. Ouch!

The kids did great, with minimal complaining and or coaxing (although that ice cream reward helped – as we were heading down I heard another parent on their way up saying the same thing…great minds bribe alike). The kids liked this trail because they got to walk through some man-made archways, and to walk among the Hoodoos on this trail.

Finishing the trail, we jumped in the car and headed out of the park for the last time, stopping at the entrance to get our family picture taken in front of the Bryce Canyon Sign.

We made so many stops outside of Bryce, I can hardly keep track. Pictures will have to tell this story.

Mossy Cave – a stop along the scenic byway. The kids did not want to get out and walk anywhere else today, and I can’t say as I blame them. But this trail promised to be 1 mile round trip, and it followed a river, which was enough to distract them from the pain and heat. A thunderstorm was approaching, so we were in a hurry to get to the cave. It passed to the side of us, so we were never really in any danger, but it was kind of neat to feel like we rode the storm out in the cave.

The cave is very beautiful and had lots of running and dripping water. It was a nice treat to feel the cold water fall down on us in particular parts of the cave. Not until we left did we realize that we really weren’t supposed to go so far inside the cave.

Mike and Austin checked out the water fall and what was above it.

On the way to check out and outcropping of rocks known as Devil’s Garden, we were driving down a packed dirt road called Hole In The Rock Road. As we’re driving, we see a cowboy on a horse chasing a bull up the road. This big black bull was being very stubborn, and kept running up and across the road. The cowboy got his lasso out, and after a few attempts which included knocking his hat off, finally managed to rope the animal, then tied up his legs so that it didn’t get up and move again. Mr. Cowboy rode his horse right over to the car, we said our hello’s, and I said I hoped he didn’t mind that we were taking pictures, and he said no. After watching him for a while, I figured he was out practicing his roping, since he didn’t seem very good at catching the bull. Turns out he was just out rustling up the odd bulls that hadn’t been collected from the grazing season yet. After some small talk, he asked if he could have a ride back to his truck. I responded that we really didn’t have any room…then he kinda looked in the back and saw the kids and all the stuff, and agreed we looked a little full. I felt bad that we couldn’t help him out…but I asked him if he would like a drink, and he said “No thanks, I’m pretty well adapted to the heat”. He said goodbye and off he went on his horse. All the way down the rest of the road I kept thinking of how we could have tried to fit him into the car. Now wouldn’t that have been a story! And by the way gals, he was cute! Young, but cute with nice pearly whites!

Pulling into Devil’s Garden, we had the place all to ourselves for a while. This is a great place because you can climb all over the rocks, and without much worry.

Driving highway 12 we caught this great sunset behind us.

I imagine this must be what the moon looks like.

We drove the outskirts of Capitol Reef, and thought it was very magical. The rocks are extremely red. The visitor Center was closed, so we couldn’t get our passport stamped, but we decided if we ever came out this way again, we would certainly check out this park.

Mike started tweaking when he saw these two big Mule Deer bucks walking along the side of the road.

The Petroglyphs were really neat to see. They were made 1,000 years ago.

By the time we arrived at the KOA in Moab, it was 9:30 pm, and it was still 100 degrees!