Sat, Oct 23, 2010

Saturday, October 23, 2010

We chose to make it another lazy morning for several reasons.  Not that you need a reason to be lazy on vacation but it doesn’t hurt either.  The weather was cloudy and since the elevation in Bryce Canyon starts at about 8,000 at Sunrise Point and ends at 9,115 feet at Rainbow Point, cloudy often means the hoodoos can disappear in the clouds.  So we just took our time and enjoyed relaxing in the room.  The lady next door to us knocked on the door and said she just had to meet our two dogs because her husband had seen them and was bragging to her on how beautiful they were and how well behaved.  Of course, as the proud parents, we were thrilled to show them off to her. 

After packing up the Jeep we walked over to the Lodge to get breakfast but found a long line waiting so went into the general store and got a couple of donuts and coffee and decided to drive on into the park. 

Bryce Canyon is always busy but most of the other tourists must have decided to be slow getting out as well because we saw as few people at the overlooks as we ever have and at a couple of them we were the only ones there which is something we have never seen.  There is no doubt that the vast views are no more dramatic when seen alone but the atmosphere is a lot more peaceful. 

We have had some unbelievable weather during this road trip.  It has not been perfect but it has come darn close most of the time.  As a photographer the light is everything and although the light hasn’t been perfect either, I have been blessed to have some unbelievable light when it did not seem possible.  I cloud just when I needed it, or maybe a minute or two of sun that would turn a “pic” into a memory maker for us.  I always thank God for these moments and I always thank the elk or the buffalo or any wild animal that stops for a moment and gives me that perfect pose.  When that “not so smart” lady walked out toward that bull elk in Yellowstone and he lifted his head to peer at her intently, I gave her a great big thank you as we drove off when a fine photo. 

The light this morning did not look promising at all.  As we drove into the park we opted to bypass the first two “Points” as they are called and chose Inspiration Point because of its orientation to the hoodoos and the available light.  As we made the hike out to the point, the sun began to peek thru the clouds and for the next several hours we had some beautiful morning light to bathe the panoramas before us. As we were leaving Rainbow Point huge clouds of fog rolled in behind us and things began to disappear as we made our last stops heading out of the park. 

We were driving in the general direction of the Grand Canyon but had no plans to hurry to get there.  It was almost 2:00 pm when we got to the turn-off point to Zion National Park but because of the low clouds and pretty consistent drizzle we decided to stop at the Thunderbird Restaurant for a late lunch and decide on our route after a good meal. 

The Thunderbird Restaurant is located at Mt Carmel Junction, UT and is a family owned restaurant that opened in the 1940s when a tunnel connecting Mt Carmel to Zion National Park was completed.  The road was still gravel and Jack & Fern Morrison opened a gas station and Fern was a great cook so she made pies to serve the truck drivers passing through. We had been seeing the signs advertising the restaurant and their famous “ho-made” pies.  One of the reasons I’m including so much detail on this eatery is because they were so nice from the minute you entered the front door.  I know any time a group of us get together at home the talk often turns to how bad the service was and how we wish it were different.  And it always makes your food better when the service is good.  Anyway, after we were seated an older woman of small stature (she told us later she was 4’8 ¾“ and 74 years old) came by and gave us two fresh rolls right out of the oven.  She came by periodically to chat and also offered us more free rolls.  Our waitress was sweet, attentive and when we asked if we could split a chili burger she said no problem and when she brought it out it was on separate plates and there were ample portions.  We had said we were be glad to pay extra to split it but when we got our ticket there was no extra charge.  As we were getting up to leave the elderly lady came over and asked Charles (who had coffee with his meal) if he would like a refill of his coffee in a go cup, no charge of course.  As we left, I think everybody in the place spoke to us.  It is a large restaurant that also serves the Best Western and can accommodate large tour groups but the service was very personal and the food was delicious.  We were too full to get a slice of that ho-made pie but plan to start with dessert on our next trip through Mt Carmel Junction!

The weather had not changed and so we decided to by-pass Zion National Park on this trip.  We continued thru Kanab, Utah crossed into Arizona and at Fredonia, Arizona decided to make a side trip to the Pipe Spring National Monument. 

Pipe Spring National Monument is a small spot on the map so we figured it probably is just what is says… a spring and it was a spring but a very important one for this area.  The spring is located on an area known as the Arizona Strip, a vast isolated dry landscape between the Grand Canyon and the Vermilion Cliffs.  It is an arid place and this spring has served all who passed for thousands of years.  In the 1870s John Wesley Powell’s parties camped twice at Pipe Spring.  It has an interesting history that I won’t recount totally here but the first official owner of the spring, James Whitmore, brought sheep and cattle there in 1863. Navajo Indians raided in 1866 and during an attempt to recover the stolen livestock he and his herdsmen were killed. At that point, Brigham Young bought the ranch from Whitmore’s widow and established a tithing ranch which would deliver butter, cheese and cattle to St George, Utah every two weeks to help feed hundreds of laborers who were building the Mormon temple there.  Again, we got a special blessing via the weather.  When we arrived we listened to a short presentation by the Park Ranger and as we exited the back door of the visitor center to walk out to the spring and surrounding buildings it began to sprinkle.  We decided to walk on out to at least view the spring and in about five minutes it was Bryce Canyon all over again… the sun popped out and stayed out until we had time to walk around the entire complex.  The freezing temperatures at Bryce, however, had given way to the sixties of the high desert… another blessing indeed.

Back on the road, we checked the map and decided to forego the South Rim of the Grand Canyon which we have visited many times to the less developed North Rim.  At Jacob’s Lake we got the last room available, a small rustic cabin.  Then we headed out to drive the forty plus mile one-way drive to the North Rim.  It was, as I have said about many of our drives, a beautiful drive.  At the rim we took the half mile hike out to Bright Angel Point.  I’m not sure I can adequately convey how intense this paved but narrow trail can be as it follows the ridge.  The elevation is a little over 8,100 feet and the trail is too narrow to walk side by side. The views literally take your breath away… not to mention that there isn’t much air up here for two folks from Mississippi. I actually enjoyed the trail a lot more after I was off of it.  We then took about a ten mile drive out to Point Imperial which I enjoyed much more since it didn’t require any daredevil feats to reach.  The North Rim is a totally different experience with the lack of crowds does not compare to the South Rim experience unless you like feeling like you need to crawl back to your car.

We made it back to the Lodge just about dark and had a good hot cup of corn chowder before retiring to our small cabin.  There were no services of any type so we just piled up in the bed and read for a while after I made a quick backup of the day’s photos.

We are well tonight and hope that you all are too!

Peace, Hope & Love,

Donna, Charles, Paris & Dodger