Stop 7: Bryce Canyon, UT

We pulled into Ruby's Inn at Bryce Canyon in UT and it was a fun place. That Ruby guy was a marketing/attraction genius! There were all kinds of things to do (we did very little on the property): a general store, restaurant, a rock shop, horseback riding, a rodeo show, souvenir store, laundromat, all kinds of lodging options, and more. Operated now by Best Western, they really knew how to offer it all! The biggest bonus was that it was only 1 miles from the entrance to Bryce Canyon Nat'l Park! **There was a controlled fire happening in a nearby canyon and it was crazy to see how much smoke it generated. We couldn't imagine what the California wildfires must have been like last year.

We started making our way through Bryce and made it all the way to Rainbow Point, the highest point we could reach with our vehicle (9,000+ feet!) and it was worth the drive. We took a look around for a while then headed back down to the other points of interest. We did go back the next morning for some early daylight views. This is a smattering of our photos, none of which do any kind of justice to the majesty that is Bryce Canyon.

On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, Dark Rangers set up their massive telescopes in the visitor's center parking lot and allow visitors free access to looking at stars. It was SOOOO COLD that night but we waited in line for the chance to see some stars. My favorite part was the very fancy laser lights used by the pros to point out different stars, planets or constellations. I wish the one ranger hadn't told me that I can get one an Amazon because now my Christmas list is just going to be a bunch of those suckers! (We don't have photos of this because it was so dark, but imagine a cold, dark parking lot, with lots of freezing people standing in 6 different lines, each waiting for a 30-second turn to look into a massive telescope to see a pinhole-sized white dot. There now. You've got it. No photo necessary.)

Lastly, we got up and went to Mass. We had tried to go to the vigil Mass when we go to town the day before but arrived to realize it there was only one Mass so we went back the next day. About 50 people attended what ended up being a prayer service because no priest was available. It was a nice service with no music, but a lady in front of us took it upon herself to start a Communion hymn and recessional so that was very nice.

We left town and headed for Zion National Park. I'll post about that in the next stop, Kanab, UT.

Stop 6: Kayenta, AZ (Four Corners Monument)

Our drive to the Four Corners Monument started out slowly because of the cell phone situation. We still have "No Signal" in most places, though the cell phone powers-that-be bestow an occasional 4G prize on us and we text like maniacs during that time. Well, Sarah downloads episodes of Miraculous Ladybug, but the rest of us catch up with our loved ones back home when gifted with signals.

We headed out for the Four Corners and the path to get there meant two trips through different parts of Carson National Forest again. This place is large and beautiful. The climate changes were fun to see as we encountered snow at the very top. We were cruising right along and came around a bend near the apex and saw a car in an odd position, stuck in a very, very small snow pile. We pulled over to help but realized quickly that our combined brute strength (being so strong and all) wasn't enough to get this guy out of the hole he'd dug for himself. After flagging down a passing truck, we were able to assist in pulling him out. There was a consensus that the man was definitely under the influence of some kind of drugs; this also explains why he couldn't clearly answer some of our questions and how he got himself into that position in the first place.

Charlotte made the most of her time in the tiny amount of snow and made a small snowman to mark the occasion.

Our Four Corners journey continued and we made it to the monument just about 15 minutes before closing. We didn't realize they would close before sundown so we got there in the nick of time. We also didn't realize this monument was on a Native American Reservation and there would be a fee to enter. So we paid $25 for 15 minutes and a few photos. It was actually kind of fun to have the place all to ourselves, even if for only a few minutes.

Our hotel was essentially a layover in a small town called Kayenta, AZ about an hour from the monument -- there is NOTHING near the monument. Next up, Bryce Canyon!