Day 16 – Dear Diary, Where have I been?

Dear Diary,
Sorry that it’s been three days since I have written. I can’t claim to have been overly busy, stressed, occupied, infatuated with another, overworked or unable to write. Maybe it’s that the bright lights of Vegas no longer make me sparkle. Or maybe it’s that this new place, Zion Canyon has some sort of hold on me, and makes me forget all about the interweb world!

You’ve already heard about St George. It’s about a 90 minute ride from Vegas and it’s really worlds away. Let’s just say that there is nothing of interest to mention between St George and Zion Canyon , outside of the ostrich farm (with fresh ostrich eggs for $15.00), the town of Virgin and the Virgin Trading Post (yes, yes, I follow your thoughts).

Zion is quite impressive. They have 300 parking places, for a daily visitation of 4,000 cars. So, you park out of town, hop the free shuttle that runs every six to eight minutes, and take it for free wherever you are going. Free and efficient, must have been dreamt up by some Europeans, which might explain why so many of them are over here checking the place out. Seriously, it’s like 80% visitors and 20% domestics. We spent our time looking at the pretty sights. This place is an impressive, giant sandstone valley, that you can drive in (or take the shuttle if you are ecologically conscious). There’s this litty bitty river (the Virgin) which they claim has eroded all this sandstone and created the 1,800 to 2,400 foot tall cliffs that surround the valley floor. And of course there are trails which go from top to bottom, and which are able to be completed by approx. 67% of the able bodied population (including 3 year old girls wearing flip-flops, breast feeding mothers, one armed men and assorted gimps). Unfortunately I am in the approx. 33% that did not complete the hike, but Josh, Matt, Beth and Chris assure me that the view was awesome at the top of Angels Landing and that I must have had a slight infirmity that minimized my chances for success. At least they didn’t call me a Sally.

I have a new addition for the motorcycle hall of fame roads – Highway 9 from Zion to Mt Carmel. Sandstone formations, tunnels, upsies and downies, turns and twisties, it was great! More pictures than I know what to do with.

Today’s adventure was Bryce Canyon, about 70 miles away. Besides the aforementioned Highway 9 going there and back, Bryce rivals any sight to date. There’s no river running through Bryce, so it’s all wind and rain erosion that created these things than look kinda like stalagmites, but with a twist. They’re not tapered nicely, but a bit rough, totally beautiful, rough and coarse, and no two are alike. This is mostly a park where you ohh and ahh from viewpoints and there is no tram running along the bottom.

The trip back from Bryce was wet. Serious headwinds and rain. Serves me right for bitching about no shower yesterday. But I did get to stop for Ho-Made Pie. Yes, that is exactly how their sign reads and it was wonderful! I don’t care. Tomorrow we move on to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, where I hope to have better reception and my Iphone will stop Iphucking up. Dear Diary, maybe you’ll get some pictures then!