North to Bryce Canyon

 

Today we were headed in a northerly direction to Bryce Canyon National Park.  I had been there several times before, but it is a place worth visiting numerous times.  We stopped at several of the overlooks, and did a bit of hiking before having lunch at the famous Ruby’s Inn.

That afternoon was one of the highlights of the trip.  In the morning, our guide towed 2 dune buggies to the trailhead to Peek-a-boo Slot Canyon and left them there while we continued on up to Bryce.  Upon returning, our guide drove one of them and the other traveler drove the other to the slot canyon.   I drove on the way back.  It was a crazy ride through fairly deep sand on a curvy road.  We all had helmets and were securely strapped in. This was my first time doing this sort of thing!   Before the trip, I had to sign a waiver that said that if I rolled the vehicle, I would have to pay a $1000 fee.  Probably the deductible on the vehicle.  Here is the slot canyon.  BTW—I also visited there in April before I know that this trip was planned!

Here are the dune buggies and some of the terrain that we drove through.

 One of the better days on the trip today.

 

Trip to Lake Powell

The next day involved a fairly long drive to Lake Powell for a boat trip. We made a few stops along the way.  Here they are.

Heading east out of Kanab, we got off of the highway to see the Rainbow Mountain near the old Mormon town of Pahreah.

Toadstool Valley is a unique and popular spot about a 1.8 mile hike round trip from the highway.  I’ve been there before, but it always fascinates me!

Next, we stopped at the ever popular Horseshoe Bend.  A year ago on a different trip, I was on a raft going down the Colorado River below.  Today we saw the newly constructed platform and  railing up above.  It had been years since I had been there, and back then, there was an informal parking area, and a very sandy trail up and over a big sand dune to get to the overlook.  There was no railing to prevent people from falling over the edge.  What a difference now!  The parking lot was well organized, and a new paved trail including several shade structures was constructed to go around  the big sand dune.  Of course, there is now a fee to get in, but the $10 is well worth it.

The boat ride was a bit weird, since because of the lower level of the lake, we floated down a canyon with very steep sides.  No views.  But we did get great view of the multi-million dollar house boats that were moored at the dock.

A view of the Glen Canyon Dam finished off our day. 

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

This was our first day.  We toured the property in the morning, and volunteered with the animals in the afternoon.  I spent 3 hours playing with sick, blind, and disabled cats.

Here is their very extensive pet cemetery.

A Very Strange Week

I was out of town all of last week.  Several months ago, a friend of mine from Illinois suggested that we re book a special trip that had been cancelled on us 2 years ago due to COVID.  This trip involved day trips out and back from Kanab, Utah, in addition to a day volunteering at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.  Some of our destinations were familiar to me, and some were not.  What a nice way to reacquaint with an old friend! 

Well, the week before the trip, my friend had to drop out because of illness.  I had already made arrangements, so I decided to go anyway.   I like traveling in Utah, and am always open to meeting new people on my trips. Let me say up front that I am not naming the tour company because of a number of unprofessional issues that came up during the trip. 

So I get there and find out that there is only 1 other traveler in addition to the guide.  Needless to say, the social interactions that I was looking forward to were minimal at best.  Any reputable company would have cancelled the trip at that point!  All of this led to a very strange week indeed.  I did get to see and do many new things, in addition to revisiting beloved locations, so all was not lost.  How can you beat riding on a mule at the Grand Canyon and driving a dune buggy over tall dunes!  I will be sharing my photos in the coming days with a bit of commentary. 

But first, on my way over to Kanab, I stopped at the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.  I was looking for a rare milkweed plant.  My botany friend Matt had given me the GPS coordinates for it, so I knew just where to look.   After climbing up a steep dune, I found the plant.  Here it is with some views from that spot.

A few late blooming wildflowers.