Brisbane, QLD


Saturday, August 27, 2011

CANYON COUNTRY

We left Salt Lake City early and headed towards Bryce Canyon. First rest stop was at Red Rock Candy Mountain.
It was a grey day and the orange rock formations looked fascinating against the dark sky.

These two pinnacles are known as the Salt and Pepper Shakers. (The two shots above were taken from the moving bus)


We continued on through the Sevier Canyon and passed Butch Cassidy's house near Centreville. We drove on through the Dixie National Forest and the Red Canyon before pulling in for lunch. We were really in the Cowboy and Indian country.

For lunch we stopped at Ruby's Inn. There were shops and a resort set up like a wild west town.

After lunch I had a Pow Wow with the chief.

When we arrived at Bryce Canyon it was windy and raining. Unfortunately, our planned walk around the rim from Inspiration Point to Sunset Point was cancelled. 

However, the bus dropped us at both lookouts. 

Both spots provided breathtaking views.

There were walking tracks going down to the floor of the canyon. See the two black dots down on the floor they are people. It just gives you an idea of the size of these cliffs. I would have loved to have had time to walk down there, not so sure about coming back up though.

24 comments:

  1. What wonderful photos makes a person want to go and see them in person but alas that isn't something this person is going to get to do so she is very happy to see these photos thank you heaps.

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  2. I can't believe this is so close to home for us (compared to Australia, LOL) and yet I've never been there. Your beautiful photos have reminded me how much I missed when I was young and venturesome.
    Thanks for sharing these. Your bus pictures (what my husband calls them, he takes hundreds) are very good.
    — K

    Kay, Alberta, Canada
    An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  3. So beautiful!! So sorry your walk got cancelled due to the weather. (How do you manage such clear shots through the window of a moving vehicle?)

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  4. I am worn out from catching up 3 weeks of your blogs, trailblazing across the U S of A; quick trip of Europe with Kaz, via her blog; packing up to come home from 3 weeks hols at Rainbow Bay then unpacking when we arrived home; then viewing all of Bill's blogs that I need a nanny nap to-day after having another birthday Bear lunch. Gosh that sentence would make a teacher cry! Ann J

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  5. They really are fascinating and impressive rock formations! The colour is fantastic!

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  6. Of all landscapes mountains etc I have seen in the States during several years, the Bryce canyon was and is still my favorite ! I made a video of it (a real one when digital cameras didn't exist) and even on video it's sooooo beautiful. It's such a pity that it rained. We had the chance to have warm weather and a lot of sunshine and I also remember the little chipmonks which ran around everywhere !

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  7. HHHMMMmmm... I'll have to look REALLY hard to find something so sensational downunder!! Wonderful scenery!!

    Red Nomad OZ
    Amazing Australian Adventures

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  8. Looks like Mungo National Park on a very grand scale. Awesome.

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  9. they really do look like salt and pepper shakers and I LOVE THE KISS... awesome trip you had

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  10. Ahh---sorry you had wind and rain when you were at Bryce. Bryce was one of my favorite places that we visited. We did walk down inside (George went farther down than I did)--and it was awesome. That place is awesome!

    Great set of pictures.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  11. So glad you got to take 89 down south from SLC. Sevier Canyon and river is absolutely beautiful. And Big Rock Candy Mountain? I always stop there and cross the highway and go down and sit by the creek. Too darn bad you guys and Betsy and George and I couldn't have arranged the time better to meet at Bryce Canyon. I was there (AND IT WAS HOT!@!! -heat just follows me) just a day or so from when B&G were there and not too far off from when you guys were there. Wouldn't that have been fun!

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  12. Wow! Utterly fascinating geology, both of Red Rock Candy Mountain and Bryce Canyon itself. It truly is awe inspiring, Diane and must have held you speechlessly captive whilst framing these superb pictures. Would that these rock formations could talk! The size and scale is almost incomprehensible. One would need many days to explore all there is to see.

    BTW Love your new profile picture :)

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  13. For us was Brice Cayon one of the best hikes we ever did. I can recommend it to everyone.

    Greetings,
    Filip

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  14. Greetings from the Amish community of Lebanon,Pa. Richard from Amish Stories.

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  15. Bryce Canyon is beautiful, so sorry that you couldn't go down, it was worth it. You feel like a dwarf walking between the pinacals.
    Your meeting with big chief is very funny.

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  16. I'm still enjoying the journey. Thanks for sharing.

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  17. Gorgeous!
    I'd love to walk down inside although I'm sure my old knees wouldn't let me. I imagine it would be like an Indiana Jones adventure. :)

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  18. I hvae yet to see Bryce Canyon --it is definitely on my list sof "must see one day."

    Thanks for you concern about how we are faring in this hurricane. I am actually in Colorado as I've been wedding dress shopping with my daughter. My husband is home in Brooklyn, and my Mom, so I'm worried about them. Our area is in flood zone "B" so we weren't evacuated ..yet!

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  19. Forgot to say I loved the pow-wow with the chief. :)

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  20. Bryce Canyon was our favorite place during our trip west. It was snowing the first day we were there, but we liked it so much that we went back. On our second day, which was beautiful, I hiked down to about where the people are shown in your last picture. It was much harder hiking back up!

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  21. Ansolutely amazing Diane. You continue to amaze me with your photography.

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  22. You got some gorgeous photos despite the rain (or perhaps the rain deepened the color of the rock formations)...interesting to see Butch Cassidy's little house...I never knew it still existed...

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  23. Wow..love the canyons..and love the photo of you with the "chief" :-)

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  24. Loved that photo of you having the pow-wow :) Magnificent photos. I remember Ruby Inn very well as we had lunch there. When we were looking at the canyon the other thing I remember is all the French tourists.

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