Day 9. Bryce Canyon

OGoing back and forth from our campsite got us very aquatinted with Tropic,Ut, a small town in between us and the park. It didn't take long as it consisted of a small grocery store with a restaurant attached, a gas station, a hardware store and a coffee shop. We stopped at the coffee shop all 3 mornings here and Cassie said it had the best coffee she has had since we left. The people were very nice too so Cassie bought a coffee mug from them.

We hiked a few more trails at Bryce. Though shorter and less demanding, they still had the same great scenery and beautiful vistas.

Here are a few pics from the Mossey Cave Trail. 

We then walked the Rim Trail that is a path that follows the rim of the canyon to various lookouts. The views were sll slightly different and never ceased to amaze us. 

Here is one near Inspiration Point

And Rainbow Point which was at 9115 feet. 

This area is so diverse. There is hot,dry, arid desert, huge red rock formations ,heavily forested hilly terrain, then flat prarie with 12,000 foot snow capped mountains as a backdrop. All within no more than a half hour of each other.  They just had a good snow storm 2 weeks ago and the snow is still visible on the highest peaks. 

You definitely feel the effects of the dry air as our lips and feet are so chapped and Cassie got a few nose bleeds. But my allergies that were a mess when we left NH are no more. 

After our hike we went back and spent a few hours by the pool and Cassie did what she does best and that is make friends. There was a couple from Switzerland and their two little girls that were swimming and Cassie jumped in played with them, having races and encouraging the littlest one 5 year old Eva with her swimming without tubes. She was the biggest little kid in the pool and it both made us look forward to pool time with our Kyla. 

After getting some sun and fun, we retired to our camp for some plum tasty vittles and cool beverages. Hot dogs and beans again for this old cowboy. I woke up in the middle of the night the night before and was thrilled to see the Milky Way clearly. I had researched how to photograph the night sky so as we ate I talked Cassie in to waking up with me to look at the stars and try and capture it with my camera. We went to sleep for a while and then I nudged her at 1:15 and opened the tent to see the show. After a few focusing issues I caught some good pics that I don't think are too bad for a first timer.

That hazy band is the spiral edge of the Milky Way that you would have to get up near the Canadian border or the deep woods in Maine to see back home. It was too cool and the pictures don't nearly do justice to what we saw. 

The next day is a 5 hour drive east (yes east!) to Moab Ut where we will visit two National Parks within a half hour of each other, Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. The elevation is much lower and the temps will be near 100 but they have some of the most iconic southwestern scenery. We are on our way and getting there in a hurry. We don't see this back home.