I started the morning at the Capitol Reef Resort with absolutely incredible views right outside my room. Giant red rock formations surrounded the area.
The weather started out absolutely perfect. Sunny skies, crisp air, and cool temperatures in the morning made it ideal for driving through southern Utah. Of course, by the afternoon the weather changed completely. The clouds rolled in, the temperatures dropped, and suddenly it felt like Utah had switched seasons halfway through the day, Tallahassee is usually the opposite. 😎
After soaking in the views for a while, I hit the road toward Bryce Canyon National Park.
The drive itself was an adventure. Once again I found myself traveling through what I can only describe as cow country. Utah apparently believes fences are optional because cows were casually hanging out right next to the road again like they were waiting for the next shuttle bus. The signs state, cute crossing, open range, meaning no fences, fend for yourself. That would probably be worse than hitting a deer!
Then things somehow got even more bizarre. Out in the middle of nowhere, right alongside the highway, I suddenly saw three cowboys and one cowgirl herding about 30 cows near the side of the road on horseback. It looked like I had accidentally joined a Yellowstone episode.
Honestly, seeing actual cowboys herding cattle in real life was pretty incredible. It felt like stepping back in time for a minute, except instead of riding a horse I was driving 80 mph in an air conditioned vehicle with GPS.
Unfortunately, the drive also had a sad side. Between Torrey and Zion I saw three dead deer along the road. Every time I see one it makes me sad, especially because hitting a deer is already one of my biggest driving fears. At this point I am scanning the sides of the road looking for movement in the bushes. Also, this lucky guy got a second chip on this windshield, I have a matching set, one on the left side and one on the right side
Thankfully the day got happier at Bryce Canyon because I spotted a really cool chipmunk running around near one of the overlooks. It instantly reminded me of my Utah trip last year when we saw chipmunks everywhere. Apparently Utah’s wildlife consists of giant cows standing beside highways and tiny chipmunks posing for tourists.
When I finally arrived at Bryce Canyon, I honestly could not believe what I was seeing. First of all, despite the name, Bryce Canyon is not really a canyon. It is more like nature decided to build thousands of giant orange rock skyscrapers, cram them together, and then dare humans to explain it.
The famous hoodoos were everywhere. Huge spires of red, orange, and white rock stretched across the landscape in every direction. It looked like an army of giant melted candles rising up from the earth. Every overlook somehow got more impressive. I would walk up thinking, “Okay, this has to be the best view,” and then the next stop would somehow look even crazier.
The colors were unbelievable. Bright orange hoodoos, deep red cliffs, green pine trees, and blue skies all mixed together. It was truly amazing!
I spent a good amount of time just staring out over the canyon trying to process how something this ridiculous even exists naturally. The one great thing about all of these parks is you could just sit there or stay there alone and be at peace, even with lots of people around.
One thing I learned quickly at Bryce Canyon, every picture you take looks amazing. Professional photographer, random tourist, guy accidentally opening the camera app while pulling his phone out of his pocket, it does not matter. Bryce Canyon does all the work for you.
Eventually I left Bryce and made the drive toward Zion National Park, and somehow the drive itself became part of the adventure.
Southern Utah refuses to have normal roads. Every highway out here looks like it was specifically designed for a car commercial. Giant red cliffs tower over the road, massive rock formations appear around every turn, and every ten minutes you are tempted to pull over it take more pictures. I'm really surprised that I'm able to even get anywhere with all of these amazing rock formations.
At one point the drive climbed through winding mountain roads with sharp turns, steep drop offs, and incredible overlooks. My brakes got a full workout today. Somewhere deep down my car is probably requesting a vacation.
The approach into Zion was incredible. The cliffs get bigger and bigger until suddenly you are completely surrounded by towering canyon walls.
The traffic around Zion, however, reminded me that civilization still exists. Apparently every person in America collectively decided, “You know what, let’s all go to Zion today.” It is memorial Day weekend!
Still, once inside the park, the scenery completely made up for it. Massive sandstone cliffs rose straight into the sky, glowing orange and red in the sunlight. Today I just drove through the tunnel, and then drove South to the visitors center. Leaving the tunnel and driving down the switchback was truly amazing, red rock formation and huge canyons.
Zion tomorrow and then possibly Vegas tomorrow night.
Your adventure is amazing and the photos are great. Are there a lot of tourists at the parks?
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