Bryce Canyon Part3 on the 6th Day in the States

The 6th day in the States began at the swimming pool in the hotel.


After swimming for an hour in the morning, we headed for Bryce Canyon again. Our destinations were the rest of the viewing points we didn’t visit yesterday.


At Rainbow Point, the highest part of the park at 2,775 m. It was very windy. I walked on the Bristlecone Loop Trail alone. Here and there, snow covered the trail. It was fine in the early morning. Then, gradually it turned cloudy and windy. Later, clouds disappeared. After that, it snowed, occasionally cleared up. It was veeery strange weather. Strong winds were always blowing.
Strong wind broke the tree in the morning. Luckily, there were no cars in the parking.






It was not an old tree. You can imagine how strong the wind blew there.

Bryce Canyon Part2

Visiting several viewing points in Bryce Canyon by car continued on the 5th day in the States.

We had to wait for a herd of deer crossing the road sometimes. At this time, we were accustomed to see wild deer since there were many wild animals in national park area. On March 26, we visited following viewing points.
Fairyland Point, Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, Inspiration Point and Bryce Point: All were, of course, in Bryce Canyon.
When the time became closer to the sunset, we went to the Sunset Point for watching the sunset scenery.

Few minutes after taking these pictures, it became dark immediately.
We stayed at the Best Western Rubys Inn close to the entrance of Bryce Canyon. It was nice and comfortable hotel. I should say it was the perfect place to stay for Bryce Canyon visitors. The restaurant in the hotel was also nice. I ate rice for dinner for the first time after having come to the States. Don’t you think the dish is healthy?
I didn’t do any exercise in the States at all. Playing tennis, biking, nothing! Food should have been healthy.

Bryce Canyon Part1

We arrived at Bryce Canyon in Utah in the afternoon on the 5th day of our journey in the States. There were fifteen viewing points there. We visited all points spending this day and the next day. Bryce Canyon was the second US national park for us; the first one was the Grand Canyon. Scenery in Bryce Canyon was quite different from that of the Grand Canyon. For entrance fees, we had already paid $80 at the Grand Canyon office for a one-year-valid all US national park pass. I thought, at the beginning, that $80 was very expensive because we could use the pass only three national parks during only two week trip. But, after seeing around splendid scenery of Bryce Canyon, I was gradually changing my mind.
Not only for spectacular scenery, the two national parks were well maintained, offering free parking space, good tourist information such leaflets, signboards and even several free museums. I thought $80 deserved even for a short period, two national park visitors.
Talking about Japanese national parks, they don't ask us entrance fees as far as I know.
What do you think that the government or the local government asks us entrance fees and they maintain those parks better? Isn't it better for preserving our heritage?

Aside from viewing points, there were many Under-the-Rim Trails in Bryce Canyon.
Only Rina and I together went walking along the trails, as my wife Kiyono was a bit acrophobia and my elder daughter Emi was a bit lazy girl.
I was raising my left hand in the picture with Rina. --^
We sometimes met tourists on trails. The couple we met was from Korea.
We took pictures of each other. The picture that the Korean guy kindly took us there on the trail follows.

Way to Bryce Canyon on the 5th Day

Can you find very small cars in the picture? (Glen Canyon Bridge)
Leaving Horseshoe Bend behind, on our way to Bryce Canyon, we dropped in two places. The first place was Glen Canyon Dam and its visitor center. The second place was Moqui Cave. @ Glen Canyon Dam and its visitor center
I saw the dam when I crossed the Glen Canyon Bridge. I was surprised the height of the bridge while driving. How did they build it? I couldn't help stopping and taking some pictures. Then I found the visitor center at just west end of the bridge. They offered guided tour featuring video, photography and Native American artifacts there. The security check there was so strict that we could not bring in even a small bag, drinks and, of course, guns.
@ Moqui Cave in Kanab, Utah
The Moqui Cave, just north of Kanab Utah is a personal museum. It had dinosaur tracks, dinosaur bones from Africa, a fluorescent mineral display and replicas of the ruins in the local area.



We talked with the owner about the history of the cave, artifacts in the museum, his ancestors and families. The cave was once used as a dance hall and a bar. But they discontinued and rebuilt it as a museum.He once visited Japan as a Boy Scout leader. He sometimes talked using Japanese words and told that his great grandfather had more than two wives and arrested for a violation against the State law. As a matter of fact, his talking was more interesting than the artifacts there.

Good Morning on the 5th Day in the States

We left Mokee Dugway heading for South Lake Powell. About 300km driving brought us to the hotel we planed to stay in Page, AZ in the evening. We went to Burger King next to the hotel and finished dinner. Then moved to a nearby gas station, filled up gas to our car, came back to the hotel and immediately fell in sound a sleep on the 4th day in the States.

We got up in the next morning rather late, and had light breakfast. Our 5th day in the States started with this colorful bowl of cereal with milk, coffee and apples.

I like a room facing the east for getting morning sunshine. Sunlight helped me to ease my jetlag.
Lake Powell is famous for many tourist attractions. But, because of our limited time, we skipped most of them and chose only two places, shopping at WAL-MART and visiting Horseshoe Bend.



A leisure boat at the bottom of Horseshoe Bend disappeared in few minutes while we were watching.
A picture of the whole view of Hoseshoe Bend follows.
Thank you, lizard for showing up.
We didn't go to Antelope Canyon. It's located near Page, just outside the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. I linked movie site of Antelope Canyon. The narration of the movie is spoken in Japanese, but it is worth viewing.

Muley Point, Moqui or Mokee Dugway

One of my beer drinking friends Seiko told me that Muley Point was a must-go place if I would go to Monument Valley. So, after spending ample hours in Monument Valley, I decided to drive to Muley Point. Taking US Route 163 heading north for few hours, passing the San Juan River and the City of Mexican Hat, we got to the three-way intersection of US Route 163 and UT Route 261.

(the three-way intersection of US Route 163 and UT Route 261 ^ )
Going up to a dirt road and then arrived at Muley Point.
The scenery from there was magnificent. Comparing to the Grand Canyon, it was rather wide and flat. We met tourists from Colorado and had a conversation with them about the outstanding view and each ones travel. I believed I got to Mule Point.

But, after coming back to Japan, I checked Muley Point on the web and found out that I got to Mokee Dugway instead of Muley Point! It's too late to find it out. Muley Point is just few miles away from Mokee Dugway. Muley Point and Mokee Dugway are different places each other. How silly I was! (;_;)