Off we go. We left Sedona Sunday afternoon (after one last swim, meal and visit) to head out to Bryce Canyon. It was about 100 degrees when we left and the heat continued until we landed in Flagstaff. It was a cool 85 degrees for a moment as we stopped for gas. The drive was beautiful, although boring at times.
About 3 hours in I was thinking,"I AM SOOOOO BORED! WHAT DID I GET MYSELF INTO??"
Could be the heat talking. Not sure. Maybe I was just bored. Most likely.
After about 6 hours, we came across Bryce Canyon.
What a welcome sight! Max and I were pretty beat from the drive so we headed to the first campground we found which was Sunset Camp. It was just what we needed.
Rest.
We set up camp and paid our fee, walked, and relaxed with some tea as the sun set. It was so quiet and beautiful. The night sky was amazing. Since it was so hot all
day, I didn't expect it to be cold at night. I just wore some sweats and a jacket. No socks or hat. Let me tell you...BIG MISTAKE!
I couldn't sleep. Too tired/lazy to get up and put socks and hat on, but too cold to sleep. What should I do? Ah, perfect(picture light bulb turning on over my head)!
Get ready for a camping tip...If you've never done this before, I would highly recommend putting your dog INSIDE of the sleeping bag to keep you warm. It did the trick...for a while at least. A big disclaimer here...there were no dogs harmed in this perfectly sane and genius solution to being cold in a tent. There was plenty of space for him to breathe and still keep me warm, let's not forget about THAT.
So, no I didn't sleep.
However, Max did. He is so cheerful in the morning (even after being tucked in a crevasse all night) but as for me, not so much. I got up, made coffee and got on with
the day.Yes, Bryce canyon is beautiful! I went to most of the lookouts for the photo opportunities. Max seemed more interested in marking every fence post and chasing
each chipmunk that ran off the cliff. Of course I was wearing sandals, and walking a dog next to the hikers. As we strolled across the edge, I overheard a teenage girl saying to her mother how inappropriate she thought it was to wear sandals to the canyon. How dare her! As we walked to the top of the trail, there was a sign, "no sandals or dogs beyond this point." Oh. Right...
Off we went.
We drive through some amazing sights along the way. We decided to head North East on
highway 12. If you have time and want a drive to remember, I would recommend this one. You get the canyons, red rocks, desert, and mountains on one stretch of road.
It would be perfect if the heat would turn down a notch. I mean, who would expect it to be 102 degrees in August? Maybe the Mormons can do something about it.
Off to the next place (in flip flops of course)...
