Bryce Canyon, UT: Hoodoo You Love?!

The Lucky Charm's 2016 Summer Adventure may end up feeling more like a Winter Adventure as we head north two weeks earlier than usual, to MUCH colder weather:  Destination Canadian Rockies!  But first, a stop at Utah's utterly astounding Bryce Canyon National Park.  We'd seen photos, but weren't prepared for the gasp-worthy beauty of the world's-largest concentration of HOODOOS!

Hoodoos may look like Poopoos (from a giant prehistoric pteradactyl?) but they are actually beautiful and bizarre rock spires left standing by the forces of erosion.

I'd try to explain how these are formed, but the Visitor Center did the heavy lifting for me.  Here ya go!  #scienceissexy

56-square-mile Bryce Canyon is not actually a canyon, but "Bryce Series of A Dozen Limestone Ampitheatres" doesn't have the same catchy ring to it.

Each ampitheatre is crowded with animated rock sculptures -- spires, pinnacles, windows, arches, temples, castles, walls and more.

The Paiute Indian original name for Bryce Canyon was UNKA TUMPEE WUN-NURRX TUNGWATSINI XOOPAKICHU AHNAX.  (I kid you not.)  This meant "Red Rock Standing Like a Man In a Hole."  Or "Make America Great Again."  One or the other.

Intrepid hikers can go down into the hoodoos and hike to their hearts' content.  We chose the most popular (for a reason) Queens Garden/Navajo Loop, three miles of sheer gorgeousness.

The #1 cause of rescues and hospitalizations in Bryce Canyon is improper footwear.  Indeed, we saw our fair share of tourists (mostly German, some Japanese, a few Russian, no judgment) tiptoeing their way along in dress shoes.

The switchbacks descending down into the canyon, I mean ampitheatre, provided the 600 foot of elevation change, and were stunning enough to make us forget we don't particularly care for elevation change (or climate change either).  Remember: what climbs down, must also climb back out!

Since Philip turned 62 this year, we were eligible to purchase the National Park Service "Senior Pass" for the astounding price of $10 ... for life!  AND as his spouse, I also get free entry (even though I'm only 35, wink).  That's right, having forked over a Hamilton, for now and evermore we can enter any National Park or Monument for free!  Single ladies, something to consider when you're filling out that "desired age range" field on match.com.

Bryce Canyon was a delight to behold and had us oohing and aahing all day long.  Be sure to visit this uniquely different natural wonder when in Southern Utah!

Cedar Breaks National Monument, UT: It's a Mini-Bryce!

Our final stop of the 2018 Summer Adventure was in a relatively unknown but truly remarkable southern-Utah destination known as Cedar Breaks National Monument.  The uncrowded trails, cool temperatures, and colorful rock formations had us jumping for joy!

It ALSO had us gasping for air!  Located on the 10,000-foot-high Markagunt Plateau, the area's highest point of Brian Head Peak is at 11,307!  GASP - It was hard to breathe in that thin air, and the RV generator went fully on strike!

Cedar Breaks is a smallish naturally-carved ampitheater, about 3-miles wide (small at least as compared to bigger but similar Bryce Canyon National Park, which we visited in 2016: read about it here).

Hey!!!  Who are those people in the shadows below?  They look pretty fun.  :-)

Uplifted limestone from an active fault, and millions of years of erosion has created hoodoos, arches, fins and canyons.

It's more than just sandy red rocks, however, with lush wildflower meadows and soaring trees.

Early Paiute people called Cedar Breaks u-map-wich, meaning "the place where the rocks are sliding down all the time."

Cedar Breaks could also be called "Place Named By People Who Don't Know Their Trees," as white settlers misidentified the juniper trees as cedars.  Also, Juniper Breaks sounds way cooler.

Yellow-bellied marmots are plentiful in the area.  Up to 28" in length, they dig 20-foot-deep tunnels in which they hibernate up to 200+ days per year.  Now that's a long winter's nap!  They get as cold as 41 degrees, hearts slow to 30 beats per minute, and breaths to 2, to survive until spring without eating.  

Gnarled, weather-beaten bristlecone pine trees thrive on Cedar Breaks' thin soil and harsh, wind-swept cliffs.  Some bristlecone pines at Spectra Point are almost 2,000 years old!

Unlike many trees, a bristlecone doesn't die all at once -- it can have both living and dead parts.  When part of it becomes damaged and dies, nutrients are diverted to the healthy part, which continues to live.  This is one of the factors that gives them their twisted, gnarled appearance.

The many colors have mostly been created from oxidized iron and manganese.

Multiple overlooks give varied perspectives on the gorgeous canyons, created from millions of years of geological processes.  Do you see tiny Philip and Sprinkles in this photo?

Getting to Cedar Breaks, especially in a 10,000 pound motor home, is best accomplished from the east (Panguitch or Long Valley Junction).  Of course, Murphy's Law in full effect during our travels, we (unwittingly) went up from the west (Panowan), a 13% grade over 14 miles, during which we probably got an average of 2 MPG.  It was slooooowwww going!

Hiking trails in this area lead you right along the edge, to lookout points jutting out into the ampitheater.

A close-up of this hoodoo looked like a priest in robes, praying for more oxygen to breathe!

The small Visitor Center has a surprisingly large number of science programs and presentations, including telescopes and star-gazing parties in the area's dark, dark skies.

The small, family-oriented ski area of Brian Head is the closest town, and you can drive up a road to the top of Brian Head Peak.  This looks like a tiny hill, but see the arrow pointing to a tiny bump in the photo below? 

That tiny bump is a full-size structure!

Built in the Depression-era by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps), it was one of many projects beautifying Cedar Breaks, including trails, paths, and the Visitor Center.  For 7 days a week of very hard labor, young men were paid $30 a week and required to send $25 of it home to their families!

From the top of Brian Head Peak, you can see in all directions, supposedly all the way into Nevada and Arizona, though we were not able to pick out the lights of the Vegas Strip nor any saguaro cactus.

The best part of Cedar Breaks is its low temperatures, with lows in the 50's and highs in low 70's during the day, because of the high altitude.  The closest towns in southern Utah (Cedar City, St. George, Kanab, etc.) were well over 100 at the same time!

At the aptly-named Point Supreme Campground, located right inside Cedar Breaks National Monument on the top of the plateau, we ruminated on our love of travel, new adventures and each other.  Funny how lack of cell service causes you to relax fully and appreciate life more deeply!

We are now back in Phoenix, sweltering away, eagerly planning our next travel adventure ... though the Lucky Charm will unfortunately get left behind this time!  We're heading "across the pond" to Italy in late September, celebrating our ten-year wedding anniversary, renewing our vows and experiencing hotel life again -- something we haven't done much of since we started RV'ing!  

Camping adventures begin anew in January with a six-week "Texas State Parks" trip, and then our longest-ever summer trip in the works for May 15 through October 8, 2019, a "Eastern Grand Loop" including as far up as Old Quebec Canada and the coast of Maine!  Hope to take you along then too!

Banff, AB Canada: Reflecting and Reflections

Ahhh, Banff.  A beautiful resort town in the Canadian Rockies, when compared to where we've been lately, the "big city" is a little overwhelming!  It's trendy.  It's busy.  It's urban.  After having been in (relatively) quiet and desolate places like Jasper, we feel a little like the Unibomber, blinking and unbelieving as he leaves the quiet isolation of his bunker.  

And yet, we are still surrounded by towering mountains, dense forests, and nature galore!  We are reflecting on the first four weeks of this trip and how to incorporate the serenity of this beautiful place into our daily lives. (Hot yoga, journaling, moonlight > moonshine?)

Allow me to take you on a brief tour of Banff Township, free of charge and no ticket needed.  Here is the setting as seen from the chairlift atop Mount Norquay.  That's Banff down in the pocket.

Its architecture is "early Swiss Alps" with a touch of Urban Outfitters and a dash of Radio Shack.

At ONE END of downtown Banff Avenue are towering mountains.

At the OTHER END of Banff Avenue are Cascade Gardens, which house Parks Canada's offices.  Nice digs, though maybe they are entitled to a little luxury, since the town of Banff is completely 100% inside Banff National Park.

In the MIDDLE of Banff Avenue are a million trillion billion tourists.

Also in the middle is Canada's #1 ice cream shop, boasting clever cow-related names ("Cowconut Cream Pie," anyone?), plus the world's slowest scooping employees, and a 45-minute wait minimum to get to the front of the line.  But, ICE CREAM, so there we were along with everyone else.

Banff is host to a majestic and ridiculously pricey luxury hotel, the Fairmont Banff Springs.  It's easy to see why you'd want to stay there, but creak open your dusty wallet as the most basic room starts at $599/night in the summer season (up to $3,500/night for a suite).  But hey, you can take 25% off that in exchange rates, since the Canadian dollar is depressed at the moment, so why not!!! We're happy to stay with our $34 campground site, however.

We're hiking our brains out ... Philip has moved in two holes on his belt and the dogs have lost their inner-city, pampered-pet fat rolls.  Banff has some of the most extensive trails in Canada, right at your doorstep.  A few examples ...

BOW RIVER LOOP TRAIL from our campground all the way to downtown

LAKE MINNEWANKA where you can spot black bears on the edge of the lake and take a cruise

JOHNSTON CANYON where a series of cliff-hugging catwalks lead you to multiple sets of various falls

EMERALD LAKE in nearby Yoho National Park, where every angle of the loop around the lake provides amazing reflections

We got all excited when we learned that Banff has hoodos.  Refresher:  our first stop of this summer adventure was Bryce Canyon, Utah, where we saw hoodos like this:

We crowded in next to hundreds of other tourists at the Banff hoodoo viewpoint to witness their splendor.  And.... this.  Four little jagged rocks.  That's it!  Ohhhh Kayyyyyy.  Moving on. I guess we have become hoodoo-jaded.

The Parks Canada "Red Chairs" program places pairs of red adirondack chairs in "hidden" scenic locations for you to discover.  The program is so popular that it was celebrated (mocked?) with an entry in the recent Canada Day Parade.

The Banff Centre is a famous institution that encourages creativity and the arts with a variety of programs (for instance, the people that participate in TEDTalks were hanging out there this week, as if they need to get any more evolved than the rest of us average Joes).  

We attended a big band concert that featured seven musicians who were awarded the Order of Canada, the nation's second highest honor. 

The musicians were amazing, but even more amazing ... check out that backdrop ... it's not a painting, it's honest-to-goodness real trees!  Magical!

The Banff Centre also sponsors a film festival/competition that focuses on adventures, expeditions and general outdoorsy stuff that makes you feel really bad about yourself and your cubicle job.  The night we went, we saw different features about river runners in China, two guys who did a crazy five-day ascent across the Fitz Traverse in Patagonia, a photographer who spent years and years trying to get this ridiculously awesome basejumping photo, and a crew who went to capture an almost-impossible shot of skiers in front of a solar eclipse in Svalbard.  

But the MOST epic entry (to us) was a two minute "commercial" for nature, spoofing all the Rx drug commercials on TV.  You'll love it (promise) if you take two minutes to watch .... (my favorite parts:  "golf is not nature" and "for euphoria lasting more than four hours, check work email") .....

If this is not clickable for you or to see it bigger, click here instead

This guy in downtown Banff must have seen the commercial as he has the right idea:  Feeling down? .... climb a tree and jump off!

We had a "charming" little miracle when Philip prepared our traditional Sunday morning lattes (yes we have a latte maker in the RV, don't judge), looked down, and a Lucky Charm had magically appeared in the foam!  Whoa!!!  

As we head to the even bigger city of Calgary to take part in the Stampede festivities with a million of our closest friends, we are hoping this brings good luck and a lot of patience!