Blogs from Springdale, Utah, United States, North America

It is hard to convey, but not to understand, the girls’ disappointment that yesterday was our last day of rocks. I mean, who wouldn’t love a holiday based on driving around with two engineering parents constantly pointing out the rock formations, how they’d formed, the stratification, the changes caused by heat and pressure...it’s the stuff of dreams!! So, we really tapped in to that when we told them that we were going to a ‘special rock museum’ to spend some time looking at rocks. In fact, we told them that we’d arranged for a special tour where they’d get a personalised three hour tour, walking around, looking at rocks. The gullible and trusting souls that they are still hadn’t twigged when we drove past the massive sign saying ‘Best Friends Animal Sanctuary’, all the while making ... read more

Springdale, Utah, 7 juillet Cette devise inscrite sur les plaques d'immatriculation de l'Utah m'avait d'abord accroché un sourire. Après près d'une semaine à enchaîner les merveille du sud de l'État, la chose m'apparaît en fait tellement représentative de ce l'on découvre ici. Les "mighty five" (les cinq parcs nationaux de l'Utah) sont à plusieurs égards incomparables et figurent parmi les merveilles naturelles de la planète, les superlatifs sont donc de mise: Canyonlands et ses vastes étendues élégamment grugées par la Green river et le fleuve Colorado, Arches et ses folles sculptures de pierre qu'aurait probablement adoré Alfred Pellan, Capitol Reef et son merveilleux et improbable oasis où l'on cueille les abricots, Bryce Canyon et ses falaises de "hoodoos" en technicolor et enfin Zion et son majestueux canyon. Toutes ces merveilles nous amènent dans une autre dimension, ... read more

Geo: 37.1825, -113.004We had a lot on our plate for today, so we were on the road at 8 AM and 61 degrees. The plan for today was ambitious…drive 3 hours to Bryce Canyon National Park, visit the park, then drive 2 hours to our hotel near Zion National Park, which we would visit on Saturday. Bryce is not a big park, so we felt it was doable, but there would be no time to spare. The drive to Bryce from Capital Reef was incredible. It took us through the Dixie National Forest, then through an immense canyon and ending up in Zion. The drive through the forest was very interesting. Most of the forest land is treed with white birch, one of my very favorite. They were standing tall, close together, reaching for the sun, ... read more

Geo: 37.1889, -112.999Die Frühaufsteher (alle die noch nie einen Sonnenaufgang im Grand Canyon gesehen haben) trafen sich um 05.30 Uhr, um in den Nationalpark zu fahren und den Sonnenaufgang zu erleben. die anderen sind in sich gegangen und haben Kräfte für den Tag gesammelt. Nach dem Frühstück starteten wir mit unseren Bikes und fuhren die ganze South Rim des Grand Canyons entlang, hielten an verschiedenen Aussichtspunkten und genossen die Eindrücke.Nachdem wir den Park verlassen haben, folgten wir erst der 64 East und später der 89 North und erfreuten uns an der endlosen Weite, den Canyons, der Sonne und am biken...der warme Wind der um die Ohren wehte, dazu das tiefe Brummen des Motors und das Gefühl von Freiheit....Unterwegs hielten wir, um zu tanken oder um spezielle Aussichtspunkte zu besuchen, dies u.a. auch in Page mit Blick ... read more

Zion National Park has a shuttle system and the first one leaves at 6pm. So we set the alarm for 5am (big mistake as we were all still so tired, but at least I got a great night’s sleep which makes a change), so we could get in early and beat the crowds and heat. We were waiting and waiting at the shuttle stop but soon realised that the shuttle didn’t start till 9am from town, but had to drive into the Visitor’s Centre to get the 6am shuttle from there. By the time we figured all this out we didn’t get the first shuttle till 8am so we could’ve had a bit of a sleep in afterall. Sigh! It was pretty amazing to be surrounded by the mountains of the national park. I don’t know ... read more