Trip Itinerary
Friday, August 29th
- Flew into Las Vegas
- Got rental car and drove north on I-15 to Utah
- Checked into motel in Cedar City and found a place to have dinner
- Picked up supplies at Walmart
Saturday, August 30th
- Got up at sunrise and drove to Cedar Breaks National Monument
- Continued driving through Dixie National Forest in route to Bryce Canyon
- Red Canyon had interesting rock formations (lunch at Ruby's Inn)
- Arrived at Bryce Canyon National Park
- Drove road to end of park and then stopped at viewpoints on way back
- Checked into Bryce Canyon Lodge
- Checked out viewpoints around amphitheater
- Tried to have dinner at snack bar (not good)
Sunday, August 31st
- Got up early to go hiking (first was trail closed)
- Headed down from Sunrise point to Queens Garden
- Hiked 5 miles of Peekaboo Loop trail
- Had lunch at Ruby's Inn and hiked the Mossey Cave trail
- Took short nap
- hiked down again on the Navajo Loop trail through Wall Street
- Went into town and had pizza dinner
Monday, September 1st (Labor Day)
- Left Bryce Canyon and took US Hwy 89 to Zion (tree covered limestone bluff just like Mississippi River valley)
- Arrived at Zion National Park and really enjoyed the rock formation along the Mount Carmel Highway
- Stopped at lookout with view of canyon and then went through tunnel
- Checked into Zion Lodge
- Hiked the Watchman trail (very hot, no shade)
- Had dinner and rested for a bit
- Hiked up to the Emerald Pools
Tuesday, September 2nd
- Hiked up the Virgin River to the Narrows
- Meet other hiker and went about a mile above the Narrows
- Back to lodge for lunch and then some rest
- Went up canyon to take some pictures (started to rain)
- Rain created waterfall all along canyon walls, went back up to Emerald Pools
Wednesday, September 3rd
- Left Zion Lodge and drove Kolob Road to Lava Point
- Camera broke and headed to St. George, UT to buy a new one
- Hand lunch and then drove to North Rim of Grand Canyon
- Checked into Lodge and had dinner
Thursday, September 4th
- Checked out all the view points on the peninsula
- Took lunch break and hiked a little down the North Kaibab Trail
- Went out on peninsula again stopped at Point Imperial and ruins
- Late afternoon rain didn't make for a dramatic sunset
Friday, September 5th
- Mule ride day to the bottom...
- Scariest thing I have ever done in my life!
- Mules walk on outside of narrow trail
- Sheer drop offs of several thousand feet
- Beautiful at the bottom, looking up at what everyone else looks down upon
- Rained on the ride back up, added fun
- Had nightmarish dreams during nap of falling
- Tried for sunset again Cape Royal
Saturday/Sunday, September 6th-7th
- Left North Rim and drove back to Zion
- Checked out formations along the Mount Carmel Highway again
- Went through tunnel again and then headed to Kobb Canyon unit of park
- Drove to viewpoints and snapped some pictures and hiked short trail (very few people around)
- Headed back to Las Vegas for flight home
- Had dinner on The Strip
- Redeye flight back to Minnesota
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