USA Road Trip - Zion to Bryce Canyon

Day 14 - Helluva place to lose a Cow! - Off to Bryce Canyon 
Hoodoo at Bryce

If you had to design a Canyon to be a tourist attraction it would probably look something like Zion. Built in would be a tree lined river with steep rock faces in a nice warm colour. Unobtrusive development with just the shuttle served road and a decent Lodge with a Cafe and Restaurant and of course it would have loads of different Hiking options.
Meeting the locals
Time to move on though, next stop Bryce Canyon. Quite an easy drive today, only about 70 miles. We have not seen too many traditional US Diners on this trip but happily we found the Galaxy Diner in Hatch. Be rude not to stop off for a coffee and apple pie and to listen in on the locals conversations. Hatch is on quite a busy tourist route but prosperity looks to have passed it by. Not too far from the Canyons and some skiing so things might pick up. The population is only about 130 and at a deceptive 2,109 metres it must be bitterly cold in Winter.
Quick stop at Ruby's Inn near Bryce Canyon to check-in and get a spot of lunch. So good to get checked in early, meant we had the whole Afternoon and early Evening to explore the latest item of natural splendour. A bit of rain initially but it brightened up and became exceedingly pleasant.
Driving around the rim
TW on the edge
This Canyon was not carved out by a River. It is fantastic erosion show on the edge of a plateau. Water freezing and splitting the rocks and then washing the debris away causes the weird shapes. The spire-like pillars are called Hoodoos. Photos do not do Bryce justice. It is massive and impressive yet strangely delicate. We stopped at all the various viewpoints and took pics but the highlight was a walk into down into the bottom of the Canyon on the Queens Garden route.

Can see why Ebenezer Bryce, who the Canyon was named after, said it was a helluva place to lose a cow. Anyway, it was a helluva place to spend an afternoon.
Dinner in the busy Hotel Restaurant, was very good so, all told, one of the best days.
Good to be skinny round here

Where we stayed - http://www.rubysinn.com/  Bryce Canyon

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