Snow Canyon and Bryce Canyon Memories

Earlier this month, my husband and I enjoyed a trip to Bryce Canyon.  On the way (from Vegas), we stopped in for a couple of days in St. George Utah, and enjoyed the Snow Canyon State Park, and the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area.  What a beautiful area.  Coming from the rainy and lush Pacific Northwest, I can never get enough of those red rocks, and the blue skies.

We have been to Bryce Canyon probably 4 times now, and I am always impressed by how spectacular it is.  Unfortunately, photos don't do it justice, you need to visit to truly enjoy it.  But here is my attempt to share some of the beauty of that amazing place :

I have also been to Grand Canyon twice, and to me, Bryce Canyon is more beautiful.  In terms of its vivid colours and God-created sculptures (hoodoos and arches and other funky rock formations), and Bryce feels so personal and accessible.  The U.S. National Park Service has done a great job at making so much of it accessible by paved roads and lookout points.  But there are also a number of trails down into the heart of the canyon.  In an hour or less, you can be down at the floor of the canyon, with hoodoos surrounding and towering over you.

You pass through magical archways...

...and see beauty all around.

I am fascinated by the trees there, how they survive under what seems to be very harsh conditions:

I am also amused by the rock formations, some which look to be stone carvings, this one of a large hawk, overlooking the path through the canyon (do you see him, looking to the left?):

This one looked strikingly like Joseph, holding the Christ Child, being visited by the Wise Men:

Just in case you haven't spotted them, here they are :

And there's always cute wildlife to spot along the way :

I hope to visit Bryce Canyon and that surrounding area many more times in my lifetime.

The Snow Canyon State Park (Utah) and the adjacent Red Cliffs National Conservation Area was also very beautiful, and offered up some surprises, too, such as these dinosaur tracks which we were fortunate to spot along on of the hikes :

The scenery there was also very photogenic, and as I am a plant-lover, many of my photos also showcase the beautiful plants surviving and blooming in what is fairly desert-like conditions:

If you haven't visited this area, it is worth checking out, along with the amazing Arches, Canyonlands, and Zion National Parks, as well as the funky Goblin Valley State Park.  Oh, and Grand Canyon, too, while you're in the area.