BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK

We left Zion on Monday and headed toward Bryce Canyon National Park.  We are staying at the Paradise RV Park in Panguitch, UT.  Mr. W had made reservations here because the reviews were good and the price was right.  After what we spent in Springdale, we needed a break.  This is really a nice RV park.  Some of the things here are old, such as the office and the bathhouses, but they are clean. We talked to a guy who has been coming here for 8 years and he said that the guy who owns it now bought it a few years ago and has been steadily updating everything.  We are paying $16 a night for full hook-ups with 50 amp.

Panguitch is about 30 miles from the entrance to Bryce Canyon.  It is a small town that looks like it had more going for it at one time, maybe fell on hard times, and is now trying to revitalize.  The funny thing is, we met a young couple on our cruise that was from Utah.  When we told them that we were going to Bryce, they immediately said to be sure and visit Panguitch.  That sort of took all the doubts Mr. W had about staying here.

After we got set up, we decided to drive to the park and take a look around.  Bryce also has a shuttle bus system.  I will say that they do not operate as efficiently as the shuttle bus system at Grand Canyon and Zion.  They say the wait is about 10 to 15 minutes, but it is more like 20 minutes.  Bryce is not as big as Zion.  It is also like Grand Canyon where you are at the top of the canyon and look down.  Zion, you were down in the canyon and were looking up.  Bryce also does not have very many shuttle stops.  I think there were only 4.  We stopped at Bryce Point and hiked the rim trail to Inspiration Point.  I think it was a little over a mile hike.  There were a lot of photo ops along the way.

 

This is called "The heart of Bryce Canyon"

After we reached Inspiration Point, we went back to the shuttle stop to wait for the bus.  This little guy was hanging around the shuttle stop because evidently the humans have been feeding him.  What was crazy about that was he saw my camera come up and it was as if he posed for the picture.  When I was done and went and sat down at the shuttle stop, he followed me over looking for food.  Who knew you could train a chipmunk?

We hopped on the shuttle and stopped at the Lodge.  Mr. W is on a quest to find the perfect national park lodge.  He wants to stay at a national park lodge someday but he wants to pick the perfect one.

The lobby

Don't you love it?

A meeting room and also the room that Rangers have their nightly programs.

Once we got our bearings, we decided it was time to go.  Bryce is not nearly as crowded as Zion so we decided to drive our own automobile into the park and we figured out a hike we want to take down into the canyon tomorrow.