8. Bryce Canyon and a Covered Wagon

 It was time to leave Zion. We were packed up and ready to head out. I can’t even tell you how sad I felt inside. Actually, everyone can relate to this feeling. We’ve all had a place, or even just an experience that we’re sad to leave. I’m sure you can conjure up that feeling. 

Suitcases zipped and thrown back into the car, we still had exciting things ahead of us- but we’d be leaving what felt like a bubble. I was hesitant to pop that bubble. Could we ever come back, would we ever find a bubble like this again? Zion is like the natural world’s equivalent to Disneyland. You step into a different world where the outside just doesn’t exist. 

As hesitant as I was to leave I was also excited by what the rest of our road trip had in store. I mean, we still had a covered wagon to stay in- who isn’t excited about that?! But, I’m getting ahead of myself. 

Coffee in hand we set off for Bryce Canyon via State Route 9 (aka Zion Park Scenic Byway). Have you ever been on CA Hwy 1- that glorious route that follows the coastline? Well, the part of State Route 9 that bisects the park (Zion-Mount Carmel Highway) rivals CA Hwy 1 in it’s beauty.  You wind your way through Zion Valley and ascend 800ft on the switchbacks in Pine Creek Canyon to the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. The Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel is quite the achievement. Completed in 1930, the only change in 90 years has been the addition of concrete ribs to help support the tunnel’s entire length. There are several galleries (or holes in the tunnel) for ventilation and light along the length of it. The views from these galleries are amazing but unfortunately for us parking was removed from inside the tunnel several decades ago. No parking means there is no stopping while in the tunnel- traffic moves pretty slow though so you can still get a good view from the galleries as you go along. 

Emerging from the tunnel we headed east through the unique landscape of the Checkerboard Mesa area. Formed by the heat of the days and cooling nights, as well as water and wind, the weathering of the rock looks alive. You can see every line and imagine the wind caressing the surface wearing the undulating grooves into the sandstone. 

Checkerboard Mesa

Checkerboard Mesa

 As quickly as we were surrounded by sandstone mountains we found ourselves in flat prairie just rolling along our way to the Mt Carmel Junction onto Hwy 89. We were eager to get to Bryce Canyon and also some food! I had high hopes and even higher expectations.

Looking back I can say with confidence that we didn’t give Bryce Canyon a fair shake. We were tired, hungry, cold and frankly just cranky. This had a lot to do with our impressions of Bryce Canyon. If we thought Zion was busy,                                                                                                                                                                                                       Bryce was overflowing. To top it off a lot of the trails we wanted to do were closed. That’s a big thing with both of these parks. Make sure to do your research- trails are often closed, some long term- be diligent in checking before you actually arrive. As I’m sure you guessed, Bryce did not win our hearts. Is it stunning? Yes! More stunning than Zion? No. Well, actually that’s subjective of course. The problem is, we had big expectations. Bryce was really talked up to us from lots of people so I dreamed big. I think if we had been able to hike the trails we had wanted to do, I would have very different impressions. Also, I think if we had stayed within the park,either camping or at the lodge we would have fallen in love with it. 

As it was, we seemed to hit roadblock after roadblock once we arrived within the park. Trails were closed, parking lots full, restaurants either closed or so crowded there was no hope of a meal. It took ages and lots of driving in circles before we found a place to park. We were frustrated and losing patience by the minute. 

After unsuccessfully trying to get food at two different places we took our hungry, grouchy selves to Sunset Point to finally take in some views and try our hand at hiking a trail. Rule number one: do not, I repeat, do not decide to go hiking when you’re already hungry and grumpy! What on earth were we thinking? We found ourselves on the rim trail overlooking the gorgeous canyon below. We were not completely immune to Bryce’s charms, even in our state we could appreciate the scene set before us. The rusty oranges and salmon tinted whites of the sandstone, the dark green of the pines, the deep cerulean blue of the sky- colors I will not soon forget. 

Because we were already at the trail head for the Queens Garden we decided to start there. We realized fairly quickly that this was not going to be a quick jaunt. There was a line forming to even start the trail. I’ve since learned that this is not an uncommon event at both Zion and Bryce. These places and trails are so popular that you have to shuffle along at the trail head much like lining up for Trader Joe’s in the pandemic. Once you get further along the trail it opens up and you can start to get some space between yourselves and the others on the trail. Being in the mood we were already in this kind of sent us into overdrive. Much like toddlers who are overdue for a nap, a meltdown from one or both of us was on the horizon. 

To curb the inevitable eruption, we both agreed to abandon the hike and head for the general store- our last hope for some form of food. If you’ve ever been camping before or stayed an extended period in a national park you will know that the general or camp stores located in those places are some of the most expensive stores you could walk into. It is no exaggeration to say that it cost us almost $50 to walk out with a loaf of bread, peanut butter, jelly, chips and some drinks. We were so hungry at that point we didn’t care. We used coffee stir sticks to spread the peanut butter and jelly and stuffed our faces back at our car. Our moods changed almost instantly. But what didn’t change was our attitude towards the crowded trails and our general disappointment with Bryce. 

Our accommodation for the night was back towards Zion, which was an accident on my part. For some reason when I was researching it, it looked more centrally located between the two parks. Boy was I wrong! It was only a 14 minute drive from the East Entrance Ranger Station of Zion, but a 90 minute drive from Bryce! Knowing we had to backtrack and also knowing that we couldn’t check in to our accommodation for a few hours we decided to leave Bryce and go back to Zion. We did not make this decision without feeling quite guilty. But our hearts were back in Zion and I’m afraid that Bryce never stood a chance. 

Once back within the boundaries of Zion National Park we both felt weights lifted from our shoulders and sighs of contentment leave our lips. If we had been able to cancel the coming days accommodations without paying penalties we would have just stayed in Zion a few more days- it was clear to us that it has become one of our happy places. We parked ourselves back at Perks for coffee and took in the scenery. Deep breath in, deep breath out. 

After a couple of hours just soaking up the last of Zion it was time for us to head to our resting place for the night. This is the part of our trip that everyone wants to hear about. I’ve told this story so many times but it still feels fresh. It sticks out in both of our memories. Let’s just say that one of us left feeling excited by the adventure we had and one of us wanted to see it in the rear view mirror never to be seen again. 

We pulled into Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort around 5pm with plenty of daylight left. When researching accommodation for this trip I knew that at least one of the nights I wanted to be some kind of glamping experience. I was looking for yurts but was happy to settle for a cabin. We ended up with a covered wagon! I knew the second I saw the Conestoga covered wagons on the Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort website that I’d found even more than what I’d hoped for! Daniel was skeptical from the beginning. I set about trying to convince him with the story of my ancestors traveling from Texas to California in a covered wagon in 1868. “It’s in my blood,” I said. “I need to honor them by doing this.” I’m pretty sure he rolled his eyes. He’s used to me suggesting weird things and he’s used to retreating and letting me have my way. After all, I would never put us in an unsafe situation or anything *too* rustic (at least on purpose! Cue honeymoon trip where we stayed in a lighthouse and a mouse ran across our room). I do like my creature comforts. 

I was buzzing with excitement as we checked in. The woman helping us explained all that was available at the resort which covers 4,000 acres and sits 6,500 feet above sea level. We were not far from the main road but everywhere the eye could see was wilderness. Had I realized how nice the resort itself was I would have booked a second night to use the amenities. They had a zip line, swimming pool, Jeep tours, canyoneering, horseback riding, guided hiking and so much more than we had time for. 

Pulling up to the covered wagon I was grateful we were there in the off season. There are 6 Conestoga wagons which are spaced pretty close together. We were the only ones in the wagons so we had that corner of the resort to ourselves. Since we were in off season the wagons hadn’t been used or aired out since probably the year prior. That was my only complaint. Those wagons smelled terrible. They smelled like treated wood- like varnish and dusty canvas. It was overpowering. We immediately opened the flaps to the wagon to try to air it out in the hopes that by the time we were ready to pack it in for the night that it wouldn’t be overwhelming.

Because we were only staying one night in the wagon we didn’t bring firewood or food for the whole glamping experience-but there was a great fire pit in front of the wagon and if we’d been there longer we would have taken full advantage of that. I can imagine what the whole resort is like in the summer. I can see a bustling place with lots of campers laughing and making s’mores. Going with a large group would be the most fun. 

Let’s talk about the down side and the reason why I’m lucky that my husband is still on speaking terms with me. I am California born and bred. I’ve never lived anywhere besides the temperate central coast of that state. What are we known for? Our Mediterranean climate. We are one of the few places outside the actual Mediterranean basin to have this climate. Why is this important to our story? Well, I forget that a good portion of the rest of the world has distinct seasons and “real” weather. In early May in most of California it is typically a pleasant 70-75 degrees F with chilly nights but not cold- nothing a heavy blanket can’t take care of. Utah? Well, Utah is not a Mediterranean climate as we all know. And you know what I forgot to do? Check the nighttime temperature! My friends, it was cold. Very cold, some might say freezing. 

When getting ready for bed that night we switched on the electric heater provided and trudged up a slope to the communal bathrooms. I’m going to take a minute to wax poetic about these bathrooms. Normally communal bathrooms give me anxiety. I hate using restroom stalls when there are other people in the room. I genuinely stress about having to use bathrooms that aren’t completely private and enclosed when I’m on vacation. When faced with a communal bathroom while camping or traveling I will time my bathroom visits to be at odd times just so I’m alone. Midnight? Sure! 2pm when everyone’s gone out hiking? Even better! Boy, do I mess up my body’s usual schedule when a communal bathroom is involved. This bathroom was no different in that sense- so why am I even bringing this up?  Because they were heated. Glory of glories, they were warm and toasty! I could have stayed in that bathroom all night. In fact I did have a midnight jaunt just to escape the freezing temperatures. 

That little heater tried it’s hardest. I was nervous to keep it on all night because it smelled of burnt dust. I couldn’t stop imagining the whole wagon going up in flames. We took every blanket off of the bunk beds in the wagon and piled them onto the queen bed we were sleeping in. After a while our combined body heat under the massive pile of blankets kept us comfortable, except for our heads. Oh man, they aren’t kidding when they say body heat escapes from the top of your head. I think my nose was frozen and it felt like someone had placed an ice cube on the crown of my head. I woke in the middle of the night to find Daniel rummaging through the hamper of clean towels to wrap a towel turban style on his head. I wish I had gotten a picture of what I woke up to the next morning. A sleeping husband under a mound of blankets with a large white towel wrapped around his head. Needless to say when he saw that I was awake and looking at him he was not amused by the situation. 

Daniel said never again and I said I would do it in summer. Looks like I’ll need to find another Conestoga wagon buddy next time. 

After a hearty and plentiful breakfast at the resort restaurant we set off for Flagstaff Arizona and our eventual home for the night: Sedona. 

Marble Canyon Dam

The Grand Canyon as viewed from SR 89

Sedona deserves it’s own post so I’ll leave that for next time but let’s talk about Flagstaff. I didn’t know what to expect, my only experience with Arizona before this was the Grand Canyon and looking out the windows at Phoenix airport. Flagstaff is like neither of these things. After driving through red rock deserts, tablelands, far off canyons and putting the air conditioning on full blast Flagstaff was like landing on another planet. First of all it’s started raining about 5 miles before we got to the city limits. We left the hot desert and found ourselves shivering in a Ponderosa pine forest. I was not prepared for this at all! We stopped for sandwiches at the Crystal Creek Sandwich Co. and hastily rummaged through our luggage to find our warmer layers, all the while getting soaked because we didn’t have an umbrella. Fortunately for us the rain stopped by the time we parked downtown and set out to explore the town. 

Driving into rainy Flagstaff

I find that coffee is a food group, so my first order of business when we parked was to find a coffee shop. Like all good college towns with a hipster contingent there were plenty to choose from in the historic downtown. Flagstaff is charming. It’s full of pro athletes from the worlds of running and cycling, who live and train here due to its high altitude. The town just exudes health and vitality.  It’s safe to say that we fell in love with Flagstaff. We were checking Zillow before we even left the coffee shop.

It’s too bad we didn’t know how much we were going to like it in Flagstaff. I wish we had stayed there for the night and explored it more. I’d really like to go back, spend some meaningful time there and see if we still feel as strongly about it now as we did then. For now it remains in our top 5 places. 

I packed my dreams in my back pocket, hopped back into the car to  descend into the Verde Valley and the woo woo capital of the world: Sedona. 

On the AZ-89A from Flagstaff to Sedona