Bryce Canon #1

On the Sunset Trail

"Mechanical weathering is the most important type of weathering at Bryce Canyon. On about 200 days a year the temperature rises above freezing during the day and drops below freezing at night.  During these freeze/thaw cycles, water seeps into cracks in the rock, expands as it freezes, and breaks apart the rock.

"Chemical weathering, while less important, also helps break down the rocks at Bryce Canyon. Water picks up weak acids from the air and soil, dissolving the calcium carbonate cement, which holds the clay, silt, and sand particles together. The particles then fall away, helping in a small way to shape the formations."
--Park plaque, Rainbow Point vista

Sonnet jogs by Snow College (“Your future starts here”; mascot, the fighting badger) in Richfield, Utah, as a tank pulls out from the campus centre, manned with a gunner.

Sonnet: "Then there was the western wear store selling tackle, clothing, feed and fencing."

Bryce Canyon #2

We walk the Sunset to Sunrise trail, which takes us from the upper edge of the Bryce Canyon (ampitheater) to below the hoodoos, or about a 5 mile, three hour hike in the 90-degree temperatures.

Museums: John Wesley Powell Museum, Green River, UT; Dinasaur Museum, Fruita, Colorado; History Museum, Grand Junction, CO; Uncompadre Natural History Museum (Grand Mesa, CO); Ute Museum, Montrose, CO

Bryce Canyon #3

Bryce Ampitheater 

Hot, tired and sweaty we enter Bryce Canyon at Sunset Point, perhaps the most famous of the 18 park vistas.  The "hoodoos," wacky-shaped pillars of rock formed by weathering and erosion, are magnificent, other-worldly. After Zion, Bryce is a colourful snap-to, more visually stimulating, without Zion's overwhelming scale. The grandeur equally awesome.

NB, Bryce is not actually a canyon but, instead, a bunch of horse-shoe ampitheaters along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. The rock predominantly hard limestone but includes siltstones and mudstones which erode more quickly, leaving us our view. The geography "born" 30-40 million years ago during the Claron Formation when most of Western Utah covered in an ancient lake.

Madeleine has rabbits on her mind. She wants one for London.

Madeleine: “What?! Aren’t you going to pay? [Dad’s note, we pull out of the Philips 76 where I have prepaid with my credit card]
Me: “No. It’s how we are saving some money. Hit the gas, Sonnet.”
Madeleine: “But you can’t just do that !”
Me: “I’m Dad. I can do anything.’
Sonnet: “Madeleine don’t listen to your father.”

Sacred Cliffs of Zion

Checkerboard Mesa

Entering Zion  from the east entrance, our first Holy Mackerel is the Checkerboard Mesa, a majestic criss-crossed mountain 900 feet above the Mt. Carmel Highway. The left to right deep scratches are due to a north to south wind direction while the vertical cracks are a result of weathering, a cycle of freezing and thawing.

Just beyond Checkerboard is the 1.1 mile Zion-Mount Carmel tunnel which, when completed in 1930, was the longest tunnel in the world, blasted through solid rock. The tunnel provides an easier way to access Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon parks. I am advised to remove my sunglasses. No shit.

Me: “How has the journey been so far?”

Madeleine: "Pretty good.""

Sonnet: "Pretty good ?!"

Madeleine: "It’s been great. Accept for the hiking and biking and stuff.”

Eitan: "Awesome. Ooo I have 'Family Guy!" [Dad’s note: Kids banned from electronics since the Grand Canyon. Eitan has is iPod back today. 'Family Guy' is an adult cartoon show.]

Me: "Other than your iPod."

Eitan: “It’s been amazing. Trip of a lifetime."

Coral Pink Sand Dunes

Sunset on Utah

The Shakespeares want McDonald's so we hit the golden arches: $30 for two kids, which is a lot of chicken McNuggets. We dump them at the hotel and head for the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park to watch the sunset followed by an adults-only dinner (three hours later, Madeleine: "Did you get lost or something ?")

The Coral Pinks, for their part, created around 15,000 years ago by the erosion of pink-colored Navajo Sandstone. High winds passing through a notch between the Moquith and Moccasin Mountains deposit loose sand particles further building the dunes.

Some local shops on 89N and 70E: The Shave ‘n Cream; Dairy Freeze “A great place to eat”; Wheelers Drive-In and Malt Shop; Miller’s Ice Cream and Drive Through; and the Quick-n-serve "Where Plain Folks Are Served Good Food"

Eitan Checks Out The Scene, #2

North Rim Lodge - up and at em

At Le Fevre Overlook, 6700 feet, in Kaibab National Forrest we come across The Antelope Vendor Association, a non profit organization selling Native American beads and necklaces.
Madeleine: “That’s a nice necklace.”
Antelope vendor: “I can do $35 on that one.”

Me: “And that is one organization that will be staying non profit.”

Eitan Checks Out The Scene, #1

 Imperial Point

The nearly 40 major sedentary rock layers exposed in the GC range from 200 million to ca. 2 billion years old.  The rock and other deposits (compressed by gravity over millions of years) formed in warm, shallow seas and near ancient, long-gone seashores in western USA.

The serenity broken by a geo uplift 75 million years ago creating a plateau two miles above sea level. From 6 million years ago, the Gulf of California enabled a large river to cut its way northeast from the gulf, capturing the older drainage systems, to form the Colorado River, which in turn started to form the Grand Canyon.

Wetter climates brought upon by ice ages starting 2 million years ago increased excavation of the Grand Canyon, which was nearly as deep as it is today by 1.2 million years ago. Volcanic activity deposited lava over the area 1.8 million to 500,000 years ago. At least 13 lava dams blocked the Colorado River, forming lakes that were up to 2,000 feet deep. Earthquakes and human activities (Glen Canyon Dam, etc) have reduced the Colorado River's ability to excavate the canyon.
(Sources, park brochures and wiki)

More GC

This reminds me of Walking Man.

Here are some museums we have gone by so far:

Air Force Museum (Brigham Young), Potato Museum (Idaho), Oneida Pioneer Museum (Idaho), Animal Art Museum (Jackson Hole),  Ranger’s Museum (Yellowstone), The Museum of Ancient Life (Salt Lake City), Natural History Museum (Salt Lake City), The Springfield Art Museum (outside Provo, Utah) displaying a quilt show; The Fairview Art & History Museum (Fairview, Utah); Salinas Historical Museum (Utah); Fremont Indian Reserve Museum (Outside Richfield, Utah)’ Little Hollywood “Free Museum”; Red Peblo Museum (Fredonia, AZ)

Sonnet: “The Potato Museum would have been good.”

North Rim Action

Point Imperial

It is over 100+ degrees - hot as hell (me, all black). 

The drops on the North Rim put my nuts in my stomach : sometimes 2000 feet or more (Sonnet can barely drive the car around the tight curves). The GC's highest point, Point Imperial, is 8,803 feet and overlooks the Painted Desert and the eastern end of Grand Canyon. Here the canyon transforms as the narrow walls of Marble Canyon (behind us) visible only as a winding gash then opens dramatically to become "grand." Layers of red and black Precambrian rocks add contrast and color.

Over 5,000,000 people visit the GC while the North Rim less populated since more difficult to access.  The distance between the North and South Rim is about 10 miles but 215 to drive.

Grand Canyon - First Look

View from the North Rim

We make the Grand Canyon by sunset and stay at the Grand Canyon Lodge at the Bright Angel Point - the canyon's haze due to a controlled fire visable in the distance. The lodge built in 1927-28 by the Utah Parks Company then burned to the ground in 1932 and rebuilt in 1936-37 with the original canyon stonework.  

For us and millions, the first view of the canyon thru the lodge's majestic front lobby which opens like a canvas (the canyon otherwise cloaked from the road by forrest pine). Seating grounds allow us to read and relax before dinner. Even the jaded Shakespeares impressed.

Eitan, Madeleine, driving by the Great Salt Lake : "I’m hungry. Can we have a snack? " 

Sonnet: “You can have some fruit. Or carrots."

Eitan, Madeleine:

Me: "Remember what those are?"

Sonnet: "Absolutely no cookies. Those are a treat. For later."

Eitan: “I’m going to have some Wheat Thins with peanut butter.”

Madeleine: “I’m going to have some peanut butter on bananas.”

Me: “Classic.”

Big Rock Candy Mountain

Bike crew

"Big Rock Candy Mountain" first recorded by Harry McClintock in 1928 as a folksong of a hobo's idea of paradise with booze and cigarette trees and hens laying soft boiled eggs. .. I never imagined I would one day be here, which is just north of Marysvale, Utah, near the Fishlake National Forest.  Our bike ride along the the Sevier River about 12 miles as the crow flies. Afterwards we jump in the river and Madeleine mortified when I go natural and give her the rain dance. Dad's prerogative.

James Garner of the Rockford Files dies.

Sonnet: "Have either of you guys had a teacher that has made a boring subject interesting?"
Madeleine: "Mr Beatty. He made Ireland interesting." [Dad's note: Mr Beatty was Madeleine's year-6 teacher and Irish]
Me: "Oh? What did you learn about Ireland?"
Madeleine:
Me: "One thing. Please."
Madeleine: "I learned that there is a town there called Gaelic."
Me:
Madeleine: "What's so funny?"

Fairfield, UT

The Home Plate Diner

We are meant to be in at the Fairfield Inn in Richfield but end up in Fairfield (Utah) because that is what is put into the sat-nav. Bummer following a five hour drive but we make lemonade, staying at a perfectly nice motel (The "Skyline" Inn) and dining at the 100% legitimate roadside diner (some grubby kids eat pancakes for dinner, the old timers lined up at the counter, cowboy or baseball hats, discussing local news, eating pie and drinking coffee).

By chance, the town rodeo in full swing and we join for the final action – bull tackling and lassoing and, of course, bucking bronco. This is real America. One of the best nights so far.

Sonnet entranced by the rodeo clothes. The young boys/men with their best cowboy boots and hats; the girls in colourful shirts, jeans or shorts and (of course) cowboy boots.  It’s a real scene, too, with a couple thousand people, bright lights, American flags and bunting and the concessions underneath the stands.  Not a peep otherwise inside town as everyone here.

Me: “I love this place. What beer do you have?”

Waitress: “We don’t serve beer Sir.”

Me:  “We’re outta here.” [Dad’s note: Most of Utah is dry thanks to the Mormons]

On The Road Again

7AM, up and at 'em

We detour off Route 15 to bike into Provo Canyon (Provo home of Utah Valley University) which offers vertical granite walls and one spectacular waterfall. Our bike trail meanders alongside a brook filled with trout which can be seen from the trail.

Our attractive and young morning waitress (Eitan has buckwheat pancakes with blueberry syrup which brings to mind the marvelously racist “Sambo’s” chain which once served five syrup flavors before the restaurant hidden away forever) tells us the Big Rodeo, which the locals are gunning for,  is in Las Vegas. She notes that the cattle roping, which took 5+ seconds last night (front and hind quarters on a fast moving animal), is done in 2.3 seconds in Vegas. She grew up in Fairview, and did one year of university at Utah Valley. 

Madeleine: “If you were going to name me something other than Madeleine, Ava or Hannah, what would it be?” [Dad’s note: Madeleine named after Madeleine Vionnet]

Me: “I like Abby or Ada. We do have an ancient European Jewish last name afterall."

Madeleine: “Yeah.”

Me: “I noticed you now introduce yourself as ‘Maddy’. Is this what you are going by  these days?"

Madeleine: “Only outside our family.”

Me: “Maddy Orenstein. I like it.”

Idaho Falls

The falls of Idaho Falls

Idaho Falls is located on the snake river, which we have followed since the Tetons, and there are, indeed, falls in the (now) historic old village where we have dinner (Madeleine wants sushi, we go for Mexican family).  

Idaho Falls the kind of town that has an ancient water tower, drive-in movie theatre and Viet Nam/ Korean war memorial.  There are a lot of franchises outlets on the main strip, which runs for miles.  The first toll bridge in America in Idaho Falls which opened in 1877, replacing  the ferry boat which shuffled people nine miles along the river from 1868.

Here are some of the roadside icons we have passed (and counting) and familiar to every American driver - what I love is that many of these brands are a holdover from the 1950s. 

Restaurants: A&W, Arby’s, Subway, TacoTime, Taco Bell, Sizzler, Outback Steakhouse, iHop, Starbucks, 7-11, Chilli’s, Panda Express, McD, Burger King, Wendy’s, KFC, Denny’s, Carl’s Jr

Gas: Sonoco, Phillips 76, Chevron, Sinclair (the dinosaur), Exxon

Hotels: Comfort Inn, Motel 6, Holiday Inn, Best Westin, Day’s Inn, LaQuinta Suites

Stores: Target, Staples, Walmart,  UHAUL, The Home Depot