Bryce Canyon National Park (April 27)

Odyssey Unlimited description of today's activities: 

Despite its name, Bryce isn’t truly a canyon at all, but a series of natural cliffs and amphitheaters carved into the region’s plateaus. The result: a stunning array of hoodoos, natural stone pillars and spires reminiscent of a child’s drip sand castle, as we see today. Thousands of these delicate structures stand side by side along the canyon’s ridge lines, lending a dramatic atmosphere to this remote location. In the park’s visitor center, we see a film about the unusual geology here then have the day free to explore at our own pace. Our full day of natural splendor concludes with dinner together tonight.

- - - - -

Our hotel was located in ambitiously named Bryce Canyon City - population 224.  It is just outside the Dixie National Forest in which is Bryce Canyon National Park. 

We began our day in a horse-drawn wagon for a trip to the canyon rim.  

I hoped for...

...but got...

...which still made Pam happy.

The whole thing was a bit hokey, but the driver's stories were amusing and the views nice.  

After our wagon ride, we boarded our bus. Once inside the park, we went 11 miles to the southern end, climbing to 8,627 feet. There were patches of snow on the ground.

We were told that as recently as three weeks ago some of the roads in the park were impassable. 

Our first stop was Natural Bridge (which should be "arch" because it was formed by erosion rather than moving water).

As we drove toward our next stop, Bryce Point, we passed a forest fire area, the fire having been started by a lightning strike several years ago. 

Bryce Canyon has a lot of unique geology.  The amazing rock formations are called hoodoos.  The dolomite caps allow the Navajo Sandstone to erode away leaving the hoodoos.

note the walkers wading through mud and snow

It was one great view after another all the way to Sunrise Point.

We returned to Ruby's Inn General Store for late lunch on our own at the Cowboy's Buffet & Steak Room.  We then did some shopping in the massive general store before returning to the hotel for the afternoon.

  

We had a good dinner in the park at Bryce Canyon Lodge. The lodge was quaint, but did not offer a view of the hoodoos. We arrived close to dark.  By the time we headed back to the hotel it was pitch black and getting chilly.