bryce canyon at sunrise

In June, when we drove cross-country with our grandson, we purchased a senior pass for the National Park System.  Good for a year from the month of purchase, it has to be one of the best deals around.  It costs $20 for a senior citizen and anyone in the car.  I think after five years of buying passes, your pass becomes good for the rest of your life.

Because we bought the pass in June, I was determined that we would visit at least one national park on our way home.  The park I chose was one that I hadn’t been to before.  Bryce Canyon was closest to our route and one with a lodge inside the park itself.

My little bit of research encouraged me to get there in time to see the sunset over the Hoodoos, the tall, irregular rock formations that live up to their “bewitching” name.  These formations are scattered all over the Colorado Plateau and the Badlands areas of the Northern Great Plains.  But the greatest concentration of Hoodoos is in Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah.  And while a sunset viewing is encouraged, the real magical bewitchment happens at sunrise.  On the day of our visit, that meant that we would need to awaken and be at the rim by 7:30 AM.  Fortunately, the rim was a five-minute walk from our room in the lodge. 

The air was chilly and crisp, cool enough that I strapped on my heating pad under my jacket.  That was just enough to take the stiffness out of my old back as we trekked over to grab a viewing point.  There was a moment of concern as we realized that there were clouds impeding the dawn.  But we waited for the sun to crest a bank of clouds and were not disappointed.  As the sun broke through, the gathering crowd erupted in spontaneous cheers and applause, and the Hoodoos put on their show, light seeming to emanate from within the white rocks, and the red rocks catching fire. 

And then it was over.  Back for breakfast and packing up the car in time for an early departure and on to our next stop.

Love, Liz