After packing up our campsite in Dixie National Forest in the early morning, we drove the hour into Bryce Canyon National Park to spend the morning walking around before we took off to our next locale. It was a short into a really wild looking park. Can’t wait to get back here and explore more.

The orange, red, and yellow “hoodoos” are wind and rain-carved masterpieces. We just did a short hike – some combo of several little routes between Sunrise and Sunset Points, mostly the Navajo Trail – but holy smokes it was like entering a different world. So happy we had breezy, overcast weather. It turned what could have been a hot and dry morning into a perfectly temperate and cool day. Also, the more time we’ve spent in various parks, the more I’m realizing that direct, midday sunlight is tough on the eyes and the camera (in that the brightness washes out some of the deep colors and depths of the landscapes), not to mention pale-skinned weaklings like myself. Dawn, dusk, and storms really bring the drama and light play in some of these stunning vistas and provide a little relief from the mid-summer heat.

We hiked straight down the switchbacks into “Bryce Amphitheater,” the canyon-y region that’s been carved out by the elements. Bryce was much less heavily trafficked than Zion, and we happily strolled down the switchbacks between two big families, one Indian and one American, who we exchanged pleasantries with, but thankfully we had no one “hiking through” or aggressively passing us.

A significant feature of all national parks, which is rarely treated in the guide books and pamphlets, is the visitors themselves. So far, we’ve mostly visited the different parks on the time we have off, spring break and summer, which also happen to be some of the busiest times in the national parks. One big reason I’m really excited to be moving west is that I’m hoping we’ll have more opportunity to visit some of the parks in the off season and get a feel for what they’re like when things are a little quieter and the trails are easier to travel at your own pace. While I’m looking forward to that, I’ve also really enjoyed getting to see all manner of different families, couples, and individual travelers. Our amazing variety of national parks draws all sorts of interesting characters, international families, and everyone in between. While it’s hard for me not to gripe about the frequent “bad behavior” of visitors (Who goes to a national park and then leaves a Wendy’s bag lying in the middle of the street? Who takes the time to hike a beautiful trail and leaves plastic water bottles strewn about? Who goes to view “wildlife” and then treats them like domesticated pets? A LOT OF PEOPLE IT TURNS OUT. IT STARTS TO DRIVE YOU FUCKING CRAZY), it’s also been an absolute blast to meet some of the adventurous folks that are coming from across the world to experience these beautiful places or exchange glances with a fellow traveler that’s as stunned by the views as you are. Solidarity with all my park people out there.

Ryan and I have both taken to doing some impressions based on a few of the common characters we’ve encountered. Ask me about my “Extra Friendly Midwestern Mom Who Loves Chatting in the Bathroom” (they’re all over, just the sweetest, and usually come in RV’s, sometimes minivans), my “German Hiking Woman With Really Expensive Gear Who’s Definitely Passing You On the Trail, You Better Move, No Seriously, Move” (also fairly common, usually travel in a Dart or Prius), or my “Exhausted Child Who is Super Pissed They are Being Forced to Hike This Quarter Mile Trail and Goddammit They’re Gonna Let You Know” (haven’t been to a park without excessive numbers of these, usually travel with overly optimistic parents who envisioned a very different experience).

Loved this magical place and its many characters, too. See you again soon, Bryce-y!