Zion / Bryce Canyon / Las Vegas 2023


In June I went with my close friends John and Camille to the southwest for hiking in Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks, plus an astronomy festival in Bryce Canyon. I had never been to either of these parks or even the state of Utah (except maybe a flight layover in Salt Lake City), so here was an opportunity for some new experiences.

Tuesday June 13. They picked me up at oh-dark-thirty and we arrived at BWI by 4:30 AM. I'd brought a bag of food for the trip, and all of it got through security except the yogurt. We flew Southwest to Las Vegas, where we had been in 2022. I was sleepy on both legs of the flight due to waking up at 1:45 AM, but I can never sleep on a plane because it's so uncomfortable. Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport has slot machines because God forbid one flies to Vegas without being able to gamble every single second.


We retrieved our luggage and got in a long line for a car rental shuttle bus, which dropped us off at a place where we took another shuttle to Fox Rent a Car. Camille got our vehicle (a 4Runner), and in fact had planned this entire trip. This was the first trip I'd taken since my childhood that I didn't do any planning for. While waiting, I perused the local brochures and found this:


Our first stop: Beer Zombies, a brewery that has many guest draughts. It has 5 locations; we were at their Dean Martin location (so-called because it's on Dean Martin Drive). This is a small place with 23 taps or so. We met the owner, Chris Jacobs, who travels to Maryland to do collaborations with RaR and Burley Oak. We sampled:


Then we picked up food, water, ice, and wine at Walmart; and beer at Liquor Lineup. We drove northeastward out of Nevada, through the very northwest corner of Arizona (another state I'd never been to), and into southwest Utah.


We arrived at the Zion visitors center shortly before 5:00 PM and got information on the shuttle service and hiking trails. We set up camp at Watchman Campground on the other side of the Virgin River. Here is a brief video of part of the river near the visitors center.


We ate dinner and hiked part of the Watchman Trail and a little bit of the Pa'rus Trail.


On the way back to camp we saw a mule deer. There were quite a few of these in the area, and they were used to people.


Then we saw a ranger presentation on dinosaur tracks and went to bed before 10:00. I was wired and couldn't fall asleep for quite a while.


Wednesday June 14. Slept fitfully until about 3:00 AM. Lay in my tent for a few hours. It was cool, dry, and windy out. Eventually John and Camille woke up. At 7:11 we walked over to the visitors center, rode the shuttle to The Grotto, and hiked up to Scout Lookout. There were many steep areas and many hikers.

John and Camille on Walter's Wiggles, named after Zion's first superintendent, Walter Ruesch.



It took an hour to get to Scout Lookout. From that point there is a half-mile treacherous climb to Angels Landing that a permit is required to do. It's so popular that there is a lottery to get permits. We met a guy from Virginia who had a permit for him and his son (each permit holder is allowed to bring someone), but his son didn't make it, so I went as his "other". Turns out there weren't any rangers checking for permits, so anyone could have gone to Angels Landing. Anyway, a lot of people were on this trail. Much of it has chains to help folks climb. It is challenging and has spectacular views. I made it up and back in a little over an hour; it wouldn't have taken so long if I hadn't had to wait as people were coming the other way. I met a few Marylanders on both Angels Landing and Scout Lookout.


Then we hiked back down to The Grotto.


At noon we hiked the Kayenta Trail to some "emerald pools". Normally we could have just taken the shuttle there, but the bridge at that stop was out, so we did a steep, rocky schlep in the early afternoon sun along with a lot of other people. The pools weren't that impressive but there were some great views along the way. This exemplifies how, in life, the journey is often better than the destination. First, here are the pools (destination):


Now, here are a couple of views along the way (journey):


We got back to The Grotto before 2:00 and took the shuttle to the Zion Human History Museum to peruse it and watch a video. Here is a panoramic view from outside of it:


Camille took this video:


John and I shuttled back to the visitors center, where I availed myself of the wifi, uploaded my photos and videos, and posted to Facebook. Then I met him at the campsite. A little while later Camille joined us. John and I bathed in the river, and Camille went to a nearby outfitter to pay $4 for a 5-minute shower. Then we had dinner and made sandwiches for the next day. A mule deer walked right by our campsite.


At 7:30 we walked just outside the park to Zion Brewery. All their beers are 5% ABV because Utah law forbids any draft beer to exceed that. We got a sampler consisting of:


We came back to the campsite and hit they hay around 9:00.


Thursday June 15. Slept fairly well, which made sense because I had gotten only 3 hours of sleep in over 45 hours. Woke up between 4:00 and 5:00 AM. Substantial rain was forecast for the afternoon through the following afternoon both here and in Bryce Canyon, so we were lucky that we would be staying in a lodge that night. At 8:15 we left...


...and drove through the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel, which is normally two-way, except for oversize vehicles, in which case traffic is stopped coming the other way and oversize vehicle owners pay a toll because they disrupt traffic. We parked on the other side of the tunnel and hiked the Canyon Overlook Trail.

The main overlook.


We continued onward out of the park.


Just before exiting the park we came upon Checkerboard Mesa, pictured on the left below. The name stems from the cliff's distinctive multitudinous check lines in white sandstone that give the impression of a checkerboard. The horizontal lines are caused by cross-bedding, a remnant of ancient sand dunes. The vertical lines formed by the contraction and expansion of the sandstone caused by temperature changes, freezing and thawing cycles, wetting, and drying.


At 11:15 we arrived at Red Hollow, a little-known place on the way to Bryce Canyon with a trail that leads to a nice slot canyon. The trailhead is marked by a couple of cairns.


It leads down to a sandy riverwash littered with horse poop, making for a smelly, difficult walk, and the hot sun made it even more unpleasant, but it was worth it because there was some nice scenery...


...and the slot canyon was way cool.


On the walk back, storm clouds started rolling in. We stopped in Orderville for groceries and ice, then headed north. By 1:00 it was cloudy and rainy. We stopped at a state liquor store (Utah has about 40 of them) that was past our destination because it's difficult to find liquor stores in Utah (I suppose because it's Mormon country). Beers at this store were sold by the can/bottle, i.e., there was no discount for buying a 6- or 12-pack. We picked out some craft beers, then headed toward Bryce Canyon. On the way we passed through Red Canyon, which is part of the Dixie National Forest. We stopped at the Losee Canyon Trailhead, which has several trails, and hiked the Arches Trail. This area of the country is known for various rock formations, including hoodoos.


When we left at 3:30 it started raining. We drove to Bryce Canyon National Park, which was declared a national monument 100 years earlier by Warren G. Harding (it was upgraded to a national park 5 years later). We stopped at the visitors center to pick up some maps, get hiking information, and see the displays. It was considerably cooler here than in Zion due to the greater elevation (8000 feet). We stopped by the campsite we'd reserved for three nights starting tonight in case the weather was agreeable, then drove to Bryce View Lodge just outside the park and checked in. It was nice to have a room with a shower, hot water, heat, and light. It was too cloudy for stargazing, so tonight's portion of the astronomy festival was cancelled. We had a nice relaxing evening drinking beer and planning our next few days' hikes.


Friday June 16. Woke up between 4:00 and 5:00 again after a fairly good sleep. Bryce Canyon Lodge had given us a coupon for a free buffet breakfast at nearby Ruby's Inn (Ruby's owns several places including the place we stayed at), so we partook. We also reserved another night in our room because although we'd planned to camp that night, more rain was in the forecast and the temperature was supposed to drop below 40 degrees. After breakfast Camille went to the park to get tickets for a talk that was scheduled for that evening, and John and I walked back to the lodge. Eventually Camille picked us up and we dropped the vehicle at our campsite and hiked the Rim Trail to Sunrise Point.


Then we hiked down the Queen's Garden Trail.


It was cloudy and it rained a bit. Eventually we got to the Navajo Loop Trail, which took us up through some picturesque scenery, including a section called Wall Street, which is Bryce Canyon's only slot canyon.


Then it was up a series of switchbacks, which were muddy because the rain had picked up.


We made it to Sunset Point at 12:45.


Within 15 minutes the rain got heavier, so we rode the shuttle to Bryce Canyon Lodge, which is a nice motel within the park that has a dining room and a fireplace. We hung out in the lobby for a bit, then shuttled to the visitors center and walked to our campsite. We set up my tent because even though we wouldn't be staying there that night, we were told that if a site is uninhabited for two nights in a row, it can be be rented to someone else, even though it's already been paid for. After that we came back to Bryce View Lodge, had some beers, relaxed, and napped. At about 8:15 we went to the park to hear a talk on astronomy and mythology. Audience members were asked to act the parts of mythological beings. I played the part of the sea monster Cetus.


Then we caught the tail end of a presentation about the James Webb Space Telescope. Stargazing was "officially" canceled again due to cloudiness, but we went to the stargazing area and found that about half a dozen telescopes had been set up by astronomy enthusiasts because the sky was clearing. We saw several galaxies, clusters, and stars through the telescopes. My favorite was Messier 51 (The Whirlpool Galaxy). We stayed until just past midnight.

Then we went to the Rim Trail near our campsite and looked at stars. The sky was fairly clear directly above us even though there were clouds in the distance. We were able to locate Arcturus and the North Star via the Big Dipper thanks to the talk we'd attended earlier.


Saturday June 17. Up before dawn again. It was a beautiful cloudless morning. We packed and left. Today's complimentary breakfast was at Ebenezer's Barn and Grill, a nearby country music venue.


At 9:00 we drove to our campsite. There was a unique sound coming from the trees, which you can hear by clicking the "play" button below.

We were later told that this sound was caused by cicadas. They weren't as loud as the ones we get here on the east coast, and they were smaller too. One landed on my tent:


We left the vehicle and walked to the visitors center to catch the shuttle to Bryce Point, arriving shortly before 10:00.


We hiked down the Peekaboo Loop Trail, seeing thousands upon thousands of hoodoos. If you use your imagination you can see all sorts of things in the hoodoos, such as celebrity faces, cathedrals, phalluses, etc. Clouds rolled in, making the day partly sunny but still beautiful, with a very agreeable temperature.



At 12:20 we reached the halfway point and decided to veer off onto a connector trail and take the Two Bridges Trail (which runs between the Queen's Garden and Navajo Loop trails)...


...up to Sunset Point, arriving at 1:00.


Then we hiked along the Rim Trail...


...to Inspiration Point.


We shuttled back to Sunset Point at 2:00. John went to the campsite while Camille and I went along for part of a ranger walk/talk about raptors. Then we shuttled to the general store to buy shower tokens ($3 for 8 minutes) and peruse the collection of shitty "craft" beer.


We made it to the campsite around 3:30 and had some beer, wine, and sandwiches. I went back to the general store to charge my phone, upload photos/videos, post to Facebook, and take a shower. Camille showered shortly after while John chose to wallow in his own filth. Then we all relaxed for a while.

In the early evening we drove the Southern Scenic Drive, stopping at Natural Bridge, Agua Canyon, Ponderosa Canyon, Rainbow Point, and Yovimpa Point, shown in order below.


After we got back we caught the last 20 minutes of an astronomy presentation, went to the campsite for a little food and beer, and walked over to the stargazing area. There were hundreds of people in line to view stars, nebulae, etc through more than a dozen telescopes. John didn't feel like waiting. Camille and I stood in line for a while, then looked through several of the telescopes until after midnight. The sky was clear, and I'd never seen so many stars.


Sunday June 18. It was a cold night with temperature in the 40s. I slept in a fleece sweater, heavy sweatpants, and a down jacket. A little after 5:00 I used the bathroom, which fortunately was heated, and then walked to Sunrise Point. When I arrived at 5:45 there were a few dozen people, and by the time the sun rose over the horizon at 6:15 there were about a hundred. The sky was clear so the sunrise was easily viewed. Below are photos in time order.


I went back to the campsite, then we packed and left for Sunrise Point at 8:45. The following two photos were taken there, the first at 9:00 and the second at sunrise, showing how the sun at sunrise makes a golden glow.


Camille hung out at the general store while John and I hiked part of the Queen's Garden Trail. We had done it on Friday, but since it had been overcast, we wanted to experience it on a sunny day.


I met John and Camille at the general store at 11:00, and a little while later we headed out of the park. We took the scenic route through Dixie National Forest. There was actually some snow on the ground. We stopped at Navajo Lake, which was formed when a prehistoric lava flow dammed the east side of the valley.


We took a detour to Cedar Breaks National Monument, which was founded in 1933 and whose elevation is over 10,000 feet. It was cool and very windy, making it feel cold. There's a mountain up there that's appropriately named Blowhard Mountain. The trails were closed due to snow, which was just as well because we were all hiked out. We drove to some of the overlooks and stopped at a yurt that had a display of various animal pelts and skulls. The park had just opened two days earlier because the snow had lingered for longer than usual. In fact, it had snowed on opening day.


After leaving the park we went to Zion Overlook.


Then we traveled onward...


...and stopped at Policy Kings Brewery only because it was right on our way. I had low expectations, and boy were they met. We sampled:

The 5% ABV limit in Utah might be part of the reason their beers suck, but come on, when you make a crystal clear "hazy IPA" you're just begging to be panned. But I was on good behavior and didn't say anything. I even paid $3 for one of their stickers.


Then it was off to Vegas, where it was in the high 90s. We arrived at the Flamingo Hotel at 4:45. There were over 100 people in line to check in, but the line moved at a decent pace, and 40 minutes later we went up to our room, unpacked, had some food and beer, and showered. At 7:00 we set out to explore. The Flamingo has an area called The Habitat, with water, plants, koi, ducks, turtles, and pink flamingoes. The koi were the biggest I've ever seen - about 3 feet long.


The Flamingo also has a swimming pool, which is divided into a family section and an over 21 section.


Vegas has approximately seven zillion restaurants, food stands, and bars, all of which were busy. One food stand sold $47 pizzas. Drinks around town ranged from $12 to $24. We stopped at a CVS to get a couple of $4 tall (19.2-ounce) craft beers. There wasn't much of a selection, but what do you expect at CVS? We also got a gyro.


We went to Harrah's and saw the same twin sisters perform at the piano bar that we'd seen the year before.


At 9:30 John and Camille went to see a flower display at the Bellagio, and I walked around some more. The beer selection at Walgreens was no better than at CVS, so I got a hard cider. Oh, and every place that sells alcohol cards everybody, no matter how old they look. Later on I got another beer and caught more of the twins' performance, then returned to the room at 11:30. Below is the only photo I took while on my own, but I would take many more the following day.


Monday June 19. Around 8:30 we headed out. It was a very sunny morning and the forecast was for temperature in the mid-80s. People were lined up for the pool, which would open at 9:00. We arrived at the Bellagio at 9:00 to see their fresh flower display, which had been mobbed the night before when John and Camille went. Nothing except breakfast shops gets crowded in the morning in Vegas.


Then we walked around for a while.


At around 10:00 we returned to the room, then at 11:00 John and I went to the over 21 pool, which is beautiful, with waterfalls and palm trees and lounge chairs and a sort of cave, plus cushy furniture that you can rent. There are bars where you can get a small drink for $19 or a large one for $29. It's good to know that you don't have to fly out of the country to enjoy a beautiful tropical pool. I didn't bring my phone so I didn't take any photos, but eventually Camille joined us and took this one:


Shortly before 1:00 John and I returned to the room to check in for our flight home the next day because we hadn't brought our phones to the pool. Shortly before 2:00 I set out for my last walk around town. There are plenty of homeless people in Vegas.


The World Series of Poker was happening in a humongous conference room with thousands of attendees. I didn't take photos of it because I figured they weren't allowed since you could photograph someone's poker hand and send it to an opponent. I visited Beer Park, a rooftop bar owned by Anheuser-Busch with free video games and a lifesize chess set.


I saw lots of stuff: restaurants and bars and massage places and indoor shopping areas that look like city streets.


Traffic on The Strip was terrible.


At around 3:30 John met me at Rainforest Café.


We saw lots more stuff, including the Miracle Mile shops at Planet Hollywood, where we got a sandwich at Earl of Sandwich. A store there called ABC Stores (yes, plural) had a little better selection of beer than CVS and Walgreens. We got a 19.2-ounce can of Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, which was the best beer of our entire trip, and drank it on the way back to the hotel.

Chandelier Bar at the Cosmopolitan. Drinks are made by these robotic arms.


The three of us hung out in the room, and I fell asleep for about two hours. Camille napped too. At about 8:00 we went out and drove to the Fremont Street Experience. We drank the last two beers we'd had in the fridge and walked around. There were casinos and bars and restaurants and street performers and bands playing on three stages. Fremont Street is covered with Viva Vision, the largest video screen in the world, which plays all sorts of graphics and music. We drank several more beers (especially Camille), had a bite or two, and enjoyed the festive atmosphere.


A few of the bartenders put on shows like this one:


We hadn't planned on staying late but we were there until 1:00 AM. Time flies when you're having fun. We got back to the hotel and crashed at around 2:00 AM.


Tuesday June 20. I slept less than four hours, thanks to the previous day's nap. We were tired and sore from all the walking we'd done over the past week, most of it up and down hiking trails. We packed and left at 8:30. As we were walking to the vehicle, Camille took one last photo.


We filled the vehicle with gas (which cost a dollar more per gallon than in Maryland), stopped for coffee (for them - I'm too neurotic to handle caffeine), returned the rental vehicle, rode the series of two shuttles to the airport, and checked in with plenty of time to spare. Camille flew to Los Angeles to visit relatives while John and I returned to BWI. Their daughter Carla picked us up and we got home around midnight.

It had been an epic trip. We hiked dozens of miles, camped, saw spectacular scenery, stargazed, visited breweries, drove hundreds of miles, and experienced both nature and city life. Everything went off without a hitch, and we got to do it all in the company of dear friends.