canyon country

The last time I was at Bryce, I'd climbed to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back up the day before. We staggered to the viewpoints, took a few pictures, and drove on to Vegas.

You can see how ridiculous that was. 

These are the hoodoos. They're formed by wind erosion, and reveal millions of years of history. 

I loved this natural amphitheater. And the conversations of the other tourists.

"Is that a dog barking?"
"No, that's my brother."

This area is known as Sunset Point. 

"We're just going to stand here forever? Till it gets dark?"

As at the Grand Canyon, the trails are steep and not for the faint of heart. 

"Where would I hide? I'll bet dragons live here."

But oh so worth it. A woman from France and I talked about the US election, and she, like others, warned against Donald Trump. She searched my face as if to ask if it was possible he might win.

I ended the day with a ranger talk on Astronomy with Ranger Kelly. The stars at 9000 feet with no humidity and surrounded by darkness are incredible. There's also an astronomy festival going on with giant telescopes. 

Kelly told us that after looking at the stars, some people experience a kind of celestial vertigo, overwhelmed by the immensity of it all. 

"You start to sense your place in the universe." This is why I came.