Quick trip to Bryce Canyon & Zion National Parks

After leaving Colorado and driving through Utah we ran into not one, but two different snowstorms. The first one was so bad we thought we'd have to turn around. Luckily Utah has white post markers on both sides of the Interstate with reflectors on the tips, those were our only guides to make it through. We knew as long as we stayed in the center of those reflectors we'd be all right. We got a hotel first chance we could, in Salina. The next day we finally got to head in a southernly direction. I convinced Joey to take a scenic route and even make a quick trip to Bryce Canyon National Park. I didn't really know much about the park, other than it's near Zion, but was hoping to get in a quick hike. But, ummmmm, at elevation eight thousand something, combined with the fact that I packed California fall weather clothes, not twenty two degrees Fahrenheit clothes, we were lucky to make it out to the view points. Because of the snow storms the night before we were treated with some gorgeous views.

I was really disappointed with my pictures, though. I set the camera in landscape mode and didn't realize until it was too late that they were all washed out.

What a slacker Mom those poor kids have, didn't even pack them a coat.
We only got to do the viewpoints around "The Amphitheater" because the storm shut down the road to the south part of the park, but they say the Amphitheater is the best part anyway.

Zion National Park was about an hour away and directly on our route, so we managed two National Parks in one day. I think that's a record for us. Zion, just like Bryce, was absolutely breathtaking. Both parks seemed fake, like someone painted the landscape, they were just too perfect. Below is a picture taken while driving, of a typical wall along the skinny red road. Oh yeah, the road even matched the landscape. Why don't more places do that, I wonder?

Our path took us west across the park, and through the famous Zion tunnel. It's almost three miles long, carved into the mountainside, and is very narrow. So narrow busses have to be guided through. Just look at that itty bitty opening:

Every once in a while there was a hole on the north side, I assumed for an emergency escape route.

Let's just say, hope there's never a need to use it.
We missed the turn heading North into the heart of the park, so we just kept on going with hopes of getting to warmer temps at Lake Mead, and setting up the tent and getting our camping trip started.