2023 CANYONLANDS ADVENTURE - ZION & BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARKS

 

DAY #10 – TUESDAY – JULY 11, 2023

 KANAB, UT – BRYCE CANYON CITY, UT

159 – MILES / 2,925 – TOTAL MILES

I am starting Day #10 of my Great Canyonland Adventure in Kanab, Utah. Kanab and the area around the town is referred to as Little Hollywood due to the number of movie and TV shows that were filmed here. Some of the more notable Western Movies that were filmed in this area are Stagecoach, The Lone Ranger, Death Valley Days, Tomahawk Trail, Duel at Diablo and in 1976, The Outlaw Jose Wales was filmed here. In fact, some of the Movie set from Josey Wales is preserved at the Little Hollywood Museum and Trading Post, just up the street.

I wanted to explore this area and would have loved to take the Tour of the Little Hollywood Museum but by being on a bus that is not possible. We must have our bags out at 6:30 a.m. But I am determined to see more of this town than just the Hotel. So, I am out of bed at 5:30 and take care of packing my suitcase and have it out at 6:00 a.m.

Once my suitcase is out, I head down to the Lobby and grab a cup of coffee and set out to walk around the town just a few minutes after the sun came up. Just up the street from the hotel is Kane County Tourism Office but being so early in the morning it wasn’t open.

As I walk around town, I begin to see information plaques that are dedicated to the movie stars who have film movies and TV shows here. As I get closer to the Parry Lodge just around the corner from my hotel, these movie/TV Plaques get more frequent. There must be close to 100 of these scattered throughout the downtown area.

The Parry Lodge is where most of the stars stayed why they were filming here. In addition to Room Number each room bears the name of a Movie Star who has stayed here. There is so much to see and do in this small town that has really embraced its rich movie and TV history.

While walking around I did find a local Coffee Shop that was open and grabbed me another cup of coffee. While I waited for the coffee to brew, I talked with the owner who told me all about the movies that were filmed here and told me about the movie locations that are located outside of town. He also told me if I had the time to stop by the Parry Lodge Later and talk with one of the managers there. They would be more than happy to tell me all about the stars that have stayed there over the years.

I didn’t have time to do any of the things he told me about. But I did make a note that this area is a
place that I need to come back and explore.  I got back to the Hampton Inn about 7:30 a.m. and according to my Fitbit, I had walked 2.2-miles. And today’s adventure hasn’t officially started.

I grabbed a quick breakfast at the Hampton Inn and returned to my room to grab my carry-on bag and do one final check to make sure I hadn’t left anything. At 10 minutes to 8 I boarded the bus and waited to officially start today’s adventure.

When I left the Hotel a little after 6 to begin my walk around in Kanab one of the people who is always late was standing outside smoking. She is not the friendliest person on the bus, in fact she is a chronic complainer and not a very happy person. Most of the people on the bus tended to stay away from her.

Even though she was up and out in front of the hotel smoking this morning before 6 a.m. she and her companions were still late, not showing up until a couple of minutes after our scheduled 8 a.m. departure time.

Thirty Minutes later we make a stop at the White Mountain Trading Post at the intersection of U. S. Highway 89 and Utah Highway 9. This stop allowed me to get rid of some coffee and get a new cup. I also took the opportunity to buy some T-shirts as they are cheaper here than they are in the national parks.

As Usual the 20-minute stop turned into a 30-minute stop. But back on the bus it was only about a 30-minute drive to the Zion National Park Visitor’s Center. On the way into the park, we had to stop and wait for our turn to go through the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel. This tunnel is just over a mile long and is unique in that it has several windows in the walls that give you a look into the canyon.

Oversize vehicles like our bus can only go through at designated times as the tunnel is rather narrow.  We only had a 10-minute wait before we made our way through the tunnel. A few minutes later we
arrived at the National Park service visitors Center.

We had only a few minutes to use the facilities and for me to get my National Park Passport Stamp before we boarded on of the Nation Park Buses that will take us through the park.  For the past few years Zion National Park has limited the number of cars that they allow to drive through the park. You must secure your timed driving reservation online. Once the allotted number of cars is reached, visitors must board the buses for a tour of the park.

The buses make a constant loop through the park, and you get off at any of the 9 stops. You can get on and off as many times as you want. This allows you to see the sites and if you are so inclined to take any of the many hikes.

The bus ride through the park was ok, but again I would have liked to have been able to explore it at my own pace. We only had about 3 hours before we have to be back on Our Sunshine bus, and we were told that we should plan on eating lunch while we were in the park.

Several in our group decided to exit the bus at the Castle Dome stop. There were a couple of Food options here so a bunch of us decided this would be a good place for lunch. A few tried the Red Rock Grill while most of us opted for the Castle Dome Café.

Lunch was nothing to write home about, just a pre-made sandwich, with chips and a drink, it set me back a little over $12. While I was eating, I saw a huge dust cloud rising in the distance. This was the second one of these we have seen. The first one was on the park bus shortly after leaving the visitors center. The bus driver told us that they were caused by huge rockslides in the canyons.

After lunch I re-boarded the park bus for the ride back to the visitor’s center. We were told that we would need to be back on the bus on time because our drive could only park long enough to load passengers. He could not park and wait on us to straggle back to the bus.

Back at the Visitors Center I had about 30-minutes to kill so I returned to the Gift Shop and bought a couple of more souvenirs and snapped a few more photos. A few minutes later the bus pulled up and almost everybody in our group was ready to board. However, two of the our four usually late folk were true to form and late.

Our driver was just getting ready to pull out and return to the bus parking area while our tour guide Michelle tried to find them. But just as he was shutting the doors, here they came ambling along like they didn’t have a care in the world.

Once they were on board we pulled out and began our trip toward our next destination, which is Bryce Canyon National Park.  On the way back out of Zion we had to pass through the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel once again. Again, our wait was only about 10 minutes.

We again stopped at the White Mountain Trading Post for a quick break to use the facilities and grab a couple of drinks and some snacks. This was a quick stop, and we were back on our way in about 15-minues or so.

I must say that even though I had limited time in Zion National Park was everything that I expected and more. I can see why Zion Ranks right up there with Yosemite, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon as our most popular and scenic National Parks. The beauty was amazing, and I wish had more time to enjoy each of the stops on the in park trolly.

It was only about 60-miles from White Mountain Trading Post to the Entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park. That 60-mile drive took us only about an hour and fifteen Minutes.

It was just after 3 p.m. when we arrived at Bryce Canyon and began our tour. The drive through Bryce Canyon features several scenic pull outs. However, I was again disappointed that our bus would be permitted to stop at only 5-of these pullout. I was able take a bunch of photos from the bus windows between our stops.

Bryce Canyon is a giant natural amphitheater that is filled with giant geological structures called hoodoos. This large red, orange, and white colored rocks afford visitors spectacular views of this magnificent national park.

The scenic drive through Bryce Canyon is an out and back road and along the way we were about to stop at only 5 predetermined pullout. At each pullout we were permitted to get off the bus for a short time to take a few photos. I hate being rushed but that is one of the disadvantages of traveling as a group.

All total we spent a little over two hours in the National Park. Our lodging for the night was just outside the park in Bryce Canyon City.

Bryce Canyon City is a community that sprung up as a tourist destination at the entrance to the national park. Oddly enough the community was originally known as Ruby’s Inn, which is where we will be staying tonight. 

Ruby’s Inn is a large collection of businesses that cater to tourists. In addition to the Inn that is also a large restaurant/buffet along with an old west town that features an ice cream shop, café, and several gift shops.

We arrived at Ruby’s Inn, and I quickly got settled into my room. I decided to meet a few others in our group at the Cowboy Buffet and Steak House. We all decided to have the Buffet which was a great choice.  This was a huge buffet that featured several stations including a large dessert station. The food was good and we all left stuffed. 

Across the road is a replica old west town where a few walked around enjoying the shops. Before heading back to our rooms we stopped for ice cream.

On the way, I stopped by the Ruby’s Inn General Store and picked up a couple of drinks and an evening snack.  My room here at Ruby’s Inn, like all the rooms were old and dated, but it was clean and the bed comfortable. I will see how I am able to sleep.

Today and tomorrow is the real reason that I took this trip. I have always wanted to visit the National Parks of Utah. Today, as I visited Zion and Bryce Canyon, I can honestly say both exceeded my expectations. Tomorrow we will visit Arches National Park and spend the night in Moab, Utah. Then we will head east and begin our trip back toward home.