Devil’s Garden

Devil’s Garden

We headed off early the next morning to explore Arches. Because of the government shutdown, the entrance gate was unmanned and our timed entry ticket was not needed. But to our surprise, the Visitor’s Center was open.

We picked up a map of the park and a trail guide, then headed to the furthest spot along the scenic drive, assuming that the horde of other tourists would not have made their way there yet.

That section of the park is called Devil’s Garden, and it includes Skyline Arch, Tunnel Arch, Pine Tree Arch, and Landscape Arch (there are others, but those are the ones we saw).

Pine Tree Arch

Landscape Arch

By the time we finished our hike to see those arches, it was getting hot, and the sun was blistering. Greg lost interest in any more hiking. (Those of you who know him know how he feels about being hot!)

We decided to make our way down the scenic drive and stop at interesting-looking overlooks.

Skyline Arch

Heading toward Sand Dune Arch. A family had set up lawn chairs and sand toys for their little ones right in front of the arch, so I was unable to get a good photo of the arch without someone else’s kids in it. Grrr!

I won’t post photos of everything we saw, but suffice it to say that we still have a lot to see at Arches!

Garden of Eden

The drive into Arches National Park is probably my favorite part of the park so far.

On our way back to the campground, we made a detour to the emergency room so that Greg could get his hand checked out. Thanks to Patrick and our need to get Tdap shots after he was born, Greg was already protected from tetanus.

Tomorrow we will check out Canyonlands National Park.

We made a spur of the moment decision this morning to stop by Bryce Point before heading to our next destination, Willis Creek Slot Canyon.

No wonder the parking lot was full yesterday. This overlook provides an amazing view of the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater!

We got there a little late. The sun was already up. And to make matters even more annoying, a group of folks who must have been on a photography tour had set up their tripods all around the overlook. Despite that, I got one or two photos that pleased me.

After Bryce Point, we stopped at Upper and Lower Inspiration points to take a few more photos.

Willis Creek Slot Canyon

Okay. I recognize that no other slot canyon can compare to Antelope Canyon in Arizona, but since I haven’t been there yet, forgive me for saying that Willis Creek Slot Canyon is awesome.

To get there, though, was no easy feat. It involved a seven-mile drive down a teeth-jarring BLM dirt road with a washboard surface, sharp turns, and steep inclines. Greg handled it like a champ. (There may have been moments when I shrieked.)

We also encountered a cow in the middle of the road at one point.

I had hoped that since we got there early, and since it was not an easy place to get to, we would be the only ones there. No such luck. Despite that, there were many times as we were walking that we were completely alone.

Another couple who were hiking the slot canyon showed us how to take vertical panorama shots, which give a much better sense of how tall things are. Some of these photos were taken using that method, and some were not, which explains why some of the walls look taller than others. Plus, there were about four slot canyons in all on the hike, each a little different than the one before.

This was a tiny little waterfall in one of the crevices of the canyon wall.

At one point a hummingbird flew in front of Greg. It paused about a foot in front of his face and looked him over before flying away. I was standing right behind him and got a really good view of the hummingbird. It was so cute!

Scenic Byway 12

Next, we decided to drive down Scenic Byway 12 to Devil’s Garden. Along the way, we encountered beautiful views and hail.

Devil’s Garden is a small area of hoodoos out in the middle of nowhere.

To get to Devil’s Garden, we had to drive 12 miles down another BLM dirt road. When Greg realized that, he almost turned around to head back to Bryce Canyon, but it had taken us an hour and a half to get there, and I didn’t want to leave without seeing what we had come to see.

By the time we finished driving that 12 miles, Greg’s good mood was gone.

On top of that, thunderstorms were looming. After 10 minutes of wandering through the hoodoos, Greg decided it was time to head back. He didn’t want to be stuck on that dirt road during a downpour. I didn’t blame him.