May 12, 2021-May 14, 2021

Cannonville, Utah

We made it! The drive up from Flagstaff was beautiful in a rocky sort of way. Once you get past the Grand Canyon area and start heading toward Kanab, the scenery begins to change. The earth tones become more prominent...reds seem redder due to the large deposits of iron in the ground. This area is called the Basin and Range and is characterized by rapid changes in elevation alternating from flat and dry basins to narrow, faulted mountains. This pattern of many parallel, north-south mountain ranges found throughout the region inspired geologist Clarence Dutton to famously observe that the topography of the Basin and range appeared “like an army of caterpillars crawling northward.” And it seriously does look like that. Our route took us on US 89 North through Page and Horseshoe Bend (which we didn't stop to view on this trip) We probably should have but I think I would love to stay in this area for a week and take it all in. That being said, we just past Page you enter into Utah and follow US 89 West this time as it  goes through the southern portion of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument! More about it later but just know that the views are spectacular. You never get bored with the rock formations and there is always something new around the corner. At Kanab, we stopped to get gas and eat at a Subway and then headed back north again. Zion National Park would be to the West of us, with Scenic 12 being our turn off point, sometime after you pass through Hatch, Utah.

Once we hit the Scenic 12 turn back to the east, I started getting really excited. It would still be at least another hour before we would get into Cannonville but Bryce Canyon National Park was getting closer. We would travel through the Dixie National Forest, Red Canyon, and a town named Tropic, to finally arrive at our destination at the Cannonville/Bryce Canyon KOA. Tropic is a cool little town that had several places to eat. Tropic can trace its heritage back to 1892 when 15 families showed up to settle the area. The population is around 500 now, with ranching and tourism being the big commodities. From our location in Cannonville, we would be able to go to Bryce Canyon National Park, Kodachrome Basin State Park, Grosvenor's Arch, and enjoy a hike through Creek Slot Canyon.

May 14-16, 2021

Remember that part about a Master's Degree?

As quickly as we got to Cannonville, we knew we would be turning around to head to St. George, Utah to catch a plane back to College Station, Texas. Our youngest daughter was getting her Master's degree from Lamar University in Counseling and while she chose not to walk the stage, we did have a nice party for her at my Mom and Dad's house in College Station and a great dinner at a new Italian restaurant. It would be a short trip back but we had said when we started this adventure that we would try to be at all the big events in our children's lives and in our grandchildren's lives. Bruce Wayne would go to a doggy day care at Dogtown Pet Spa in St. George. He must have had a great time playing with all the other doggies because he was exhausted when we picked him up. I just laughed at him as he slept for 4 hours on our way back to Cannonville.

On the 16th, we flew out of College Station back to St. George, got some A&W Rootbeer hamburgers and picked up Bruce Wayne! Then it was back to Cannonville but by way of Zion National Park this time. We had plans to visit Zion NP earlier but they fell through so Robert thought why not just drive through since it was kinda on the way home. I am so glad that we did. It would be shortly after our visit there, that they had the terrible flooding in Zion. Yikes! Anyway, we headed that direction and took our time driving through the park. 

Zion National Park is noted for its big wall climbs...with 2,000' sandstone wall cliffs it is a climber's dream playground. Zion's Angels Landing is also one of the most dramatic and most dangerous 2.2 mile long hikes. It is also home to The Narrows, a hike that will take you right down the Virgin River. Be prepared to get wet! I hope one day soon we will get back this way and hike The Narrows but till then, we will just have to be patient!

We hope you enjoy some images from our party and dinner that night!