Bryce Canyon National Park

We visited Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah:

Bryce Canyon

The entrance station:

Bryce Canyon entrance station

Bryce Canyon visitor center:

Bryce Canyon visitor center

Bryce Canyon visitor center

A map and model:

Bryce Canyon visitor center

An interesting idea: donation boxes by state and country:

Donations by state and country

We drove to the far end of the park, and used an audio tour feature in the NPS app (though it didn’t work reliably, so we missed some of the snippets):

Audio tour in NPS app

A bunch of photos of Bryce Canyon from various viewpoints:

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Selfie

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bird

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

A long trail into the canyon (we didn’t partake of it):

Trail into canyon

Trail

Trail

A balcony at the end of the trail:

Trail

The other side of the balcony:

Window

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

More National Park stickers on our coach:

National Park stickers

Zion National Park

We visited Zion National Park in Utah. A couple of times, actually. For this first visit, we drove through the park, then took shuttle buses along the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive (cars are not allowed along that road most of the year).

The road changes color as you enter the park:

The road changes color in the park

Zion sign:

Zion sign

Interesting rock patterns:

Interesting rock patterns

Rocks

Rocks

Rocks

Rocks

A short tunnel:

Small tunnel

Tunnel exit

Rocks

Rocks

The second tunnel is 1.1 miles long, with no lights inside, other than a few windows into the canyon:

Long tunnel

Long tunnel

Long tunnel

Long tunnel

A glimpse of the canyon out one of the windows as we pass by:

View from long tunnel window

Long tunnel

Rocks

Rocks

Rocks

Rocks

Rocks

Rocks

Rocks

Rocks

Rocks

Rocks

We stopped for lunch just outside the park:

Lunch

Then walked to the visitor center:

Walking to visitor center

Unusual to have a walk-through entrance station (in addition to the usual drive-through one):

Walking to visitor center

The visitor center:

Walking to visitor center

We don’t have to pay to enter each of the parks, thanks to our America the Beautiful annual pass, but we more than make up for that in buying postcards and other goodies at the park stores:

Park store

Park store

On the shuttle bus:

On the shuttle bus

Hey look, more rocks:

Rocks

Rocks

Shuttle buses

Rocks

River:

River

Rocks and river

Jenn & David

Rocks and river

Jenn

Rocks

Rocks and river

Posing rock squirrel:

Rock squirrel

Rocks and river

Jenn

Rocks

We took shuttle buses back down the canyon, getting off several times:

On the shuttle bus

On the shuttle bus

Rocks

Rocks

Bridge

Rocks

We opted to walk along a trail between two shuttle stops:

Trail

Rocks

Rocks

Rocks

Shuttle bus

There is a second part of Zion National Park: Kolob Canyons. We drove up there:

Kolob Canyons

Kolob Canyons

Kolob Canyons

Kolob Canyons

Kolob Canyons

Kolob Canyons

Kolob Canyons

Kolob Canyons

Jenn & David

We enjoyed our visit to Zion, and as mentioned, we went back a second time. Stay tuned for another post about that.

Yellowstone National Park bonus pictures

Last September we visited Yellowstone National Park in a rental travel trailer, shortly after buying our coach (as our 40 foot motorhome was too big to fit in Yellowstone). I did several blog posts about our trip, but Jenn recently processed the photos she took with her big camera, a Nikon D7200. So here’s a bonus post with some really nice pics of a very special place. (The photos are also on her Flickr page.) Enjoy!

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

DSC 1513

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Great Basin National Park

We visited Great Basin National Park in Nevada, and did a Lehman Caves tour.

The road to the park:

Road

Wheeler Peak:

Wheeler Peak

Great Basin National Park entrance:

Great Basin National Park entrance

The visitor center:

Visitor center

Visitor center

We had a picnic lunch behind the visitor center:

Picnic lunch

Rhodes Cabin:

Rhodes Cabin

Rhodes Cabin

Lehman Caves diagram:

Lehman Caves diagram

Lehman Caves 3D model:

Lehman Caves model

Info sign:

Info sign

Our ranger guide at the cave entrance. Actually, it’s the exit; they are still doing a COVID-era abbreviated tour, in and out the exit tunnel, a one hour tour instead of 1.5 hours:

Ranger at cave entrance

The tunnel, heading down into the caves:

Tunnel

A bunch of pictures within the caves:

Cave

Cave

Cave

Jenn

Cave

Cave

Cave

Cave

Cave

Cave

Cave

Cave

Cave

Cave

Cave

Cave

Cave

Cave

Cave

Jenn & David

Cave

Cave

Jenn & David

Channel Islands National Park bonus pictures

I posted in early March about our visit and cruise to Channel Islands National Park, off the coast of California.

Well, those photos were taken by my iPhone, but Jenn also took a bunch of photos with her big camera, a Nikon D7200. She has just gone through those photos, and shared her favorites with me, so I thought I’d do a followup post with her pictures. Enjoy!

Whale tail:

Channel Islands National Park

Channel Islands National Park

Oil rig:

Oil rig

Lioning about:

Lioning about

Dolphins:

Dolphins

Dolphins

Whale tail:

Whale tail

Whale tail

Whale tail

Whale tail

Dolphins:

Dolphins

Birds:

Birds

 Arch and island:

Arch and island

Building

Arch and island

Arch and island

Lighthouse

Arch

Arch

Arch and island

Arch and island

Arch and island

Sea lions

Arch

Arch

Grand Canyon National Park at sunset

Having done a guided tour of the Grand Canyon by train and bus, we visited it again a couple of days later in our truck; just an hour drive from the campground. This time, we went later in the day, to catch the sunset.

Here’s the canyon from the South Rim Village area:

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

The Hopi House, an Indian gift store:

Hopi House

Hopi House

Hopi House

Hopi House

The El Tovar hotel:

El Tovar

El Tovar

Views of the Grand Canyon from Mather Point, near the Visitor Center:

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Jenn and David

Grand Canyon

Jenn

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Several miles further east, the Desert View Watchtower and viewpoint:

Desert View Watchtower

Desert View Watchtower viewpoint

Grand Canyon

Jenn

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Jenn and David

Desert View Watchtower

Desert View Watchtower

Desert View Watchtower

Jenn and David

Desert View Watchtower

Jenn

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Heading back west, from Navajo Point (with a glimpse of the Watchtower):

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

From Lipan Point:

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Jenn

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Jenn

Back at Mather Point for the sunset, and some nice alpenglow:

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

A magical experience.

Petrified Forest National Park

We visited another national park: the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona:

Petrified Forest National Park

The park consists of two sections joined by a narrow portion; in the north are painted hills, and the south has petrified trees. Click the map to go to the NPS map page:

Map

The northern visitor center was being renovated, so they had a temporary one set up:

Visitor center

Jenn peeking over a stand, with clocks showing Arizona time (which doesn’t observe Daylight Savings time), Navajo Nation time, New Mexico time, and California time:

Jenn and clocks

Jenn bought and stamped a National Parks passport as another keepsake of our park visits. Though later decided to switch to a larger one:

Stamping passport

A cafe and gift store:

Cafe

More clocks and other decorations:

Clocks etc

Clocks

Gift store

As mentioned, the north part of the park has desert painted hills:

Painted hills

Painted hills

Jenn and David

Info sign

Painted hills

Painted hills

Painted hills

Painted hills

Painted hills

Painted hills

The Painted Desert Inn used to have food and accommodations back in the 1920s, but is now a museum:

Painted Desert Inn

Painted Desert Inn

Painted Desert Inn

Painted Desert Inn

Painted Desert Inn

Painted Desert Inn

Painted Desert Inn

Painted Desert Inn

Painted Desert Inn

Painted Desert Inn

Painted Desert Inn

Painted Desert Inn

Painted Desert Inn

More painted hills:

Painted hills

Painted hills

Painted hills

Painted hills

Painted hills

Painted hills

Where a discontinued part of the famous Route 66 crosses the park, there is a rusted 1932 Studebaker (the only national park that includes part of Route 66):

Route 66

Route 66

Route 66

Route 66

Rocks:

Rocks

Rocks

Petroglyphs:

Petroglyphs

Petroglyphs

More painted hills:

Painted hills

Painted hills

Painted hills

Painted hills

Rocks

Painted hills

Painted hills

A petrified log:

Petrified log

Painted hills

Painted hills

Painted hills

Rocks

Rocks

An interesting trailer in a parking lot:

Interesting trailer

A random structure; nothing inside, so kinda just a fancy arch:

Random structure

A petrified log bridging a canyon, supported by old concrete:

Petrified log

Painted hills:

Painted hills

Painted hills

Petrified logs:

Petrified logs

Petrified logs

Petrified logs

An amusing sign:

Sign

Sign

Sign

Petrified logs:

Petrified logs

Petrified log

Petrified log

Petrified log

Petrified log

Petrified log

Petrified log

Petrified logs

Info

Petrified logs

The southern visitor center and museum:

Visitor center

Visitor center

Visitor center

Visitor center

Visitor center

Visitor center

Visitor center

Petrified logs behind the visitor center:

Petrified logs

Petrified logs

Petrified logs

Petrified logs

Petrified logs

Petrified logs

Petrified logs

Petrified logs

Petrified logs

Having visited the Grand Canyon and Petrified Forest National Parks, we added a couple more stickers to our coach:

Coach stickers

Grand Canyon Railway and National Park

While staying at the Grand Canyon Railway RV park, and the reason for staying there, we took the train to the Grand Canyon.

This was a special wedding anniversary treat for us; we did the train trip on a day when they used the historic steam train, and went to the park in the Luxury Dome train car, did a bus guided tour, and returned in the Luxury Parlor train car.

Before boarding the train, there was a little cowboy show:

Cowboy show

Cowboy show

Cowboy show

Cowboy show

All aboard! Here’s the Luxury Dome train car; a double-decker car, with a lounge below and a full-length dome above:

Train

After that car, at the end of the train, was the Luxury Parlor car, where we boarded:

Train

Us in our seat in the dome car; the TSA was still requiring masks except when eating and drinking:

David and Jenn

The Luxury Dome car, built in 1955:

Dome car

Each car had a Passenger Service Attendant:

Attendant

A glimpse of the front of the train out the dome window (don’t worry, better pics later):

Train

Snacks and beverages:

Snacks and beverages

Beverages

The train newspaper:

Newspaper

A photographer took some pictures:

Photographer

Here are a couple official photographs of us, in the dome and on the rear platform:

Photograph

Photograph

The Luxury Dome car was only about half full:

Luxury Dome car

I walked the length of the train, starting from the rear platform:

Rear platform

Rear platform

The Luxury Parlor car, built in 1947:

Luxury Parlor car

Passage between cars, with the steps to the Luxury Dome visible:

Passage between cars

The lower floor of the Luxury Dome car:

Luxury Dome car

Luxury Dome car

One of the Observation Dome cars; they have smaller domes:

Observation Dome car

Observation Dome car

Observation Dome car

The dining car:

Dining car

Dining car

The historic 1923 Pullman car:

Pullman car

Pullman car

A Coach car:

Coach car

Singer:

Singer

Looking over the train from the frontmost observation dome:

Train

Arriving at Grand Canyon village:

Grand Canyon village

Tour bus:

Tour bus

On board the bus:

Jenn and David

Ranger operations building:

Ranger operations building

A bunch of pictures of the Grand Canyon:

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Jenn and David

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Tour bus

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Jenn

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Jenn and David

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Bridge

Bridge info

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Lunch was included in the bus tour; it was supposed to be a buffet, but in these COVID times, it was instead a sack lunch:

Lunch

Lunch

Jenn found a hat in the gift store:

Gift store

More angles of the big hole in the ground:

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Jenn and David

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

When we tipped the bus driver/guide, she gave us a snowy canyon pic she had taken:

Snowy canyon pic

Back at the train station in the park, I got some pictures of the 1923 steam train engine:

Steam train engine

Steam train engine

Steam train engine

Steam train engine

Steam train engine

Steam train engine

Engineer

An assist from a diesel engine:

Engine

The power car:

Power car

Coach cars:

Coach cars

The rear of the train, with observation dome cars, the Luxury Dome car, and the Luxury Parlor car:

Train

 The rear platform of the Luxury Parlor car:

Luxury Parlor car

Champagne toasts in the Luxury Parlor car:

David with champagne

Jenn with champagne

The conductor making a PA announcement:

Conductor

Snacks:

Snacks

Singers:

Singers

On the rear platform:

On the rear platform

View from the rear platform:

View from the rear platform

View from the rear platform

View from the rear platform

The cowboys stopped the train:

Cowboys

Cowboys

Cowboy train robbery:

Cowboys

The sheriff going after the robbers:

Sheriff

Lastly, an official photo of the steam train engine:

Steam train engine

This was a fun way to spend our anniversary, and quite the experience. Highly recommended.

National park stickers

Since visiting all 63 national parks in the US is one of our goals in this adventure, in addition to commemorating our visits in Jenn’s national parks book, we decided to add stickers to the driver-side slide-out of our coach (since the states map is on the passenger side):

National park stickers

We’ve visited seven national parks since getting our coach, so have added those stickers, in the order we visited them, starting from the bottom-left:

National park stickers

We have visited others in the past, but aren’t counting them for stickers until we visit them again in an RV, like with the states map.