Bryce Canyon

Monday June 27, 2011
Bryce Canyon National park
North Campground Site 45

We had a lazy morning
including this great breakfast

thinking we had plenty of time to enjoy our
hook ups before we drove the 6 miles
up to Bryce where we had a reserved site
for the first night.

Got here about noon and luckily saw the
campground host nearly first thing and
found out from him that there is going
to be a big astronomy doings starting
tomorrow for a week and nearly the
whole Loop A is reserved for them.
These appear to be the longest and most
level sites.

And more interesting, that he expected there
would be a run on the other sites this afternoon
and tomorrow given that.
SO we thought hmmmm
we have a reserved site for tonight
but it’s not one we would have picked actually
and is reserved for
ever into the future it looks like
so we can’t stay there anyway.

So why not find a campsite
we can stay in just in case there
is a run on sites.  The very nice
campground host said it would be
possible to swap sites so off we went.

Here’s our genial host conversing with
a Park Ranger in “official uniform and position”

There are 4 loops in the North Campground,
2 for tents
and two for RVs.
Our reserved site was in Loop A
where you can reserve about half of them.
Loop B was up the hill.

So we went scouting.
And decided we’d stay at least a night
or two in A-45

So here we are.

Duckie’s view

There were a couple of sites we liked
better but they were taken.
And A-45 turned out AMAZINGLY,
given the sites here,
to be perfectly level.

If we stay here long enough, perhaps
we’ll move to one of the others.
Perhaps not.

We do have some cool neighbors with
silver lame streamers blowing in the
wind off of their awning.  I want some of those.
Glitter R I!!

We haven’t really decided what to do
about the “holiday” when every one
comes out of the woodwork to
the parks for their 3 or 4 day holiday week-end
and it’s tough to get a reservation or
a site.  Oh those problems
for full timers with the week-end warriors.
Poor things, we’ll work around them.
:-)

There isn’t much to set up when you are boondocking
and don’t even have to level up so
after a quick lunch we were off to the
Visitor Center to find out
about the park.

We watched their 20 minute film.
I noticed David slept through about half of it.
Now I know why we had to stay and see the
Zion film twice.  :-)

We looked over the hiking information and
bought a hiking map.

Then it was off to check out the other campground,
Sunset
and the Bryce Canyon Lodge.

Sunset is further away from everything and
thus quieter.  There are fewer sites,
more trees but the sites are smaller.
We MIGHT be able to get in with our 34’ rig but
my guess is anything bigger than us would not.
No pull throughs only walk ins.

On to the Lodge.
I was surprised to see that Xanterra,
the private company that seems to manage
all the National Park Concessions,
does not manage this lodge any more
a group called Forever Resorts does now.
Not sure if that makes any difference in the
Lodge since I’ve never been here before.
But some of you might know.

The lodge was built in 1924-25 using local materials.
It was designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood who also
did the Zion Canyon Lodge and the Lodge at the North Rim
of the Grand Canyon.  But this is the only one of the 3
which has not burned down and is thus is the only
remaining completely original structure.
The Lodge and 15 of its original cabins were declared
a National Historic Landmark in 1987

Here is the  lobby and one of the great fireplaces in the lodge.
There is free Wi-fi here and electrical outlets
near some of the comfy chairs.
Notice the log lighting hanging from
the ceiling.  Not a candelabra but certainly a
different kind of trac lighting.

The dining room.
It did seem strange to see
people going into this linen
table cloth and silver dining room
dressed in hiking boots and dusty shorts.

Second big Fireplace.
Sorry for the window glare.
Sure wish my camera had a setting for back lighting.
Of course, maybe it does but
you have to read the manual to find out!  :-)

Here is the information desk
and down the hall at the end is
the Gift Shop

And the Auditorium with the 3rd great fireplace.
They do the Ranger talks for the Lodge here.

Next on our list of things to check out was
The General Store

 

How about the van parked out in front?
Are flower children returning?

We decided after a quick look around that
we were too hungry to be in a market
and went back to the coach for dinner.

After dinner David checked the batteries just
for good measure.

And then it was time to see
some of the Natural Wonders of Bryce Canyon.
So we went out an hour before sunset to
try and catch some great sunset color.

The sunset was too far away and with not much color
but here is some of what we did see
from the Rim Trail
which runs along the edge of the Campground.

 

And one last shot, well from three vantage points

 

 

Just magnificent!!!
Can’t wait for tomorrow.