We Hit the Trifecta! Our trip to Bryce, Grand Canyon North Rim and Zion.
Jun 25th, 2010, 05:16 PM
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We Hit the Trifecta! Our trip to Bryce, Grand Canyon North Rim and Zion.
Please don't ask me which park was our favorite! They are all so different from one another. This is what made the trip so satisfying and fun.
Bryce and its hoodoos: Looking down
I saw rows and rows of toy soldiers ready to start marching, and hundreds of stovepipe hats topping Abe's head. I saw the sandstone statues at Abu Simbal standing guard at the Amphitheater and I saw the the Terra Cotta Warriors of Xian lined up to do battle.
Grand Canyon North Rim: Looking across
My eyes were pulled and stretched in a million different directions all at once. I wanted to look there. No...over there. Wait...how about there? The side canyons that dominate the north stretched out into the main canyon pulling and sucking me in that direction.
Zion Canyon: Looking up
"M, everywhere I look I see faces in the sandstone looking at me. Do you see them?" Everytime I looked up at the massive sandstone cliffs, faces emerged from the walls. Some that looked like Picasso created them. Some looked like the scribblings of a 4 year old. There were profiles. Some even had hair and chins and ears and eyebrows! As you moved up or down canyon the faces sometimes would disappear as the perspective changed. It was completely unexpected and after a while I actually started looking for them. Has this happened to anyone else at Zion?
Each park is a treasure in its own right and I'd return to each place again and again.
But first....VEGAS!
Neither of us had been to Vegas in years and M wanted to spend our first night there.
We flew SFO to Vegas and spent the night at Bally's, which ended up being a hoot. I chose Bally's because at $78, it was cheap and the location was perfect for exploring the strip. For one night even if it turned out to be a dump, we'd be gone the next day. Much to our surprise we were upgraded to an over the top suite that looked like something from the Godfather Part 2 that had to be at least 1500 sq. feet. It had a sunken jacuzzi tub with gold fixtures in the bedroom , a steam shower, a work out room with treadmill and stairstepper, several red velvet divans and gold sofas in each room (that was the color scheme). There were 5 televisions and 9 phones, a wet bar complete with vinyl bar stools. There were artifical plants and flower arrangements everywhere. It wasn't ratty or tired, just TACKY! It was quintessential Vegas from the late 60s, early 70s upadated to the 21st century. We were thrilled! It couldn't have been more perfect. M quickly pulled out the camera and started taking pictures giggling the whole time.
more...
Bryce and its hoodoos: Looking down
I saw rows and rows of toy soldiers ready to start marching, and hundreds of stovepipe hats topping Abe's head. I saw the sandstone statues at Abu Simbal standing guard at the Amphitheater and I saw the the Terra Cotta Warriors of Xian lined up to do battle.
Grand Canyon North Rim: Looking across
My eyes were pulled and stretched in a million different directions all at once. I wanted to look there. No...over there. Wait...how about there? The side canyons that dominate the north stretched out into the main canyon pulling and sucking me in that direction.
Zion Canyon: Looking up
"M, everywhere I look I see faces in the sandstone looking at me. Do you see them?" Everytime I looked up at the massive sandstone cliffs, faces emerged from the walls. Some that looked like Picasso created them. Some looked like the scribblings of a 4 year old. There were profiles. Some even had hair and chins and ears and eyebrows! As you moved up or down canyon the faces sometimes would disappear as the perspective changed. It was completely unexpected and after a while I actually started looking for them. Has this happened to anyone else at Zion?
Each park is a treasure in its own right and I'd return to each place again and again.
But first....VEGAS!
Neither of us had been to Vegas in years and M wanted to spend our first night there.
We flew SFO to Vegas and spent the night at Bally's, which ended up being a hoot. I chose Bally's because at $78, it was cheap and the location was perfect for exploring the strip. For one night even if it turned out to be a dump, we'd be gone the next day. Much to our surprise we were upgraded to an over the top suite that looked like something from the Godfather Part 2 that had to be at least 1500 sq. feet. It had a sunken jacuzzi tub with gold fixtures in the bedroom , a steam shower, a work out room with treadmill and stairstepper, several red velvet divans and gold sofas in each room (that was the color scheme). There were 5 televisions and 9 phones, a wet bar complete with vinyl bar stools. There were artifical plants and flower arrangements everywhere. It wasn't ratty or tired, just TACKY! It was quintessential Vegas from the late 60s, early 70s upadated to the 21st century. We were thrilled! It couldn't have been more perfect. M quickly pulled out the camera and started taking pictures giggling the whole time.
more...
Jun 25th, 2010, 05:46 PM
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Glad Bally's worked out for you. My husband booked Bally's a couple years ago (on our way to Zion) due to the rate, and I was fuming! I fumed right through check-in until we got to the room. Tacky, yes, but crisp and clean and full of amenities and wonderfully comfortable. Outrageous bargain and I'd do it again. (If you ask for non-smoking, you'll pretty much have an entire quiet floor all to yourself)! Cheers!
Jun 25th, 2010, 05:57 PM
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Froderick, M wore his most endearing smile for the clerk. The line at check in took about 30 minutes and I don't think she was expecting that. She was very nice and I gave her a nice little thank you piece of paper the next day.
Yes elnap, the room was actually wonderful, clean and crisp, as you said. It was just a little funny staying in a suite the size of ones home with velvet wall paper in the bathrooms. I loved it...for one night.
Yes elnap, the room was actually wonderful, clean and crisp, as you said. It was just a little funny staying in a suite the size of ones home with velvet wall paper in the bathrooms. I loved it...for one night.
Jun 25th, 2010, 06:03 PM
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ahhh, I remember fondly staying at the original Bugsy Flamingo, all gold and green and wonderfully ugly!!! lucky you~ I don't think we had clean and crisp - just the real mccoy before they imploded it! Looking forward to many wonderful details from a very fine writer.
Jun 25th, 2010, 07:50 PM
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Lawsy ! it seems like you two have been gone forever !!
And now I hear you are lolling around on red velvet and gold divans ? No wonder you were hallucinating faces in the canyons! .
I wait eagerly for the rest ... it has started out so well, I know it will only get better ..
muchas besos, missed you
And now I hear you are lolling around on red velvet and gold divans ? No wonder you were hallucinating faces in the canyons! .
I wait eagerly for the rest ... it has started out so well, I know it will only get better ..
muchas besos, missed you
Jun 26th, 2010, 04:56 AM
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Hello iamq 
"I saw the sandstone statues at Abu Simbal standing guard at the Amphitheater and I saw the the Terra Cotta Warriors of Xian lined up to do battle."
Never before have I heard Bryce more perfectly described!
More, please!
"I saw the sandstone statues at Abu Simbal standing guard at the Amphitheater and I saw the the Terra Cotta Warriors of Xian lined up to do battle."
Never before have I heard Bryce more perfectly described!
More, please!
Jun 26th, 2010, 07:40 AM
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Our Virgin flight into Vegas arrived a little early, so we had some time to kill. We picked up our Alamo Hundai Accent and decided to head to out to Hoover Dam. The drive out there takes about 45 minutes and even at at 11am on a Wednesday it was fairly crowded. The concssionaire does a great a job of keping things organized and herding you in the right direction once you get there. One thing to note: Our guide told us that they are almost done with building the bypass bridge which goes up and over just before the damn, affording a nice view as you drive over. This will significantly speed up the transit across the dam, which now can take up to 3 to 4 hours according to our guide.
Once at the dam you are faced with three options of seeing what is there: Pay the entrance fee which gives you the opportunity to tour the museum and view the dam from the decks and other viewing points. Pay $11.00 which gives you a guided tour and the chance to go below and see the massive turbines/pumps that move the water, or pay $30 which gives you all the above, plus a pretty extensive guided tour into the dam itself and a chance to wander around the original pink tiled tourist corridors that were built when the damn was constructed.
We opted for the full tour and I would suggest you do too. It was worth the extra $$ as we got to see so much of the inside of the dam that I would have hated to have missed. One thing not to miss whichever option you choose is the mueseum. There is a viewing center built around several large bronze panels depeicting the building of the dam. They are beautiful works of art done in an art deco style. I took several photos of them and will post them as I get the photos together.
As awesome an engineering marvel the dam is, what interested me most on the tour was the fabulous original art deco artwork incorporated into the details of the dam. Amazing bronze handrails, doorknobs, lighting fixtures, steel and bronze elevator doors, even marble floor drains all add to the unique feeling of the dam and make it a truly unique and special place. The most impressive thing were the original Native American tile desgins set into the the turbine viewing area and the corridors leadng into the dam. Each one is unique and represents one of the elements. I took photos of them all, much to the consternation of the of folks behind me in the corridor who had to stop while I shot them.
The highlight of the tour was being taken down one of the corridors that actually ends in the wall the dam. I think at the this point we were 700 feet below the top of the dam. At the end of the corridor is a small window with a grate in it. Look through it and one gets an amasing view of the downriver view of the dam. Very cool. Afer the tour, we wandering around the dam and saw some more. All in all, I would say that this is worth the time, effort and money to set aside some time to see this. We were glad we did.
Once at the dam you are faced with three options of seeing what is there: Pay the entrance fee which gives you the opportunity to tour the museum and view the dam from the decks and other viewing points. Pay $11.00 which gives you a guided tour and the chance to go below and see the massive turbines/pumps that move the water, or pay $30 which gives you all the above, plus a pretty extensive guided tour into the dam itself and a chance to wander around the original pink tiled tourist corridors that were built when the damn was constructed.
We opted for the full tour and I would suggest you do too. It was worth the extra $$ as we got to see so much of the inside of the dam that I would have hated to have missed. One thing not to miss whichever option you choose is the mueseum. There is a viewing center built around several large bronze panels depeicting the building of the dam. They are beautiful works of art done in an art deco style. I took several photos of them and will post them as I get the photos together.
As awesome an engineering marvel the dam is, what interested me most on the tour was the fabulous original art deco artwork incorporated into the details of the dam. Amazing bronze handrails, doorknobs, lighting fixtures, steel and bronze elevator doors, even marble floor drains all add to the unique feeling of the dam and make it a truly unique and special place. The most impressive thing were the original Native American tile desgins set into the the turbine viewing area and the corridors leadng into the dam. Each one is unique and represents one of the elements. I took photos of them all, much to the consternation of the of folks behind me in the corridor who had to stop while I shot them.
The highlight of the tour was being taken down one of the corridors that actually ends in the wall the dam. I think at the this point we were 700 feet below the top of the dam. At the end of the corridor is a small window with a grate in it. Look through it and one gets an amasing view of the downriver view of the dam. Very cool. Afer the tour, we wandering around the dam and saw some more. All in all, I would say that this is worth the time, effort and money to set aside some time to see this. We were glad we did.
Jun 26th, 2010, 03:58 PM
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Time to end the Vegas portion of this show. Neither of us gamble and neither of us had any real interest in seeing one of the Cirque shows. I could have seen LOVE, but all M really wanted to do was walk the strip and zip in and out of some of the hotels on our way south along the strip to our destination...The Burger Bar at the Mandalay Bay. Hubert Keller is a local boy (Fluer de Lys is a local San Francisco institution, not getting the best reviews these days, I might add) and neither of us really felt like a snootie patootie dinner at one of the big name chef's high-end places. We love a good burger, fries and onion rings, so we thought we'd give it a try.
After a quick rest and refresh, we set out on our walk south. First stop was the Bellagio shopping "arcade". Wow! Who the hell goes to Vegas to shop at Fendi, Bottega Veneta, or Dior? I don't get the audience. Is it the high roller who just cashed out $20,000 who buys the wife a Chanel frock? Is it a foreign clientele who can get a favorable exhange rate? It was amazing to see absolutely every high-end retailer present...sometimes in multiple locations a mile apart. I have to be a little careful here because on my last trip to Vegas 20 years ago, I did buy a Lalique crystal goldfish for my collection, but why did I chose to buy it there? I could have bought it at Macy's at Stanford for less. Anyhow...It is an interesting dynamic to ponder...or not.
Onward we trudged. We got to see the fountains at the Bellagio do their thing, several times and the people watching as out of this world. Using a combination shopping malls, outdoor walkways and trams we finally made it to the Mandalay Bay and The Burger Bar.
The concept of the Burger Bar is high end (common Vegas thread?) burgers including a $60 foie gras burger, and a $25 kobe/lobster burger. They also specialize in milkshakes of every variety you can think of. Beerhshakes, boozeshakes, gin floats and yes, the regular old, garden variety MILKshake.
Ironically, the burgers were the weakest link in the whole deal. I can't remember which one I had, but it lacked flavor, was not cooked right and was just boring. M's lobster/kobe was pretty much the same thing. Overcooked and boring. The real stars were the fried foods and the milkshakes! The onion rings were the best onion rings we've ever had and we consider ourelves OR afficianados. The panko crust stayed on and didn't fall off when you bit into them and they were seasoned perfectly. The fries were equally as delicious. Perfect. M's chocolate malt and my vanilla milkshake were lucsious and creamy and just right. Next time we'll skip the burgers, go for the fried menu and the shakes again.
The strip was now lit up and hopping and we stopped and watched the people and Bellagio fountains some more before we ducked into the Paris which is connected to Bally's. Of all the casinos we saw, I liked the interior the best. Faux Paris is pretty awful, but they did a pretty good job of it and this one at least had a unifying theme.
So our one night in Vegas was fun, not my cup of tea, but it is the perfect launching off spot for the places we'd be visiting.
Next: Byrce
After a quick rest and refresh, we set out on our walk south. First stop was the Bellagio shopping "arcade". Wow! Who the hell goes to Vegas to shop at Fendi, Bottega Veneta, or Dior? I don't get the audience. Is it the high roller who just cashed out $20,000 who buys the wife a Chanel frock? Is it a foreign clientele who can get a favorable exhange rate? It was amazing to see absolutely every high-end retailer present...sometimes in multiple locations a mile apart. I have to be a little careful here because on my last trip to Vegas 20 years ago, I did buy a Lalique crystal goldfish for my collection, but why did I chose to buy it there? I could have bought it at Macy's at Stanford for less. Anyhow...It is an interesting dynamic to ponder...or not.
Onward we trudged. We got to see the fountains at the Bellagio do their thing, several times and the people watching as out of this world. Using a combination shopping malls, outdoor walkways and trams we finally made it to the Mandalay Bay and The Burger Bar.
The concept of the Burger Bar is high end (common Vegas thread?) burgers including a $60 foie gras burger, and a $25 kobe/lobster burger. They also specialize in milkshakes of every variety you can think of. Beerhshakes, boozeshakes, gin floats and yes, the regular old, garden variety MILKshake.
Ironically, the burgers were the weakest link in the whole deal. I can't remember which one I had, but it lacked flavor, was not cooked right and was just boring. M's lobster/kobe was pretty much the same thing. Overcooked and boring. The real stars were the fried foods and the milkshakes! The onion rings were the best onion rings we've ever had and we consider ourelves OR afficianados. The panko crust stayed on and didn't fall off when you bit into them and they were seasoned perfectly. The fries were equally as delicious. Perfect. M's chocolate malt and my vanilla milkshake were lucsious and creamy and just right. Next time we'll skip the burgers, go for the fried menu and the shakes again.
The strip was now lit up and hopping and we stopped and watched the people and Bellagio fountains some more before we ducked into the Paris which is connected to Bally's. Of all the casinos we saw, I liked the interior the best. Faux Paris is pretty awful, but they did a pretty good job of it and this one at least had a unifying theme.
So our one night in Vegas was fun, not my cup of tea, but it is the perfect launching off spot for the places we'd be visiting.
Next: Byrce
Jun 27th, 2010, 07:26 AM
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When deciding on the itinerary, I originally had planned on including two nights on the south rim of the Grand Canyon and a night in Page to the three listed destinations above, but the scope of the trip just seemed to be getting to big and doing a ten to eleven day road seemed a bit much to me. So I nixed the south rim and Page and just focused on the loop of Vegas-Bryce-Zion-Vegas in eight nights. This ended up being a fantastic itinerary and the time spent out on the road was just the right amount.
I am already planning a trip to include the south rim and some destinstions in Arizona.
Our first stop was Byrce Canyon. Much has been written here about it so I am not sure what I can add. We found it an intimate, quiet and low key place of incredible beauty. The number of visitors were low. Even the visitor center, while nice and new was small and not mobbed with information seekers. The scale was suprisingly small and comfortable. Instantly relaxing.
The mind-blowing nature of the hoodoos and shocking uniqueness of them made this a perfect first stop of the trip.
We stayed at the Bryce Lodge in a Western Cabin, #516. What a location! The Western Cabins are duplexes, so be prepared to hear your neighbors next door. When you stay in accomodations in National Parks, you quickly learn to accept this sort of thing and frankly it is a worthy tradeoff for location. I'd rather been here than Ruby's anyday. The building that houses #515 and #516 is the last one before you get to the woods that precede the rim trail. Our deck had a peaceful view of the forest. #515 had a straight on front view of the rim trail and that would be the one to get next time. We lucked out in terms of our cabin's location. The cabins further back seem closer together and the decks look out onto each other and didn't have the privacy or the view that we had. I booked the cabin a year in advance.
We also lucked out on the inside, as well, as while we were there all the cabins got brand new beds! We spent one night on the old one and one night on the new one. What a difference! One of the complaints I read about these cabins were the old, smushy beds. Remove that complaint now! The cabins had a coffee maker, mini fridge, gas fireplace (it actually did produce ample heat), two sink areas, writing desk and a couple of chairs. These cabins have lots of charm, slanting and creaky floors and I couldn't imagine a better place to stay while in the park.
more about hiking Byrce...
I am already planning a trip to include the south rim and some destinstions in Arizona.
Our first stop was Byrce Canyon. Much has been written here about it so I am not sure what I can add. We found it an intimate, quiet and low key place of incredible beauty. The number of visitors were low. Even the visitor center, while nice and new was small and not mobbed with information seekers. The scale was suprisingly small and comfortable. Instantly relaxing.
The mind-blowing nature of the hoodoos and shocking uniqueness of them made this a perfect first stop of the trip.
We stayed at the Bryce Lodge in a Western Cabin, #516. What a location! The Western Cabins are duplexes, so be prepared to hear your neighbors next door. When you stay in accomodations in National Parks, you quickly learn to accept this sort of thing and frankly it is a worthy tradeoff for location. I'd rather been here than Ruby's anyday. The building that houses #515 and #516 is the last one before you get to the woods that precede the rim trail. Our deck had a peaceful view of the forest. #515 had a straight on front view of the rim trail and that would be the one to get next time. We lucked out in terms of our cabin's location. The cabins further back seem closer together and the decks look out onto each other and didn't have the privacy or the view that we had. I booked the cabin a year in advance.
We also lucked out on the inside, as well, as while we were there all the cabins got brand new beds! We spent one night on the old one and one night on the new one. What a difference! One of the complaints I read about these cabins were the old, smushy beds. Remove that complaint now! The cabins had a coffee maker, mini fridge, gas fireplace (it actually did produce ample heat), two sink areas, writing desk and a couple of chairs. These cabins have lots of charm, slanting and creaky floors and I couldn't imagine a better place to stay while in the park.
more about hiking Byrce...
