2011 - Day 6: Thursday - Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument

After being disappointed first thing in the morning by not winning a permit to The Wave, we drove through the GSE, visited Grosvenor Arch and spent the afternoon doing some non-technical canyoneering in Peek-a-Boo Canyon and Spooky Gulch.

2011 - Day 5: Wednesday - Lake Powell Area

Today we took a boat tour on Lake Powell to Rainbow Bridge, ate a lunch of buffalo burgers and fish tacos on the "world's largest floating restaurant", hiked through Lower Antelope Canyon on Navaho tribal lands, and visited Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado River.

1,900 miles of beautiful shoreline

Rainbow bridge

Antelope Canyon from the top

Going in

Amazing all the way

Many narrow passages

Horseshoe Bend - The Colorado River is 1,000' down

2011 - Day 4: Tuesday - North Rim of the Grand Canyon

We celebrated Donna's birthday by having a delicious breakfast at the Jacob Lake Inn on the way to the North Rim of Grand Canyon NP. We also celebrated by eating lunch overlooking the Grand Canyon in the North Rim Lodge. We also celebrated by stopping back by the Jacob Lake Inn for ice cream.

Our first view of the Grand Canyon

We were all amazed at its grandeur, but Anne was beside herself. 

 The North Rim Lodge

Donna even got to play in the snow on her birthday.

We saw a mule deer and an osprey on the way into the park. The osprey was too far away for a good picture.

  

After we returned to Kanab we drove out to an old western movie set nearby.

2011 - Day 3: Monday - Zion National Park

We spent the day touring the amazing Zion National Park. We hiked about 10 miles total, including the infamous hike to Angel's Landing.

Starting up

Walter's Wiggles

Yes, up there.

On top

The view

Resting

We also saw a very cooperative bighorn sheep beside the road.

2011 - Day 2: Sunday - Headed North

On Sunday we left Las Vegas, toured Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada and drove through Zion National Park on our way to Kanab, Utah.

 Valley of Fire State Park - named for the red rocks.

Beehive rock formation

Another beehive rock formation

Petroglyphs

Desert Iguana

Hiking a narrow slot canyon in Valley of Fire SP 

Small herd of bighorn sheep in Zion National Park

2011 - Day 1: Saturday - On the road again!

Today was a day of extremes. In Death Valley National Park we went from 178 feet below sea level and 110 degrees to over a mile high and 78 degrees in a 30 minute drive. We went from our rural Bible belt homes on Pine Mountain to the streets of downtown Las Vegas late at night.

Las Vegas airport

"But it's a dry heat."  Ha!

 Not the deepest part of Death Valley, but close enough.

Death Valley from Dante's View 

Atop Dante's View 

Fremont Street "Experience"