It's very strange to say you feel rooted to an area you've never lived. But for me, its the truth.
I come from generations of pioneers and trailblazers. Many sailed from Europe to New England and wandered until heading west. From Salt Lake they dispersed and landed in the red rocks of southern Utah and the high elevation of the eastern Arizona mountains. They settled here building homes and communities and positive relations with the Native Americans as often as possible. Towns here are still named after my 8th great grandparents. I've followed trails my great grandfather did cattle drives on in the 30s and 40s. This area is scattered with grave sites and memorials to the people who make up my DNA. I take a little pride in that if I am being honest, which is why I think I feel very rooted, and feel at home this area of our country.
Family history lesson aside. Bryce Canyon is fantastic. And I just scratched the surface. I started with a stop at the visitors center. I'm a sucker for visitors centers. They are probably my favorite thing about the National Parks Service. I only had a bout 8 hours, so rather than drive from viewpoint to viewpoint, I picked a place and parked and set out on foot to really get to know one area of the canyon.
With the limited time frame we had, the Peek-a-boo loop was perfect. It is about five and a half miles with a decent amount of elevation loss and gain. It offers up some stellar views of the various rock formations and hoodoos (uniquely shaped pillars carved by forces of erosion.) Bryce has the largest collection of hoodoos in the world. While they are gorgeous to look at from the rim, walking in and among them is an entirely different, breathtaking experience. You don't get an accurate feel for the enormity of the canyon until you are winding your way down to the bottom.
I come from generations of pioneers and trailblazers. Many sailed from Europe to New England and wandered until heading west. From Salt Lake they dispersed and landed in the red rocks of southern Utah and the high elevation of the eastern Arizona mountains. They settled here building homes and communities and positive relations with the Native Americans as often as possible. Towns here are still named after my 8th great grandparents. I've followed trails my great grandfather did cattle drives on in the 30s and 40s. This area is scattered with grave sites and memorials to the people who make up my DNA. I take a little pride in that if I am being honest, which is why I think I feel very rooted, and feel at home this area of our country.
With the limited time frame we had, the Peek-a-boo loop was perfect. It is about five and a half miles with a decent amount of elevation loss and gain. It offers up some stellar views of the various rock formations and hoodoos (uniquely shaped pillars carved by forces of erosion.) Bryce has the largest collection of hoodoos in the world. While they are gorgeous to look at from the rim, walking in and among them is an entirely different, breathtaking experience. You don't get an accurate feel for the enormity of the canyon until you are winding your way down to the bottom.
Don't settle for this view. Don't settle for viewing life from the edge. It might look inspiring from here, but trust me... when you do what most don't, and jump inside the rim, the beauty and awe that awaits you is breathtaking. Get in there and experience it. Change your perspective. Looking up, you realize how massive and important your life really is. You notice things you can't see from the top. Colors and textures and light and shadows... all the little bits pieced together to create the big picture... all the various pieces it takes to create what is you. But please remember.... With every climb down, there is also a climb back up that is more challenging than you may realize. Be willing to do the work putting one foot in front of the other by yourself. Don't call for a rescue. Do it for yourself. I promise you that after this journey, you will look down into that canyon with a completely different set of eyes.
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