July 16 – We all agreed Arches was most fun in the cooler temperatures of the evening and morning. Ben and Nick celebrated the sunrise with breakfast atop the rock behind our campsite. Then all four of us took the longer hike to Landscape Arch, a 300 foot span that is only 6 feet thick at its thickest point. Visitors can no longer go under the arch because in 1991 a large section fell off! Who knows how long Landscape Arch will be here…

After saying goodbye to Arches, we made the long drive to Bryce Canyon. The weather was quite hot most of the day but we went through a rain storm in the mid-afternoon and by the time we arrived at Bryce, the temps were about 30 degrees cooler than they had been in Arches! We waited out the rain during the orientation film at the Visitor’s Center, emerging afterwards to cool blue skies and unbelievable vistas.

We settled Chester into a campsite and proceeded on a hike along the Rim Trail toward the Lodge for dinner. The hike was tremendous – evening sun and cool temps served to heighten Bryce’s magnificence. Even the clingy clay left behind by the rain shower didn’t detract from our enjoyment and Rowan declared that Bryce was her favorite place thus far.

Dinner at the lodge was another treat – good food, charming atmosphere, lovely architecture. The building is one of the grand lodges constructed by Union Pacific in the early Park Service days.

Day 18: Arches National Park UT to Bryce Canyon National Park UT – 299 miles.