A Hell of a Place to Lose a Cow

[by Shelley]

"Do these shoes go with this dress?" "Do my shirt and tie clash?" We're so timid when it comes to fashion. Instead we should learn from Mother Earth. She's beautiful because she's bold. At Bryce Canyon National Park, where she's applauded daily by an endless crowd of international critics, she sashays in a florid, orange-and- pink designer original by Dr. Seuss. -- WOW Guides, Utah Canyon Country by Kathy and Craig Copeland.

Leaving Zion we had just one more day to play before getting serious about heading home. We arrived at Bryce Canyon about 11:00 and again did a popular hike (Navajo Trail and Queen's Garden) which, being off season, was fairly quiet. Of course, the best times for photos are sunrise and sunset but I think we still got a few good ones and even at noon and into mid afternoon the funky spires and rock shapes and colors were absolutely amazing to look at. I won't even begin to try to describe them -- you'll have to look at the photos! We saw Thor's Hammer, Cinderella's Castle, the Flame, and Queen Victoria. I'm sure people's imaginations allow them to see much more!

The same guidebook points out that "this crazy, colorful land . . . was named after the region's first white settler, a Mormon farmer -- Ebenezer Bryce -- who was neither crazy nor colorful." However, I suspect Mr. Bryce had a dry sense of humor. According to a sign in the park he remarked of the canyon, "It's a hell of a place to lose a cow." I thought my Dad would get a laugh out of that one -- and also be able to sympathize with him!

Bryce Canyon