Exploring Bryson Canyon, UT

Saturday August 14, day off the bikes – Exploring Bryson Canyon

Bryson Canyon – a place like no other with its “hoodoos” and other unique rock formations. We had a wonderful day exploring the canyon a little (not too much as we did not want to exert a lot of physical energy). It’s a “day off.”

As we rode the shuttle bus into the park we got into a conversation with a family with three young children. They were from Provo, UT. It came out that we were on bicycles going across the country. Sitting close to the front the shuttle bus driver overhead our conversation and asked, “Were you the two guys I passed yesterday on Hwy 20?”

“Yes.”

Yesterday a bus that looked like a city bus passed us on state Hwy 20. He had plenty of room to move over. At the moment there was no oncoming traffic. But he did not compensate much and was fairly close to us when he went by. We both looked at each other thinking hey give the cyclists a little more room on the road. But we didn’t say anything.

In addition to the unique rock formations is the mix of people at Bryce. It seems as though half of Europe is here – France, Italy, Germany. People speaking English are in the minority. We talked with many Europeans. August is a big vacation month. So they come to the US to explore the desert southwest.

As the sun set a lady (in her 40s?) from New Jersey came by our campsite. “I saw you are on bikes? Are you going across the country?” she asks. As our conversation unfolded she then told us that she had gone across the country when she was 16 years old. Impressive!!

The bicycles are conversation starters. People are curious. Where did you start? How far are you going? How long have you been on the road? Conversations like this don’t happen as easily when traveling in the usual way – by car.