Day 12: Horseshoe Bend and Drive to Bryce Canyon National Park
đHorseshoe Bend: This tranquil setting holds a violent past that happened on Horseshoe Bend on March 27, 1814. On the peninsula stood 1,000 American Indian warriors, known as The Creek. These men, along with 350 women and children, had arrived over the previous six months in search of refuge. Many had been part of a series of costly battles during the past year, all fought in an attempt to regain the autonomy the Indians had held before the arrival of European Americans.
Today was a sleep-in day! Well it was supposed to be, but the body clock went off at 6:15am. I peeked out of the curtains and WOW, the sun was just starting to pop up and there was an red, blue and purple glow behind Monument Valley. The photos just donât do it justice. I had to stay up and watch the sunrise and didnât want to disturb Ken. Heâs been doing a lot of the driving, so I can journal and take photos, so Iâm thankful for that!
We packed up our stuff, and went in search of breakfast. Everything is closed up for the weekend. What I didnât know was that the Navajo Reservation has a âShelter In Placeâ order for Sept 5-7, so only a few hotels and gas stations were open, but all restaurants were closed up. We figured it best to carry on anyway given the situation. So beef jerky and bananas for breakfast it is! Actually perfect for a pre-hike meal.
Itâs currently 92 F degrees at 11:51am. This is supposed to be one of the hotter days we encounter, and then it cools down to the high 60âs for a few days, then back up again.
It was a 2.5 hour drive to Page, Arizona to go see the Horseshoe Bend. The shortest, easiest 1.5 mile (out and back) to see the horseshoe views of the Colorado River, however today the heat wiped me out. 95 F degrees and people were walking down to the overlook with sun umbrellas (there is no decent shade, only a few pergolaâs packed with people underneath them). Due to the park itself being somewhat new, there were no water refilling stations either, but the ranger said they will be installing some soon. So bring plenty of water with you!
There were hoards of people, which Iâm never thrilled about (with or without Covid), but given itâs a holiday weekend, to be expected. The viewing platform was nice. We took a few photos and then headed back up to the parking lot (380 ft elevation gain, so not bad). It was nice to see, but doubtful we would go back. Tick, done â off the list.
Afterwards we found a local lunch spot, Ranch House Grille (wouldnât recommend; service was ok, food was cold and well just âehâ).
As we were leaving Page, Arizona at 4pm and the temp hit 109 F đ„ too hot for this chick! Ken and I joked that we will be headed to Alaska next to chill; literally! We grabbed a cold drink for the drive to Bryce Canyon (about another 2 hours) and away we went.
Todayâs drive was the day of awful drivers, speeding jerks in big trucks with inflated egos and things flying out of the backs of their poorly packed âjust here for the weekendâ trucks!! Oh and too many road kill to count. Ick! đ
We made it to Bryce Canyon, enjoyed the cooler breezes and checked into our hotel. We decided to order dinner in, and stay away from the holiday crowds tonight. Tomorrow is an early wake-up for a hike that we both want to slay, since we weren’t able to do it the last time we were here 5 years ago. Stay tuned for that!
âIt is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves – in finding themselves.â -Andre Gide
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Byrds On A Wire 