During our drive from Zion to Bryce we confirmed that k is prone to carsickness, and that we should always have her take Dramamine as a precautionary measure on road trips. She was not doing too well, so we stopped at a small cafe in Hatch. I gave her some Sierra Mist and it worked like magic!
We entered Bryce Canyon National Park and drove on the scenic drive all the way to the end to Rainbow Point.
There we ate our sandwiches on some picnic tables (caprese and roast beef). Next we hiked the Bristlecone Loop Trail. There were a few patches of snow in the beginning, but we did not let that deter us. We kept going, and there was even more snow. I wanted to turn back at that point, but D was determined. We made the 1 mile roundtrip with many stops to carry the kids over snow patches/ice. If the Riverside Walk in Zion was the longest 2 miles I have ever hiked, this was definitely the longest mile I have hiked.
It wasn’t until I looked at this picture later that I realized how far n is leaning over the edge!
We drove back along the scenic route, stopping at the Natural Bridge and Bryce Point.
Then we went back to the Visitor’s Center where I stamped by National Park passport and we watched a short film about Bryce.
Although it was past 3 p.m. by this time, when we tried to check into our hotel, we were told that that the room was not ready (check-in was officially 4 p.m.). We killed some time by going across the street to fill up on gas and go to Ruby’s General Store. D noted that the town just outside of Bryce is much more hokey/kitschy than Zion. D stayed in the car while n took a nap. Meanwhile, k and I filled a bag with polished stones as a souvenir from the general store. After some more hassle, we finally checked into our hotel room. Since we hadn’t showered in a couple of days, this is just what we needed.
Waiting in the lobby…
Watching Netflix on Kindle Fire.
“Clean Remote” with a disposable cover. I think there was some sort of study that determined that the remote control is one of the dirtiest things in a hotel room–ew.
After washing up/relaxing we went to Bryce Canyon Pines restaurant.
I ordered the hot turkey sandwich (Thanksgiving on Easter!)
D ordered a chicken sandwich with ham and cheese (yes, there is chicken underneath all of that cheese)
The kids shared our entrees with us and then we all shared a slice of blueberry banana cream pie.
Although there is not much choice in Bryce, restaurant-wise, we enjoyed this meal.
We went back to the hotel and enjoyed sleeping in beds. After camping in such cold temperatures, the hotel room actually felt too warm!