Bryce Canyon

Posted by Sara

After Zion our minds turned to thoughts of home.  We stopped at Bryce Canyon National Park, an hour and a half from Zion, for a short 1 hour hike around the famous Queen’s Garden’s/\Navajo Loop and Wall Street.  The famous Hoodoos were truly amazing.  Then we started to put in some miles.

Hanging out above the hoodoos.

Hoodoo gurus.

The hike we did in Bryce has been called the "best 3 mile loop in the world."  I'm not sure about that, but it was pretty spectacular.

When you're a teenage boy, hiking alone is not enough exercise.  So you add in a little gymnastics.

Exiting the canyon along a trail called "Wall Street", where the walls close in tight.

We bid the Canyon lands good-bye and started to make time toward the Pacific Northwest.  Through Salt Lake City, Boise Idaho and on to Portland, Oregon through the picturesque Columbia Gorge.

The famous Columbia River Gorge.  A bit further along we came to the town of Hood River, the windsurfing and kite boarding mecca.  Too bad we were trying to make time, or we could have continued our kite boarding lessons.

There is a fair bit of freighter traffic up and down the Columbia River.  They have to navigate the bridges, which raise like this one.  They also have several sets of locks they need to go through at various dams.

Freighter traffic on the Columbia.

Mount Hood, one of the several volcanic mountains to be found in Washington state.

Hood River, windsurfing mecca.

We stopped for a day in Portland.  Feeling the need for a bit more exercise, we took the kids to a trampoline warehouse.  Well, the kids and Scot.  In this picture, Scot is actually landing from a jump.  He is not that heavy when he is just standing there.

From Portland, we headed up the Olympic Peninsula to catch the Coho Ferry to Victoria.  As we went the gray clouds rolled in, the rain started drizzling and we all pulled out our Hoodies for the probably the first time in 8 months.

Waiting for our next ocean voyage, on the Coho Ferry to Victoria.  This point in our journey marks our arrival at the Pacific, having crossed the entire continent from the Atlantic!

Can't wait to be back in Canada!