Bryce Canyon National Park

 Bryce Canyon National Park, home of some of the world's known hoodoos. 

The Paiute Indians believed that the hoodoos were ancient "Legend People", who were turned to stone as punishment for their bad deeds. 

Today, we know that this is a geological phenomenon due to erosion of the frost-wedging process. This is when the nights freeze and the days warm up to melt the snow or ice that is on top of the stone. The water melts into the cracks of the stone and when it freezes at night is splits the sandstone apart overtime creating these structures that captivate us, the viewer/observer.

Filtered light is always so neat looking.

Natural Arch

Watching the day close from Sunset Point 

Good morning from Sunrise Point

 We trekked through the hoodoos beginning with Navajo Loop --> Peek-A-Boo Loop --> Queens Garden. If you use your imagination, the hoodoos can look like many things and many of them have names because of this.

Natural Bridges

Wall of Windows

Selfie through a window

There are so many opportunities to create natural frames for pictures. 

Soaking it all in

Woodoo you know strolling in this picture?

Thor's Hammer

Sunset the second night from Inspiration Point

View of the whole ampitheater from above without being in an airplane  

and it was topped off with a spectacular sunset

Zion National Park

Zion and Bryce Canyon have been on my bucket list for quite awhile and this is the year that I am choosing to make a conscious effort to achieve some of these things. Really, it is a way to keep adventure in the forefront of life. Helen Keller says it well 

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all."

Sunrise somewhere in Utah. Trekking to the western side of Utah.

Hiking into Emerald Pools from the Grottos'

Middle Emerald Pool with a reflection

Upper Emerald Pool 

The Virgin River is responsible for the creation of Zion Canyon over millions of years.

Watchman at sunset

Good morning! The lighting was beautiful as the sun was rising.

Switch-backs

and more switch-backs

The view of Zion Canyon from the top of Angels' Landing

The girls on the outside cheered and convinced us two in the middle that we could do this and that we would be fine! It was so worth it even though the heights were a bit sketchy :)

Observation Point

Embracing nature and its views

Hanging over a cliff? This girl can handle it!

Looking down on Pine Creek Canyon. It looks insignificant, however, it is a popular technical canyoneering site where some have lost their lives to sudden flash floods.

Checkerboard Mesa

Zion National Park - Check

Bryce Canyon National Park - Up Next