Of course we went looking for coffee as soon as we left the motel. Had spotted Peace Tree Café the night before but figured we’d be on the road before they opened at 8 am. Well, we kind of were but by the time we got coffee at Red Rock Bakery & Net Café, we could have tried Peace Tree. Red Rock made good coffee but, man, it took way too long by the time ONE barista waited on everyone and chatted it up with the locals. Look, baristas of the world, when there is a line, ZIP-IT and start pulling shots. Talk to your friends later. While you’re at it, get a website, Red Rock Bakery & Net Café.
Today's destination, Bryce Canyon National Park. Our jumping off point, the tiny town of Panguitch, Utah. Too bad but we were at least a week too early for the Quilt Walk but we saw many of the quilts being hung around town. We were a bit concerned that the quilts would be hanging outside for days before the festival began - considering how much work goes into a quilt. Then again, what do I know from quilts?
Needing lunch before we explored Bryce, we shopped for grub at the grocery store then carried it on over to the lawn of the courthouse for a picnic. We weren’t sure if it was allowed but we had seen a young family packing up their picnic when we arrived so we figured they were either finished with their meal or had been run off. Either way, we’d find out soon. But no one cared that we held our picnic on the courthouse lawn. People waved and were really friendly.
Cycling is really big in Moab. This mural took up the whole side of a building advertising Poison Spider Bicycle. I hope you can see that giant Black Widow coming after the cyclists. I hope she catches them. They never watch where they are going.
In a shop window on Main St. In Moab I spotted this eerie chimnea full of faces.
BRYCE NATIONAL MONUMENT
While in Bryce we had the chance to see the Utah Prairie Dog, the California Condor, or the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher , though all are listed under the Endangered Species Act. I saw enough prairie dogs along Rte. 128 to Moab. If we saw a Southwestern Willow Flycatcher we didn't know it. But, man, to see a California Condor - that would have made the day.
Bryce is a geologic playground. Three climatic zones span 2,000 ft. of elevation. This results in an amazing degree of biodiversity. It's vast. The air is clear and you can see for miles across the canyon from any one point.
You can barely comprehend the vastness.
We will soon be hiking through some of this.
You can get right up close to the hoodoos.
I pause to snap a shot before I join Sally on the other side of this archway. I'd like to point out and, yes, burst some bubbles out there, that the archways on this hike are not natural. If you look for more than 2 seconds, you can see where they have been created to blend into the existing geography. This didn't stop lots of people from gathering to shot pictures of loved-ones standing right next to the opening of the archway and marvelling at how they were formed right from the rock. 
I rest.
I think this formation in the middle looks like a prehistoric turtle face. 
I can see one huge eye and the tiny nostril in the bottom right of this shot. Looks like they had jet planes in prehistoric times.
Now, here are two naturally forming "bridges" that are indicated in the hiking info. Through some crazy work of the elements over tens of thousands of years, these two shirt bridges were formed.
We had to climb this series of switch-backs on our way back up from the bottom of the hike. Luckily, it was shaded. However, it was very hot that day, this climb was steep, and we were already at an elevation that made our lungs work harder than normal. We took our time and stopped for breaks. If you want to get back to the parking lot, you gotta climb. You can see other hikers at various points of their treks.
Getting closer to the top.
I love the clouds peeking through the hoodoos.
Back in town and hungry, we were faced with pickings almost as slim as in Chinle, AZ. But we decided to give Grandma Tina's Spaghetti House a chance. I was intrigued that there are or ever were Italians in Panguitch. The Italian part is legit, proven by family photos hanging on the walls and even Grandma Tina’s naturalization papers. The food was extremely mediocre and took a long time. Um, how long does it take to fry up two freakin’ veggie patties? The beer wasn’t cold enough and took a looooong time to arrive. The waitress wasn’t old enough to serve it and the two guys in back were old enough but not by much. Not old enough to know that people shouldn’t wait that long for two bottles of beer, especially when, counting me and Sally, there were THREE people in the whole place. If she's in one, Grandma Tina is shaking her fist in her grave.
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