Day 12-13 ~ Bryce Canyon and Torrey, Utah

Our weather at Bryce Canyon was perfect. The past two days were in the mid 80s. Yesterday morning we got up to temperatures in the mid 30s followed by a warm beautiful sunny day. At night the skies have been clear and perfect for star gazing. There are many European travelers in this area. The other day I met two men from Holland. They love to visit the US. They said there is no place in Europe they can go and see vast expanses of landscape without seeing another person or structure as far as the eye can see. They said they can climb the alps and it is beautiful but when they turn around on the trail they can see village after village within view. In the US they can take a realitively short hike and not be able to see a soul. They also said they enjoy traveling in areas where they meet the people who live there, not other European tourists. In particular they enjoy Maine. I asked them why the Southwest is so popular with Europeans and they said it is because affordable tours are promoted by European tour operators. The conversation made me realize that we often take for granted this wonderful country. We have so much in our own backyard. Last evening we had a group pot luck with a great variety of food. After dinner we sat around a large campfire and toasted marshmallows. Today was a travel day to Torrey Pines, Utah. Note: We are now in Torrey, Utah but the Park and Verizon internet are both VERY slow. I will post again after we get to Moab, Utah, on Wednesday or Thursday.