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Day Two: July 2, 2005
Upon emerging from our hotel room this morning after a good night's rest, we found ourselves genuinely awestruck by the glorious landscape brought to life by the morning sun. How on earth could we have missed that spectacular view last night? The answer, of course, is that although the hulking forms of the surrounding mountains were indeed visible when we checked in, their true majesty, their splendid array of colors remained cloaked in darkness, waiting to be discovered in the morning, like gifts under a Christmas tree. And that was just the view from our hotel room!
The view got even better a few miles up the road in Zion National Park, where we gazed upon rock formations millions of years in the making and were cooled by droplets of water completing their twelve-hundred-year journey through a mountain of sandstone. This park truly is, as its name suggests, a sanctuary.
After our tour of Zion Canyon, we drove around the park to Kolob Canyon, where, surveying a vast expanse of nature's wonder, we made the acquaintance of a couple who seem to be making nearly the same trip as we are, only in reverse. And you all thought we were crazy! Well, if we are, at least we are not alone in our madness.
Next we visited two-mile-high Cedar Breaks National Monument. We have been to the Grand Canyon and Yosemite, and even Zion earlier today, but none of those prepared us for what we would see at Cedar Breaks. The diverse facets of this spectacular geological treasure, along with the crisp July snow, combined to form a breathtaking panorama.
While at Cedar Breaks, we were reminded that wherever on this huge planet we may wander, we are never really very far from home: Standing next to us on the overlook was Mr. Harry Love of Bakersfield, who worked with Kala at Centennial High School!
The final scenic portion of today's travels brought us to the foot of the legendary Big Rock Candy Mountain. Yes, the place really exists, although maybe not everything you've heard about it is true. Still, despite the absence of rubber-toothed bulldogs and soft-boiled-egg-laying hens, the mountain was well worth the detour.
A long day of sightseeing behind us, we headed north to Provo in search of a room for the night. Of course, this being a holiday weekend, our task proved more difficult than we had anticipated. When will we ever learn? It took some time and not a small amount of effort, but we managed to procure the last available hotel room in the greater Salt Lake City area, thus reaffirming our position that reservations are never necessary anywhere.
Coming up tomorrow: On through Idaho and into Montana, where, despite our aforementioned proclivity for spontaneity, we do already have accommodations arranged.
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