Day 4, Bryce Canyon National Park

On Day 4, we made the 2 hour drive north to Bryce Canyon National Park. Despite its name, it is not a canyon, but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. The scenery was spectacular. On the drive up, we took the scenic Mt. Carmel Highway, stopping at the "Belly of the Dragon", a man-made tunnel originally created for drainage. Over time the water flow has carved beautiful ripples in the sandstone making it a scenic spot for exploring. After the exploring the tunnel, we continued on to Bryce we hiked alongside the rim trails with gorgeous views of the amphitheater below. The kids mostly enjoyed it but by this point some of the younger ones were over the hiking! On the way home, we made a pitstop at the giant Checkerboard Mesa, which the kids enjoyed exploring and climbing on. We also saw Zion's Grand Arch which made for a good photo stop on our scenic drive. Once the day was done, some Mexican food from a local restaurant hit the spot.

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