OstrichLand USA

A couple of weeks ago we took a trip up to Solvang, CA (more on that in the next blog post). While there we went to OstrichLand USA, where we got to feed ostriches (Ostrichi? Ostricho? What is the plural of "ostrich?") and baby emus. Sadly we weren't allowed to pet the birds--apparently they bite. Tragically, we also were not allowed to ride them. And we were definitely not allowed to sneak one into our car to take home as a pet. Despite these lame rules and obsession with "safety," we both agreed it was $12 well spent. 

Vegas

To round out our trip, we stopped in Vegas on our way back home. We've been to Vegas numerous times but still had a couple things to check off of our Vegas list. Our first stop was to the Pawn Stars Pawn Shop. I love watching this show so I was pretty excited to go see the store. Unfortunately, none of the show's stars were in the shop the day we visited but we still enjoyed looking at all the things in the shop. I was especially intrigued by the art they had: Pissacos, Salvadori Dalis, original Disney drawings. It was a mini art gallery. 

Thanks to a tip from a friend, we discovered the world's tallest chocolate fountain in the Bellagio Hotel. I enjoy going to the Bellagio because they decorate their atrium according to the time of year. Our last visit to Vegas was in January and the Bellagio had decorated for Chinese New Year. This time it was decorated in an autumn theme, complete with a talking tree, stained glass from Tiffany's, and beautiful flower arrangements. As you look at these pictures, notice my eyes in the first picture. This was the moment I realized the tree behind me was a talking tree! I was a bit surprised. 

                                       

Bryce Canyon National Park

As we planned to go to Zion National Park, we decided to tack on a side trip to Bryce Canyon since it was so close. I am so glad we did. Bryce Canyon was an amazing experience, completely different from anything we have ever done before. We loved it. In our opinion, Bryce was better than Zion. If you are ever in the area and only have time to do one park, we recommend Bryce over Zion. Those of you who have been to both may disagree, but you are wrong.

The drive from Zion to Bryce is a must-do. The drive along US Route 12 takes you out of Zion and from the road you can continue to see beautiful views of the park. Once out of the park, you wind your way through farmland until you reach Red Canyon, where you once again are among rock formations. 

While in Bryce we hiked the Navajo Trail, which takes you down into the canyon. I was a bit concerned about my ability to do this hike without dying. I kept seeing words like "strenuous" and "steep" when researching the hike. Everything I read about it said that it was pretty steep. While is it definitely steep, it wasn't difficult. Trust me when I say if I can do this hike, anybody can do it. Here are a couple pictures of the trail leading down into the canyon. As you can see it is steep, but the switchbacks help. 

We only scheduled one day in Bryce, and it wasn't enough time. We are already planning to go back and do more hikes. If you know us at all, you know that we don't hike so the fact that we want to go back and hike is a big deal and tells you how much we enjoyed our time in this park. Here are some of our favourite pictures (and by some, I mean pretty much ALL. It was so hard to decide which pictures to post so brace yourself: there are A LOT). 

  

 

  

 

 

 

 

If  You Go:

We stayed at the Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel. Nice, clean rooms. Hot breakfast (which during this time of COVID is rare). The park shuttle stops here, which makes it a convenient place to stay. If you don't plan to take the shuttle, plan to get to the park early as the parking at the popular trailheads fills up quickly. 

Gluten Free Find: 

Be sure to eat at Th-e Pizza Place in Tropic. Hands down THE BEST gluten free pizza I've ever had. It even tasted good cold the next morning. Highly recommend.