Canon EOS 6D (70mm, f/9, 1/100 sec, ISO100)
The reason why we keep coming to the USA is the sense of space and of course the iconic and breathtaking landscapes.
Europe is beautiful too and if you are looking for culture, beautiful old towns and excellent food you have to go to Italy, Spain, Croatia or elsewhere in the old world. But for landscapes and nature it is not even close.
SONY ILCE-7R (28mm, f/9, 1/100 sec, ISO100)
Canon EOS 6D (70mm, f/10, 1/125 sec, ISO100)
Canon EOS 6D (200mm, f/13, 1/80 sec, ISO100)
SONY ILCE-7R (16mm, f/4.5, 1/60 sec, ISO1600)
SONY ILCE-7R (30mm, f/9, 1/200 sec, ISO100)
Canon EOS 6D (70mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec, ISO100)
Canon EOS 6D (70mm, f/9, 1/100 sec, ISO100)
Canon EOS 6D (70mm, f/10, 1/160 sec, ISO125)
FUJIFILM X-M1 (26.9mm, f/5.6, 1/340 sec, ISO200)
After lunch inside the Bryce Canyon NP we continued to visit viewpoints to take pictures and finally went for a hike. Most visitors only take a couple of pictures from the main viewpoints before they move on to the next attraction. We did exactly the same when we came here the first time. But to truly experience the place you have to go for a hike.
The hikes here are very different to what we consider a hike in Austria. Mostly those are beautifully made paths that are extremely easy to walk. There are no roots or rocks or any other obstacles. When I walk on such a carefully crafted path I always have to think of The Wizard of Oz. The only difference here is that the road is red.
SONY ILCE-7R (24mm, f/9, 1/500 sec, ISO100)
SONY ILCE-7R (16mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec, ISO100)
SONY ILCE-7R (24mm, f/9, 1/200 sec, ISO100)
SONY ILCE-7R (35mm, f/9, 1/100 sec, ISO100)
SONY ILCE-7R (16mm, f/8, 1/60 sec, ISO250)
SONY ILCE-7R (16mm, f/8, 1/60 sec, ISO100)
SONY ILCE-7R (16mm, f/8, 1/160 sec, ISO100)
So while the hikes are extremely easy you can feel the high elevation. The top of the Canyon is over 2.200 meters above sea level. So it’s no surprise that you will breathe a little heavier on your way back up. But the path is not very steep at all so this is really manageable even for true coach potatoes.
Don’t get fooled by the shot below. I just tried to get a dramatic image of my left foot standing right on the edge. The paths are very safe and no-one has to worry even if they should suffer from vertigo. In the picture you can also see the perfect footwear for the walks in Bryce Canyon or in the Arches NP: sport sandals. I just love the ones from Teva. There is really no need to sweat in hiking boots but I would never wear flip flops here. If I think of it I would never wear flip flops anywhere.
But no matter what you wear I strongly recommend to do some hiking. They are extremely rewarding because the landscape is just unreal. Beside the red brick road this is the main reason why I always have to think of the movie The Wizard of Oz. The landscape is too beautiful to be real.
SONY ILCE-7R (16mm, f/10, 1/80 sec, ISO100)
SONY ILCE-7R (35mm, f/10, 1/125 sec, ISO100)
SONY ILCE-7R (16mm, f/8, 1/125 sec, ISO100)
SONY ILCE-7R (35mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec, ISO100)
The first thing I saw when I opened the curtains was my Chevrolet Tahoe in the beautiful light of the morning. I love those classic motels where your car is parked right out of your room. But even better is this old little motel in Bryce Canyon where the restaurant is just a couple of steps away.
Time for another excellent breakfast before we move on.
FUJIFILM X-T1 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO2000)