Winter has typically been the time we dream about far away places, planning our late-summer/early fall adventures to new places with trails, refugios, berghaus‘, and outdoor time.  This past winter, however, was one filled with family affairs – my Dad’s passing, closing his estate, selling the family house – it didn’t really leave much time to think about those far away places.  So it wasn’t until April, as those affairs settled, that we cracked open a map (or more correctly, started browsing Kayak and Tripadvisor for available, and relatively low air fares).

Which brought us to the American Southwest – Zion National Park and Sedona, Arizona.  The plan was simple, fly to Vegas, drive to Zion to hike for a few days, drive to Sedona, stopping in Page, AZ for an overnight and a hike in one of the many slot canyons in the area.

But plans change – we’d left a bit of room in the plan for some spontaneity – which we’ve learned to welcome in our travels.  This trip was no exception – on a whim, we fit in a day at Bryce National Park, a last minute (day before) idea.  It did not disappoint, and indeed, ranks amongst our top 5 best hikes ever.

Below is a summary of our travels – read on and enjoy!

and so we were off… Read more about each of the legs of the trip by clicking the links in the table. Be sure to check out the Bryce photos – some stunning scenery.