Hi

This part of our trip was from the Grand Canyon over to the the east of Arizona and then up into Utah, doing a bit of a weird circle to end up in Zion National Park B4 heading straight up the freeway to Pete's friends in Salt Lake city. In just over a week we covered over a 1000 miles and went fom sand storms one day to falling snow the next. If you dont like humungous rocks in every shape, colour and variety this bit is not for you but if you love big landscapes then have a look. For the Aussies Uluru and the Olgas would have been swallowed up as just another rock here.

We saw delicate arches, rock bridges that spanned 200 odd feet, towering monuments and fairytale scenes. At the Arches National Park there was a ferocious dust storm and Toby and I decided our tent was going up in a town that night. Not sure if it was the best option as the park was full of guys bonding at some jeep meet. There was every kind of jeep not to mention the huge pickups with the raised bodies to pull them. Then to top it off there was a mountain bike meet!!!

The next night it was freezing and this time we rebelled entirely and gave the tents the flic. Booked in to a little place where we were in the Kiva, an Indian type of building. It looked pretty unfinished from the outside but what a find, as the snow started to fall we found the place of the trip. Brendan eat your heart out, it was all stone even the bathroom and shower with fossils and geodes set in the walls. Had a gas heater tho' in each room and lovely beds with fluffy doonas!!!

By the way it got to minus 7 degrees Celcius!!!!

From there to Bryce Canyon where the rocks had eroded into delicate spires, pillars, turrets etc, as we drove in the snow started to fall and the whole area was like a fairyland with a light dusting of icing sugar. Absolutely magical!!! From there across the Escalante staircase to Zion which had massive coloured rocks. For the horticulturalists we saw the Bristlecone pines in the flesh, 1600 years old!

Then up to Salt Lake where we have had a lovely time with Pete's friends veging out, sorting out, posting home and getting ready forCentral America.

Next days