We left the campsite at Cave Lake State Park, NV early morning and drove through Great Basin National Park. This portion of the country (from the middle of Nevada all the way to Salt Lake City) is considered a "basin" area because the water flows into a basin, rather than into rivers which flow towards the oceans, and eventually evaporates.
We headed into Utah with great anticipation as Lance had never been to Bryce Canyon. As the school year was beginning to get underway across the country, the peak tourist season was clearly behind us as we were able to get a campsite in the national park for two nights.
The camp host told us that 70% of the visitors at this time are international. We found that hard to believe until we got on the hiking trail and sure enough there were folks from Germany, France, Holland, Japan, China and many other places.
Bryce Canyon offers the most unique environment one can encounter. The reddish colors and tower-like formations (HooDoos) were astounding, accented by various pines adapted to this harsh dry climate creating an interesting contrast.
Because the rim of Bryce Canyon is at a high elevation the temperature was ideal.
We hiked the Queen's Garden and Navajo Loop trails. The return back up the canyon to the rim from which we descended was truly awesome. The trail wove its way through narrow tunnels and steep, tight canyon-like gaps through the rocks. 
Despite the formidable vertical climb, the scene was so remarkable, that the ascent was still a blast.
Neither of us will ever forget what is as good a hiking experience as, we believe, one can find.
If you have never been to Bryce, it is a must see!
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