Bryce Canyon

The day requires 450 km car ride, but tomorrow 480 km is on the programme and two national parks in addition. We therefore decide to visit Bryce Canyon today.

And the journey begins uneventfully, but shows us once again just how literally far and sparsely populated this land is. You drive for 50 to 70 kilometers without a place existing. Sometimes you see a small house or a mobile home with a shed and two or three car wrecks, but almost you drive through a pristine and largely barren landscape. Only where the groound can be irrigated it shows characteristics of civilization.

Beautiful then the detour on Highway 12 - a scenic road that leads to almost 3000 meters. Unfortunately, we drive into a heavy thunderstorm (we have still not received any expressions of thanks from the government in Arizona for all the rain in July), but mainly it offers impressive views of the Escalante Stairway.

Fortunately the sun is coming out shortly after arriving at the Ruby's Inn with a kitschy pseudo-Western atmosphere and a rodeo show, and by about 3.00 p.m. we enter Bryce Canyon by the nereby gate. Actually it is not a canyon, but a semi-circular cliff, from which one looks down on formations of sandstone pillars. At best, it is described by the name that the Indians have given this place: the valley of the red men of stone, standing in a bowl. Hugh!

The impressions vary depending on the perspective and position of the sun, but unfortunately the approaching storm clouds do not allow us to look at the men in red during sunset. Where you have to mention politically correct that men in yellow are also seen. But the Chinese were never much known in the Wild West.

Back at the hotel, we realize that the selection for dinner is limited: Hotel restaurant, self-catering with microwave or 30 kilometer drive to the next village. The children vote for Groceries store, and in view of the two disgustingly expensive and moderately good restaurants in the national parks I agree. 3-1 so.

The children choose Corny Dogs - known to them from nights TV advertising. They are monsters of fat sausages in a sweet corn dough, but the cartoon character on TV is always fond of. They are, as expected, only available in a handy 24-piece pack and almost half of the package is eaten by 3.5 family members (I can not even get half a corn dog down), thanks to the help from mustard and ketchup. To be fair, one must note, however, that my frozen chicken dish just tastes a little less disgusting. To accompany this 3.0 family members drink a already popular 0.95 liter bottle of Budweiser. On the label I discover from which the stuff is brewed of: hops, malt and - yes, exactly - rice, of course. At home probably it would not even be allowed to write "Beer" on the label.

The evening is still funny, as the children discover Gideon's Bible and a Mormon book in the nightstand. So we can read quotes from the Bible in Danish or Dutch and Mona quickly retrieves her favorite Bible quote in English, where Lot offers his two daughters to the mob to be raped for the godly house guests to be left alone. When you are in Utah, do as the Utants do.

Finally a look at the Weather Channel: For Las Vegas tomorrow 106 degrees Fahrenheit is predicted. I do not know how much this means in Celsius, but it sounds pretty hot. (This is 41.1 degrees).