Cannonville, UT
I have always wanted to see Bryce Canyon in the winter. We took advantage of a three day weekend to do just that; clearly it did not disappoint.
Cannonville, UT is a prime location, central to so many beautiful areas in Southern Utah. And it has the most charming AirBnB that we were fortunate enough to call home for three nights. In addition to its unique character, this four bedroom home had stain glass windows, a clawfoot bathtub, and an original Nintendo. (Scott and I may or may not have stayed up way too late playing Contra).
We were a little nervous that the possibility of strong winds might put a damper on the weekend, but we had two gorgeous days in the low 40s, with little wind and tons of sun! Our first full day was spent exploring Bryce Canyon National Park. We drove through the entire park, stopping at overlooks and the visitor center (where I was so happy that we bought crampons for the icy trails) to give the sun a chance to warm the air. By 10am, we were ready to hike! With the kids happily plopped in their packs, we set out to do Navajo Loop Trail to Queens Fairy. After a half an hour into the hike, both kids were asleep and we were loving the scenery. The three mile trail into and back out of the canyon was perfect; breathtaking views around every turn and enough to wear us out. On our way back to the cutest AirBnB ever, we made a quick stop and hike up to Mossy Cave. Eight months out of the year, this cave has massive icicles hanging from every corner. Ella had a chance to play in the snow just as the sun was setting behind the mountains; it was a pretty magical day!
We started out day two hiking through Kodachrome Basin State Park. Unlike the sandstone hoodoos in Bryce Canyon, these rocks are much harder and not weathering away as quickly as the hoodoos. After a solid three mile hike through various formations, we left the state park to drive to Grosvenor Arch. Unaware of what this arch looked like, all we knew was that it was point of interest well off the beaten path. This double arch was ridiculously impressive! We rounded out the day with a disappointing hike to Willis Creek Slot Canyon. We had seen beautiful pictures of this sandstone canyon, but as we hiked to the entrance, we were met with an icy river. Although it would have been a great end to a great weekend, missing out on Willis Creek gives us a great excuse to come back!
