GỢI Ý CHO 1 NGÀY Ở BRYCE CANYON

Ngắm bình minh

Như đã nói ở trên, chắc chắn bạn không được bỏ lỡ bình minh ở Bryce Canyon. Đó là thời điểm đẹp nhất trong ngày ở đây. Trong tất cả 13 view point trên đường số 63 chạy dọc Bryce Canyon, Sunrise, Sunset hoặc Inspiration Point sẽ tặng bạn một bình minh huy hoàng nhất. Từ Sunset Point, bạn có thể nhìn về bên trái thấy Sunrise Point và Queen’s Garden trail ; nhìn về bên phải sẽ thấy Navajo Loop Trail và Silent City, xa hơn nữa là Inspiration Point và Bryce Point.

Hiking

 Sau khi ngắm bình minh ở Sunset Point, bạn nên thử một đường hiking ngắn để tiến lại gần các hoodoo, cảm nhận hết vẻ đẹp của chúng. Sơ đồ các đường hiking của Bryce Canyon được phát miễn phí tại phòng du lịch ngay trong vườn quốc gia.

 Trong số các đường hiking của Bryce thì Queen’s Garden trail (hơn 2 km) và Navajo Loop trail (3,5 km) là dễ đi nhất. Nếu có nhiều thời gian hơn, bạn có thể đi gộp cả 2 đường thành một vòng tròn với quãng đường dài 4,5 km, đi hết khoảng từ 2,5 đến 3 tiếng.

 Nếu đi gộp Queen’s Garden trail và Navajo

Loop trail, bạn có thể bắt đầu từ Sunrise Point hoặc Sunset Point. Nhưng theo tôi, đường đi theo chiều bắt đầu từ Sunrise Point dễ đi hơn. Những hoodoo của Bryce Canyon nối tiếp nhau thành những lối đi lắt léo như trong rừng rậm. Hẳn vì thế mà Ebenezer Bryce (người lấy tên mình đặt cho Bryce Canyon) đã nói: “Thật là khốn khổ nếu để mất con bò của bạn ở đây”. Hiking trong sa mạc rất nóng và khô, bạn đừng quên mang theo đủ nước uống và một chút đồ ăn nhé.

Lái xe dọc Panoramic Road

Sẽ thật đáng tiếc nếu đến Bryce Canyon mà không đi ngắm hết các view point ở đây, nhất là khi chúng nằm luôn trên đường lớn, có thể lái xe đến tận nơi. Quãng đường 25 km từ Fairyland Point đến Yovimpa Point rất đẹp, bạn không nên bỏ lỡ. Các view point đều nằm bên trái đường nếu bạn đi từ cổng vào, vì thế, bạn lái xe một mạch đến tận Yovimpa Point rồi dừng ngắm cảnh trên đường đi ra sẽ tiện hơn nhiều.

WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I NEVER HAD AN AMERICAN DREAM. BACK THEN, I PICTURED AMERICA AS A COUNTRY FULL OF BORING SKYSCRAPERS, CROWDED ROADS AND STRANGE PEOPLE. AND YET, ON ONE BEAUTIFUL DAY, FATE AND MY BUSINESS TOOK ME THERE. AMERICA UNFURLED BEFORE MY EYES, TELLING ME TO STOP HOLDING PREJUDICES ABOUT A LAND I HAD NEVER BEEN TO.

WILD WEST

Indeed, America is not the same as I had once thought. The narrow, crowded streets in my imagination were replaced by wide, straight boulevards. American culture is also quite different from that of Europe, but most of the people I met were kind. And the urban areas are not so suffocating. And if they are dense, compared to the immense surrounding nature, they are like little islands in a vast ocean.

From the first sight, the patches of tall, green mountains, deep forests and rolling plains all blending in the colorful desert awakened my adventurous soul. I told myself, if there is a place in the world suitable for non-stop traveling, it is this country. At that moment, I knew I would return here one day.

And I did come back, almost immediately. I chose Grand Circle in the southwestern United States for a 3-week road trip. The first time I came to the US, I didn’t have a chance to explore, I just went between a few bustling cities and peaceful towns. That road trip was the initial starting point for my next journey.

Through American western movies, the phrase “Wild West” has become familiar to generations. It wasn’t until I came here that I finally understand how wild and remote this land really is. It is a broad, parched and unoccupied desert, different from the riches of the eastern plains. Across millions of square millions, large cities are scattered, and the occasional secluded town, ranging from a few dozen to a few hundred wooden houses. When night falls, the roads between the small towns sink into darkness. In the dark of night, we were alone, facing the cold with the howls of nocturnal animals under a starry sky.

AND IF THEY ARE DENSE, COMPARED TO THE IMMENSE SURROUNDING NATURE, THEY ARE LIKE LITTLE ISLANDS IN A VAST OCEAN.

DAWN IN BRYCE CANYON

Bryce Canyon is in the middle of my three-week journey through the western desert. Bryce Canyon, Utah, covers an area of 145 km² and is one of America’s most beautiful national parks, with a distinct landscape from the surrounding desert. There are brilliant orange stone columns known as hoodoos. They are the result of millions of years of water freezing on the surface of the rock layers, forming cracks. Rainwater flows in the cracks and over years erodes them into stone spires tens of meters high. The towering stones stand close to each other, creating the unmistakable beauty of one of America’s most famous national parks.

I still remember that amazing moment at sun rise when rays of light streamed between the bright red stone pillars.

WALKING DOWN TO BRYCE CANYON

Despite the name “canyon,” Bryce Canyon is actually a collection of giant natural amphitheaters along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in Utah. There is a paved road running along the highest slope of Bryce Canyon at an altitude of 2,400–2,700 m. On this road, there is a series of beautiful viewpoints near the car parks for tourists. It was here, when the sun had just risen in the east, that we enjoyed watching the hoodoos glow in yellow and orange as the light of a cold morning filtered between the stone pillars.

The viewpoints are clearly marked on the map, and they are usually the start/finish of the short trails down to the valley. The hiking trails in Bryce Canyon aren’t too long nor too difficult. Most of them take a few hours up to a half-day to finish, suitable for both young people and families with children.

The deeper you go down into the hoodoos, the more enchanting Bryce Canyon becomes. The space here is still and quiet. Many times, I wondered, if I stood silently and listened, if I could recognize the whispers of the ancients from the legends?

Standing in the Bryce Canyon’s desert, watching the first rays of light emerge from the green mountain range on the horizon, I found myself so small. The vastness of nature changes me every day. Ignoring the initial fears of the empty roads, the dark and nocturnal animals, I gradually matured. I am delighted to immerse myself in the sunrise and sunset, in the majestic landscapes that are constantly changing. That space is immense and generous. This land helped me fulfill my American dream, a dream of freedom and adventure on the long, open roads.

MORE INFORMATION

Time: Grand Circle has both mountainous and desert terrain; the weather here is quite harsh. You should take a road trip in the spring (March to May) and the fall (September to November), the two most beautiful seasons.

Ticket: All national parks and reserves, including Bryce Canyon, have a certain ticket price ranging from $5–10 USD. This price can be charged for one person or for everyone in the car. If you plan to go through several national parks, you should buy the America the Beautiful Pass for 80 USD, valid for one year from the date of purchase and effective as soon as you pay. This pass can be used in all areas under the administration of the United States (regardless of the location, state government or Indian reservation), for one car and 7 people.

Estimated cost:

 Roundtrip ticket price from Vietnam: 800–1,000 USD/ ticket

 Accommodation: 50–100 Usd/day

 Cuisine: 10–20 Usd/person/meal

 5-seat rental car: 40–50 Usd/day

 Total cost is about 5,600 USD/2 people for a 3-week journey