Days 8-15

DAY 8: 1 June
Bryce. Beautiful. Different completely from Zion. This is rock formations, crazy, like looking down on an army clad in red. Zion was green, mountainous river and trickling waterfalls... But Bryce is unique. The trees are twisted in picasso-style formations... Our horse guide was a laugh and a half. A rodeo, originally from Nevada, who was a terrible flirt - no, a man-whore - who shared with us a very detailed financial outline of how much he earns... who took time to flex his muscles and roll his sleeves high so we could see his tats - and who swung his arm around Fiona when she made a trip to the toilet asking how she was doing when she had gone to use the bathroom. Hilarious...

... After the horseride, Fiona, Max and I did the 'moderate' about 3.5hr hike - Hat Shop and a little bit further... I got back at 5:30pm. Then we did the Rim walk from Bryce Point to Inspiration Point... from there we hiked to Sunset Point...

DAY 9: 2 June
Drove from Bryce National Park to Capitol Reef.

DAY 10: 3 June
Left Capitol Reef today - stopped off at Randy's bakehouse again on the way out. We were there yesterday talking with him (Randy) for a good hour I think. Currently on 24 highway heading to Salt Lake City. He was an interesting guy to talk with. Hippie. Originally from San Diego?... He was very much into sustainable living and had worked, saved, to buy his own farm... He talked about the RV tracks that stained the mountains in the park and his court case and now current litigation to stop this... Indians had taught him about the land... How one man had told him to go and speak with the mountains...

...Capitol Reef was beautiful. It's a shame we didn't have the time to do a hike.... The rocks are red as blood...

DAY 11: 4 June
Yesterday Max left early in the morning. Brian left the previous day. I lost my Ipod!.. We slept on the couches of 3 bachelors in Salt Lake City - Lance, Steve, Joey. We're returning tonight and probably hit the Piano Bar...

... On the 3rd we drove from Capitol Reef straight to SLC airport to drop off Brian, who got there about 1/2 hr before his flight was sue to leave...

... The french girls and I spent the day together. Cara went swimming this morning for her back...Not a whole lot to do (in Salt Lake City).. other than ski and snowboard... Today we saw the Utah Fine Arts Museum... lunched it up at Red Rock restaurant... Yesterday = 'conversion day'. Utah is Mormon. Joseph Smith colonized it and he is called a prophet today... The tour of the Tabernacle (where the world famous choir sings) and the visitor's center, was more of an exercise in conversion. Little did we learn about the buildings or the establishment of the faith, of facts and figures, much did we learn about how much Jesus loves us, and loves us, and loves us!

DAY 13: 6 June
SLC would've been shit had it not been for our cool hosts - Lance, Joey and Steve. Met up with Cara at around 8pm to hear the Tabernacle choir sin in the Latter Day Saints Convention Center. They were pretty amazing. 350 voices... Last night we all hit the Piano Bar - awesome fun. 'F&F' - 'fun & funny' - running joke within the group; born because the french girls weren't sure of the difference between 'fun' and 'funny'. The Piano Bar was too baby grand pianos, arse-to-arse, with two men sitting at them playing and singing song requests. $5 to request a song, $7 to have your song request cancel the one currently playing.. and so on...

... Today we're leaving SLC. We just picked up Ryan and went supermarket shopping. Got so much shit.. Van is freaking heavy...Ryan's host, Bruce, found us accommodation in Jackson for our fist night there, whilst we were out supermarket shopping and stocked us up with raisins, oats and chocolate candy canes... he was so amazingly generous...

... Just pulled over by Officer Grey Knutti - driving 46 in 35 mile zone. Thank goodness Laure was driving - they can't do much with a French driver and driving license. Woohoo! First cop experience in 12 days!