Our trip to Bryce, Zion, Vegas, ... and Fact #8

My count UP Fact of the Day... # 8!
Did you know that Taiwan has 6 National Parks???!!!
-Kending (a beach resort)
-Yushan (home to the tallest mountain... see previous post)
-Yangmingshan (a beautiful mountain park)
-Taroko National Park (I know lots of people visit this spectacular gorge)
-Dongsha (located on the north coastal waters of Taiwan ... once part of the Silk Road)
-Shei-Pa (rich in mountain beauty with over 51 peaks)
And speaking of National Parks....
Scott and I are National Park kinda people. Here are some pics from our July trip to Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion Canyon National Park, Valley Of Fire State Park, The Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon and Vegas!

In 1996, we visited Delaware Water Gap National Park and I bought a passport to the National Parks book. Basically, you visit all the USA's National Parks and such and collect the cancellations from all of the visitor's centers. You also buy each year's collection of stamps for each region and stick them in your passport. Well, to say the least I am addicted! It is not enough for me to just see a National Park... I must be sure to find every visitor's center there is on property to get the cancellations! I have evencollected stamps and cancellations from Alaska (twice) and Hawaii! In early July, Scott and I went to Vegas with our friends, Jackie and Tony, and stayed overnight at both Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park! We also visited the Lake Mead Recreational Area (yup there is a stamp there as well) and the Grand Canyon! The NP's are out of this world beautiful! The colors of Bryce, especially at sunrise, are just beautiful! And then there is Zion, I think it is my favorite National Park! I just absolutely fell in love with the scenery and the landscape! Like Alaska, I would return in a heartbeat!
The we were off to Vegas... but we had to hit yet another beautiful area just outsied of Las Vegas... Valley of Fire State Park. Everything I heard about this park was true! It was incredible! We only spent about 2 hours in the park... we had to be there to watch the sunset because that is when the setting light makes the colors of the rocks glow like the embers of a fire. It was well worth the detour!
Vegas was cool... but we are not really gamblers so we did a lot of walking around, eating and picked up a show... The Lion King of course! Freemont Street was different! We loved it her... it was alive with colors and the history of Old time Vegas.
Of course, what is a trip to Vegas without a day trip to the Grand Canyon??? And so we did just that! We took a plane to the canyon and then a helcopter ride across the widest part of the canyon! That was the highlight! Wow... what a view! We then boarded a bus and visited what else... the Visitor's Center (to get my stamp) and one other great overlook! I have always wanted to go to the Grand Canyon, well, ever since the Brady Bunch visited it (shows my age)! I am glad that I did... but compared to Bryce and Zion... it was just a big hole!
Before heading out of Vegas on our late flight home... we enjoyed a hot day at Red Rock Canyon (yup, another stamp here for the Spanish Trail)! This park was cool but Valley of Fire was so much better!
I can't wait to revisit this area as I missed so much and so many NP's... Arches here I come! If you ever have the opportunity to enjoy one of America's National Parks... do it! You certainly won't regret it!