I stepped up to the rim of the canyon not quite knowing what to expect.  Gasping with awe, my eyes swept from left to right and back again trying to take in the view, the colors, the contrast, the formations.  It was almost too much.  A gentle breeze kicked up a bit of powdered rock and swirled the hot dusty smell of dirt and pine. The already hot sun warmed my arms and face. I stood transfixed by this other worldliness of Bryce Canyon. We made our way to one of the trail heads that descends into the canyon below. The steep switch backs led us further into shadows and light and shadows again.  Each step kicked up a bit of dust and gravel. A closure on the path had us detour around the rock formation known as Wall Street. We continued on, the walls grew taller, providing cooler temperatures but also enticing us with little crevices and chutes to the side. The trees were sparse, more like a punctuation of color, an accessory to the vivid and towering spires of the canyon.  Slowly we continued making our way to the bottom, each switchback along the trail had us feeling smaller and smaller. Once at the bottom we wound our way around the base of the hoodoos, each one unique.  What shapes, faces, imaginary figures could we see in the formations? Different angles had our imagination turning and creating.  And then we were at a crossroad.  Would we go right and hike up the Peekaboo trail, or left to the Queen’s Garden? Oh what a dilemma?  I hadn’t researched Peekaboo and so the Queen’s Garden it was.  However I think the way to do it is to start at Peekaboo and hike down to the bottom. Once there take the spur trail over to Queen’s garden and hike out, returning to the car via the free shuttle.  You live and you learn and hopefully pass that on.  As we neared the Queen’s Garden, we stopped for lunch in the shade of a pine before a lengthy climb out of the canyon. Even though we hadn’t traveled far we were among giants. The tall hoodoos grouped together ever watchful as we wove through the base of their counsel meeting.  Our dusty feet left one group only to entertain another solemn bunch as we slowly passed along the trail to Sunrise Point. Our legs took on the burn of ever mounting steps as our bodies warmed to the climb, one foot after another until we were looking face on with the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon.  No longer did they look down upon us as we trespassed through their garden but now we were the ones overlooking these clusters of tricky hoodoos that disguised themselves as something other than stone pillars. Our next stop along the way was observation point at the start of Peekaboo Trail.  The sun was more west being later in the day and few hikers were making their way out of the wonderland of a canyon below. We could see where we had traversed but the tantalizing view showed us where we could still go; downward. The laces were tightened and the poles found the spots on the gravelly path as we once again took to the trail along a series of switch backs.  Again the hot dusty air brought the scent of pines and dirt, mingling in the breeze. The colors had changed again and now white and orange were the main colors, like a orange creamsicle. The arch in the trail was our destination. Here we found another view that  had us marveling at the uniqueness of this small National Park in southern Utah.