Rainbow Bridge! (7/8)

Although we did not get quite as much sleep as we would have liked Saturday night, we were able to enjoy a relaxing morning floating in Lake Powell only a few feet from our tent and car.  Yay for drifting around in pool floats!  When we were done relaxing in the cool waters of Lake Powell, we packed up, safely extricated High Ho Silver (did I mention that is what I named my car this summer?) and headed to the Wahweep Marina for a boat tour to Rainbow Bridge National Monument.  

Silver on the beach.  

Our swimming spot on Lake Powell.

Re-entering Arizona for the Rainbow Bridge boat tour.

The trip to Rainbow Bridge National Monument was beautiful.  It was like taking a speed boat ride in the Grand Canyon. To me, Lake Powell is a cross between the Grand Canyon and some of the lakes in east Tennessee.  It has crazy amazing red rock walls for boundaries, but is filled with house boats towing pontoon boats, towing ski boats, towing jet skis - I seriously saw a house boat towing a pontoon boat, ski boat and two jet skis.  It was crazy.  

It took about two hours to get to the national monument, which may seem like a long boat ride, but this was definitely the short route to the amazing natural bridge.  The only other way to reach Rainbow Bridge would have entailed a multi-hour car ride and 16-mile, overnight hike in.  Although expensive, the boat was definitely the better option considering our time constraints.  Perhaps I will hike in one day. ...

The bridge is amazing.  It was formed by the Colorado River first washing around the outside, forming a curve around what is now the opening, and then working it's way through a tiny hole that became the natural opening picture above.  

Getting my National Parks passport signed by the
Rainbow Bridge ranger Sean.  He lives at a marina
down the lake and commutes by speed boat every day -
pretty sweet gig if you ask me.

Laurel getting her passport stamped.

Jumping was fun, but may have been a little out there
considering the sacred nature of the the site for Native
Americans.  

With Rainbow Bridge under my belt, as of July 8 I had visited 10 National Parks and Monuments on my summer journey.  As a hint, I was and am not finished. More to come!