AZ Tuesday

The Grand Canyon!

And here we were, mid way through our vacation at the visual splendor that is said to be life altering for some. We visited the frequently traveled to southern rim. We took the tour bus to the western portion of the overlooks where most of these early shots were taken. I found the tour bus to be a bit agonizing, filled with seniors, and catered to seniors. Nearly all of which were carrying "hiking sticks" even though the only hiking any of them did involved stepping on and off the buses with cameras around their necks sporting their bright white sneakers with black socks. I usually don't complain about that, I just found the bus drivers to be a bit slow witted which added to my irritation. One driver reprimanded me for standing too close to the door, calling me "son" and lecturing me that I didn't understand the dangers of buses, even though I tend to ride a few a week and am usually sandwiched against the door of a bus that is much more ill maintained than the one at the park. I actually thought he was talking to someone else and ignored him initially because I was well outside of the "caution" zone on the floor that people usually ignore. But no he was. And on another instance a driver called us out as city slickers who didn't understand the effect of elevation after he saw us running to the bus at one overlook to get it before he left. Like his fellow bus driver he also warned us of likely death due to such reckless behavior, and called us out as flat-lander city slickers. After our tour I was feeling very much the part and was looking forward to lunch at the visitors center.

It was nice to sit down, even though we hadn't really exerted ourselves. The National park cafeteria was not as good as I had remembered it being in Yellowstone. The staff was a bit disorganized. I had my heart set on a nice burger but after waiting over ten minutes at the grill for no one to show up, I settled on a rather mediocre bowl of chili and a salad. The food was a bit pricey too.... but who is complaining? Oh that's right, I am. To make our experience that much more enjoyable there was a political town hall occurring at the cafeteria with an awful country singer. He tried to sound like Cash but sang predictable rhyming tunes about Arizona and could only play one chord per song. I would have preferred that they were pumping in Britney Spears or something... and that is saying something. We had some smoothies for desert, and I was anxious to eat it outside for obvious reasons.

We had debated where we were going to hike. Initially we were going to try and go to Ooh Aah point, but with our agenda it seemed a little too ambitious. Instead we decided to go down the Bright Angel trail and play it by ear depending on what sort of progress we made.

Hiking in the canyon was awesome, and Kate and I both agreed that if we could do it again we would prioritize hiking and forgo the other "overlook" attractions. It really gave you a much better appreciation for the canyon, when from the side it is tough to really wrap your head around. At least for me it was. Before the trip I often joked with Kate that it was just a big ditch. And honestly early in the day I was totally imagining some giant back hoes should be down there somewhere. It really was tough to grasp that it was created by nature.

We shared the Bright Angel trail not only with other hikers but also the occasional mule. At times the manure was quite an obstacle.

After hiking to the second tunnel we turned back (about 0.75 mi), not really knowing how difficult it would be to go back up. I actually found hiking up a bit easier, probably because you can keep a steadier pace with less risk of falling down. We also wanted to be sure to have enough time to see the sunset.

For the last leg of our Grand Canyon trip we headed east. We stopped off at a couple more overlooks, and spotted some elk just outside of the Visitors center lot. One of the stops included more pueblo ruins which are always interesting. Desert View was our final canyon destination and is claimed to be the best place to watch the sunset by many. There is a great tower with a gift shop in it at the base. You can climb to the top for some spectacular views.
A bit blurry, this is inside one of the upper levels of the tower before ascending to the roof.
The canyon and sunset photos speak for themselves.

Upon leaving the park dusk was upon us and the wild life was especially active. At first a huge elk buck crossed the street and I paused so we could get a good look at it. About an hour later we were on our way through some steep terrain going east to Tuba City when I had to slam on the break and pull into the break down land in order to avoid hitting a flock of deer. The items we had in the back seats slammed into us and a box of hot tamales that Kate had in the console flew all over the car. The fool behind us didn't seem to "get" why I slammed my breaks on and kept going fish tailing through the deer and narrowly missing them. A bit shaken, I drove on with high beams and caution, but all we encountered were several rabbits that avoided us successfully.

Tuba city was a welcome site. It is a quiet town on the Hopi reservation. The hotel was very nice and had a native American motif throughout it. After settling in we had a great take out supper from "Pizza Edge" which was coincidentally where we stopped for directions when we first arrived in town. This place had some of the best bread sticks I've ever had. They were weaved together like a basket, and covered with garlic and Parmesan. Good stuff.

AZ Monday

Here is the photo journal of another very cool day in Arizona. The day began driving north on rt 89A out of Sedona through the red rocks. Kate and I stopped off at a couple of overlooks to take some pictures. Fire danger: It is Arizona, isn't it always high? The next few pictures were taken just prior to the last leg of the approach to Flagstaff. They are in an area near Oak Creek Canyon. Just prior to this I stop off I think I may have killed a squirrel with the car, which was a sad point to an otherwise nice day. After driving through Flagstaff quickly we drove to Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument which was very cool. In the first picture below you can see one of several volcanoes which erupted approximately 1000 years ago. We hiked up one of the peaks and this is the view from the top. The entire trail was like walking on black beach sand, and it was very steep. It was a short but tough hike, and the dust was easily inhaled which had me clearing my throat a few times. A nice couple visiting from New Hampshire was kind enough to snap our picture.Below you can see an old lava flow. Very cool.Following a couple of nice hikes in this park, and some impressive scenic overviews we exited this park. Our journey took us through some incredible expanses of mint green scrub brush juxtaposed on the reddish gray earth that comprised a rolling plateau. It was only several miles along the road and we entered yet another park called Wupatki National Monument. This was a series of pueblo dwellings set on yet more amazing landscape. Various guides were posted at each stop and were very informative. The most striking fact about these dwellings is that the Anasazi chose to live here in the absence of rivers or streams. The water that they had was collected run off, or transported from the distant valley. These dwellings are up to 1000 years old. This was probably one of our favorite attractions that we visited during the trip.

After leaving the park we headed back to Flagstaff, but our day was not yet over. We checked into our hotel and after some wrangling over our options decided to go to the Galaxy diner, a tacky Rt. 66 establishment where we had greasy food and an attentive teenage waitress. It was everything we were hoping for. I had meatloaf (the first meatloaf I've ever eaten.... weird eh?) and Kate had fried chicken with gravy. It hit the spot. We wandered around downtown Flagstaff which is a great college town with lots of character. We both really liked Flagstaff quite a bit, and as Kate suggested, maybe it was that something about the town just seems a little like home, it is familiar, comfortable. Kate has some pictures of the very old fashioned looking establishments which I'll post if she sends them my way.

To close out the evening Kate suggested the Lowell Observatory. This was a spectacular close to the evening. We drove minutes outside of downtown Flagstaff up a steep hill. Before we knew it we were snaking up a ledge in the car. We passed one stop off where you could see all of the grid of lights making up the city below. Several parked cars indicated that it was likely a favorite place to chill out, be it teenagers with raging hormones, or tourists coming back from the observatory. When we got to the observatory we watched a brief film in the visitors center and then headed out to look at several items through different telescopes. There was an air of excitement about the night. The air was crisp, chilly, and the sparsely lit grounds seemed to give everyone the impression that they were on an adventure. We looked at the moon, a couple of nebula, and Jupiter through the telescope. Prior to leaving we spent a little more time in the museum in the visitors center.

It was a little sad to face the end of such a great day, but it had been a very full day, and we were eager to get some rest.

AZ Sunday, On our own

On Sunday morning Kate and I bid Mandy and Ryan goodbye and set off north towards Sedona. It was a nice drive and as we climbed in elevation we saw the cactus change from scrub brush and eventually to trees. The first day on the road started off with a ding in the windshield which was a bummer. A rock was kicked up by an 18 wheeler passing us at some point. Luckily, so far to my knowledge I have not been charged for windshield repair.

Our first stop along the journey was Montezuma's Castle. The pueblo is an impressive 1000 year old cliff dwelling. It was a introduction to many Pueblos that we would get to see along the journey.

After walking a short trail at Montezuma's Castle and taking in the visitor's center, we once again hit the road and headed toward Sedona. Sedona was set in a surreal location in the middle of towering piles of red rock and ledge rounded by the ages. The town itself was certainly interesting. It is a contemporary version of the tourist traps that used to dot Historic Rt. 66 as well as many major interstates throughout the country. Tacky brightly covered gift shops, attractions, and mystic and psychic stores line the road. Sedona is a hot spot for those who believe in certain types of alternative medicine and spirituality. Believers think it is a hot spot for "vortexes" (not vortices). A vortex is said to be a swirling energy center that can affect people positively who are near it. As a result of this belief the town attracts a large new age contingency. We drove through the town to get to Red Rock State Park.
Here we are with our trail refreshments. Soda like the true city slickers. And for me this trip will mark an end to my regular soda consumption. After an unfortunate dentist experience, that of course should have been avoided, I'm cutting back by about 90%. But anyway, in Red Rock State park we could not have asked for a better day. Nice and warm, crystal skies, and who knows, perhaps some good vibes from a vortex or two. As soon as I took this picture I commented that the shadows made Kate look like some strange Star Trek alien. Well perhaps not that strange, they always are Hominid form.

Self-shot, part way up the peak!

Kate is looking out at the view. My sneakers are still filled with red dust from the trip.

There I am with my vice in hand.

I wish I was here right now!

A candid moment along the trail.

Prickly Pear! Makes me think of the "Old Yeller" because it was featured in the story. This stuff was everywhere. I definitely found myself being much more cautious than the George of a few years ago. In the past I had bound down hiking trails or sat upon a ledge. I just really didn't have it in me this time, and admittedly Kate was the brave one when it came to getting close to a cliff. But perhaps it isn't just me being old, perhaps it is because around here if you fall down you bump yourself up on some rocks, or get caught on a tree. In many of the places we went if I fell I'd come out looking like a pin cushion, or worse, I'd just be dead.

After hiking for a few hours and checking out the visitor's center we headed back to town and checked into the Hotel. For supper we ate at a Mexican restaurant per request of the staff. Casa Bonita, a small local chain had some great food, however like many things in Sedona, it was in a strip mall. After dinner we walked around a little bit, and then ended up exploring the town in the car. The narrow road with periodic rotaries that heads through town gave me the feeling that I was on one of those "antique car" tracks at an amusement park. The town was dead, and almost everything was closed because it was Sunday. We had fun however, the night was beautiful, the stars were bright and the cliffs were dark and imposing against the night sky. When we got back to the hotel we decided to go for a swim in the pool. The pool was outside, and it took a little coaxing on my part to get Kate to go out. There was a Jacuzzi as well, however in the Sedona valley, the desert cools off fast at night. It probably was only in the mid 50s out. However as I suspected the pool and Jacuzzi felt great once we got in. After swimming for 40 minutes or so Kate checked out the TV listings on the hotel computer, and then we headed up to the room to rest up for a new day.

Time in AZ

Kate and I returned last Saturday from our week long jaunt in Arizona. We had a great time, visiting with my cousin Mandy and her husband Ryan, and then heading out into the wilds of northern Arizona for several days.

Mandy and Ryan fixed us a great steak dinner when we arrived on Friday evening. It was a cool night, however we did spend a little that night around the fire in the back yard, and their neighbor Layton joined us later in the evening.

The next day Mandy, Ryan, Kate and I headed out to see some Phoenix attractions. We saw the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix which neither Mandy or Ryan had seen before. Despite being a little out of season Kate and I appreciated it a lot since we are not used to the plant life of the southwest. Ryan shared his wealth of knowledge about the plants at every turn, it was though we had our own personal guide (first picture).

One of the interesting things about the park was in places it was tough to see where the park ended and the original desert began. Below you can see Kate snapping such a picture.

Mandy and Kate look out at the Phoenix landscape from a park overlook.
Kate grinding maize.

A wigwam.

After the park we headed to the area around Arizona State University in Tempe where we had a nice Mexican meal. I can't recall the name of the restaurant, and unfortunately Kate has the picture of this one.

After lunch we had some misadventures getting to the famous Biltmore hotel in Phoenix which was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. After getting a little lost in the exclusive neighborhood where it is at, an elderly woman followed us around because I guess she thought we were up to no good or something.... We did see the hotel as we drove by it, but by that point we were happy to get back to the main drag.

Next on the agenda was downtown Phoenix. We first went to Heritage Square where we toured the Rosson House pictured below. It was a nice tour and a very unique building. They were doing some strange "death theme" which I suppose was related to Halloween. The had decorated the home as though its owners were in mourning over a loss in the family.

After this we drove to see the capitol pictured below and the various monuments situated in a park in front of it. The city was very dead, and this area was primarily the "working city", and is un-lived in. We did see some street walkers.

At this point we were really tired. We returned with Mandy & Ryan to their house. They picked up some candy for the trick or treaters. We had pizza delivery for supper and later enjoyed some smores and drinks around the fire in the back yard.

In the next couple of days I'll post the pictures from the rest of our trip!