Leftovers

Here are a few photos that we wanted to share that didn't make the original blog.  Enjoy!

We're already dreaming of next year.

How Low Can You Go

March 26, 27 2010 (Friday, Saturday)

Leaving St. George, Utah, we headed southwest on Hwy 15 through the Virgin River gorge, a beautiful stretch of highway that winds for about forty miles through canyons of multi-colored rock, cactus, Joshua Trees and small sage brush. Eventually, the highway crosses into Arizona where the landscape becomes typical high desert (flat, barren and little vegetation) and then crosses the Nevada border as you approach the outskirts of Las Vegas.  We spent one night in “Sin City” at the KOA behind Circus Circus.  We ventured out to the Fitzgerald Casino for their $9.99 rib steak dinner (including salad bar!) and then retreated to our cozy abode.

On Saturday morning we left early, found a nearby Starbucks (had their oatmeal and East Africa Brew—you’ve got to try it) and then headed west on Hwy 160 for Death Valley.  After passing through Pahrump (try saying that with emphasis to The Drummer Boy tune), we entered the Valley, an incredible natural wonder that is beautiful in its stark, austere grandeur. For those who have never driven through the area, we recommend doing it in March when temps are still tolerable. We arrived at Boulder Creek RV Park in Lone Pine early in the afternoon and had time to make a quick drive through the Alabama Hills while our dirty clothes were in the laundry back at the park. We’ve included a few pictures that try feebly to capture the beauty of the area (another must see.)  This may be our last blog entry (weeping and gnashing of teeth in the background) since we head for Carson City tomorrow and then home. (Oh, by the way, the “low” point was minus 282 feet even though the only sign I saw was “Sea Level.”) You’ll see a shot of Mt. Whitney and a couple of the Alabama Hills, site for over 400 Hollywood westerns.

Zion National Park

March 24, 25, 2010 (Wednesday, Thursday)

Wednesday we left Monument Valley and drove to Kanab, Utah. The road from Monument Valley passes over the Glen Canyon Dam which is an interesting area because geographically it is fairly treeless and barren, but the Colorado River winds through the area, providing a blue ribbon of relief from the desert and giving boaters a paradise of access and leisure opportunities.  Consequently, the nearby town of Page is bustling with retirees seeking the good life.  After having lunch at the dam overlook, we continued on our way leaving Arizona and entering southern Utah.  Once you cross the border, the landscape changes rather noticeably.  Gradually the sandy, forlorn desert gives way to scrubby trees and brush that dot the red, black, purple and grey hillsides. Around each bend there seems to more beauty with gorgeous hills showing the earth’s evolutionary past, as huge plates of red sandstone were thrust up in a variety of angles and then sculpted by wind and rain to reveal an unending variety of colorful patterns.  As when we approached Monument Valley, we wanted to stop every few miles to take pictures.  Eventually we entered Kanab, an old, historic western town that, like so many in this southwest area, served as the site for some classic films. We returned to the Kanab RV Corral, spotless and comfortable, run by a German couple, where we stayed last year.

On Thursday morning we set out for Zion National Park, one of our very favorite sites last year.  We spent half a day visiting areas that we enjoyed, hiking along the Virgin River that winds through the park, and then made our way to St. George, Utah, at the end of the day.   (Notice the picture of the bison sculpture: While walking through the town of Kanab, Clifford suddenly stopped in his tracks and refused to walk past this menacing beast.There is one of a beetle we came across showing us his backside!  And the rest are of Zion and the road into the park.)

A Rock Concert

March 23, 2010 (Tuesday)

Driving from Cortez, CO, to Monument Valley, you follow Hwy 160 south and then head west toward Mexican Hat, Utah.  The contrast between Northern New Mexico on the Navajo reservation and the Navajo reservation of Southern Utah is dramatic.  The one is barren desert with little scenic beauty, the other is a series of incredible, breath-taking landscapes that makes one wonder how any Navajo family would not want to move to Monument Valley and its environs. As you approach Monument Valley, the terrain is a veritable kaleidoscope of colors and changing contours. 

After miles of flat, monotonous desert, you see in the distance a city of rock thrusting itself into the air.  You feel like Dorothy must have felt, waking from the witches' spell to find the Emerald City in the distance. The mesas and rock monoliths continue to change around every bend of the road.  We found ourselves wanting to stop at every turnout to take another picture. Although we had been here just last year, it seemed as though we were seeing it again for the first time. We finally arrived at Gouldings, a popular RV park where we stayed before which is highly rated and for good reason.  You are surrounded by vistas that seem unreal in their scale and magnificence. This was definitely one of God’s most inspired creations. As a result, I’ll ask your pardon for the excessive number of pictures on this blog entry. (There is one of a Black-billed Magpie and one of some prairie dogs.) Can you find Mexican Hat?  How about Sentinel Mesa?

Mesa Verde

 

March 22, 2010

The road from Gallup, NM to Cortez, CO, used to be numbered 666, but there ws an outcry for several years to change the designation to 491. People loved to call it the “Devil’s Highway,” partly due to its “mark of the beast” name, but also because there were an unusual number of fatalities.  The protestors won and now the signs read 491 on top and 666 on the bottom.  We followed this road until we eventually arrived in Cortez, CO, the gateway to Mesa Verde National Park. The stretch of road through the Navajo reservation in northern New Mexico is rather barren and bleak, with only an occasional rock monolith that thrusts itself up incongruously (see photo).  We spent about an hour and a half driving through Mesa Verde, which is still covered in many areas with a mantle of snow, and stopped at the Museum to take a guided tour of the Spruce Tree House trail.  The cliff dwellings we saw are amazing, representing a few of the hundreds of such dwellings found at Mesa Verde.  At one time around the year 1250 there were about 20,000 Puebloans living in the area, more people than actually populate the same area today.  We are now settled in the Sundance RV Park after a tasty paella dinner at a local restaurant.  We leave for Monument Valley tomorrow, trying to stay in front of a storm that may bring snow to Mesa Verde.
I also included a shot of the Navigator for the journey.

"El Desierto Pintado"

March 21, 2010

We drove along Oak Creek Canyon on Hwy 89A after leaving Sedona.  There are 12 miles or so that have been deemed a “scenic byway” and for good reason. The creek itself is the scene for many natural “water slides,” a series of long stretches of flat, smooth red rocks that become “slides” for happy campers who can cope with the chilly temps of the water. Eventually, we arrived at Flagstaff and hooked up with Hwy 40 East, a main artery that parallels the old “Route 66.” The highway is nearly straight and flat with few variations, although you end up going from 6,000 feet to 5,000 feet and back to 6,400 feet while hardly noticing when you arrive in Gallup, NM. Along the way we stopped at the Petrified Forest in Northeast Arizona and spent about an hour enjoying the sights.  Later, we continued on to Gallup and checked in to the USA RV Park which is on the Navajo Reservation.  Tomorrow we are bound for Cortez, CO, and plan to spend two days enjoying Mesa Verde, another indigenous Puebloan/Anasazi historical site.

There are pictures of the “Painted Desert,”  Puebloan ruins dating from 1250 (a “Kiva” was a ceremonially house),  and “teepees” or rock formations that resemble teepees.

Stuck in Red Dirt

March 20, 2010

Today we continued our stay in Sedona as guests of Sedona Pines, a timeshare condominium complex.  A young man named Justin approached us while we were strolling along Whiskey Row in Prescott and began to ask us various questions about where we were from, etc.  At first I thought he was a college student needing “gas money,” a favorite ploy of the indigent in Humboldt Co.  But then we realized he was hawking a timeshare site near Sedona. He invited us to spend three comp. days at their resort in exchange for a 90-minute presentation.  Well, being the Scotch people that we are, we said, “Sure, why not.” Also, we learned that we were his first customers and felt compelled to help him get a good start. So here we are on our third day having survived the presentation.  I’m going to share a few more pictures.  Some are of sculptures of local artists, others show more of the gorgeous red rock formations, one shows a picture of a home we are tempted to buy (for only 5 million down), and one is of the Catholic church called Our Lady of the Rocks.  If I were independently wealthy and could afford several homes in various choice areas (like good ol’ Senator McCain), Sedona would be one of those locations.