Our day began very early and due to a time zone change that we were unaware of. We got to the north rim of the Grand Canyon at 9.30am, we parked the car and proceeded to the Lodge and once again taken by the wonderful use of stone and timber logs. The lodge and the surrounding 50 or so log cabin rooms were built from the 1930's and still retain all the rustic charm of the period. Large floor to ceiling windows created the perfect frame for the majestic canyon. We went outside and proceeded to do the two major scenic walks to the nearby lookouts. The views were breathtaking. The Grand Canyon is 227 miles long , and ten miles across at the widest point and 1.6 miles at its deepest point. The canyon was created over millions of years by the erosion of the sandstone by the Colorado River and massive movements by the earth's plates . The effect of the wind and water is ongoing and the canyon is forever changing. The north rim is less popular for tourism but offers spectacular canyon views in a quiet and peaceful manner.
We had lunch at a window table in the lodge which was the perfect backdrop to a pretty ordinary lunch.
After lunch we drove out of the park and on our way visited another spectacular lookout point.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
ZION NATIONAL PARK
We left Panguitch about 9am and by 10 am we were entering the boundary of Zion NP. We entered the park from the south and it wasn't long before we were on a 10 mile scenic and steep switchback road, which included the historic Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel...an amazingly long tunnel built during the 1930's depression years.
Like the Bryce NP we had to use the shuttle bus system which makes 8 stops and the round trip takes 80 min without getting off, Buses arrive at each stop about every 5/7 minutes...its a very efficient method of handling the huge number of park visitors.At each stop there are a number of graded hikes you can do,maps handed out at the park entrance detail each walk.
We stopped at the Museum and saw a very interesting 22 min film on the history and geological formation of the park
Next was a 1 mile return walk to the Emerald pools after we had lunched at the Zion Lodge....burger and pizza slice..
We were very tired from the day before and found any more walking today in the 90 degree heat just too much, so we just took the shuttle bus to the last stop and then returned to the visitors center to pick up the car
We drove for another 2 hours to reach to nights stop in a town called Kanab....we have now positioned ourselves for the next big attraction the Grand Canyon...north rim..
Like the Bryce NP we had to use the shuttle bus system which makes 8 stops and the round trip takes 80 min without getting off, Buses arrive at each stop about every 5/7 minutes...its a very efficient method of handling the huge number of park visitors.At each stop there are a number of graded hikes you can do,maps handed out at the park entrance detail each walk.
We stopped at the Museum and saw a very interesting 22 min film on the history and geological formation of the park
Next was a 1 mile return walk to the Emerald pools after we had lunched at the Zion Lodge....burger and pizza slice..
We were very tired from the day before and found any more walking today in the 90 degree heat just too much, so we just took the shuttle bus to the last stop and then returned to the visitors center to pick up the car
We drove for another 2 hours to reach to nights stop in a town called Kanab....we have now positioned ourselves for the next big attraction the Grand Canyon...north rim..
BRYCE NATIONAL PARK...UTAH
We left Page early to get to Bryce NP. On the way we stopped at some log cabins called Harolds Place at Panguitch and booked our accommodation before we hit the park. When we got to Bryce we found that they offer a free shuttle service to the different spots of interest, largely to keep down the traffic around the park. We went to the first viewpoint where we walked on from that point for about an hour around the rim walk ( pics 1) , we looked down over the landscape way below where we could see horse riders in the canyon amongst the hoodoos... the myriad of pinnacles. Once back to the point where we could catch the bus to the next site where the Navajo walk started (pics 2). I almost balked at that, the walk was about 1200 feet down the side of the canyon winding back and forth through the canyon opening and down to the river, where we took the Garden trail to make the round trip back up to the top again. It was quite hot out of the canyon about 90 degrees F and we were walking for 2.5 hours, by the end of the trip up again we were absolutely worn out. We made our way back to the car park via the shuttle and drove back to our accommodation where they served up a nice dinner.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
MONUMENT VALLEY WAS GREAT BUT NOT WHAT WE EXPECTED!
Just 20 miles from our motel and we were entering the Navajo run Monument Valley park.The drive to the park reveals something of whats to come but its not until you park the car at the visitors center and hotel that you see the half dozen iconic sandstone rock towering into the sky.
You are able to get a pretty good look at the icons but to venture further into the park you need to take a 4x4 open back seat ute at $75 a person for a 2. 5 hour guided tour. We discovered that we had seen many of the tour features at other parks we had visited.We were happy to take our pics from the vantage points but also ventured about a mile along the rutted dirt and boulder track to get a few closer shots.
After and hour it was all done, you don't get to drive along a straight road with icon after icon....its not quite what the movies I have seen suggest,but I wouldn't have missed it.....it is quite spectacular
A big surprise came latter in the day. We drove onto an Indian Reservation to get fuel and then found ourselves having Navajo Burgers at an Indian food stall....a was good lunch too.
Sandie was trying to get us to our next scheduled point of interest Zion and Bryce National parks, she said ' I've found a short cut" and just as well she did.
By one o'clock we had found a wonderful town by the name PAGE, by 1.30pm she had us booked on a 1.5 hour tour of some amazing canyons sculptured by water running down the river in winter at 85 miles per hour. Over ten of thousands of years these incredible have been carved. The guide tells his story of the rock shapes as you walk about 150 meters through the canyon.
After all that we found somewhere to sleep the night before taking off to explore the near by hydro dam on the Colorado river and the large lake that the dam wall creates
After all that it was time for a rest before dinner.
You are able to get a pretty good look at the icons but to venture further into the park you need to take a 4x4 open back seat ute at $75 a person for a 2. 5 hour guided tour. We discovered that we had seen many of the tour features at other parks we had visited.We were happy to take our pics from the vantage points but also ventured about a mile along the rutted dirt and boulder track to get a few closer shots.
After and hour it was all done, you don't get to drive along a straight road with icon after icon....its not quite what the movies I have seen suggest,but I wouldn't have missed it.....it is quite spectacular
A big surprise came latter in the day. We drove onto an Indian Reservation to get fuel and then found ourselves having Navajo Burgers at an Indian food stall....a was good lunch too.
Sandie was trying to get us to our next scheduled point of interest Zion and Bryce National parks, she said ' I've found a short cut" and just as well she did.
By one o'clock we had found a wonderful town by the name PAGE, by 1.30pm she had us booked on a 1.5 hour tour of some amazing canyons sculptured by water running down the river in winter at 85 miles per hour. Over ten of thousands of years these incredible have been carved. The guide tells his story of the rock shapes as you walk about 150 meters through the canyon.
After all that we found somewhere to sleep the night before taking off to explore the near by hydro dam on the Colorado river and the large lake that the dam wall creates
After all that it was time for a rest before dinner.
Monday, September 26, 2011
NEW MEXICO TO ARIZONA,,,,,,THE START OF MONUMENT VALLEY
Its been a pretty boring day of driving to reach the start of Monument Valley. We are in a very small and sprawling town called Kayenta, not quite sure where we will get dinner tonight but where ever it is we will have to drive.
Monument Valley is a place I have wanted to visit for many years. As a kid I watched numerous cowboy and Indian movies and the Iconic sandstone features of this area have always held a fascination for me.
The one thing that did stand out late arvo today was the last 87miles of almost straight but undulating highway,through desert country and the Navajo Indian tribal lands.
Apart from the boring drive especially in the earlier part of the day, my lunch came in as being the second worst I've had here,,,, a fried flat thin piece of beef smothered in dark gravy with corn swimming in water and mash potato....not good!! Come to think of it I think that was also the worst at the Half Way Cafe in a town I can't remember but that time it was dinner....am I a slow learner??
Sandie chose well, chicken noodle soup.
Monument Valley is a place I have wanted to visit for many years. As a kid I watched numerous cowboy and Indian movies and the Iconic sandstone features of this area have always held a fascination for me.
The one thing that did stand out late arvo today was the last 87miles of almost straight but undulating highway,through desert country and the Navajo Indian tribal lands.
Apart from the boring drive especially in the earlier part of the day, my lunch came in as being the second worst I've had here,,,, a fried flat thin piece of beef smothered in dark gravy with corn swimming in water and mash potato....not good!! Come to think of it I think that was also the worst at the Half Way Cafe in a town I can't remember but that time it was dinner....am I a slow learner??
Sandie chose well, chicken noodle soup.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
'SANTA FE' A BLOODY PAST BUT A LOVELY OLD QUARTER
We drove the 87 miles in good time to arrive about 10.30am in Santa Fe. the GPS didn't quite get us to the motel we wanted but we did end up in an historic building adapted as a motel and within an easy walk to the central plaza of the old quarter.
There's no getting away from it that this part of town is pretty touristy,but who cares, the shops and hotels,and other public buildings are all Adobe.The general street-scapes are very appealing..We saw the plaza, the Catholic Cathedral, and a statue of St Francis of Assisi,
After a very nice Mexican lunch we went to the New Mexico History Museum...it gave us a great insight into the often very bloody and hostile past of NM and the role Santa Fe played in it all.
Kit Carson wasn't portrayed as such a great guy here... he oversaw the slaughter of many Puebloan Indians.
We discovered that Santa Fe is a very artistic city, with both local Indian/Mexicans and Europeans both those who have lived here for generations and those who have moved here from other parts of the US.
There's no getting away from it that this part of town is pretty touristy,but who cares, the shops and hotels,and other public buildings are all Adobe.The general street-scapes are very appealing..We saw the plaza, the Catholic Cathedral, and a statue of St Francis of Assisi,
After a very nice Mexican lunch we went to the New Mexico History Museum...it gave us a great insight into the often very bloody and hostile past of NM and the role Santa Fe played in it all.
Kit Carson wasn't portrayed as such a great guy here... he oversaw the slaughter of many Puebloan Indians.
We discovered that Santa Fe is a very artistic city, with both local Indian/Mexicans and Europeans both those who have lived here for generations and those who have moved here from other parts of the US.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
ENCHANTED CIRCLE.....A BIT OF A FIZZER!!
This morning we headed off From the Motel to do the Enchanted Circle a drive well promoted by the tourist brochure,but a part from one town called Red River it was all pretty boring.
Red River however was a great little town and as luck would have it,it was hosting 2 events.
The local Chamber of Commerce was holding a really good craft market and music festival'
Sandie saw some jewellery she had to have, we had lunch while listening to some good music.
The other event ...totally new to us was the "World Championships Quick Draw Finals" It was all taken very seriously with one gunslinger taking us aside to describe the finer points of the competition.
The Towns really relied on the snow season and it was truly evident by the large number of Lodges and cabins.
After leaving Red River we tracked down some more hot springs to be found on the edge of the Rio Grande..To get to the 2 small rock spring pools we hiked down the side of the gorge,this was after a 3ml drive along a twisty dirt road.
At the pools we found 4 guys, 3 of whom were pretty pissed and smoking dope, the other guy was friendly and talkative,
Un- fortunately the other 3 didn't endear themselves to us .....after 30 minutes we left,
Tonight we are going to a Lodge down a bit from our motel to see some local Indian Tribal Dancing....should be good fun.
Red River however was a great little town and as luck would have it,it was hosting 2 events.
The local Chamber of Commerce was holding a really good craft market and music festival'
Sandie saw some jewellery she had to have, we had lunch while listening to some good music.
The other event ...totally new to us was the "World Championships Quick Draw Finals" It was all taken very seriously with one gunslinger taking us aside to describe the finer points of the competition.
The Towns really relied on the snow season and it was truly evident by the large number of Lodges and cabins.
After leaving Red River we tracked down some more hot springs to be found on the edge of the Rio Grande..To get to the 2 small rock spring pools we hiked down the side of the gorge,this was after a 3ml drive along a twisty dirt road.
At the pools we found 4 guys, 3 of whom were pretty pissed and smoking dope, the other guy was friendly and talkative,
Un- fortunately the other 3 didn't endear themselves to us .....after 30 minutes we left,
Tonight we are going to a Lodge down a bit from our motel to see some local Indian Tribal Dancing....should be good fun.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)