The Final Leg(s)

OK... I confess that we are home already, but I've got orders that no dinner until I finish up the blog for this trip.  And I'M GETTIN' HUNGRY.

So anyway...

On Sunday the 2nd, We got up early (you really buy that?) to head over to the Grand Canyon South Rim only to check the South Rim weather and find a below freezing forecast for that night. No dice on that!

While sitting outside drinking coffee and figuring what to do next, I had company.

I hear they eat rattlesnakes.
Must be true 'cause there weren't any around.
Beep Beep!

The new plan was to start the march for home but only if I promised NOT to try to do all 1,300 miles in one day.  So next stop is Homolovi State Park AZ with an unexcavated Anasazi Pueblo site and a campground with showers.

"View" from our campsite.
That's the ruins on the horizon.
(Don't know why the residents left??)

But they left trash all over the place.

On Tuesday, basically following US Rt 66 (but on I-40 most of the time), we headed for Petrified Forest Nat'l Park via Winslow AZ.

(I've already made all the hackneyed "There I was standin' on a corner in Winslow Arizona ..." and not being able to attract a "flat-bed Ford" cliche's to most of the people I know so I won't bore anyone with that again.)

However...  we also passed through Holbrook AZ on Rt 66 where I briefly toyed with the concept of settling down to a simpler life here in the desert.

??????

You'd be surprised at how many '57 Chevy's there were in town.

Gathering my senses, we moved on to the Park where we found a nice hike into the middle of nowhere (as usual).

There's "trees" out here SOMEWHERE!

Patience...
(I know they would look nice in your garden...but NO!)

Actually there are LOTS of petrified trees in the park. I was just being anti-social and refused to go to popular areas where they were.  My bad.

We made Albuquerque by Tuesday night and stayed at a motel.  It was that or overnight at the Dancing Eagles Casino parking lot with all the silver haired ladies and truck drivers.  We did that once in Florida and the Albuquerque hotel option was worth it.  (Plus they had Cinni-bunns at the free breakfast.)

Wednesday, the horse (me) was headin' for the barn, however, the rider said I could drive all the way to Chicago if I wanted, but she was going in back to sleep for the rest of the trip.  So... we stayed in in a City Park in El Reno OK that night.

But not without a short stop for some last minute petroglyphs.

An eclectic mix...

Rise and Shine!  Only 800 more miles!!    We made it all the way to Springfield IL, (including St Louis at rush hour), before I had to shut down my hearing aids and find a campground. Shessshh - What a grump.

So Friday we did the last couple of hundred miles and arrived home, still in love, (I think).

Good Night from Downers Grove

Brad & Val

6,733.7 Miles.  But who's counting.

Arizona or Bust

Left Snow Canyon UT on Saturday morning heading east to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  Actually only about 4 hrs total from Snow Canyon, the Rim is the only stop at the end of a 45 mile drive down Rt 67 in Arizona.  A beautiful drive through high (8,500 ft) meadows surrounded by spruce and aspen which was just a little past full color.

After getting in to our campsite we had lunch and hiked the 4-mile Transept Canyon Trail which follows the rim of a side canyon of that name, to Bright Angel Point.  Impressive to say the least.

We could only get one night at the campground, and the nearest alternative was at the other end of the 45 mile drive in, so we decided to head on to Lake Powell at Page UT where we would reconnoiter for the upcoming family houseboat outing next summer.

But not before stopping for Val to smooch another random guy.

This guy was REALLY hairy.
If I don't shave every day, I don't get any hugs!

The road to Page is one we've been on several times in the past and is on of our favorites following a long line of "Vermilion Cliffs" stretching to the horizon.

Made it to Page by mid-afternoon.  It was perfect weather, mid 70's with a light breeze so we decided to just sit outside, read a book and watch the sun go down.

So ends the day at Lake Powell AZ/UT (I can throw a stone into Utah.)

Goodnight from Brad and Val

PS - You may recall from a previous year's trip post about this area, it is impossible to know the correct time.
  (1) Utah observes daylight savings time.
  (2) Arizona does not.
  (3) EXCEPT Indian reservations in both states do.

And since from where I sit, a 15 minute drive can take you to Utah, Arizona AND and the Navajo Reservation, who the heck knows what time it is.  (An who the heck cares....)