We traveled I 70 from Richfield to the Moab turnoff. One hundred miles of no services, not a house, not a building, nothing, but there were unbelievable canyons and huge walls of stone, desert, and heat. Over 100 degrees all day.
After a very long day of heat and sand, we turned off onto 191 and headed south to Moab. It is the gateway to both Arches and Canyonlands and an oasis after
what seemed an eternity of oppressive heat.
Moab was made famous by the discovery of Uranium in the 1950's and by the movies as early as the thirties, which came to this region because of the awesome scenery.
Many of the most beloved Hollywood westerns were made here and John Wayne is a local hero, for bringing so many films to this area and expanding their economic base from ranching to the lucrative motion picture industry.
There is a museum at the Red Cliffs Lodge, which used to be the ranch of George White, the founder of the Moab to Monument Valley Film Commission, the longest on going film commission in the world. His ranch was the key location for nine of the biggest Westerns ever made and many of them starred John Wayne and were directed by John Ford.
We enjoyed a wonderful day at the lodge looking through the hundreds of pieces of memorabilia and posters of the golden age of Western movies. We are both such fans of "the Duke" and really enjoyed seeing some of his personal belongings.
In Moab,there is a motel, the Apache, where he always stayed and that is now on the National Historic Register and I, of course, had to have a photo of it for the scrapbook.
DOWN THE COLORADO
The group enjoyed a dinner and evening ride down the Colorado to see a very unusual sound and light show on the walls of the red rock canyons . It was relaxing and beautiful and will be a high light of this segment of my trek.
The walls take on an ethereal look when spotlighted and each crag and crevice looks mystical when viewed from the river. The night was balmy and
the river placid. I loved hearing the history that was covered by the voice in the night and inspired by the beautiful music which accompanied it.
This morning because of the narrative on the river ride, we went looking for the petroglphs, which we were told could be seen on Potash road along the river. So off we went in search of these historic pictures from the earliest residents of this wonderful region of Utah.
And there they were...a hand print. a bear... many human figures, large and small..it was so incredible to see these messages from humans who passed this way thousands of years ago. How wonderful it would be to be able to leave such a mark on our world when we pass on to the next life.
ARCHES NATIONAL PARK
Arches was a day like all the others in Utah National Parks. It was inspiring. It was incredible. It was beautiful. Every one of the parks so far as been different in ambiance and vistas.
But this park is bounded on the south by the La Sal mountains, snow capped and majestic, so the look is different than the others and the red rock formations inspire your imagination to run wild.
We enjoyed searching for the icons of the park. The Three Gossips, Balanced Rock, the Elephant Parade, and Windows. We found them and much more. There are 2000 arches in the park and you see everywhere and from the comfort of your car. I like that.
We did not see Delicate Arch, the symbol of Utah, however, because it was a mile trek into the canyon and I was not able to do that. So I bought a postcard.
I love Moab and it's massive red walls and winding river. I would love to return next year. There is so much more here to explore.
On to Salt Lake City tomorrow and our last three days in Utah.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Utah National Parks Rock
We have really been impressed with Utah and their wonderful national parks. Our visit to Zion was enhanced by actually staying in the park for two nights.
The canyon and its magnificent colored walls was so serene and beautiful, with a wonderful view in every direction.
I loved the ability to ride the shuttle bus and see everything from the comfort of your seat. We did not have to get off and on and climb and walk long distances to see the canyon and it's wonders. The bus actually had ceiling windows and when opened they gave you of a view of the canyon walls which towered above you.
The weather was warm during the day, but the nights we were able to turnoff the air conditioning and enjoy the cool clear evenings. Deer and elk grazed in the meadows seemingly unaware of our presence in their world.
The little town of Springdale was charming and offered many unique shops, hotels, and restaurants to enjoy. We loved seeing the buffalo and elk in a fenced enclosure on main street. They seem to welcome us to the West.
The photos of Zion are so gorgeous and we feel some of the best we have taken all trip. I have fallen for this park and want to visit again ....soon.
On to Bryce Canyon and another of Utah's natural wonders. A short two hour drive and we are up higher than in Zion, 7700 feet, and much cooler. The canyon is a surprise.
The drive into the park is through the Dixie National Forest ,which is a vision of deep, deep green rolling hills covered with Ponderosa pine. Suddenly you see a sign pointing to a viewing area and you wonder is that the canyon, because you can see nothing but trees.
So we parked and walked up the gravel path and there in front of us was one of the most gorgeous sites imaginable. Orange, pink, grey plateaus, hoodoos, buttes, mesas below us as far as you can see.....200 miles or more.
It is breathtaking and quite unexpected and immense. I can't tell you what it looks like. It takes your words away. I can tell you that I was standing now at 8100 feet and it is difficult to breathe, for lack of oxygen and the wonder of it all.
We took dozens of photos and we look down on a scene so surreal it is hard to believe what our eyes are seeing.Then we decide to go to the last stop on the
road, Rainbow Point. Up to 9000 feet and there at the end of the plateau, you can see south to the north rim of the Grand Canyon.
This is the Grand Staircase Escalante,beginning here and running hundreds of miles south to the Grand Canyon and as you look at the topography is actually does look like a giant stair case.
We spent the day looking at the view from every vantage point. It was beautiful in full sunlight but awesome as the sun started setting and only the top of the hoodoos were in brilliant sun. The shadows gave the canyon a whole new wonder.
Hoodoos are mystical . How do they stand with rocks balanced on their tops?
How do they continue to change their shapes with the erosion of the rain and the snow? How do they form bridges and windows and arches? They seem to be living things. Each is different and yet the same.
We enjoyed the educational movies at each of the park's visitor centers. They always explain what we will see and how it all came to be and give us an overall understanding of the topography which is so very foreign to Floridians. We know flat, we don't know elevation and especially of this magnitude.
We are leaving in the morning to go to the eastern portion of Utah and we are staying at Moab and will enjoy both Arches and Canyonlands national parks.
We are expecting to be awed and thrilled, because that is what Utah parks do to you.
What a wonderful state to be exploring. We are convinced Utah Rocks.
The canyon and its magnificent colored walls was so serene and beautiful, with a wonderful view in every direction.
I loved the ability to ride the shuttle bus and see everything from the comfort of your seat. We did not have to get off and on and climb and walk long distances to see the canyon and it's wonders. The bus actually had ceiling windows and when opened they gave you of a view of the canyon walls which towered above you.
The weather was warm during the day, but the nights we were able to turnoff the air conditioning and enjoy the cool clear evenings. Deer and elk grazed in the meadows seemingly unaware of our presence in their world.
The little town of Springdale was charming and offered many unique shops, hotels, and restaurants to enjoy. We loved seeing the buffalo and elk in a fenced enclosure on main street. They seem to welcome us to the West.
The photos of Zion are so gorgeous and we feel some of the best we have taken all trip. I have fallen for this park and want to visit again ....soon.
On to Bryce Canyon and another of Utah's natural wonders. A short two hour drive and we are up higher than in Zion, 7700 feet, and much cooler. The canyon is a surprise.
The drive into the park is through the Dixie National Forest ,which is a vision of deep, deep green rolling hills covered with Ponderosa pine. Suddenly you see a sign pointing to a viewing area and you wonder is that the canyon, because you can see nothing but trees.
So we parked and walked up the gravel path and there in front of us was one of the most gorgeous sites imaginable. Orange, pink, grey plateaus, hoodoos, buttes, mesas below us as far as you can see.....200 miles or more.
It is breathtaking and quite unexpected and immense. I can't tell you what it looks like. It takes your words away. I can tell you that I was standing now at 8100 feet and it is difficult to breathe, for lack of oxygen and the wonder of it all.
We took dozens of photos and we look down on a scene so surreal it is hard to believe what our eyes are seeing.Then we decide to go to the last stop on the
road, Rainbow Point. Up to 9000 feet and there at the end of the plateau, you can see south to the north rim of the Grand Canyon.
This is the Grand Staircase Escalante,beginning here and running hundreds of miles south to the Grand Canyon and as you look at the topography is actually does look like a giant stair case.
We spent the day looking at the view from every vantage point. It was beautiful in full sunlight but awesome as the sun started setting and only the top of the hoodoos were in brilliant sun. The shadows gave the canyon a whole new wonder.
Hoodoos are mystical . How do they stand with rocks balanced on their tops?
How do they continue to change their shapes with the erosion of the rain and the snow? How do they form bridges and windows and arches? They seem to be living things. Each is different and yet the same.
We enjoyed the educational movies at each of the park's visitor centers. They always explain what we will see and how it all came to be and give us an overall understanding of the topography which is so very foreign to Floridians. We know flat, we don't know elevation and especially of this magnitude.
We are leaving in the morning to go to the eastern portion of Utah and we are staying at Moab and will enjoy both Arches and Canyonlands national parks.
We are expecting to be awed and thrilled, because that is what Utah parks do to you.
What a wonderful state to be exploring. We are convinced Utah Rocks.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Our Week in Las Vegas
It is hot,hotter, hottest..certainly not the time of the year to be in Las Vegas,the temperature in triple digits ,very dry and very uncomfortable.....but that said,
there is still no place on the planet like it.
It is so cosmopolitan. Many languages heard all around you. Sit in any lobby of the strip hotels and witness literally the world passing by. The enormity of the city is obvious. Dozens of hotels, hundreds of rooms to fill, thousands of gaming machines to man....so much money invested in it all. Amazing.
The hotels are the stars....the decors, the themes, the shows. the lights, the spectacles each evening all vying for attention...and the creativity of it all.
Amazing.
I understand pure oxygen is pumped into the casinos for a feeling of euphoria and if true the ambiance of each also adds to the atmosphere of wonder and unreality.
We all spent time in the fabulous hotels and enjoyed the beauty of them all and we have plenty of photos to remember each by.
The girls splurged on a night out at "O", the most fabulous of the Cirque du Soleil shows I have ever seen. The technology and the creativity are unmatched and the sheer entertainment was a once in a lifetime treat. The 90 minutes go by so quickly and one is hard pressed to keep breathing with thrill after thrill coming so quickly. We felt so lucky to have had the opportunity to see it.
Hoover Dam was also a venue we all visited. Some of us took the tour and went down into the inner workings of the complex and some of us , just drove to the areas accessible by car. Either way it was awesome and quite an achievement for man. Built in the early thirties,it is an engineering miracle.
We also enjoyed the swimming pool and made daily trips to take advantage of the heat and to thaw out after a month of traveling in the high altitude of the cold mountain, but by the end of the week it had turned into a very warm spa when the temps climbed ever higher.
So we have enjoyed Las Vegas with eight days of rest,swimming, and sleeping late. We are now three hours behind our home and adjusting to that difference has been hard to get used to. My poor loved ones keep getting calls from me after they have been sleeping for awhile.
We leave for Utah and two weeks visiting the three national parks of Zion, Bryce Canyon, and the Arches. We are looking for a more moderate climate and to seeing the wonderful vistas we have heard are second to none.
The journey continues and so does the excitement.
there is still no place on the planet like it.
It is so cosmopolitan. Many languages heard all around you. Sit in any lobby of the strip hotels and witness literally the world passing by. The enormity of the city is obvious. Dozens of hotels, hundreds of rooms to fill, thousands of gaming machines to man....so much money invested in it all. Amazing.
The hotels are the stars....the decors, the themes, the shows. the lights, the spectacles each evening all vying for attention...and the creativity of it all.
Amazing.
I understand pure oxygen is pumped into the casinos for a feeling of euphoria and if true the ambiance of each also adds to the atmosphere of wonder and unreality.
We all spent time in the fabulous hotels and enjoyed the beauty of them all and we have plenty of photos to remember each by.
The girls splurged on a night out at "O", the most fabulous of the Cirque du Soleil shows I have ever seen. The technology and the creativity are unmatched and the sheer entertainment was a once in a lifetime treat. The 90 minutes go by so quickly and one is hard pressed to keep breathing with thrill after thrill coming so quickly. We felt so lucky to have had the opportunity to see it.
Hoover Dam was also a venue we all visited. Some of us took the tour and went down into the inner workings of the complex and some of us , just drove to the areas accessible by car. Either way it was awesome and quite an achievement for man. Built in the early thirties,it is an engineering miracle.
We also enjoyed the swimming pool and made daily trips to take advantage of the heat and to thaw out after a month of traveling in the high altitude of the cold mountain, but by the end of the week it had turned into a very warm spa when the temps climbed ever higher.
So we have enjoyed Las Vegas with eight days of rest,swimming, and sleeping late. We are now three hours behind our home and adjusting to that difference has been hard to get used to. My poor loved ones keep getting calls from me after they have been sleeping for awhile.
We leave for Utah and two weeks visiting the three national parks of Zion, Bryce Canyon, and the Arches. We are looking for a more moderate climate and to seeing the wonderful vistas we have heard are second to none.
The journey continues and so does the excitement.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Trying to catch up
PREFACE: I am trying to catch up after being ill for several days with a cold. We all are suffering from the effects of the altitude and add in some colds and sinus problems and you have old tired people feeling badly.
We are taking lots of "stuff" and we do keep going, because we are here, and there is much to see, and we don't want to miss a moment of our adventure, but we are all dragging and need several days of rest to recuperate. That said, let's get back to the travel tales....... we can catch up in Vegas.
COLORADO..just a memory. We left last Sunday and as the mountains faded in the rear view mirrors, I felt I had had an experience I would never forget.
One of the last days we were there, we drove the San Juan Skyway, 230 miles round trip , up on the high mountain road connecting Teluride, Ouray, Silverton,Durango and back to Cortez. We had spectacular views of snow, waterfalls, mining towns, and vistas so fantastically beautiful, it is no wonder it is called the Switzerland of America.
We left for Gallop, N.M. and an overnight stay on Route 66. The campgrounds now are all gravel, no grass, flat, no trees, easy pull throughs, but barren and the winds are so strong, we dare not put out our awnings. The winds have been, since Albuquerque, gusting from 20 up to 50 mph. The motorhome shakes from side to side and you wonder what will blow past you.
Clouds of sand can be seen on the horizon and holding the rig on the road becomes very difficult and there is alot of concentration needed to keep going in strong cross winds. But the people here all seem to take it in stride and it doesn't seem to bother them. Floridians would be headed for shelters.
Monday, we crossed the Arizona border and drove through the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest National Park. Our senior pass has come in handy and
it is the best $10.00 investment we ever made, because it is good for life and for any national park. We have already used it often and will use it many more times before this trip is over.
Now we are in Williams, the gateway to the Grand Canyon, and enjoying exploring this area of Arizona. It is an old railroad town and home to the Grand Canyon Railroad, which makes many runs daily to the eastern rim of the canyon.
The old hotel here was built by the Sante Fe Railroad and run by Fred Harvey and his famous Harvey Girls. One of my favorite Judy Garland movies was "The Harvey Girls" and told about the ladies who came from the East and brought civilization to the raucus Western railroad towns. In their starched black dresses and white aprons, they served food to the passengers at the railroad stops along the way and were paid a $17.00 monthly wage as well as room and board.
Many an uncouth cowboy or minor was tamed by these ladies and towns, churches, schools, marriages, children, and civilization followed changing the wild west forever, because of a hot meal served on linen table clothes, by ladies from the East.
Tuesday, we drove the gorgeous Oak Creek Canyon on our way to Sedona.What a spectacular drive. The chalky white canyon walls high above us suddenly became pink and then deep red and it was something to see. A magical 23 miles of trees and red rocks and blue skies.
Crossing a trestle bridge, you are suddenly in Sedona, red rocks everywhere, a bustling downtown of galleries, restaurants, and souvernir shops. The beautiful hills were ringed by high red mesas and covered in gorgeous very large homes,
with glass walls and balconies to see the fabulous views .
Thursday, we all made the long awaited trip to the Grand Canyon. It did not disappoint but no descriptive narrative, painting, or photo can capture the immense size, the scope, or the majesty of this incredible natural wonder.
We were bundled up because the evening temperatures had been in the 30's and on our early morning tour it had only warmed up to low 50's. This entire
trip in the mountains it has been very windy and cool, but we are not complaining when we know how hot it is back in Florida.
On Friday, some of us went to the Verde Valley train, some shopped in Sedona,and some of us went to historic Jerome, a ghost town come to life, in the high mountains.
Jerome, once a thriving copper mining town of 15,000 and called the Wickest Town in the West, was turned into a ghost town of 50 residents after the mine stopped operations.
Sitting on the side of a mountian at 6000 feet, it is now a thriving tourist town of hotels, B&B's, artist galleries, and restaurants. The streets are narrow and steep
and the buildings are all listed on the National Historic Register.
The views are awesome and the ambience is unique, stepping back to the time of saloons, brothels, and boarding houses. Now reborn as a tourist meca, the chamber has renamed it "the town that would not die". It was a fascinating day and made another scrapbook page for my ever growing book.
Leaving for Vegas, but what we do in Vegas won't stay there....we will pass on the details to you in our very next blog. Until then, we have to start getting ready to pull our tomorrow.
We are taking lots of "stuff" and we do keep going, because we are here, and there is much to see, and we don't want to miss a moment of our adventure, but we are all dragging and need several days of rest to recuperate. That said, let's get back to the travel tales....... we can catch up in Vegas.
COLORADO..just a memory. We left last Sunday and as the mountains faded in the rear view mirrors, I felt I had had an experience I would never forget.
One of the last days we were there, we drove the San Juan Skyway, 230 miles round trip , up on the high mountain road connecting Teluride, Ouray, Silverton,Durango and back to Cortez. We had spectacular views of snow, waterfalls, mining towns, and vistas so fantastically beautiful, it is no wonder it is called the Switzerland of America.
We left for Gallop, N.M. and an overnight stay on Route 66. The campgrounds now are all gravel, no grass, flat, no trees, easy pull throughs, but barren and the winds are so strong, we dare not put out our awnings. The winds have been, since Albuquerque, gusting from 20 up to 50 mph. The motorhome shakes from side to side and you wonder what will blow past you.
Clouds of sand can be seen on the horizon and holding the rig on the road becomes very difficult and there is alot of concentration needed to keep going in strong cross winds. But the people here all seem to take it in stride and it doesn't seem to bother them. Floridians would be headed for shelters.
Monday, we crossed the Arizona border and drove through the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest National Park. Our senior pass has come in handy and
it is the best $10.00 investment we ever made, because it is good for life and for any national park. We have already used it often and will use it many more times before this trip is over.
Now we are in Williams, the gateway to the Grand Canyon, and enjoying exploring this area of Arizona. It is an old railroad town and home to the Grand Canyon Railroad, which makes many runs daily to the eastern rim of the canyon.
The old hotel here was built by the Sante Fe Railroad and run by Fred Harvey and his famous Harvey Girls. One of my favorite Judy Garland movies was "The Harvey Girls" and told about the ladies who came from the East and brought civilization to the raucus Western railroad towns. In their starched black dresses and white aprons, they served food to the passengers at the railroad stops along the way and were paid a $17.00 monthly wage as well as room and board.
Many an uncouth cowboy or minor was tamed by these ladies and towns, churches, schools, marriages, children, and civilization followed changing the wild west forever, because of a hot meal served on linen table clothes, by ladies from the East.
Tuesday, we drove the gorgeous Oak Creek Canyon on our way to Sedona.What a spectacular drive. The chalky white canyon walls high above us suddenly became pink and then deep red and it was something to see. A magical 23 miles of trees and red rocks and blue skies.
Crossing a trestle bridge, you are suddenly in Sedona, red rocks everywhere, a bustling downtown of galleries, restaurants, and souvernir shops. The beautiful hills were ringed by high red mesas and covered in gorgeous very large homes,
with glass walls and balconies to see the fabulous views .
Thursday, we all made the long awaited trip to the Grand Canyon. It did not disappoint but no descriptive narrative, painting, or photo can capture the immense size, the scope, or the majesty of this incredible natural wonder.
We were bundled up because the evening temperatures had been in the 30's and on our early morning tour it had only warmed up to low 50's. This entire
trip in the mountains it has been very windy and cool, but we are not complaining when we know how hot it is back in Florida.
On Friday, some of us went to the Verde Valley train, some shopped in Sedona,and some of us went to historic Jerome, a ghost town come to life, in the high mountains.
Jerome, once a thriving copper mining town of 15,000 and called the Wickest Town in the West, was turned into a ghost town of 50 residents after the mine stopped operations.
Sitting on the side of a mountian at 6000 feet, it is now a thriving tourist town of hotels, B&B's, artist galleries, and restaurants. The streets are narrow and steep
and the buildings are all listed on the National Historic Register.
The views are awesome and the ambience is unique, stepping back to the time of saloons, brothels, and boarding houses. Now reborn as a tourist meca, the chamber has renamed it "the town that would not die". It was a fascinating day and made another scrapbook page for my ever growing book.
Leaving for Vegas, but what we do in Vegas won't stay there....we will pass on the details to you in our very next blog. Until then, we have to start getting ready to pull our tomorrow.
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