Grand Canyon, First Day

We were up early, as usual, showered, gobbled down our "free" Quality Inn breakfast, shopped at Safeway for fruit, sandwiches and ice, waved goodbye to Flagstaff and were on the road to the Grand Canyon by 8am!

We decided last night to enter the Park by the east entrance: The distance was not much greater than using the south entrance and it was reputed to be a more scenic route. As we drove toward the Visitor Center, we stopped at almost every overlook and pullout; but, we were eventually guilty of resorting to drive-bys as the scenes began to look very familiar.

Our first spot on the drive in from the eastern edge of the Park was Desert View. This has the Watchtower, designed by famous Southwest architecht Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter, was built in 1932 by the Fred Harvey Company and Santa Fe Railroad. This tower attempts to recreate the "strange prehistoric towers found scattered over large areas of the Southwest." The structure includes a Kiva (Sacred Ceremonial Chamber); a kiva in the home of a modern day Native American serves as lodge room, meeting hall and place of worship. The Watchtower also includes a Snake Altar displaying objects used in the Snake Dance, a prayer for rain. The walls and ceilings are covered with representations of legends important to the peoples of this area.

The Watchtower

Jaw-Dropping View

Guess Who?

Guess What?

Ancient Dwelling Area on the Colorado. We saw this site from farther away while on the North Rim. This was fertile land near water and was populated for many, many years.

We missed one opportunity for picnic tables and redoubled our efforts so as to not miss the next one--the only signage was a small one visible only as you were upon it: consequently we flew on by.

Our Picnic Lunch

We finally arrived at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center. First, we had trouble finding a place to park--this had not happened recently; but, we are now at one of the most popular tourist destinations in the US. I saw a car with a man behind the wheel and the brake lights on while his wife was rummaging through the trunk. I missed them until it was too late to back up; but, we caught them on the second round: "Are you leaving?"

The crowd situation was no better in the counter queues on the inside of the Center. Claire noticed that there would be a showing of an informative movie in 5 minutes; so, we hustled inside to get good seats. The most exciting part was running the Colorado rapids in Kayaks and rubber rafts. It was narrated by Peter Coyote; we always enjoy hearing his voice.

Leaving the theater by the entrance, we beat the crowd back into the information lobby and found a Ranger who was free. He was helpful in answering our questions. I must note that it is somewhat challenging to figure out what to do in what order and in what time frame. Claire has spent many hours on this and we were still uncertain, today on how best to spend our time. But, we figured out something that worked for us.

South Rim View

View

Man on a Rock. We were astonished to see someone out there. We thought this guy had jumped across a minor, but scary, chasm to reach this outlook. But, when he returned to safety, we noticed that he climbed down out of sight and then up again.

View

We next walked out to Mather Point, one of the most popular of sites within the Park.

The Crowds Begin

View

Where's Waldo?

Intrepid Explorer

Traveling Companion

Then we drove to Maswik Lodge to park our car and to try to check-in early. We got the parking space and partially checked-in; but, they could not give us a key, as the room was not ready. We recommend this approach: You can get parking early and only have to wait for the key, upon later check-in.

After that, we walked a quarter mile to the Red Line Shuttle Bus stop. (There are 3 lines in the Park: Red, Blue and Orange. Red goes to the western end of the South Rim, Hermit's Rest, with stops at various points along the way. The Blue line travels around the Village and Visitor Center, providing access to the restaurants, hotels, parking lots and campgrounds. The Orange Line provides the only access to Yaki Point and South Kaibab Trailhead; it is the shortest route. The shuttles, of course, supplant cars to a very large extent, reducing the pollution that puts a veil over almost every scene in the Park. The Park Guide lays this out quite clearly--pick one up upon entering and at many shops or lodges.

We got off the Red Line at Hopi Point, walked 2 miles to Mohave Point and climbed on the next shuttle for the end of the line: Hermit's Rest, where we had a delicious and refreshing frozen strawberry juice bar before taking the shuttle back to our original starting point.

View of the Unwashed Masses from Beyond Mather Point. We know know that we are among crowds: South Rim has 5 million visitors annually.

View

Suicidal Squirrel. I swear he looked like he was ready to jump. Maybe he had not stowed away enough acorns for the coming Winter.

Ancient Tree, Familiar View. I take this to be a bristlecone pine; some of these in the Sierra Nevada in CA are the oldest living things on earth, some as old as 5,000 years!

On the Trail

In the Moment

Daredevil Trekker

We walked back to the Lodge, were assigned our keys, got settled in our room, read for a bit and then walked back to the lodge for dinner. We had the baked chicken plate with side dishes of pilaf (plain rice) and mixed veggies (overcooked dramatically) for Claire and baked potato and pilaf for Chuck. I also had a refreshing glass of cranberry juice. I forgot to mention that I did have a frozen yogurt snack twice, today; Claire indulged only once--she has far more discipline than I.

After dinner, Claire read, helped determine which pictures were blog-worthy and kept me from distorting the sequence of the day's events while providing invaluable editorial guidance. For once, she beat me to bed and to sleep, while I finished notes for the blog.

I am currently reading and enjoying Breakfast With Buddha, a novel about an ordinary American's car trip with a Rinpoche--an honorific used in Tibetan Buddhism. It literally means "precious one," and is used to address or describe Tibetan lamas or respected teachers. The American protagonist is frightfully typical, I think, in his reluctance to accept another's spiritual advice. I recognize this pridefulness in myself. But, about half-way through the book, his stance seems to be wavering. I am quite curious to see how this turns out.


There can be nothing in the world more beautiful than ...the Canyon of the Colorado...and our people should see to it that they are preserved for their children and their children's children forever, with their majestic beauty all unmarred. ~ Theodore Roosevelt

A Day in Flagstaff

We awoke this morning with only a few goals in mind, but with a host of backup options. We planned to go first to the Flagstaff Visitor Center and then on the Red Mountain Hike, followed by a caffeinated drink and a tour of the Arboretum. We managed to do all that, but nothing more. Maybe another time...

Claire at the start of the Red Mountain Hike.

Trail sign: Pretty much says it all.

There was a 30 mile drive from town to the start of the hike--the information we received from several sources all underestimated the distance. But, it was worth it. The drive took about 45 minutes.

Along the Trail

We felt the guidebook undersold the trail--a blessing. We were quite thrilled with the sights along the way. We had expected more of a cinder cone with a rim over which we would peer. We did not get that; but, we got much more.

What a Great Trail

Climbing the Stairway to Heaven

Wildflowers in September

Red Mountain Cone

Slots

"In a canyon, in a cavern..."

The cone into which we hiked is open on the west side and eventually ends when you go as far in an easterly direction as the trail and the cone allow.

In the Cone

Peekaboo

Volcanic Creations

The entire hike took about 1.5 hours, but this includes stopping to admire the scenery and take lots of pictures. It is a mild hike; even I did not complain. We regard this scenic hike as a highlight of the trip.

Crevice

Returning to town we headed straight for the Rendezvous Cafe and its famous hot drink--for famously cool Flagstaff mornings: The Hot Monte. It is basically a cappuccino, with chocolate and cayenne pepper. We enjoyed it, despite a pleasant (not cool) day. But, Claire thought she would not want it on a daily basis.

Hot Monte at the Rendezvous Cafe in the Monte Vista Hotel

Inside View of the Hotel Monte Vista

Downtown Flagstaff, Old Town

Solar Compactor--Why don't we have these?

Walking around Old Town, we noticed batches of sponsorship bricks embedded in the plaza. There were four large groups with of bricks with the name 'Babbitt' on them. Also, we noticed a number of 'Babbit' stores in the area--covering all kinds of enterprises.

Heritage Plaza

Next, we drove about 5 miles to the Arboretum. Claire loves trees and flowers and walks the UC Davis Arboretum almost every day at home. Our docent, Karen, was excellent; she had been here only four years, but had done lots of paid and volunteer work that prepared her for this volunteer position in her retirement. She mentioned at the end that she and her husband moved here because her daughter is the Director of Research and two of her grandchildren are here. Also, she found the climate milder than in New Hampshire, her prior home.

The Arboretum

There is a species of squirrel that is found only here and on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon--the Abert Squirrel. You may recall that there is a similar situation for the Kaibab squirrel on the North Rim.

Abert Squirrel

We had scouted out eateries earlier in the day and decided to return to Criollo Latin Kitchen: They had a varied menu and Happy Hour specials. Remembering that Happy Hour began at 3pm, and not having eaten since 7am this morning, we drove directly to Criollo's for a late lunch-early dinner. The food was great, the server--Alexandra--pleasant and helpful, and the Margaritas were most welcome after a strenuous day of enjoying ourselves; besides, we were tired by now.

Criollo Latin Kitchen

Margaritas

Claire and her second Margarita

Claire's burrito was so good that while she was moaning over it I heard the woman at the next table tell the waitress: "I'll have what she's having!" It was a roasted mushroom burrito with sweet corn, chevre, rice, black beans, herb crema and mixed greens.

Claire's Dinner: Roasted Mushroom Burrito

I was not very hungry and wanted to try the Happy Hour fish taco appetizer and a Margarita. The mole sauce was delicious and the taco, though small, was quite good. Besides, I knew I would follow up with a slice of cherry pie a la mode at a cafe I had scoped out earlier in the day.

Chuck's Snack: Fish Taco Appetizer

We both agree that Flagstaff, at 8,000 feet, is a fun, comfortable place to visit. They have a great variety of restaurants and plenty to do. They also have seasons and a great climate, not to mention a university atmosphere (Northern Arizona University) and lots of culture.

Returning to the motel and both ready to collapse, Claire generously offered to go through the pictures with me and then to edit and reformat them for the blog. I napped. Then I was able to upload and label them for publication. Now, I am ready to join her in reading. Failing that, I expect to sleep very soundly, tonight.

Expenses for the day: $148. This represents a downward trend, for the moment, even though gas, food and lodging are included.

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read and all the friends I want to see. ~ John Burroughs

Painted and Petrified

We left Canyon de Chelly at 7:30am this morning, happy in the knowledge that we were picking up an hour as we left the Navajo reservation and drove into AZ, the land of perpetual Mountain Standard Time. We really enjoyed staying at the Holiday Inn which is located right at the Park entrance. This was by far the quietest place we've been on this trip.

Holiday Inn, Canyon de Chelly

Before we left, Claire wanted to take a picture of one of the many feral dogs hanging out around the inn. I know it pays off for them because I saw a van load of women feeding a bunch of pups before we left.

Feral Dog, Holiday Inn, Canyon de Chelly

Claire came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the road to avoid running over this snake, blithely sunning herself. [Not wanting to make unwarranted gender assumptions, here, I flipped a coin.] The closer Claire came to her, the faster the snake moved off the road.

Guardian of the Road, Painted Desert

I had never been to the painted desert, before, and I was surprised at the landscape: I had expected the terrain to be flat, multi-colored sandy expanses. Instead, we saw terrain similar that that encountered in several places, with interestingly contrasting colors at the various geological layers.

Painted Desert

Painted Desert

Unfortunately, the Painted Desert Inn no longer hosts travelers. Instead, it is a museum and bookstore. We loved the simple elegance of it.

Painted Desert Inn, National Historical Landmark

There were at least a dozen overlooks along the road through the Painted Desert, each with a slightly different viewpoint to offer. There were also several trails; but, we only walked the short ones, rushing to arrive at Flagstaff in time to tour the Riordan Mansion.

Viewpoint, Painted Desert

As a child, I recall hearing a song on the radio about "The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe" Railway. Well, this never in fact reached Santa Fe--the terrain was too tough. And, I suspect, too expensive to build upon. In 1996, this line merged with Burlington Northern Railroad to form the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway. We were astonished to find that very long freight trains kept running every few minutes either East or West.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway

We are fascinated by the petroglyphs we have found, but frustrated by the lack of knowledge about them--experts only seem to be able to guess as to dating and meaning of these curiosities. The example, below, is surely striking evidence of the origin of the myth that storks are the cause of babies.

Petroglyph--Stork and Baby

Petroglyphs--Dozens of Them

The second half of the road through the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park began to reveal sections of logs scattered about the landscape. Once there were forests in this area, millions of years ago. The trees fell, were covered with silt, mud and volcanic ash. This sediment stopped oxygen from decaying the logs. Eventually, silicon-laden groundwater seeped into the logs replacing the original wood tissue with silica deposits. This turned into quartz, preserving the logs as petrified wood.

Petrified Log

Rock Profile

Painted Desert

Petrified Wood

Crystal Forest

John Muir, famed environmentalist, lived in this area for a while, at the whistle-stop of Adamana. Given his friendship with President Theodore Rooseveldt, he probably influenced the designation of Petrified Forest as a National Monument for scientific study--only Presidential authorization is required for this. Congressional action is required to create a National Park. This did not occur until 1962.

Muir Rainbow Forest

There are many paleontology sites and exhibits in this region. We did not make an effort to pursue this. But there were several fascinating skeletons of "dinosaurs" in the Rainbow Forest Museum in Petrified Forest National Park.

Roadside Attraction

Our friends Pat & Brian from England drove along Route 66 (US 40) during a recent visit. They were impressed with these, noting that they are made of cement and that the rooms were very tiny. We were fascinated by the old cars scattered among the parking spaces.

Wigwam Hotel on Route 66--Get Your Kicks...

This is the only Hupmobile I have ever seen in my life. We pulled up right behind it as we were driving into Flagstaff. The Hupmobile was an automobile built from 1909 through 1940 by the Hupp Motor Company of Detroit, MI.

Hip Car Entering Flagstaff

The train runs right through the middle of town in Flagstaff. We had been warned by the Frommer's guidebook to select our motel based on remoteness from the noisy rail line. As we entered the drive into our Quality Inn, Claire noticed that the sign advertised: No Train Noise.

We also took Frommer's guidebook advice and ate lunch at Macy's European Coffee House Bakery & Vegetarian Restaurante. This is the kind of place we love: Good, healthy food, reasonable prices, casual atmosphere, interesting, mixed clientele. There were people of all ages here, from college students to seniors.

Late Lunch

One of the places that Claire wanted to see in Flagstaff was the Riordan Mansion. The Riordans were lumber barons in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Two of the Riordan brothers married two sisters who were cousins from the Babbitt* family and built this 13,000 square foot American Arts & Crafts style duplex in 1904. There were two separate, virtually identical, homes connected by a common family room, to promote conversation and shared activities. The roofs of the two houses were different, allowing guests to distinguish them and to enter the appropriate residence. Today, one side is presented as it was when lived in and the other side is a museum.

*Bruce Edward Babbitt--whose family is mentioned above--a Democrat, served as United States Secretary of the Interior (under Bill Clinton) and as the 16th governor of Arizona. Conservative Western lawmakers fault the secretary for dismantling the hands-off environmental policies of the Reagan and Bush administrations. Environmentalists, however, see the former Arizona governor as an ally on such issues as mining, grazing, water and timber policies, land management and endangered species.

Riordan House

Large Duplex: Riordan House

We liked Macy's food so much we decided to return for dinner.

Macy's European Coffee House Bakery

Claire's Mediterranean Plate

My dinner selection of cream of cauliflower soup and veggie BLT sandwich was excellent; but, I was still hungry and had a giant biscotti and a steamed hot chocolate for dessert--sorry, no picture.

Chuck's Cup of Soup and Half Sandwich

Inside Macy's

We are enjoying Flagstaff and will be here for one more day.

...Ya know that this town's like a painted desert
Dead heat, movin' in the city
I'm lost in a painted desert
In a painted desert without you... ~ Pat Benatar, Painted Desert Lyrics