May 9, 2012

Today was so relaxing! We had homemade scones and breakfast at Trudy and Bruce's. He even made an extra copy of the daily sudoku so I could challenge my brain! Then John and I walked around town and did some window shopping. There are so many interesting stores and galleries to browse.

We had dinner at the Standing Stone Brewery. It was delicious.





On the way back to Trudy and Bruce's, they drove us through Lithia Park and up into the hills above the Shakespeare Theater area. There we saw several deer getting their evening snack. It's a treat to see the wildlife so close to town.


This has been wonderful vacation. We've see the beauty of our country and have been treated to the hospitality of friends. We're truly blessed. Tomorrow we return home to Milwaukie.


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Location:Ashland

May 8, 2012

Today we traveled about 290 miles. The ones through northern California were very scenic. We were happy to see more green foliage and tall firs and pines. In Weed to stopped at an antique mall that had a small food counter. It was closed but a very friendly lady who was volunteering at the community center in the same building fixed us two large cups of coffee -- for free! As we were getting ready to leave town I snapped this picture of our little Shasta's namesake mountain!


At 5 pm we reached the home of our friends, Trudy and Bruce. They had a delicious, salmon dinner for us, and a cozy room with a very comfortable bed! We are truly pampered and at home here.


Following dinner they drove us to the Bowmer Theater where John and I saw "Animal Crackers". It was fantastic! We were in awe of the quality of the performance and the talented actors and actresses. When the play ended, Bruce was there to bring us home. What lucky guests we are!


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Location:Reno to Ashland, Oregon

May 7, 2012

This morning before we left Las Vegas we drove 8 miles to the west of our motel to the Red Rock Canyon. It is a national conservation area and one of the top 5 climbing destinations in the U.S. Although John and I didn't scale any of the cliffs, we did enjoy seeing the interesting rock formations and the beautiful colors in the formations on this 13 mile scenic loop.





Our mileage for today's leg of our trip was about 475 miles. After seeing a lot of sand and desert-like areas, we were happy to arrive in Reno at the Silver Legacy Hotel, a huge facility comprising about two city blocks. We had a lovely, corner room on the 5th floor (there were 33 stories above us). The gambling floors were filled with every conceivable betting game and innumerable slot machines. There were restaurants of every type and many shops. It reminded me of being on a cruise ship!


Besides checking out our hotel, we also walked a couple blocks to see the famous Reno arch. Reno is a much quieter city than L.V., but still one with a focus on gambling - not my thing!


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Location:Las Vegas to Reno

May 6, 2012

We travelled today about 290 sunny miles today. We left Tusayan, the town just outside the southern park entrance, and travelled through high plateau country with no trees, then we entered a national forest with pine trees. Arizona is not just a desert state!

We left the interstate for a short distance and visited the town of Seligman on the famous Route 66! "66" was the first completely paved national highway in the country between Chicago and L.A.


At the Nevada border we saw the famous Hoover Dam and we crossed over the newly completed O'Callaghan/Tillman Memorial Bridge.


About 3 pm we reached Las Vegas. What a place! Of course, we had to walk the "Strip". The sidewalks were packed with tourists. We could hardly move. The extravagance was overwhelming! I was very content to return to our quiet motel away from the noise and glitz.


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Location:From the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas

May 5, 2012

We spent the entire day and most of the evening at the Grand Canyon, arriving at 8:45 am and leaving at 9:00 pm! We didn't waste a moment of the day. We walked portions of the rim - elevation 7000 ft., visited historic buildings, rode the efficient shuttle buses to the Hermits Rest Route, viewed the canyon from many of the overlook sites, saw the sun set and awed at the spectacular shadows on the canyon walls, attended an hour+ geology lecture, then saw the full moon rising! It was a most memorable day!



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Location:South Rim of the Grand Canyon

May 4, 2012

We had a sunny warm day to drive the 257 mile distance between these two national parks. After leaving Zion we traveled along the southern edge of Utah, before crossing into Arizona. Some portions of that road went through the Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument. The rock formations and colors were spectacular.


As we neared Utah's border, we caught a glimpse of Lake Powell. It seemed strange to see such a huge body of water in a desert area. Shortly after that, we crossed the deep Glen Canyon on a newly constructed bridge. It is quite an engineering feat.






We arrived at the east entrance of the Grand Canyon at 4:30 pm. We stopped at Desert View (7400 feet high) and got our first sight of the canyon with the Colorado River snaking its way far below. The grandeur and magnitude of this place takes your breath away.




Located at that viewpoint is the famous Watchtower, designed by Mary Jane Coulter and built by the Fred Harvey Company and the Santa Fe Railroad in 1930. It is a re-creation of prehistoric towers which were scattered over the Southwest. I was amazed at how it seemed to be a natural part of the landscape.





We continued driving along the rim with more spectacular sights of the canyon that seems to go on forever. Then we entered a pine forest which was rather dense. John even spotted a deer grazing under the trees. We reached the parking lot for the visitor center and decided stop our day of sightseeing and drive to our motel. It is located one mile outside of the park's south entrance, in a community called Tusayan. The motel is very large, deluxe, and with beautiful grounds. On our way to dinner this evening we saw two elk enjoying a meal of grass and shrubs just outside our door!


Having had a busy day, we're ready for a good rest tonight. Then we will spend all day tomorrow back in the park.

Note: since Monday afternoon when we entered Huntington, Oregon, we have been on Mountain Daylight Time. When we entered Arizona today, we discovered that all the state, except for an Indian reservation, is on standard time! So once again, we are on the same time as we would be at home.

Also, WiFi is down here and my AT&T connection isn't working. This won't get posted until those problems are solved!


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Location:Zion to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon

May 3, 2012

Today we thrilled again to wonderful sights. We drove from the south entrance of Zion up a series of switchbacks and through a mile-long tunnel to the east entrance to the park. On this road we saw the famous mountain called Checkerboard Mesa.




We continued north about 75 miles to Bryce Canyon. By car this park is seen from the ridge of the plateau, looking down on the weathered spires in each of the canyons below. We drove to the southernmost viewpoint called Rainbow Point with an elevation of 9115 feet. We ate a picnic lunch inside the car because it was windy and cold, about 57. Then we took a mile loop hike through the bristle one pines.


From that point we continued by car to the next one, Natural Bridge at an elevation of 8627 feet.


The next three stops were at slightly lower elevations. The park's most famous views are in these locations: Bryce Point at 8300 feet with its amphitheater, Inspiration Point at 8100 feet, and Sunset Point at 8000 feet with its "hoodoos" (sharp pinnacle rocks left standing by the forces of erosion).











What a great day this was for us! It is a thrill to see such beauty in our country. Tomorrow we leave Utah and drive to the south rim of the Grand Canyon.

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Location:A day at Bryce Canyon

May 2, 2012

This morning we rode a shuttle bus into the park. The system is well organized and efficient. We went to the final stop in the canyon called the Temple of Sinawava. There we took a walk (2 miles round trip) up the canyon along the Virgin River. Along the way we were treated to spectacular views of the sandstone walls, also some wildlife - a turkey, small birds and many begging squirrels. We ate a picnic lunch at the waters edge. Then we returned to the shuttle stop. Immediately, a bus arrived and we were off to our next point of interest.





I want to mention that although it is just the beginning of May it's very crowded here. We have heard people speaking many different languages and we have seen several groups of school children. It's a popular place.

Our second stop was a photo opp at Big Bend. There we saw three climbers who looked like ants on a sheer rock face. It was frightening to see, especially for one who is not fond of heights!





We next travelled to Weeping Rock and took that half mile trail to a grotto-like area, lush with ferns and flowers hanging from the wet rocks.

We saw the Lodge, not the original one as it was lost in a fire several years ago.

The Human History Museum stop had many interesting exhibits and a movie which provided information about the park. Behind it, I was happy to get a picture of three impressive mountains - left to right West Temple, Sundial and Altar of Sacrifice. They are 7500 to 7800 feet high.


We returned to our motel for a glass of wine on the patio, then walked across the street for dinner. The town is charming with a southwest theme. As we came back to our motel, the moon was coming over the rocks behind our place. Beautiful sight!









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Location:Zion National Park

May 1, 2012

The statistics for today are 532 miles and 9 hours of travel! We began with a temperature reading of 44 in Twin Falls and were happily surprised at a reading of 82 when we arrived at our motel near Zion.

After an early, complimentary breakfast at our motel, we drove to see Shoshone Falls. They are called the "Niagara Falls of the West". They plunge 212 feet into the Snake River - a very impressive sight.




Near the entrance to this site we passes by an elk preserve. Naturally, I had to snap a picture of one with its velvety antlers.



The Snake River canyon is deep and beautiful. We read that BASE jumping is permitted year-round, but I'll pass on that!



Our drive east of Twin Falls went through a lot of farm ground. John was interested in all the irrigation needed to support the crops.

Once we reached Utah we had the rugged Wasatch Mountain Range to the east. The cities in this area - Ogden, Salt Lake City, and Provo - are all at high elevations, about 4,000 feet and more.

About 27 miles from Utah's southern border, we turned east towards Zion. The landscape became more dramatic -- flat topped plateaus, bright orange stone rock faces, and rugged outcroppings. A small fire was burning on a slope. We pulled over to watch a helicopter drop water on the flames. For everyone's safety, we hope it was put out fast.


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The little town of Springdale is just on the edge of the entrance to Zion. From our patio we can see stunning rock formations and colors.


We look forward to exploring the area tomorrow - more time on foot and less time in a car!

Location:Twin Falls, ID, to Springdale, UT