Canyons Galore

Aug 3

Well for everyone who's sat in an office today (oh it'll be Aug 4 back home) just thought I'd tell you where we've been and what we've seen. And to say the weather is truly wonderful; hot and sunny and just, fabulous.

We left the baking hot Mojave Desert and Lake Havasu and headed for the Grand Canyon yesterday. Journey no problem at all, some spectacular scenery (as you'd expect) and arrived at our hotel with our room a mere 50ft from the South Rim. Room immaculate but a contradiction in terms of 'environmentally friendly'. Yes, everything in the room helps with 'global warming' but, to have toiletries in packaging asking you to ensure you recycle - in order to protect and save the planet - then say 'made in China' makes it somewhat of a joke. (Oxymoron, I believe, is the correct word). Anyway, a fabulous experience nonetheless, so much time to stroll and take it all in. Just over from our room, a ranger had set up a telescope looking into the canyon because a Californian Condor has set up its nest in the rocks about 75ft down. There it was sat on a ledge. Obviously you could not see its 9ft wing span from there but, today we saw it flying around on our way back from breakfast. We didn't have the video camera with us at the time however, on our way out of the Canyon we stopped at a lookout point and there was another one hovering on the updrafts like a glider, truly magnificent! David managed to get about a minute of film, just magical. The guidebooks are absolutely correct when the say the drive to Flagstaff and then into the Canyon is worth the effort because there are numerous lookout points and the views of the eastern side of the South Rim are spectacular, much more so than at Bright Angel Point. We even got to see the Colorado River flowing through the Canyon, something not possible further along.

From there we drove through miles of awesome vistas. Around every bend was something that made us both exclaim 'oh my word' but there are no words to describe adequately what you see. From desert scrub to granite rocks to lush green ranchland to the red rocks of Monument Valley itself nothing, but nothing, stayed the same for long. Mountains in the distance with immense valley floors that stretched as far as the eye could see. Visibility was superb, it must have been at least 60 miles without a cloud in the sky at times. We even drove with the roof down for about an hour but then the heat became too intense and sadly, it had to be raised again. Now on to Tuba City. City? Blink and you've missed it. We had to turn the car around so that David could have his photo taken by the sign, poser that he is....

Monument Valley again, defies description. There was a moment that was truly surreal, you all know the one, where Forrest Gump is running and the buttes and mesas are in the distance of the long straight road into the valley; brings a tear to the eye and a lump to the throat. It was made even better for us when we stopped the car to film and the thunder was rolling behind us where the dark clouds had gathered. Very atmospheric. There is one butte, near to where you turn off to enter the valley in Kayenta, which looks almost like the Devil's Tower from Close Encounters..... for other film buffs, especially sad ones like me, further on, on Route 93, you will find the enchanted mountain from Krull. Honestly, no doubt about it, there it was right in the middle of nowhere! And, the sunset was amazing. All pinks and purples reflected in the dark thunder clouds that were rolling in from the west; at one point as we looked westward the rain had turned pink, an unbelievable sight. Further along the road the flashes of lightning were so bright, almost made the landscape look as if it were daylight again. Almost forgot, did Four Corners Monument as well. How to describe it? Shabby. Well, the monument itself isn't but the surroundings, hmm, Glastonbury Festival site when it's flooded is better!! Still, it's only $3 each and you do get to have a limb in four states at the same time. For those who don't know them, they are: Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico.

And, for those aficionados who want to know, we're staying on the Mother Road herself tonight, Route 66! We had lunch yesterday at a restaurant along this historic route too.

Well, enough for today, we've crossed one time zone so we're only 7 hours behind you now, but it's 00:50am and time for me to go to bed. Write to you all later..... did I say this country is GREAT? Well it is and we're both loving every second we spend here!!