Day 26 - Route 66

Today we travelled all day on the old Route 66 from Williams to Golden Shores, eventually leaving it to complete our day in Lake Havasu City.

Much of the route was practically deserted. First stop was in Kingman at Mr D'z Route 66 Diner for Brunch http://flickr.com/photos/97705796@N00/2727567233/

Continued on Route 66 over the Sitgreaves Pass (photo 1) in The Black Mountains not very high at 3652ft but quite rugged http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR3LLLeKT98 (that's me riding pillion NOT). Eventually got down the other side to Oatman which seems to be overrun by wild burros http://www.theroadwanderer.net/RT66oatman.htm

We eventually finished up in Lake Havasu City taking photos of London Bridge (photo 2) in a temp of 107F, before escaping to the air-conditioning in our Motel.

Day 25 - Grand Canyon

After checking out, we drove North to the Grand Canyon (South Rim). The place was really busy. We went on the shuttle bus within the park and then did a short hike along the rim, 1.3 miles. The first photo shows people standing on Mather Point, giving a good idea of the scale. Photo 2 shows Jenny admiring another view into the canyon from the canyon rim trail. Picture 3 was taken here and is for Flo Hewitt who likes these aster flowers, which grow everywhere by the side of the road and beyond in all the states we have visited this time - they grow like weeds here. Photo 4 shows intrepid hikers on South Kaibab trail; the picture is greatly zoomed, even so we can't tell if they are on their way down or up. We left the Grand Canyon after our walk and just as it looked like a thunderstorm might be brewing. Drove South to Williams on old Route 66, where we stopped for coffee and home-made pie at Pine Country Restaurant - you would not believe the size of the pie portions, neither one of us could finish them, something new for Jenny and worth marking on the calendar. It will be a day she will be able to remember as it is also a friend's birthday. (She'll be toasting Noreen tonight, possibly with a margarita.) We are staying tonight in Williams.

Day 24 - Pueblos and Flagstaff

Left Gallup on another beautiful morning and travelled East on the 264 (scenic byway again); expansive views, distant cliffs, desert/scrub and the open road with little traffic. Stopped for petrol (and coffee as always) at Window Rock on the border of New Mexico and Arizona. Didn't stop again till Tuba City, 154 miles of virtually empty roads. After a Subway in Tuba City, we set off South towards Flagstaff . Calling in on the way at Wupatki National Monument where there are several pueblos in various states of dereliction - the photo shows the best preserved one which was inhabited in the 1200s. We are overnighting in Flagstaff. Apparently there is some big football game or some such on locally this weekend so we ended up paying the most we have on this trip for a motel.

Day 23 - Canyon de Chelly

Last night (Thursday) we left our motel and went across the road to the bar at the Best Western - it was a good night, we had crabcakes and a few drinks, the place was very lively and there was a karaoke on, some good singers too. We also took part in the tv quiz in the bar, didn't do too badly but were snookered when it came to questions about US tv programmes and personalities. We eventuallyleft at kicking out time!
We left Farmington Friday morning after a quiet breakfast (both with sore heads I think) and headed South on the 666 according to our map (this road has a different number now), and then West to Canyon de Chelly. Photo 1 shows ancient (somewhat reconstructed) pueblo dwellings (Mummy Cave Ruins). The video shows Spider Rock Overlook. What you can't see is the campsite near the base of the stack, even we couldn't see the people until Clive looked through his camera zoom. Ended up in Gallup for the night, away from the railway but still within hearing of the all-night whistles!

Day 22 - Goosenecks, Mittens, and Corners

Started the day with a car wash and then got under way. Headed SW from Blanding and visited Goosenecks State Park (see photo 1 and video) - 1,000ft. deep chasm eroded by the San Juan River, big meanders(www.utah.com/stateparks.goosenecks.htm). We then proceeded into Arizona and Monument Valley, see photo 2 'The Mittens'. Didn't do the scenic drive here - very dusty. We then made our way East along very long, very straight roads, making a small detour to the Four State Corners Monument - Clive obliged and put his limbs in all four states at once, see photo 3. It's almost obligatory! We carried on into New Mexico and are staying overnight at Farmington, where Clive is hoping that he can get a beer (in Utah and the Navajo Nation it wasn't easy).

Day 21 - Capitol Reef and more

After leaving Torrey we spent a lot of time in Capitol Reef NP. The scenery in this area is really striking. We took the scenic drive and took a hike along Capitol Gorge Rd., this gravel road is very narrow (photo 1) and prone to flash floods. In spite of that it was the only means of access to Fruita township until the highway was built in 1962. A trail up the side of the gorge took us to the Tanks (photo 2) which are natural bowls which collect water.
We carried on through ever-changing dramatic scenery until we reached Hanksville - which really is in the middle of nowhere. We took a snack break here.
Carried on to the head of Lake Powell (photo 3), and later called in at Natural Bridges NP. Photo 4 is one of the bridges- Sipapu Bridge. When we get back home we will be asking questions on the difference between Natural Bridges and Natural Arches :-)
We eventually finished up at Blanding for the night.

Day 20 - Bryce and more

We set off East today and our first stop was at Cedar Breaks National Monument (see photo 1), a dramatic canyon overlook of red rock, quite impressive. We then continued East to Bryce Canyon National Park where we took the shuttle bus around the site, stopping off at the Visitor Center to see a brief film about the park and its history. We also stopped off at the canyon overlook shown in photo 2. There were people hiking down into the canyon - younger and fitter than we are : it was hot, there was no shade and the only way back up is to walk. We returned on the shuttle to the pick up point at Rubys Inn and looked round a rock shop before going on our way again. Continued along the very scenic route (Route 12) to Torrey, on the way driving along hogback ridge (photo 3), dramatic drop-offs on either side. Along this road there was also a good photo op. on top of Boulder Mountain(photo 4) for expansive views of the country all around - including our first very distant view of Navajo Mountain. (The photo cannot really do it justice.) Fortunately we had booked our motel ahead (first time this holiday) on the internet this morning - it was full by the time we arrived, the clerk was trying to arrange local accommodation for some walk-ins with not a lot of success. As we are not going to be near any interstates soon, where we can always find accommodation, we have now booked in for tomorrow night at Blanding in advance.

Day 19 Zion NP

We decided not to go to Green River today, instead we took a roundabout trip to Zion National Park. The first photo shows our first port of call - we just had to as it was West of Cedar City where we were staying. Bought coffee for our in-car mugs here at a petrol station, and went on our way South. Next stop was at the Mountain Meadows Massacre Site: in 1857 Mormons massacred, "for reasons that are still unclear" according to Lonely Planet, 120 non-Mormon pioneers (men, women and children) from Arkansas who were making their way to California, (see www.mountainmeadowsmassacre.com for more info.). Photo 2 shows the monument at a burial ground.
We continued South to St. George and then West to Zion National Park. Photo 3 shows Clive (rhside) at 'The Narrows' at the far end of Zion Canyon. Although we had visited Zion NP in the past, the advent of shuttle buses up and down the canyon has resulted in much less traffic and hassle making the whole experience mor enjoyable. Photo 4 shows a greatly zoomed climber on a rock face we noticed as we were stopped at the tunnel taking us out of the park, waiting for oncoming traffic. A good day, beautiful weather, stunning views; finally we motored back to our motel in Cedar City via a scenic route that took us into and out of Arizona and then back North on the I15.

Day 18 _ Scenic Byways

Left Nephi heading South on the byways - it looks easy on our (old) map, but we got lost a couple of times and had to do U-turns. We eventually found our way through from Salina (known for its salt deposits would you believe?) to Sevier and continued South. The photos show the Big Rock Candy Mountain - looks more impressive in real life - just S. of Sevier. We eventually had a brief early afternoon stop at Panguitch, where we had coffee and pie at the Flying M Restaurant (www.flyingm.com). Pity we weren't going to be in the area for dinner, it looked like good home cooking. After coffee we came off the 89 and went on the 143 West through Dixie National Forest (pass summit at 10,420ft.), followed by a short stretch on the I15 to Cedar City where we are staying overnight. Looking forward to our drive NW tomorrow to Green River.

Day 17 - Dinosaurs(2) and scenic

Left Roosevelt (founded 1905 and named after Theodore who once camped nearby!) heading West on US40 to Duchesne, then South on scenic byway 191. Coal mining and railroad historically important industries here. Passed through Helper (named after the second railway steam engine sometimes needed to help the first on steep terrain) and on to Price. Here we visited the College of Eastern Utah Prehistoric Museum - very good, lots of genuine complete dinosaurs and individual bones, see photos 1 and 2. Photo 3 (with scale again) shows part of a petrified tree at the same museum. SW to Huntington, where we had to take a photo for Norman and Flo, aka Mr. & Mrs. Huntington! Stopped here for a sarnie. We then proceeded west up the very scenic Huntington Canyon, up across Skyline Drive, through a brief shower of rain, eventually descending to Fairview. We are overnighting at Nephi just off the I15.

Day 16 - Dinosaurs(1)

We left Grand Junction and headed North, climbing steadily to Douglas Pass (8,286ft.),lots of hairpin bends. No signs of civilisation on this road (139) for 72 miles, apart from about 3 houses. Went through a place called Dinosaur and continued 21 miles to Dinosaur National Monument - photo 1 shows bone embedded in rock in the area (apologies for the gnarled hand, but Clive wanted some sense of scale) here where we had a short walk, about 1 hour. Then took auto tour of the Tilted Rocks at same site, at the end of which was the Josie Morris Cabin - photo 2: idyllic spot where feisty lady lived without piped water or electricity till she died in 1964 age 90 when complications set in after she broke a hip, falling on icy ground while tending a horse. Stayed overnight in Roosevelt. (This has been typed up on Saturday as the internet at the motel in Roosevelt was down.)

Day 15 - The highest yet

Set off this morning on the 550 North from Durango to Silverton (the trip we did yesterday on the train). This time it took about an hour, as opposed to the train's 3.5 hours. Stopped off at Silverton to have a cooked breakfast and have a further wander around. Then continued North over the Red Mountain Pass at 11,008ft. - no one had nose bleed, so all's well. Stopped off again, this time at Montrose to get a few essentials at WalMart (soap, fruit, wine - apparently wine is an essential!). Joined the US50 here and continued to Grand Junction on the I70. Checked into our motel, spent an exciting hour or two doing laundry and then went over the road to a Mexican restaurant for dinner and were delighted to see that they had football on the TV: a repeat of Marseille v. Liverpool. Thought about Norman who would have been delighted that Liverpool won 2-1. And so to bed. Sorry, no photos taken today, despite passing through great scenery once again.

Day 14 - Ridin' the Rails

Today we spent the day riding to Silverton and back on the Durango and Silverton narrow gauge railway. http://www.durangotrain.com/multimedia/video.htm

We set off at 9 a.m. Photo 6 shows one of the two engines before we set off, and photo 7 shows the inside of our carriage on the way up - the back of Jenny's head can just be spotted on the left hand side.

Photo 5 shows a rainbow which formed when the engine driver let off steam, which seems to be a party trick of his. (I apologise for the strange order of the photos, but I just can't get them in the right order)

After three and a half hours riding through stunning and at times hair-raising scenery, we arrived in Silverton. Definitely get the impression that at this time of year the arrival of the train is a major highlight of the day.

We walked up and down main street, called in at a bar for a bite to eat and a pint. We happened to walk past a funnel cake shop and couldn't resist. Photo 1 shows a funnel cake to die for!

Just before return departure, a kind gentleman took a picture of two poseurs in front of the engine which would take us back.

Photo 3 is a picture of the Animas river gorge, and photo 4 gives a view looking back showing the length of the train and the cliff face we were travelling along. We eventually arrived back at 6.15 p.m., numb of rear and in need of a large cup of tea. It was a great day out through wonderful scenery once again. Haven't decided where to go tomorrow yet, watch this space.

Day 13 - It's all sand

Started the day with a heart attack on a plate breakfast at diner over the road from our motel, really set us up for the day. Then went on our merry way, turning off the I25 at Walsenberg onto the 160 West. Fantastic scenery today: mountains, plains, forests. Even saw a number of prongthorn deer in the fields, two of whom seemed to be enjoying themselves doing what comes naturally! Must be the time of year for that sort of thing. Took a side trip North on the 150 to Great Sand Dunes National Monument. The first picture shows a general view on the approach. On the second picture you may be able to make out someone near the top, and the third is a zoomed view of the person(s) near the top. Quite a feat in this heat. We continued again along the 160 and were tempted to stop for coffee and banana pie blizzard at a Dairy Queen in Alamosa. Jenny was the one who had the blizzard, she struggled successfully and finished it (what a surprise!). The rest of the ride to Durango was interesting and scenic; we passed over the Great Divide once again, this time at Wolf Creek Pass, at 10,850 feet. Jenny's ears have been popping all day, much yawning going on. We arrived at Durango around 5.30p.m. and promptly went to the Durango and Silverton Railroad ticket office and booked tickets for a trip tomorrow. We then checked into a motel here for two nights - the first two motels we tried were full, so this place is pretty popular, mostly old gits like us, spending their kids' inheritance. Good on them I say!

Day 12 - Cadillacs and a Volcano

Started the day by calling in at Cadillac Ranch alongside the I40, just outside Amarillo - weird! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_Ranch
We then left the high plains of Texas via the US385 and US87 - stopping off for our customary Subway break at Dalhart.
As we carried on through New Mexico the Plains became higher and the scenery more dramatic, until we reached Capulin Volcano. http://www.nps.gov/cavo/
The photo shows the view of the volcano as we approached, with the road which goes all the way up to the rim. The next two photos are of the view down into the crater and one of Jenny at the bottom where the old vent was.
We then carried on into Colorado, eventually stopping overnight on the I25.

Day 11 - Buddy

Set off back South to Lubbock as we wanted to visit the Buddy Holly Center - which we did. It was worth making the trip, although they could make more of the place; treated myself to a Buddy Holly shiny pencil, last of the big spenders! The Fine Arts Gallery within the complex was closed, so that was a disappointment. The statue of Buddy is not at the Center but on Q Street by a small park area. Before leaving Lubbock, Jenny spotted a Barnes & Noble so we went in and had a browse (they didn't have the Lonely Planet or Rough Guide we were looking for) and a coffee. Jenny also spotted a Michael's next door so she had a browse round that while Clive looked round Circuit City; neither of us bought anything but Jenny came away with a flyer to peruse.

We continued our trip by driving East to begin with and then North on a 'scenic route', allegedly. Actually 100+ miles of Texas Plains on deserted State Roads crossed by two gorges. May seem strange but the kind of scenery we both like. We even got stopped at a railway crossing and got hooted by the train whistle. We eventually finished up in Amarillo. Overnighting here, spending the evening in a Bar and Grill a few yards down the road.

Day 10 - Oil in them plains

It was a nice warm sunny day today. No signs at all of Hurricane Ike, although it looks as though they have been suffering in Houston and Galveston. It gives some idea of how big Texas is. We set off from Pecos this morning and drove mainly via back roads to Lubbock - of Buddy fame. For most of the time we were passing through flat scrub/grassland. I think it was Betty Lue who said if you want to see nothing visit West Texas - she was right!

For about 100 miles around Pecos we were passing through the Permian Basin in W. Texas ("There will be Blood" type country). See the evidence in the photos. Drove round the Lubbock ring road trying for an acceptable motel, failed - either too isolated (nowhere to eat within walking distance), too expensive, full up or only smoking rooms available. Eventually drove North and overnighted in Plainview about 40 miles away.

Day 9 - In a Hole

Today we spent most of the day down a hole in Carlsbad Caverns NP http://www.nps.gov/cave/ - really impressive.

We opted to walk down the 800ft to the Big Room taking a self-guided tour. In total we were walking down and then around the Big Room for about 2 and a half hours, finally leaving by the 750 ft elevator. Although the climb down was quite steep in places, the NPS have done a great job of making the caverns accessible. The photos are of the Entrance to the Cavern, on the way down, parts of the cave and preparing to board the elevator on the way up.

On the drive into the Caverns area we came across a wild boar snuffling round at the edge of the road. Not exactly an everday sight back in the UK!

We then made our way to Pecos, Texas via back roads: empty scenery apart from pumping oil derricks among the scrub. Found and used a do it yourself car wash - it was very dirty after yesterday's downpour. Today has been fine and hot. Overnight in Pecos, dining at motel.