Time in Tucson

The dogs and I took a quick walk in the woods on Sunday morning, October 23, before leaving Williams.  This big, black raven followed us from tree to tree, croaking at us the entire time.

Then we were off, down the road southbound toward Tucson.  And when I say down the road, I mean it.  We kept seeing signs like these.

 

We wondered who could wait 10 miles if their vehicle was truly out of control.  And finally, near the end of the descent was the dreaded (or maybe welcome) Runaway Truck Ramp.

We could tell that it had recently been used, and were glad it wasn’t by us.

As we neared Phoenix, saguaro began to appear on the hillsides.

And then, around 11:30 we topped a ridge to find a line of vehicles stopped in front of us, stretching as far as we could see.  We were trapped; there were no exits and no place to go.  Our Waze software said there was an eight-mile backup and we wondered if we would be sleeping by the side of the road.  (At least we had our bed with us if that happened.)

The dogs didn't care; they were snoozing happily in their favorite places in the truck.

After almost an hour sitting there wondering about the delay, the cars ahead finally began to move, and we were on our way, never knowing what had caused the problem.  We assume it was an accident, but all traces had been removed by the time we got there.

Our campsite in Tucson was on the outskirts of town at the Pima County Fairgrounds.  We had lots of room for the dogs to explore, and the stars were brilliant.  We spent two nights so we could visit with my former mother-in-law, Audrey Wann, and sister-in-law, Trisha Wann.  We were glad to find them well.  Here is a photo of the four of us with the scarecrow Audrey assembled for the competition at her apartment complex.  I don’t know if she won, but she should have.

I spent the afternoon with Trish and her best friend, Dash, who was a little unsure of me.  (After all, I smelled a lot like other dogs he didn’t know!)  But he was nice enough to pose for a portrait.  

Later, John and I picked up the truck, which had been at the Volvo dealer's for repair to the driver's door handle mechanism, and got ready for next morning's departure.

Cliffs and Canyons

We were sad to leave Bryce Canyon, but pulled out and headed south, anticipating more spectacular sights along the way.  We weren’t disappointed.  Reversing our route into the park, we had early morning views of Red Canyon…

and past an abandoned homestead.

We skirted the edge of Pink Coral Sand Dunes State Park, wishing we had more time to explore there.

Although the road itself left a lot to be desired, the cliffs along either side of Hwy 89 were amazing.

We crossed the border into Arizona and took Alt 89 past Vermillion Cliffs National Monument.

As we approached, we stopped for another “table with a view” lunch at one of the overlooks.

Information at the viewpoint described efforts to increase the population of wild California Condors in the canyonlands of southern Utah and northern Arizona.  Beginning in 1996, 6-10 condors that were hatched and raised in captivity have been released annually in this area.  They are monitored and receive supplemental feeding until they can survive on their own.   As of June 30, the condor population in the Vermillion Cliffs area numbered 73, and more birds were released in September of this year. 

Except for a brief glimpse of one flying in Bryce Canyon NP, unfortunately we didn’t see any condors.  They are the largest flying land bird in North America.  Scavengers that feed primarily on large land animals, they have a wing span of 9 1/2 feet at maturity, and can weigh up to 25 pounds.  They breed for life, and can live up to 60 years in the wild.  We wish them well in their beautiful home among the Vermillion Cliffs. 

We continued on our way and crossed the Colorado at the very upper end of Grand Canyon National Park.  

Then across miles and miles and miles of Northern Arizona, through Flagstaff to Williams, AZ, which calls itself “The Gateway to the Grand Canyon.”  Williams has the distinction to be the last town in America on Historic Route 66 to be bypassed by IH 40.  If you want to get a flavor for that historic highway, you can “Get your kicks on Route 66” in Williams.  

We also got our kicks at the lovely Dog Town State Park a few miles outside of Williams, and in the national forest behind our RV park, where the Bagley Pack had a good time sniffing around. 

We also got our kicks at Grand Canyon National Park.  The park is 50+ miles north of Williams, so we had a bit of a hike to get there.  On the way, we stopped to stretch our legs on one of several roads into Kaibab National Forest.  Rue was determined to dig out a ground squirrel, but never succeeded.

The canyon itself defies description.  A mile deep and 18 miles wide in places, it overwhelms the senses.

Dogs are allowed on the trail along the canyon rim, so the Bagley Pack accompanied us on our walk to some of the viewpoints.  At several of them, we had to stand in line for a chance to look down into the canyon.  It was a mob scene, with dozens of tour buses discharging hundreds of tourists.  It was ironic that many of them didn’t appear to be interested in the view.  They were just elbowing their way to the edge so they could take selfies with the canyon in the background.  Strange, and sad.  

We left the area near the visitor center in favor of some of the less-popular overlooks and were able to enjoy the views as the afternoon shadows crept into the canyon.

We had planned to spend two days at Grand Canyon, but the crowds were so thick, and so many of the viewpoints accessible only by shuttle or a several-mile walk that we decided not to return for a second day.

Bye-Bye Bryce Canyon

We had one more day to spend in the wonderland that is Bryce Canyon, and we made the most of it.  We packed another picnic and began a driving tour of the viewpoints along the canyon rim past the Main Ampitheater.  The day was clear, crisp and windy, so we weren’t encouraged to tarry, but we did take time to visit, and appreciate, all the viewpoints.

The park is long and narrow, encompassing the canyon’s rim and a short distance on either side.  From some of the viewpoints I am told you can see 200 miles on a clear day.  I don’t know what 200 miles looks like, but the vistas were magnificent.

Here are several images taken at Paria View.  This is the area where Stetson said the park’s Giant Condors are sometimes seen.  We got a glimpse of one on our first visit to the park, but none were flying today. 

     

The area below is Swamp Canyon.  

The views from Fairview Point are beautiful early in the morning. 

The Natural Bridge Viewpoint shows you not only the bridge, but a very impressive hoodoo. 

Agua Canyon Viewpoint, elevation 8800 feet, was our next stop.  It has an impressive hoodoo of its own.

Ponderosa Canyon’s viewpoint is even higher, a chilly 8904 feet.  Views from here include some of the area's "fin" formations. 

The Black Birch Canyon overlook has some lovely views as well.  But I was intrigued by the two hoodoos in the second and third images.  Don’t you think they look like a little old man and a little old woman in their rocking chairs?

Rainbow Point, elevation 9113 feet is, I believe, the highest viewpoint in the park.  You can see almost all the colors of the rainbow, and they seem to stretch forever.

After visiting the Bryce Canyon viewpoints, we drove some 30 miles east through the small town of Tropic to Kodachrome Basin State Park.  Its rock formations are beautiful as well, and the park has an impressive collection of hoodoos of its own...

including the most famous, The Chimney.

We had tried to make reservations there, but they have only a few sites that would accommodate us, and they were full. 

Just before leaving on Thursday morning, October 20, I made one last trip into the national park to catch the sunrise.  The formation glowed in the early morning light; it was a sunrise I won’t forget. 

The entire experience was a feast for the senses, and we loved every minute of our time here.