The Grandest Canyon

Saying to each other 'hey, it's only two o' clock, let's go up to the Grand Canyon' is probably not the way people plan a trip to one of the highlights of their holiday, perhaps even of their lives.

I must admit we were a tiny bit reluctant to go to the Canyon (but of course we had to see it) because we were afraid to enter a Grand Tourist Trap with busloads of people trying to get a glimpse of the Colorado river.

We need not have worried.
Again the road up to the Canyon was almost empty, so we could slow down wherever we wanted to and see the crags and smaller canyons get more and more abundant the closer we got to the Real Thing.
Think a rough field with huge gaps and chasms. Interesting!

We followed all sorts of signs to the entrance of the Canyon park and could park surprisingly close to the visitors centre. I shan't say the parking was empty, but there surely wasn't the amount of cars we had anticipated.

So if you ever plan a trip to the Grand Canyon: mid March, before the spring break, around 4 in the afternoon. It's dark at 8 but we had seen all we wanted to see in 3,5 hrs.

And don't let the weather disappoint you. We've seen the official video where people huddle under umbrella's and clouds drift in the canyon (yes, IN: the canyon: 1.5 km. deep).
When we were there it was rather hazy so the colours of the rocks were a bit subdued.

But OMG.
The SIZE of it.
Serious, you cannot imagine. You can see pictures, posters, films, whatever - but you WILL be baffled by the sheer size of this Grand Canyon. And you can't even begin to imagine that this is the work of that tiny silvery rivulet you see when you peer over the edge.

Ah. The edge.
These safety conscious (erm, fanatic) Americans allow you to the edge as you like it.
So between the official railing and the 1.5 km. drop you can walk over a foresty underground, around trees, past shrubs, admire flowers and climb upon a rock to get a real good view. Or climb down if you think that suits you better.
That is so unimaginable.
But go there, before they find out this is Utter Danger and you're dragged out of the park after putting a toe beyond the newly erected fence.

Anyway, this made it all very jolly to see the Canyon from the various Viewpoints. We'd leave the car, walk to the rim, grab a nearby tree, hang upside down as far as we could and started taking pictures.
It felt like a stroll in the park!

We left after seeing the last and most impressive viewpoint. The shadows crept up in the Canyon and it was getting very cold so we fled into the really good bookshop.

Then we tried to find a hotel nearby - but that's another story.
Do see the pictures first!

Freezing off de Chay

So after Monument Valley we went further south, to the town of Kayenta. Kayenta, Utah, is a Mormon city hence 100% alcohol free. We were warned, but hey, no 'so we smuggled ....'
We are obedient citizens, we are.

But we, no, Pieter, might have been violating another Mormon law, namely the 'thou shalt not swear' one. Pieter? Swearing? You serious?

Yes, when he found out in our hotel room that he had left the American-to-European plug adapter plus the Ipad chargers at our room in Moab, 3 hrs. back.
So no recharging the mobile phones, the Ipods, the Ipads (that was the worst, we both had only 4 hrs. left to go) or the camera's.
Imagine that.

The first reaction is to seriously panic, then you realise that 15 years ago you went on holiday without having to recharge anything because it hadn't been invented yet, and still you were happy and relaxed.

Anyway, a change of plans was needed.
We called the reception at the Moab hotel but the lady there was clueless, perhaps we should call back tomorrow, perhaps the room maid had found something but perhaps not etc.
Going back was a nono too.

We decided to skip a couple of must see's and head for Flagstaff, a large enough city to have Apple accessories. Plus all kind of adapters.
All of a sudden we didn't like it in Kayenta that much anymore so we planned to leave early and thus be able to at least see the Canyon de Chelly (pronounce as 'de Chay', from the Indian Tsegi) on our way to an electronics shop.

We woke at six and were on the road at seven: a wonderful experience because the sun was just getting up and it was completely silent everywhere.

The canyon was a two hrs drive south and we arrived just after they had opened. We didn't have to pay an entrance fee, so instead we bought a book with photos by Ansell Adams and left for the rim of the Canyon.

After we had glanced at the weather forecast, that didn't sink in at that time.
Zero celcius.
And gale force 7 winds.

At the first stop we said 'oh my, this is beautiful, but it's cold, isn't it'?
At the second: Jeez it's cold but the canyon is stunning!
At the third: f*ck it's cold, the wind, my hands are freezing -
And finally: let's quit. I'm frozen. I love it here but I've never been so cold all winter in Holland.

So we headed straight to the nearest diner to get a proper, hot breakfast. This being Indian country we were the only whites around!
Next we took a beautiful little road to the Phoenix-LA highway, arrived at Flagstaff at two in the afternoon and since they didn't have mountain time (as Utah) it was still two o' clock when we had all the cables, plugs and adapters we needed - and decided to head off for the Grand Canyon, 80 miles north.


In an exhibition in Amsterdam we saw the iconic picture of a white man's expedition through the canyon de Chelly, dated the early twenties of the last century. Remembering that picture we decided on  the spot we had to see the canyon, and we did.

Yes we've seen it! Monument Valley!

We have been in Monument Valley!
Another dream come true.

I mean, who wouldn't want to drive this iconic road?
We did. Yesss!

Unfortunately we drove the wrong way - ie against the light. Mind that, when you're in Monument Valley yourself.. Now I had to crane my neck and turn around to see these iconic sites, after which Pieter stopped and we took pics.
Nevertheless, we've seen it, we drove there, again almost alone. No tourist season yet, hence the empty souvenir stalls and closed shops.

We didn't go into the park itself where you can drive a 17 mile gravel road or hire a Navajo guide to take you with a 4WD into the land. We thought we'd be back next day, but then, in our hotel room in Kayenta, we realised that - no, that's a totally different story. See next blog ;)

Again a day with Nature's wonders: from Moab to Arches NP

We never thought we'd get to Moab, Utah on our tour: way too far east, but hey!, we made it, thanks to our love for these endless roads.
The only thing you have to do is sit back, relax (I'm not the one who's doing the driving) and enjoy the ever changing, always interesting wide screen views.
Utmost luxury.

Staying in Moab overnight meant a visit to either Arches National Park (NP) or Bridges NP, plus a quick route to Monument Valley. And I've been looking forward to going that road through the Valley for decades.

Moab first, and finally a place where it was fun to walk around.
American cities, whatever size, are built for cars. And we've been in many places where going on foot was an absolute nono.
We've also been to places where we were clueless as to where people bought their bread and groceries: looking in vain for 'normal' (ie. European) shops. Most times there are no other shops to buy your food but supermarkets.
Personally I'd be very unhappy if there was only a Wall Mart or a Safeway or a 7/eleven to get my daily stuff.

But Moab is really nice. It's for outdoor fanatics, it's Indian art, it's a lot of galleries and bio-cafe's and bakeries and veggie restaurants.
We ate at a restaurant where they even had vegan food and the food was good, plus they had 15 different, very special beers from small breweries. Mayor plus: for the first time this holiday we could sit outside!

So we had to choose between Arches and Bridges NP, both near Moab.
Massive dilemmas even occur on holidays.
Either: think Once upon a time in the West, where the older brother of Harmonica is hung on one of those huge red sandstone arches, although that arch was a prop, and these Arches are, erm, real.
Arches was only 4 mile north of Moab so Arches it was.
And again we were practically alone in the park.

I'm not kidding. US 50, Bryce, the route to Moab, even this Park: every now and then someone in sight, but most of the time we drove and walked alone.

Ok, Arches was slightly more crowded. Under the first and very beautiful arch there may have been 15 persons hanging about. But then when we went seriously bushwalking: following a trail off road to Delicate Arch, signposted by cairns, we walked in an apparently deserted countryside.

Fresh mountain air (elevation almost 2000 m), an already warm sun, blue skies, red earth, my old and trusted mountaineering boots, lot's of energy and a stunning landscape.
Utmost luxury!

Speed warnings. Birma Shave!

From 1925 till 1963 the company that sold Birma Shave ('brush-less shaving cream') advertised with billboards along the roads. Or, actually more like texts, each time two or three words on a sign, 6 in total, always ending with 'Birma shave'.

This was the world's first roadside advertising.
When driving speeds went up the firm discontinued this type of advertising, but for old time's sake people put them up again along a part of the Route 66 in Arizona.
We drove past these:

If daisies are / your favourite flower / keep pushing up / those miles / per hour /
Birma shave
(this one was the best, unfortunately untranslatable in Dutch!)

Cattle crossing / means go slow / that old bull / is some cows / beau (/ Birma shave)

You can drive / a mile a minute / but there is / no future / in it

The blackened forest / smoulders yet / because / he flipped / a sigarette

Train approaching / wistle squealing / Pause! / avoid that / run-down feeling,

and the penultimate:

If you don't know / who's ads these are / you can't have travelled / very far

Like!

Life is.... the unexpected HWY 12

... a matter of seconds (and my craving for fridge magnets!).

We left Bryce Canyon at sunset (had I told you yet we were the only visitors there?) and decided to go back to the main road and move into a motel at the nearest city, a 2 hrs drive away.

But then I started whining about the lost chance of buying a plastic hoodoo Bryce Canyon Fridge Magnet now that we were leaving the place - right when we drove past a large hotel (Ruby's Inn) where Pieter spotted a convenience-plus-souvenir store near the entrance and I a laundromat sign.
He made a u-turn, we entered the store via a magnificent lounge, we decided to ask for the price of a room and ended up sleeping in a lovely motel room.

Not only could we do our laundry,
not only could I shop till I dropped (well, not I but my bank account),
but because of these few seconds in which we made our decision to stay in the Park, we drove, next day, one of the most beautiful roads EVER.

Phiew.
Imagine I wouldn't have been nagging. We would have MISSED this route. The Hwy 12.
OMG!

Cross my heart, these pictures are taken on one stretch, ie. the scenic route between Bryce Canyon NP and Moab. The Americans, Masters of Overstatement, they call this 'scenic'.
This was an understatement if there ever was one.
In six hours (including all the stops) we've seen so many totally different landscapes.
At least two of them were completely other worldly - see the whitish-grey pics.

I felt like a Google street view car, clicking away at an interval of 5 seconds. So again this is the tiniest of selections!

Lacking for words. I'm talking Bryce Canyon.

We arrived at Bryce Canyon in the late afternoon. The pay booth was empty so we drove on to get our first glimpse of the canyon.
Ever googled Bryce?
Saw something unbelievable?

That's what we saw too. But now we saw it IRL.
It IS unbelievable.
It is stunning, magnificent, amazing, glorious, other worldly - it's completely beyond words.

We saw the Canyon with the remains of snow. The pink, lilac, orange, red, light-, medium- and dark ocre colours contrasted starkly with the white snow and gave it an extra beauty.

There wasn't only snow but ice as well, so unfortunately we couldn't walk the trails.
Oh well, thats 300 or so photos less to select from.
Here's just a glimpse.
Please note: not photoshopped, not with the best light possible, taken with a very simple camera.
This is what you see (and what we saw) when visiting Bryce.