Day 6 Albuquerque, NM

This morning we woke up in Valle, AZ had a crazy overpriced  McDonalds breakfast just outside the park and then spent the late morning and early afternoon on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. It was beautiful with blue skies and cool temperatures as we stopped at lookout points, gift shops, and hiking spots to see the canyon.

The canyon is amazing. I imagine a helicopter trip overhead would be fantastic. Or possibly a hike or trip to the canyon floor to see the Colorado River Rapids would also be pretty cool as well. 

Wednesday seemed to be the best day to visit. It was noticibly empty even when comparing to the day before. We never had to wait for a parking spot and the lookout points were also fairly sparse. It was nice. 

I stopped at a Navajo stand just outside the park and picked up a beautiful turquoise pendant shaped like the state of Arizona. I like simple settings and not the more complicated jewelry set with silver etc. This pendant is just perfect.

The rain we saw in the distance came over the canyon just as we were finishing our last lookout point. It rained from early afternoon and followed us off and on as we traveled south to Flagstaff and then on I-70 East. We saw a lot of lightning on the plains and mountain tops.

A quick side trip to Windslow, Az to visit the "corner" mentioned in the Eagles' song "Take it Easy" and a pit stop for dinner and another for gas were our only diversions in our five hour drive East.

Arizona changed into New Mexico as night was falling. It was dark most of the way through until we reached Albuquerie at 11:00 pm. Mountain Time. This is the first of our three day drive east going home with our next leg an eight hour jaunt from Albuquerie to Oklahoma City. We will be up early tomorrow :) 

Hopefully you take mercy on my writing. It is usually done after long days in the sun and long drives in the car. Tonight is the latest we have traveled at night. As I wrap this up it is 11:30 pm MST and 12:30 am CST. We are on the march eastward towards home, unfortunately. 

Day 5 Valle AZ

We woke up and made the Richfield, UT to Zion National park in about 2.5 hours. While approaching the park we started seeing warning signs for full parking lots and full shuttle parking as well. It was crazy. As we approached the park, traffic was heavy. Cars were parked nose to tail and shoe horned in every cubby hole on either side of the road for miles leading to the entrance. After a fairly quiet two days in Arches and Canyonland this was a shock to the system. We made the executive decision to abandon the overcrowded park before we even entered and headed for the Grand Canyon instead.

A quick four hour or so drive (lol) through lower Utah and upper Arizona brought us to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Complete with construction in the middle of absolutely nowhere!

Arizona is an amazing state.  It starts out with scenery much like Utah. As we traveled further into the state the plains opened up and the buttes and mesas became the anchors in a vast rolling hillside of red soil, rocks and scrub trees and bushes. 

After climbing from about 5000 to 7000 feet we found ourselves smack in the center of the Kaibab National Forrest. Sparse trees and groundcover gave way to tall pine trees and the lush smell of pine needles. Temps cooled by 20 degrees and there was a whispering sound as the wind came through the pines on the hillside.

We plunged back down to 5000 feet and encountered what I always thought would be Arizona landscape. Dry, arid and hot with barren plains and high cliffs. It was mesmerizing. 

This lasted until we made the climb into the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The Kaibab Forrest was back along with cooler temps. The entrance on Rt 64 is about 24 miles from the visitor center. We drove and parked, stopped to get our passport book stamped, took in the canyon as the sun was starting to set and then left for the day. 

We are resting tonight about 20 miles south of the park in Valle. Tomorrow we will be up and finish our tour of the park and then start our journey home.....