Day 63 : August 28 ARIZONA (RVs)
Three enthusiastic members of our group (we won’t call Ron a wimp!) were up at 5.20am to catch the 5.45 shuttle bus to go and watch the sunrise over the canyon. What a wonderful way to start the day.
Then around 7.00am we set out to drive to Williams, some 60 miles away, to catch the Grand Canyon Railway back to the Canyon. This was a trip back in time – this train journey had it beginnings back in 1901 when the first steam train took passengers and supplies from Williams, Arizona to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Many notable passengers of the day, including Presidents and Film Stars, made the journey before the service closed on 1986 and it was nearly 20 years before funds were made available to restart the trip which is now a very popular tourist service. The trip of just over 2 hours covered areas as diverse as high desert to prairie to pine forests, and guests were entertained along the way by musicians, including the violin player who invited guests to help him play his fiddle. Allan could not resist and was soon heard to make merry music!
Once we had arrived back at the Canyon, we had the opportunity to explore an area away from where we had camped, and enjoyed a very pleasant lunch at the Arizona Restaurant, with huge picture windows overlooking the canyon. A short stroll to some of the local attractions and it was time to regroup for the return trip.
Having arrived back in Williams, it was nice to relax and again enjoy a quiet evening meal together.
Day 63 : August 28 ARIZONA TO NEVADA (Tractors)
We were all up bright and early to do the last 30miles into Las Vegas – partly because we were well aware that ‘another hot one’ was on the way.
We arrived at Vegas around 8.30am having taken a break on the way and checked into the Circus Circus camp grounds. Even the camp ground staff were giving us warnings about the anticipated heat – some 106/108 degrees for the next few days and so far we know they were not joking!
We are all settled now, some of the group are planning tours of Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam etc whilst others will take in the local sights and sounds.
Day 64 : August 29 ARIZONA (RVs)
Williams offered some very interesting photo opportunities reflecting their Route 66 heritage of which they are obviously very proud. An early morning stroll down the main street was like a step back in time, with vintage cars parked at an Art Deco style gas station etc. The Native American trading post had a wonderful array of Indian national costumes and giftware - wooden statues made an interesting sight under the verandah.
Once underway, our two RVs headed to Flagstaff on US40, then detoured into the Wupatki and Sunset Crater Volcano National Monuments which are run by the National Park Service. A 35 mile loop road takes travellers first through lava deposits, remains of earthquakes which devastated this area many hundreds of years ago. Many of the hills are actually older volcanos which were covered with cinders from Sunset Crater and became cinder dunes. Ash from these explosions covered an area of 800 square miles in Northern Arizona.
Next on the travel agenda was a visit to Wukoki Pueblo, an amazing ruin dating back to the 1100’s and constructed directly onto rock in a position which gave the inhabitants views across the surrounding landscape. Then the most extensive ruin we had seen – the Wupatki Puelbo. This large historic site, in its time, became a densely populated landscape supporting a complex society where people, goods and ideas converged. Archeologists estimate that by 1190, as many as 2,000 people lived within a day’s walk of Wupatki Pueblo which was the largest building for at least 50 miles. The remains seen today are said to be of a building of around 100 rooms, with various ‘kivas’ – special rooms, often circular, which were used for rituals and ceremonies. The site even has its own ‘blowhole’! Despite the heat of the day, around the old century mark, these sites were a joy to explore and conjured up visions of some of the activities which would have been carried out so many years ago.
The loop led us back to Route 89 and by the time we reached Bitter Springs, a decision had to be made on the choice of two routes to Kanab, through Page or through Marble Canyon. The southern route was chosen and what an absolute delight it turned out to be – the route followed the Echo Cliffs for many miles, towering pink formations on our right hand side, a photographer’s delight. Then we called at the historic Navajo Bridge (built in 1928) which spans the Colorado River through the Marble Canyon. A short detour took us to our overnight camp at Lee’s Ferry, right on the fast flowing Colarado River. To dip our feet into the very cold waters of the river on such a hot afternoon was a real treat and a chat with residents from the Navajo Reservation provided an interesting exchange of cultures.
From the campsite, the mighty river could be seen and enjoyed while we relaxed with a much anticipated cold drink or two. This day will always be remembered with joy at having stumbled upon such beauty which none of us had ever heard or even read much about.
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| Spot the 'intruder' |
Gas Station, Route 66 style |
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| Authentic regalia at the Native American store, Williams |
Lava flows at Sunset Crater Volcano |
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| The Wukoki Pueblo |
The 100 room Wupatki Pueblo |
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| The colourful Echo Cliffs on Route 89 |
The Colorado river cuts through Marble Canyon |
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| The Navajo bridge and newer traffic bridge |
Kerry enjoys dipping her toes in the cold river |
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| The RVs at Lee's Ferry |
Even the best days must end |
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