Day 11

After a disappointing continental breakfast that consisted of stale toast, cereal, and some mini-muffins, we hit the road bound for Santa Fe. We arrived in Santa Fe eager to get out of the car and walk around as we had all heard good things about the city. We were excited to see a large outdoor craft show to meander through(actually, I was less excited than the others as shopping was not my favorite way to spend an afternoon but there was a lot of cool stuff on display). There were many local talented artists with their creative works on display. The problem was that most of the stuff was just too dang expensive. We walked around enjoying the adobe architecture, ate some good ice cream, and soaked in the Sante Fe flavor. Feeling exhausted, we found a hotel to check into and rested for a bit.

For dinner we went to a Tex-Mex restaurant that was recommended to us in a dining guide. Yum! The discovery of sopapillas was one that delighted us! These little fried pockets of dough were delicious and I hope they exist in the Mexican restaurants of the northeast! After dinner we walked the streets of Santa Fe, catching a beautiful sunset. We ended the night enjoying some drinks at a local watering hole.

Day 10

The next morning, Monica and Dan brought our car to a local mechanic to get looked at. I was not looking forward to the diagnosis because involving the rental car company to either replace our vehicle or complicated insurance issues made me nauseous. Luckily, it turned out that we just needed to have our oil filter replaced! Hallelujah! 30 dollars later we were back on track. We ate breakfast at a local Chinle restaurant and quickly realized we were the only white people in the whole restaurant (others were all Navajo). It is so rare to be in that position as a white person but offered some perspective that I found interesting. We tried some of the Navajo fry bread which is a type of fried dough. It was excellent!

After breakfast, we drove into the Canyon de Chelley. We were not allowed to navigate the canyon floor without a guide, which was an expensive ordeal, so we drove the road that lines the south rim of the canyon. We stopped at their most recommended lookout site, Spider Rock Overlook, which provided beautiful views of the canyon as well as a distant view of an old Navajo dwelling built over 1000 years ago right into the side of the cliff. As we got out of the car we heard a loud rumbling of thunder, saw lightning in the distance, and it began to rain. One thing you do not mess with out here is thunderstorms! We sat patiently in the car until we caught a break between storms. We got out of the car and sure enough heard more thunder and saw more lightning. Back to the car we went for another 15 minutes or so. Finally, we caught a manageable break in the action and walked the distance to the lookout point. The canyon was impressive to look at as well as the cliff dwellings. It was frustrating to see the dwellings from hundreds of feet away and not be able to get closer to them. We drove the rest of the route stopping at various vantage points but did not spend too much time outside of the car as the rain continued as did the storms. As we left Navajo country, we all communicated a similar experience. We never felt quite welcome from the Navajo we encountered, which was definitely understandable because of past events in our nation's history. It was sad to see the poverty that has stricken that area and we had no problem giving some of our money to their shops, restaurants, and hotels.


We left that area and headed down to Petrified Forest National Park. We immediately wondered why it was called Petrified Forest National Park and not Painted Desert National Park. The Painted Desert is a gorgeous collection of colorful bands of hills that make it hard to look away. The bands each represent different composition that vary from sandstone to hematite and other minerals. The first stop we made was an overlook that showed a field of petrified wood. It was amazing to see the former logs that had crystallized into quartz. A close-up view of the wood was beautiful and showed the details of color, composition, and its historic transformation.


We stopped at a big Navajo trading post before leaving Arizona and there I bought some good ol' beef jerky for the ride. Chomping on the jerky saying goodbye to Arizona, I eagerly anticipated the rest of the adventure while also mourned the departure of the Arizona scenery. We spent the night in Gallup, NM which was a forgetful town (except for the weird fake palm tree near our hotel) but lined with cheap motels that allowed us to get some comfortable shut-eye.

Day 9

We enjoyed another above-average continental breakfast and headed out bound for the Grand Canyon, which was an hour and a half drive from Flagstaff. The drive to the G.C was rather disappointing as with Bryce and Zion the drive was almost as beautiful as the sites themselves. This drive was rather straight without the elevation changes and hairpin curves. The road was lined with forest that did not keep my attention. But on the other hand it was cool to think that at some point this unimpressive forest would open into such a vast and wondrous canyon. I could not help but feel stressed that we would be fighting the onslaughts of people to get good views of the canyon as it was the height of tourist season. We made our way to the first parking area and got out of the car to get our first views of the canyon. The crowds were not actually that bad, although I saw a couple of big tour buses parking that were filled with tourists who had itchy-shutter fingers. We walked to the overlook area and there below me was the Grand Canyon! Grand is an understatement for what I saw! The vastness and hugeness of the canyon made it difficult to grasp a sense of scale. A truly magnificent site that demonstrated the awesome power of the Colorado River, which I could barely make out meandering far below. I saw a bird soaring through the canyon below and at that moment, I felt so jealous of that bird. It was one of the rare times I actually wanted to trade places with an animal so that I could fly through the walls of the G.C and glide all the way down to the river while the throngs of people watched from the canyon rim wishing they were me.
We drove along the road that lined the south rim and found more spots to take in the canyon. My favorite spot allowed Emily and I to follow a trail away from any crowds and led us to a beautiful spot where we could sit and privately enjoy the moment. The scary part of this rock that we sat on was the fact that we were just inches to a certain death below as huge drop offs occurred in three directions. Emily was more daring than I to get close to the edge but a rush of vertigo kept me from getting any nearer. I enjoyed the fact that the canyon wasn't lined with railings to protect the crowds of people. It added an element of reality and a connection to nature that made us vulnerable to suffer the consequences if we happened to fall . After climbing up to the top of the watchtower (great sites of the canyon and the desert to the east), and grabbing lunch in the snack bar, we headed out of the area bound for Monument Valley. We all agreed that despite the wonder, beauty, and awesomeness of the Grand Canyon, we all felt more of a personal connection to Bryce and Zion. Perhaps it is the fact that it is easier to grasp a sense of scale at Bryce and Zion. Perhaps it is the fact that Bryce and Zion vary so much with each blink of the eye. A slight turn of the head to the left or right brings a whole new landscape of awe-inspiring beauty. Perhaps it is just the uniqueness of those places. You see rocks, landscapes, and formations that you will never seen anywhere else in the world. Sure the Grand Canyon is unique as well, but it is so utterly popular and photographed that you can close your eyes without ever being there and know exactly what it looks like. The views are more uniform and consistent throughout the canyon. Perhaps it is the underdog factor. People like to root for the underdog. Bryce and Zion are not as known, as popular, as overrun with people so maybe that is why we felt more intimately connected to those places.
The drive to Monument Valley happened in the blink of an eye as I could not take my eyes off the scenery. Monument Valley is deep in Navajo country so as well as a unique landscape there is a unique feel to the people, stores, and towns. The most frustrating aspect of being in Arizona was the time zone changes. In Utah, we were on Mountain time but as soon as we got into Arizona we were on Pacific time as Arizona does not recognize daylight savings time. But the Navajo nation does recognize it so whenever we were in those areas the time would change. There were many times where we had no idea which area we were in so had no clue what time it was!
Monument Valley was a mixed experience for these roadtrippers. On the positive, we arrived at the perfect time as the sun was beginning to set and turned the remarkable rocks an incredible shade of red. The light was ideal for photography and to view the rocks. We had to drive thirty or so miles to get to the Monument Valley visitors center and the area where you can drive on dirt roads to get a close view of the rocks. Here is where the trouble started. My Uncle Paul made it clear that on a road trip you have trials and tribulations and luckily we had not had too many bumps in the road yet. But as we were driving to the visitor's area, we were on a desolate road, and our oil light came on. Immediately following that the check engine light on our battle-tested rental Ford Fusion appeared on too. Maybe “Shania” (our nickname of the vehicle) had had enough of the 100+ temperatures, the hairpin turns, or the steep grades of driving up and down mountains. Maybe she had enough of the four travelers with all of their stuff. Maybe she had enough of the sudden stops as we passed many scenic views where we decided to pull in at the last minute. Whatever the reason, the lights came on and our stress levels increased. We pulled over and quickly realized that we had an oil leak. We made it to the visitor's center and had a tough decision to make. Drive the 17 miles on the dirt roads and hope that our engine did not seize but see the majestic rocks up close, or head back 10 miles to a gas station and get some oil into the engine. The sun was just about set at this point so we would not have time to get oil and get back for the drive so we decided to be safe and get the oil. We did see some gorgeous views of the rocks and snapped some great pics before leaving. All the hotels in the area were booked so we could not go back in the morning either. So although my experience of Monument Valley was incomplete, I did get a sense of the breathtaking imagery and got to put myself in John Wayne's shoes as he rode through the valley at Sunset while filming a Western.
We added a couple of quarts of oil and headed to Chinle at the base of our next destination the following day, Canyon de Chelly. During this drive we noticed that the stars were abundantly shining down so we pulled over on the side of a very desolate road and turned off the lights soaking in the stars and enjoying a great moment. We even saw some meteors as well! We arrived very late (around midnight) and checked into a Best Western exhausted and stressed about our oil leak.

Day 8

After enjoying a more-than-adequate expanded continental breakfast, we headed down to Sedona via the Oak Creek Canyon in the Cocino National Forest. This was surprising as it appeared very un-Arizona like. I could have been in Maine as we drove through evergreen forest. Like our other drives we navigated many hairpin turns and elevation changes. We eventually made our way into Sedona and I immediately saw why this place is famous. Beautiful red rocks, plateaus, and buttes lined the horizon. The town was as inconspicuous as one could be, built into the landscape without ruining the natural feel of the environment which is often case with human sprawl. Even the houses matched the landscape in their style and color and blended well into the scenery without being overbearing. We first headed to a chapel that is built literally into the rocks not overbearing in any way as many chapels can appear to be. We then drove around on Sedona's red dirt roads trying to find more sites. This dirt would continue to be a problem as every time we put our luggage into the trunk we would rub against the car and get our shorts all dirty! The construction that was taking place made it more difficult to get around as it created more traffic and confusion. We eventually found our way to Red Rock Crossing, which is considered the most photographed site in Sedona. Small red rocks cross a creek which allow you to stand in the middle of the creek with breathtaking views of Cathedral rock and others in the distance. After we finished there, I decided to be a chivalrous man and ran a quarter mile or so uphill to get the car and pick up the others. This seemed like a good idea until I realized that it was probably 100 degrees and our elevation was 7000 feet or so. I was very winded and hurting as I reached the car. Pathetic, I know but it shows that you do not want to mess with that environment too much.


With grumbling bellies we headed back into town for lunch. We settled on a Korean place that also made sandwiches (strange combo but worked very well!) The food was very fresh and satisfying unlike many of our road trip meals which have not been the most nutritious or nourishing experiences. After lunch, we perused the main street stores a bit. Our next goal was to find one of the four vortexes in Sedona. A vortex is a location where there are meeting energy fields which supposedly you can feel. Some describe the energy to be positive in nature and a rejuvenating experience. We found the airport vortex which is an area near a large hill outside of town. I kept an open mind and headed to the center of the vortex where the juniper trees were the most twisted (a sign of high amounts of energy). I definitely felt really good while I was there but I couldn't help but wonder if it was the unbelievable view of the surrounding rocks that lined the landscape. Dan and I climbed to the top of the hill and enjoyed the gorgeous 360 degrees of scenery and soaked up the energy from the vortex. On the way down I noticed a piece of cactus that was sitting on the ground. I had the brilliant idea of picking up this piece and bringing it home as a souvenir! I recanted this idea as it was sharp to the touch even though I thought I was being careful to not get pricked. I left the cactus and we headed back to the car. I felt a stab of pain on my hand as I was opening the door and looked down to see 3 or 4 cactus thorns stuck into my finger! I made an embarrassing yelp and quickly pulled them from my hand. I Couldn't help but feel like a moron after that!



We drove back to Flagstaff and had a nice amount of downtime in our hotel room to recharge our batteries. Later in the evening, we decided to see the X-Files movie as Monica has always been a huge fan of the show. The movie was flawed but entertaining and an enjoyable time; especially for Monica. Another soak in the hot tub was in order as we prepared for our Grand Canyon trip the next day.

Day 7

Our day starting with some disappointment as we were hoping to do some horseback riding but learned that reservations weren't open until later on in the day. We drove into Zion not sure what to expect and not sure that Zion could hold a candle to Bryce! Zion like Bryce ended up being an indescribable experience featuring strange rock formations, sheer cliffs and gorgeous scenery. Zion's landscapes varied dramatically. The first section we drove through featured sloped rock formations that showed layered curved lines and colors of red and white. Emily said that the rocks looked almost like human muscle fibers intertwined. There were also sloped cliffs that had natural checkerboard-like patterns on them that looked fake but of course were not. This landscape was probably my favorite of all of Zion due to the weirdness and uniqueness of the environment. Like Death Valley, it was out of this world. We saw some horned mountain sheep, lizards, and some beautiful red sand. Looking at the Zion brochure, we saw that other animals that could be seen in the park were tarantulas and mountain lions! We drove through a cool mountain tunnel that cut through the canyon and this tunnel was DARK! It was made in the 30's and is considered an engineering marvel as it has strategically placed windows that let you see the breathtaking views of the canyon. Emily was more than a little nervous driving through this tunnel, but she did a great job leading us out into the remarkable canyon. At this point, private vehicles are not allowed to continue so we loaded into one of the park's energy- saving shuttles. We made our way on the shuttle and stopped at various lookout points and hiking trails. We took some short hikes to see more extraordinary views of the canyon walls. After loading up with postcards and souvenirs, we left Zion. Our original intention at this point was to head to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and find some lodging for the night as it was a 5 hour drive from Zion. We quickly realized this would not work after calling all of the hotels at that area and realizing that they were all filled up. Being flexible road trippers, we decided to find a hotel in Flagstaff and use that as our home base for 2 nights while we saw Sedona and the Grand Canyon.

(Written on Day 7 on way to Flagstaff)
Right now we are driving to Flagstaff and other than the driver, Dan, the girls are asleep soundly. I understand that they are tired but I just can't take my eyes off the scenery. I had no idea that this area would be so constantly stimulating and beautiful. I expected that we would drive to the scenic areas and have down time in the car to sleep/read/write but the whole dang trip has been constant scenery. We have travelled on mostly scenic highways and not multi-lane freeways so around every turn has been something new to see. I don't even want to write this because it makes me look away from the window!


We decided to stop at the Sunset Crater/Watpataki National Monument. This drive was really cool as we passed through a thousand year old lava flow that had settled into the forest which totally changed the landscape and brought in Native Americans because the lava made the soil very fertile. As we continued our drive, we made it to the Watpataki Pueblo which held the remnants of a 100-room pueblo. We were able to walk among the ruins which were preserved very well despite being near a thousand years old! The coolest part of this experience was a Blowhole. The blowhole is a small hole in the ground which is connected to a large underground opening. Because of the varying air pressures above and below ground this hole either blows or sucks air. At this point it was blowing air, so much so, that when you put your face in front of it a strong rush of air like a powerful fan cooled you off in the desert heat. It was amazing that this was a natural phenomenon as it seemed so perfect at that moment in time. We left the park and headed down to Flagstaff. We checked into our hotel, enjoyed a nice Mexican dinner, and relaxed before bed in the hot tub!

Day 6

We left Vegas in our rearview mirror and headed towards Bryce National Park in Utah. It was my turn to drive so I was excited for my first desert-driving experience. I expected desolate open roads with a high speed limit and open views. My expectations were met at first as the speed limit was 75 and the open highway was my domain. Quickly, however, things changed. As we exited Nevada and cut through the NW tip of Arizona, breathtaking rock formations lined the horizon. They kept getting closer and closer and then I realized we would be driving straight into them! Of course we did not smash into the cliff faces, but we did start to increase our elevation dramatically. The road began to wind and with that the speed dropped considerably. The beautiful drive continued into Utah, where suddenly I noticed a lot more green around us. We continued to climb in elevation until we reached the summit of a plateau that was 9,000 feet above sea level. Forest and open grass appeared before us. It was surreal to transition through the different landscapes so quickly. We continued to drive towards Bryce through Dixie National Forest. Here I was surprised to see that throughout the forest was this freaky-looking porous rock that seemed like some kind of petrified soil. In retrospect, I think it was an old lava flow that had solidified and become part of the landscape. Red Canyon was the next surprise as suddenly the forest turned into this bright red rock with awesome rock formations, cliffs, and road tunnels. Finally, we arrived at Bryce after a 4.5 hour drive from Las Vegas. The drive was gorgeous and not once was I bored or ancy to reach our destination.
To try to explain Bryce is frustrating. To try to convey the experience through words, pictures, art, or other medium is futile. I want to put you there. All I can say is to go there. But, because I do not possess a teleportation machine or a fancy virtual reality device, I will explain the experience and share my pictures with you. The experience is whole. The views are vast, the canyon is extreme, and the rock spires are out of this world. The way they all interact to formulate this wholeness seems to supercede the reality of geology. We hiked a mile trail that hugged the edge of the canyon with frequent lookout points and photo ops. I also hiked a bit down a zig-zag trail to see the spires from below, which was a whole new experience. As we were leaving Bryce I looked over my shoulder one more time and shook my head in disbelief that this was reality.


We drove away from Bryce to our lodgings for the night: Zion Ponderosa Ranch, which was conveniently located just 2 miles from Zion National Park's entrance. It was located in Southern Utah about a 2 hour drive from Bryce. We checked in and had a mediocre buffet dinner that the ranch provided for 18 bucks (no other dinner options:(). After dinner we saw our Cowboy Cabin that we would be roughing it in for the night. No bathroom, no running water, a bunkbed with 2 double mattresses. Ok...so roughing it is an overstatement. 20 feet away was a structure with bathrooms and private showers. It also provided entrance to a swimming pool and hot tub! The temperature had dipped to around 60 degrees so our soak in the hot tub was a perfect way to wind down after the day. The girls requested to sleep in the bottom bunk as neither was a fan of being on the top, so Dan and I would be sharing it. Dan got up on the top and the girls began to shriek as the wood began bowing. They were convinced that if I joined him that the bed would collapse, thus ending our road trip! I ended up sleeping just dandily on the couch and disaster was averted!

Day 5

Finally, we got to sleep in a bit! The bed in the Flamingo was so very comfortable and I awoke happily at 10am. Once we were up and ready, we headed to the Mirage for the famous Champagne Brunch. All-you-can eat buffets are abundant everywhere but this one is unique. The quality of the food as well as the selections made this brunch a satisfying experience. My first course consisted of eggs benedict, bacon, sausage, and a cinnamon roll. To drink I had coffee, water, and champagne. My second course was made up of king crab legs (mmmmm!), steamed mussels, shrimp dumplings, and pork fried rice. Lastly, I enjoyed more bacon, fried dough, and chocolate mousse. To say I was stuffed is an understatement! We walked off our gluttonous ways by heading to the Venetian and checking out the gorgeous indoor shops with blue sky and clouds, gondolas on the canals. It was like we were really in Venice....well not really but it was cool to hear the melodies belted out by the gondoliers as we navigated the Venetian's halls. We headed back outside and walked the strip a bit, I wished I had a jacket as it was quite chilly.....NOT!!! The heat was searing as we walked, but again like an enjoyable sauna, I liked the heat. Not for a long time or with rigorous exercise, but it was nice in small doses.

The pool was our next destination! We navigated the numerous landscaped pools, beach chairs, outdoor bars, real flamingos, and more to find a good spot where we could relax in some poolside lounge chairs. We laid for a few and then headed for some cool refreshment in the water. I was amazed at how cool I was in the waist-high water despite the hot weather. The temperature was probably 110 but I felt like it was 70. We enjoyed the water slide and stood under the waterfall before heading back inside for some relaxation.
The evening was spent with some shopping, strip-walking, roulette-playing (lost $40 so finished about even in Vegas), and we finished our night by watching dueling pianos at Harras. It is remarkable just how many songs those guys know the words to!