October 3 & 4, 2012
We drove from Moab to Georgetown Colorado on Wednesday. We arrived in Georgetown around 3:00p and check into a really nice hotel - Hotel Chateau Chamonix. We walked around town and it was a bit different as we always come here during their Christmas Market (1st 2 weekends in December). There was no snow and it was relatively warm and the Aspens were turning gold.
We met up with our friend Karen Osband and her pups - George and Chumbly - for lunch at the Happy Cooker. We then walked around town to see what had changed since we were here last year. It was mostly the same.
Karel and I took a ride on the Georgetown Loop Railroad this afternoon and even though it was quite chilly it was a great train ride.
Tomorrow we head to Centennial, CO to spend some time with Karen and then we head home.
We hope you have enjoyed our trip. I think that one of the most important things that I could recommend would be for everyone to get out and enjoy our National Parks. They are the best!!
Happy Trails,
Deb & Karel
October 2, 2012
Day 2 - Moab
We got up early to visit Arches National Park again because the light will be different than the day before and we wanted to look at the other portions of the park that we missed.
We went back to Landscape Arch to see if the morning sun made a difference in the picture and actually the afternoon sun picture the day before was better. Now we could take our time to get through the rest of the park. We stopped at the Windows Arches, Balanced Rock and Park Avenue. It is amazing what nature has done!!
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| Windows Double Arch |
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| Balanced Rock |
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| Park Avenue |
Every corner we turned there was another awesome vista!! After spending most of the morning in the park we were ready for lunch and some more serious pool time. The temperature for the past several days has been mostly in the 80's - dry with no breeze. We were ready for a rest from all the rocks!!
Deb & Karel
October 1, 2012
Today we headed to Moab, Utah. On the way there we stopped for coffee in Monticello, UT. It was a cute little cafe on the main highway.
We arrived in Moab around 11:30a and since it was too early to check in we decided to head to the Arches National Park. It is known for preserving over 2000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations. The national park lies atop an underground evaporite layer or salt bed, which is the main cause of the formation of the arches, spires, balanced rocks, sandstone fins, and eroded monoliths in the area. The color red is predominant!!
We watched the 10-minute film that explained how the park came to be and then headed to the two main arches - Landscape and Delicate. We will return the next day to see more of the park in the early morning.
Landscape Arch is considered to be the longest natural arch in the world.
Delicate Arch is a 65-foot (20 m) tall freestanding natural arch. It is a 1.5 mile hike to the arch through rugged, brushy terrain and gains slightly in elevation.
After this hike, we headed to our hotel - The Gonzo Inn. It was a very nice hotel which had a pool in which after check in we took off our shoes and socks and soaked our feet in the cool water - ahhhhh. It was an awesome day!!
Deb and Karel
September 30, 2012
Today we visited Monument Valley - meaning valley of the rocks - is characterized by a cluster of vast sandstone buttes, the largest reaching 1,000 ft (300 m) above the valley floor. It is located on the Arizona-Utah state line and is in the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation.
We drove through the valley on a 17-mile (27 km) dirt road that left us and the car covered in fine sand.
It was a gorgeous day and the valley was spectacular.
We went back to Mexican Hat to have some lunch and then headed to the Natural Bridges National Monument.
There are three natural geologic stone bridges, currently known as Sipapu, Kachina and Owachomo after
their original names were changed to reflect the Hopi Indian history of
the area. Karel trekked down the side of the cliff to walk underneath Sipapu. I tried but as you all have learned ~ me and open stairs or ladders don't work well together. There was a steep open stairway that led down to the trail to the bridge and I couldn't go down there. Karel encountered a rattle snake on the trail and they both respected each other's space without harm to either one.
We stopped at the overlook for the second bridge and as it was getting late in the day continued on to the last and one of the largest natural bridges. This one had a trail that led directly to the bridge and was easy to get to. It was very beautiful.
We headed back to our hotel in Mexican Hat and now the restaurant was open - the Swingin' Steak Restaurant. The restaurant owner who doubles as the grill-master, swings an iron grate of a cedar wood fire with one hand while he holds a beer or steak fork in the other hand. The menu is about as simple as it gets - steak, burger, beer, served with baked beans, salad and Texas Toast. The choices were simple. Karel tried one of the local Utah brews - Polygamy Porter.
Kind of sums it all up. (sorry that this blog will not allow corrected photos!).
Deb & Karel
September 29, 2012
We continued on to Mexican Hat,
Utah. (have the Fistful of Dollars music in your head for this one!!). (We are writing this blog on 10/2/12 because we did not have Internet access until we reached Moab, Utah.)
We stopped at the big rock pile that was near our hotel and took some pictures. The story is that a woman got stranded here back in the early 1900's and found these rocks near the road and stayed the night. She liked it so much that she bought the land so that it could be shared with everyone. There were several buildings built around the rocks.
We then drove to south of Page, Arizona for a tour of the Antelope Canyon.
It is the most-visited and most-photographed slot canyon in the American Southwest and is located on the Navajo Indian Reservation. We took an open truck tour to the canyon and inhaled a lot of sand!! It was worth it though.
We continued onwards to our final destination - Mexican Hat, Utah appropriately named based on a rock formation bearing some resemblance to a sombrero.
The Mexican Hat hotel was okay. Our room was actually a big trailer with one bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room. It was clean and away from the main part of the hotel.
The next day is for Monument Valley and the Natural Bridges National Monument tour.
Deb & Karel
September 28, 2012
This special episode of the blog brought to you by satellite (that's how they get internet here in the Vermillion Canyon.
Today we left Sedona and headed to the Grand Canyon - South Rim. We almost ran out of gas trying to get there. The scenic route out of Sedona is 25
miles to Flagstaff and we were down to less than a gallon of gas and there were no gas stations along the way. We made it to the junction with Interstate 17 where we coasted into the gas station!! Whew!
It was about a 2.5 hour drive to the Grand Canyon and it was worth it. We took a hike along the rim for an hour and then turned back knowing that we needed to get back on the road to our final destination for the day.
There were a lot of people visiting the Grand Canyon - mostly from other countries. We left there at 3pm and drove to Cliff Dwellers, AZ. It is nestled at the base of the Vermillion Cliffs. It felt like we had landed on another planet. It is very beautiful and nearly a full moon tonight.
We are in the middle of nowhere - and we have internet connection. On the way to our 'lodge' we found an area where huge rocks have fallen down from the cliffs and are right next to the road and across the road. We will get some good picture tomorrow when we stop there on our way to Page, AZ and Mexican Hat, UT.
Tomorrow is Get in Free at any National Park in the nation so get out there and enjoy our National Parks!!!
Cheers!!
Deb & Karel
September 27, 2012
Today we visited Cathedral Rocks - Chapel of the Holy Cross - Amitabha Stupa. After a yummy breakfast in Sedona, we traveled to Cathedral Rocks which wasn't really that far from our hotel but is one of the most photographed/recognized rock formations in Arizona.
We hiked up about half-way and then Deb couldn't make it. It was quite steep with precarious footholds. Karel went up to the base area. It was quite beautiful sitting there looking across the vista at the other rock formations.
After that we went to Chapel of the Holy Cross. The Chapel of the Holy Cross is a Roman Catholic chapel built into the mesas of Sedona. The chapel was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright's son.
Then we went on to find the Amitabha Stupa -
a consecrated Buddhist shrine set quite stunningly amid piñon and juniper pine and the ubiquitous rocks.
It was a great day!! Tomorrow we head for the Grand Canyon.
Namaste,
Deb & Karel
September 26, 2012
We continued our journey from Santa Fe, NM to Sedona, AZ. We drove due west on Route 40 (Route 66). After passing through Albuquerque we took a slight detour at Grants, NM.
We went south for a little bit to visit the land of Fire & Ice. Situated on the Continental Divide, this location contains the remains of a large volcanic eruption from 10,000 years ago. It is one
of the finest examples of an erupted volcano in the country, and also
one of the most accessible. Down the trail from the volcanic crater is a natural Ice cave. Located
in part of a collapsed lava tube, the ice cave's temperature never rises
above 31 F. The natural layers of perpetual ice glisten blue-green in
the reflected rays of sunlight.
After that, we stopped in Ramah, NM for lunch at the Stagecoach Cafe. A touch of Americana in a time warp kind of way. We were too full from our BLT sandwiches to enjoy a piece of homemade pie. The food was good and it was like being in a restaurant from the 1930's. I don't think they have changed much. It did look like it might have once been a stagecoach stop.
After lunch we continued on our way towards Sedona. Once we crossed over into Arizona, not only did the time change, but the land scape and vistas were quite different. It started out very flat and desolate looking until we got closer to Flagstaff and it turned more mountainous.
Of course we stopped in Winslow Arizona!! We stood on the "CORNER"!! Nice way to remember part of Route 66.
It was getting late and we still wanted to stop at the Meteor Crater Museum.
The most well known, best preserved meteorite crater on Earth! Meteor Crater is the breath-taking result of a collision between a piece
of an asteroid traveling at 26,000 miles per hour and planet Earth
approximately 50,000 years ago. It was quite spectacular. Several astronauts have trained here as well.
We finally arrived in Sedona around 7:30pm - found some dinner and crashed!!
September 25, 2012
Today we got up a bit early so that we could catch the first tour at the Puye Cliff Dwellings. It was about a 45 minute drive north from Santa Fe in the Santa Clara Pueblo. Puye (poo jay) overlooks the mountains and valleys of Northern New Mexico. It had rained over night so the air was clear and dry and a bit cool.
We climbed up to the cliff dwellings with a tour guide who was from the area and a native. We walked along the edge of the cliff and then climbed to the top of the mesa to find more evidence of the way people lived back in the early 1500's. It was quite interesting to hear how they lived and saw many shards and remnants of the pottery and things they used. The views from the top were beautiful. Some of the fall colors were starting to show.
We climbed back down to the area where the biggest ladder was in order for us to descend to the bottom of the cliff. As I swung my leg over to descend my whole body froze up. I couldn't do it. Karel was already down at the bottom and the other two ladies on the tour with us were behind me wondering if I was okay. I called down to the guide to ask if there was a different way down and she said NO!. Then she said that she could call another guide to meet me at the top of the mesa to bring me down in a vehicle. I said that I could not get on the ladder. So Karel came back up and waited with me while the other two ladies went down the ladder back to the visitor center. The guide had to come back up the ladder and escort Karel and I back to the top of the mesa. She had called in for help. The manager of the facility came in her SUV and brought us back down to the center. All was well!!! They talked about the recent sighting of large bear paws in the area and were concerned about an overly aggressive mountain lion and luckily they did not show up!
We thanked everyone for a wonderful morning and went back to Santa Fe.
We were meeting our friend Bebe for lunch at the Museum Cafe. It was great to see her again. And the food was delicious!! We then went to the Museum of International Folk Art. It was a nice museum. There were some interactive portions and I tried on a Caledonian robe.
After that we drove to Canyon Road which is home to the majority of art galleries and studios. We walked around and looked in a few to see what they had. It was a nice afternoon with a couple of quick rain showers that we dodged.
All in all - a nice day!! Tomorrow we are on the road again heading towards Sedona, AZ. This is about a 6-hour drive but it might be a bit longer because we are planning on finding some of Route 66!
Off to dinner - more tomorrow!!
Deb & Karel
September 24, 2012
After a delicious breakfast we were ready for an adventure. We decided to go to Las Vegas!! New Mexico that is!!
We wanted to visit the Castle in Montezuma along with the cliff dwellings. Karel looked it up during breakfast and looked like a good place to visit. We got there and found that the Montezuma Castle was a United World university and there were no cliff dwellings. Turns out there is a Montezuma Castle (with cliff dwellings) in Arizona!!! And that one looks to be in the area near Sedona so I think we will have to find that one as well.
After that little side-adventure we decided to visit the Pecos National Historic Park - which did exist and was in New Mexico!! It was about an hour self-guided tour through ruins of 16th century Indian dwellings and settlement.
On our way back to Route 25 we encountered a bobcat feasting on a deer carcass. It ran across the road in front of us and of course our cameras were put away. However, he was quite fast so even if the cameras were out, we would not have been fast enough.
Right before we got onto Route 25 towards Santa Fe we passed the following home that we found to have beautiful contrasts in color and texture.
Tomorrow we visit a real cliff dwellings and meet our friend from the Cuba tour for lunch. Our friend, Bebe, is an artist in residence here in Santa Fe.
On a somber note, this morning we received an email that our friend in Sweden passed suddenly from a stroke. He was in his late 40's. Life is unpredictable - live it while you can!
Deb & Karel
September 24, 2012
Hello!!
We made it to Santa Fe New Mexico yesterday evening. We have been on the road for quite some time! We made it to Colorado Springs early evening on Saturday and found a nice place for dinner and then crashed. The Bed & Breakfast that we stayed at was very nice and found a yummy restaurant in town.
The drive from Lincoln Nebraska to Colorado springs was long and uneventful. We stopped in Julesburg, CO for lunch and noticed the Cafe that had airco ~~ (blogger won't show it how we saved it!!) We saw several signs where consonants and vowels were missing!! Must be the economy in Colorado.
The drive from Colorado Springs to Santa Fe was long and uneventful. We passed through a huge wind farm and saw wind mills in various stages of being assembled. I don't know if it is because of all the energy being created from these farms but I felt a bit sick as we were driving through it.
The Bed & Breakfast that we are staying at in Santa Fe is also very nice and right in the center of town.
Deb & Karel
Today, we started our vacation - a road trip to the Southwest! We will spend the next 2 weeks driving from Illinois through Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and back home.
We are working on our Bucket List of visiting all 50 States. We are close!!!
We are now in Lincoln, Nebraska and had a very nice drive. We had dinner at a local brew pub by the Empyrean Brewing Company and Lazlo's restaurant. We each had a very nice Omaha Steak filet.
Tomorrow we head to Colorado Springs, CO for one night and then visit the Great Sand Dunes. National Park & Preserve in Colorado!!
Sit back and enjoy the ride!!
Deb & Karel
