Arizona, Sunday, March 19, 2017

One thing to say about the Views Inn motel, there was a very decent view from the balcony leading to our room - most enjoyable in the early morning light.  We descended to the breakfast room for our included morning repast - a plain bagel, some yogurt, and a hard boiled egg - also coffee.  Not the Ritz Carlton, but passable.

We fired up the chariot and headed out of Sedona along route 89A.  We picked this highway at the suggestion of Glenda P who encouraged us to enjoy the Oak Creek Canyon area and scenery - right as usual. An early stop at a coffee shop / general store for some bottles of water and  a second good cup of coffee.  Shortly up the a winding mountain road, we pulled into a scenic overlook point and took a stroll.  The Native American Community Alliance had a line of tables selling Native American crafts and jewelry - some really amazing stuff.  We left a few dollars in the adventure - most proceeds go to the NACA health clinics around the area. 

Onward towards Flagstaff.  Flagstaff is a lovely city, historic, hip and modern at the same time.  We stopped at a Barnes & Noble to add to our collection of DeLorme travel maps, this one for Arizona, as the one map we brought was totally inadequate.  This was a trip changing event.  Although the electronic devices can guide you, there is nothing, in my mind, to rival a good informative map.

We continued on US 89 through the white Mesa area, past some amazing scenery with Mt Humphrey looming to our west and on to Cameron.  We traveled through Cameron to cross the gorge of the Little Colorado River (not much to see) and then backtracked into the Cameron Village shopping center.  We toured the Gallery of Native artifacts and crafts - some gorgeous and expensive rugs, fetishes, moccasins and jewelry.  We then entered the touristy store where you could purchase a similar, but lesser quality goods for take home - the quality difference was amazing.  We did score a few skeins of native wool, although shipped to Brown Sheep Wool in Nebraska for processing. 

Onward out of Cameron on AZ 64 towards our eventual destination of the Grand Canyon.  Before arriving, we stopped at an overlook spot of the Little Colorado River.  Here we walked about 3/4 of a mile to some overlooks and then the view of the Little Colorado was breathtaking.  To think that this canyon was just a miniature of what was coming up was startling.  We entered the Grand Canyon National Park  around 2:00 at the East Gate.  When I explained to the gate ranger that I experienced a Senior moment and forgot my senior lifetime pass, he obligingly sold me another one for $10.00, thereby saving me twenty bucks on the entry.  Of course if I had remembered the one languishing in the glove box of my trustee Prius at home, I would have saved the $10.00.

We pulled into the first lookout point, Desert View and I stared, dumbstruck and in awe of this magnificent wonder, surrounded as I was by gesticulating Asians, running children and the other assorted retirees hobbling around the monuments.  This is truly an amazing place.  We drove along the south rim road, stopping frequently to stare and take pictures.  Our biggest problem was the dwindling battery supply on our phones.  We would hop back in the car, plug a phone in to charge and get barely 5 minutes underway and have to stop for another opportunity.

We eventually made it to our lodging - Yavapai Lodge.  Nice double queen room.  We enjoyed a glass of wine, cheese and crackers and then headed off on the shuttle to Bright Angel Lodge for dinner.  A decent turkey burger and a less than decent chicken Caesar salad.  After sunset, we struggled uphill (everything seems to be uphill around here) to El Torvo Hotel.  We had a final glass of wine in the bar, and then went out to stare at the stars while awaiting the shuttle back to Yavapai.  The night sky was clear and the stars were performing at their best - just for us, we presume.  In bed around 10:00.