Saturday, Sunday, Oct 22-3 – Returning to Santa Barbara

 

We got up at 6:30, finished packing, got some pastries and coffee from the “Country Store” in the Motor Lodge, and set off for the Phoenix Airport.   Hilary took State Rt 89A through Oak Creek Canyon.  It was Saturday morning, but still the narrow road was jammed with hikers.  The West Fork Trail parking lot was full and we saw people walking to the trail head from 1.5 miles away!  The walls of the canyon are very steep and made of grey rock. 

As we approached Sedona, red sandstone reappeared along with signs for various mystical attractions: crystals, vortexes, etc.   You would think the beauty of the area would be enough!

We returned to Interstate 17, the landscape becoming more desert-y with ocotillo appearing and then thick forests of saguaro cacti.    The traffic coming out of Phoenix was very heavy, but we made it to the Airport by 11:30.  Hil dropped us off, and took off for Green Valley.   Our flight wasn’t scheduled to take off until three, so we found a restaurant and had a leisurely lunch with a brand new waitress who was very cheerful but very slow!

 

Our plane took off just a few minutes late and we arrived in Santa Barbara at 4:15.

And this morning (Sunday)  I picked up Miss Maddie from the Cat House Hotel.  She came home feisty and full of beans!

It was really a wonderful trip, thanks to great planning, blog correcting and editing by Bob, terrific driving by Hilary, who also supplied quite a few of the photographs, thanks to her amazing iPhone!    Wonderful to see old friends along the way:  Teri, Margaret, Jeanette, and Sue!   And thanks to tolerant blog readers and their kind comments!

Adios, and we’ll see you again soon.

XXX, Katy

Friday, Oct 21 - To Flagstaff

 We all met in the Turquoise Room of La Posada for a large delicious breakfast, Bob and I splitting an order of Beef Machacha and eggs which was very adequate.  We bid goodbye to  Margaret and Jeanette who were heading back to Tucson and then to Teri who was taking off for Green Valley.

 

La Posada Hallway

La Posada Gardens

I re-joined Bob and Hilary in her Subaru and we took off for Flagstaff, AZ, on Interstate 40, which is only 57 miles away.   The freeway went over a huge railroad train loaded with containers - a much more efficient method of transporting goods than the endless trucks on the highways.  

 

The extinct volcanic peaks of the San Francisco range began to appear as we approached Flagstaff, an attractive, small, conifer-filled city.  We drove on old Rt 66, turning off to climb into the mountains.  Hil pulled into a parking area of Arizona Snow Bowl for a nearly 3 mile hiking trail called the Aspen Loop.  

 

There were a lot of cars parked and people setting off on walks, so we were afraid we were going to be “Zion-ed”, but after a short ways, hikers spread out and it was a very pleasant walking across meadows, through groves of golden Aspens, Blue Spruce, Limber Pine, and Engleman Spruce with fine views over the surrounding countryside. 

We stopped on the way back to our car to sit on a rock and eat a delicious snack of chocolate and peanut clusters that our friend, Jim, in Fort Collins, CO, had given to Teri to deliver to us!

 

We returned to the car, and as it was only 1:30, I suggested that we drive up as far as we could go on the mountain and see if the gondola was possibly open.   We drove past several parking lots and found space at the top one, purchased tickets, got in line and soon found ourselves in a very spiffy, new blue gondola - just the three of us flying, silently up the mountainside, 2500’ to 11,500!   We got off in a little snow and walked around the area.  Bob even took advantage of the famous toilet which advertised itself as being the “highest toilet in Arizona”!!   We had great views of the many small volcanic cones scattered around the valley, before climbing aboard and descending quite rapidly and scarily at first, and in five minutes we were back down to 9000’.  

 

We drove back into town and found our hotel, High Country Motor Lodge, which has just been refurbished, and was quite comfortable.   We were scheduled to meet my friend, Sue, a high school classmate from the class of 1961, Beaver Country Day in Chestnut Hill, MA, who I had reconnected with at my fiftieth reunion some years ago.   We all met at the appropriately-named Beaver Brew Pub for a couple of hours of reminiscing and catching up.  She has lived in the area for many years and is very familiar with the American southwest, hiking, river-running and exploring, and had many interesting stories to tell.

 

We got back to the lodge and started organizing our gear for the plane ride back to Santa Barbara tomorrow. 

Thursday, Oct 20, Canyon de Chelly to Winslow

 

We met for breakfast back at the cafeteria.  I was going to order three Blue Corn pancakes, but changed it to two when i saw how large they were.  Actually one would have been enough as they covered the plate and were thick and fluffy!

 We packed up and left our cars by the main lodge office at 8:45 and climbed up on our open-top six-wheel ten-seat truck that was to take us on a four-hour drive through both Canyon del Muerto and Canyon de Chelly. It turns out the trucks were old German troop carriers!   

Our driver, Elton, was knowledgeable and humorous, and got us into the canyon before the other groups.  It was cool but clear; there had recently been a flash flood and the roads up the canyons were muddy and deeply rutted with evidence of lots of sandy mud being washed down stream making for a rocky ride!

 

Ruins high on a wall

 A Raven and its Shadow

Mountain Sheep

Elton showed us many petroglyphs from different eras; pre- and post- horse, and also showed us the small foot and hand holds carved into impossibly high and steep walls that various Indian groups used to climb up to caves and ledges. He also pointed out some ladders and handrails installed to enable gringos to climb the walls more “easily” - which still looked unbelievably scary!

The Cat

 

We saw rock formations in the shape of cats, woodpeckers and bears, and some actual bear paw prints and a few mountain sheep.  Way above us we could see tiny figures of people looking down from the overlooks where we were standing yesterday on the ledges of the canyon rim.

 

We returned to the Lodge at 1 PM and set off for Winslow, AZ, with a brief stop at the Hubbell Trading Post, where for 150 years the local Native Americans could sell their art works for needed supplies, and where beautiful blankets and jewelry is still available. 

The countryside was rolling grasslands or sagebrush, with very few trees, but some areas of impressive buttes and mesas.  We searched in vain for the Rotten Bananas Butte!  At 3:30 we arrived at La Posada, a wonderful large hotel refurbished twenty years ago, where I have stayed twice before.  It lies near Rt 66, on the Santa Fe railroad line, and was a grand hotel in the 1930s.  It was fortunately saved in the 1990s, and it has been returned to its glory days.  It has courtyards, hallways full of beautiful tile and artwork, surrounded by gardens.

 

Bob and I met Hilary and Teri in the bar and were soon joined by Margaret, our friend from Tucson, and her friend, Jeanette.   We had fancy drinks and went into dinner. 

Margaret & Hil enjoying cocktails

We had their “Signature Soup” (half bean purée and half corn purée, followed by chicken in cilantro sauce with a tamale for me and Hil, and venison with pomegranate sauce and corn flan for Bob.  The dining room was full and quite noisy as they seem to be doing a great business.

 

Alter dinner we inspected each others rooms as they are all different, unique and charming, except ours has a dangerous 12" step down from the bathroom!

Wednesday, Oct 19 - to Chinle

 

 

Hilary and Bob heated up fresh cinnamon buns that we found were available at the small grocery store next door to our lodge last night, while I made oatmeal from a package in the lobby.  Our friend Teri, whom Bob and I know from UCSB in the 80s, and now lives in Green Valley, AZ, a couple of miles from Hilary,  arrived at 9 from her travels in Colorado and Utah.   We all walked down to the San Juan River, birding and exploring, and then packed up and checked out of the Recapture Lodge.  

 

I drove with Teri, following Bob and Hilary who drove back past the Valley of the Gods, turning off on Beehive 316 to Goosenecks State Park.  The San Juan River winds back and forth, forming two goosenecks that we could see from 1000’ up on a partially unfenced overlook; outstanding and a little scary!

Goosenecks

 

On the way back to Bluff we turned off a short way to drive by the Mexican Hat Rock which truly resembles its namesake!

Mexican Hat

 

Just short of Bluff, we turned south on US 191 and drove 28 miles, crossing into Arizona.  For 54 miles more, we continued  past Navajo villages, and along the base of a beautifully striped cliff at the foot of the Chuska Mountains.

 

At Tsaile we reached the NE edge of Canyon de Chelly National Monument and followed Indian Route 64 along the north edge of the park.  All we could see was a rolling mesa top of piñon/juniper but when we stopped at several overlooks, we found ourselves peering down into a deep, narrow valley with small farms on the green bottom and small ruins half way up the steep red cliffs.

 

At Chinle we checked into the Thunderbird Lodge, a very nice motel run by the Navajo tribe. 
It was getting late and we were tired but decided to dash down the south side of the park to see Spider Rock, an 800’ sandstone spire that rises out of the floor of the canyon.   It was half in shade and difficult to photograph, but Hilary with her amazing iPhone did pretty well.

 

There are ruins in the fold of this rock face!

Near Spider Rock

 

Scarlet Gilia

Spider Rock

As we are in the Navajo Nation one more night, no alcohol can be purchased,  so we had our last motel cocktail party with rum and cokes, G' n'Ts and finished up some of the snacks Hil brought along. 

 

At the motel cafeteria we got Navajo fry bread covered with beans, steak, lettuce and tomatoes, and then retired.  Tomorrow at nine we are going on a 4-hour tour of the valley floor which can only be accessed by a Navajo guide.

Tuesday, Oct 18 - The Valley of the Gods

 We went back to the Navajo Twin Rocks Cafe at 8 AM.  Hil and I had blue corn pancakes with pumpkin seeds and blueberries, and Bob had a whole Navajo fry bread under beans, pork carnitas, two eggs and topped with spicy  green chile Hollandaise!

 

We set off afterwards on Beehive 163 a short ways to the entrance of the Valley of the Gods, a BLM (now part of Bears Ears?) area with a 17 mile gravel road.  It has lots of primitive campsites which seemed to be surprisingly trash-free as we drove by, and were being well used by large camping vehicles.  We saw one free spirited woman with a pup tent playing a guitar on a large boulder which was a nice sight!

 

The area consists of a large sagebrush-filled valley with tall narrow stone columns similar to Monument Valley.  By the time we were halfway through, we had given structures various names, only to find out, when Bob looked at his Cedar Mesa map, that most of them already had been labeled with names cleverer than ours! 

"de Gaulle and His Troops"

Greek God

"Lady in the Bathtub", or as we call it, "Margaret in a Bathtub"

The King and His Guards became General de Gaulle and His Troops.  We eagerly awaited The Lady in Her Bath which did not disappoint!

 

The west wall of the valley is huge and imposing, but our route (Beehive 261) led right up it to the top. On the map the switchbacks of the Moki Dugway looked scary indeed. 

The wall the Moki Dugway traverses

Going up the Dugway

Hil bravely drove up the wall which turned out to be a well-engineered and not too narrow dirt road, with amazing views.  When we reached the top we were on the Cedar (Juniper) Mesa in a juniper/piñon pine forest and couldn’t see a bit of the huge valley we had just driven through.  After about 30 miles we turned onto Beehive 95 that we had driven two days ago on our way to Blanding and Monticello.  

 

We stopped at Mule Canyon Ruins, small remnants of a kiva and underground living quarters almost right on the road, and then at Butler Wash Ruins where we walked half a mile over slick rock to a lovely small canyon filled with cottonwood trees and several partially walled-in caves, one with a window.  A small seasonal stream ran over the lip of the largest overhang and down inside the cave and through it, providing a running water supply for the inhabitants!

Butler Wash Ruins

 

We returned to our Lodge at three, and Hil and I drove across the street to a large laundromat which was thankfully empty as only about 2-3 of the 20 or so machines worked!  We were back at our rooms by four with more than enough clean clothes for the rest of the trip.  

We tried Duke’s Restaurant, part of Desert Rose Inn, which was surprisingly good -  I think the chef is probably an escapee from Las Vegas or LA.  I had spicy cauliflower soup and Bob and I had wild mushroom raviolis which were pretty good, but very rich.

Only non-alcoholic beer to drink, so after dinner we stopped by a tiny market for ice cream and beer, in case we run into no wine or beer tomorrow.  Back for tea at our motel.

Monday, Oct 17 - Canyonlands National Park

We met up with Hilary at 7:30 and drove over to the High Desert Cafe, another brightly-painted hippie cafe, and had bagel egg sandwiches which were very tasty.  We packed up and left the Grist Mill, a very comfortable and unique B'n'B with all its old memorabilia.  

 

Newspaper Rock

We headed due east into the Manti-La Sal National Forest with Abajo Peak looming above us  festooned with bright patches of brilliant golden aspens.   We were still in Bears Ears N M, heading towards Canyonlands Needles District.  After a bit we pulled off to see Newspaper Rock, a reddish-black rock surface, under a yellow sandstone overhang, about 10’ high x 20’ long covered with desert varnish  (Desert varnish is “a reddish layer of clay and iron oxide precipitated by remarkable bacteria.”)   The dark surface can be scratched to reveal the lighter rock below.  This area is in a wide green canyon that has been used for many hundreds of years by travelers who inscribed the surface with all kinds of drawings: abstractions, animal figures, supernatural human figures, men on horses hunting deer, etc.   It is one of the largest collection of petroglyphs in North America and is fascinating to look at, particularly as it is just outdoors, protected only by an iron fence which seems to keep off any modern graffiti - amusing how old graffiti is so revered!

 

We continued on, entering Canyonlands N P.  This area of the park is characterized by huge reddish sandstone structures that rim a wide valley.  We reached the end of the road at the Slick Rock Trail, so named as the 2.7 miles of trail are mostly over smooth sandstone.

  You follow the trail by finding ducks, small piles of stones, that lead you on, like “connect the dots” pictures of our childhood.  We were led to various overlooks of winding canyons leading to the nearby Colorado River and spiky rock structures, The Needles.  We were all pretty tired after the walk as we had to climb up and down the smooth rocky surfaces, but it was worth it for all the great views

The Wooden Shoe arch

 

The Needles

Hilary drove us back to Monticello and south through Blanding and 25 miles more to Bluff, another tiny town, but this time on the edge of the Navajo Nation, so a different flavor than the Mormon towns.   We checked into the Recapture Inn, a 50-year old motel, but in good shape and with all the things we want in a motel:  Lots of hooks on the walls for all our coats and gear, and a desk!   There is even a trail down to the San Juan River for birding!

 

We drove the short distance to Twin Rocks Cafe and had an early dinner of pulled pork tacos, chicken-fried chicken and local beer - it came with an order of Navajo fry bread which we had for dessert.

Note: " Est. 650 AD"

 

Saturday, Oct 15 - Driving around Capitol Reef

 

We drove over to the Wild Rabbit Cafe which had a line outside at 8 AM.

Breakfast at the Wild Rabbit

 

Calistoga Wagon accommodations at our Resort

 We quickly got inside and ordered  delicious scrambles and avocado toast. and then drove into the Park to Fruita, an old town settled by a few Mormon families in the 1800s who established flourishing fruit orchards. The park service maintains the orchards now and sells small pies of many flavors from the old Mormon Gifford Farmhouse.  The picnic tables outside were full of families munching on pies!   Yesterday they ran out so we wanted to be sure to get there early.   We're leaving Torrey at the crack of dawn tomorrow and wanted to have pie and coffee in our cabin before setting off.

Fruita orchards

 

It is still fall school vacation, every hotel in Torrey was full last night, and we were afraid that the most popular trails and sights would be crowded.   We drove down Scenic Drive, south out of Fruita.  We turned onto Capitol Gorge Road, a dirt road heading east, past the Golden Throne, a large yellow sandstone tower, to the trail head, but the parking lot was completely full and overflowing.  Hilary just managed to turn around and we left, passing a large number of cars heading to a chaotic traffic jam!  

 

Driving into Capitol Gorge

We tried another trail head without success, and avoided the Hickman Bridge, a magnificent 133' expanse, which we knew would be jammed.  Still we were driving past amazing geological wonders and seeing sandstone in multiple colors from black, purple, deep red to orange, yellow and cream, and having a relaxing day as we didn't have to get anywhere today!

 

Bob directed us to a boardwalk where one can see many petroglyphs carved into the sandstone walls, some quite high up.  These were drawn by the Fremont and Ancestral Pueblo peoples 600-1300 AD and depict sheep, deer, one bear, coyote and strange humanoid figures.  This was one area that wasn't crowded which was strange as it was easily accessible.     

 

We decided to return to our comfortable cabin at 2:30 and relax.   Hilary and I walked around the grounds of the resort and found the llama and horse corrals.  We drove into town at 4:30, went to a crafts show and the Farmers' Market where pears and apples were sold and a lively country band was playing.   We walked over to Capitol Burger, a trailer with a good selection of burgers.  I had a Cheese 'n' Mac burger which was delicious and well stuffed with cheesy pasta, chilies and bacon!!

 

We returned to the Resort for the evening and watched the Cleveland Guardians/New York Yankees ball game.

Mac 'n' Cheese Burger!