One Day – Two Destinations

From Antelope – Zion

We started the morning in Kayenta, Arizona, just outside Monument Valley. I’m sure the people of the Monument Valley Region are very nice, but I wish Kayenta was more respectful of the natural beauty that surrounds it. There are no nice photos to be taken in Kayenta, because the scenery is interrupted at every vantage.

We headed out of Kayenta, west through Northern Arizona toward Page, home of Antelope Canyon, our first destination of the day. As has been the case since Gallup, NM, we were on two lane blacktop with 65 mph speed limits.

This is an Interstate free zone!

From Antelope – Zion

From time-to-time I wanted to pass the car in front of me. That meant waiting for a clear spot, hoping Helaine would cover her eyes, running it up to 85 mph, and swinging into the oncoming lane.

There aren’t a whole bunch of places to do that in Connecticut. Actually, there aren’t a whole lot of places to do that anywhere. It’s a lost art. Thankfully, everyone keeps their headlights on day and night.

From Antelope – Zion

As we sped west, we passed through a bunch of little towns… actually, more like settlements of a few houses. The speed limit would drop to 55 mph for a hundred yards or so and then back to 65 mph. Next.

What kind of life do people have here? We were curious in an anthropological way. Is it a life to be loved, or do kids wait for the day they can escape?

From Antelope – Zion

Forty miles from Page, and driving parallel to its single track, electrified railroad, we got our first glimpse of the gigantic Navajo Generation Station. Two of its three stacks were blowing something white skyward.

I’m hoping it was steam, though I doubt it. There were separate cooling towers for that.

From Antelope – Zion

As we got closer, and the sheer size of the plant became apparent, Helaine started singing, “One of these things is not like the other. One of these things just doesn’t belong.”

Whatever I said about Kayenta goes doubly for Page. I know we need to generate electricity. I wish there was a less invasive way. After all, this huge power plant also needs huge transmission lines to take the power away.

We were in Page to visit Antelope Canyon. It is a slot canyon. Don’t worry, until recently I didn’t know what that meant either.

This area of the country gets little rain. What they do get isn’t spread through the seasons, but falls in brief deluges which often cause flash flooding.

From Antelope – Zion

Over the eons, a flooded stream, Antelope Wash, found its way to the Colorado River by boring through a hillside. That channel is the slot canyon we visited.

Because it’s carved through sandstone, the walls have smooth curves and a layered look. At certain times of the year (not now) sunlight streams through to the canyon floor as beams of light.

It was unlike anything Helaine or I had ever seen before – beautiful, mystical, spiritual.

From Antelope – Zion

We signed up for a tour at the entrance to the Navajo Park which contained the canyon. The operation of the tour company was rinky dink. However, our guide Carol was amazing.

She knew all about the canyon and, after all these tours, was a camera expert. She spent lots of time showing people where and how to get great shots, even with little point and shoot cameras.

Carol’s expertise will be felt when returning tourists look at their photos and find her masterpieces.

From Antelope – Zion
From Antelope – Zion
From Antelope – Zion
From Antelope – Zion
From Antelope – Zion

We left Antelope Canyon, headed over the Colorado River at Glen Canyon Dam and into Utah. I believe I’m entitled to another wife at this point.

The road settled into a low area flanked by white monolithic rocks, We were in Glen Canyon.

From Antelope – Zion

I know Grand Canyon is larger, deeper and more well known. However, you usually see The Grand Canyon from the top looking down. Here, we were in the middle of the broad flood plain. The rock faces towered over us. I have never felt smaller nor more inconsequential.

From Antelope – Zion

As with the trip to Page, the roads were good. From time-to-time we’d round a sharp bend or go down the side of a mountain steep enough to warrant a sign listing the grade (6% was our personal best).

Helaine isn’t comfortable with heights. This was not her ideal routing.

From Antelope – Zion

We made a left onto Route 9 in Mt. Carmel, Utah and headed into Zion National Park. Of all the scenery we’ve seen so far, this is the prettiest… the most awesome.

From Antelope – Zion

The park road is a narrow two lane affair – definitely not good for 65 mph! It is also the first ‘redtop’ road I’ve ever seen. I don’t know why it’s red. I’ll try and find out more tomorrow.

The road dipped and curved and hugged the side of steep mountains. As treacherous as the road is, there are two places which must be worse, because two tunnels are bored through mountainsides.

From Antelope – Zion

At the second tunnel there was construction, which set us back twenty minutes. It also allowed us twenty minutes to soak in the scenery.

From Antelope – Zion

We’re staying in Springdale, Utah tonight. Everything that was wrong with Kayenta and Page is absent here. This is a spectacular little town, with shops, restaurants, galleries and a free shuttle bus system!

I’ve only been here a few hours, but I’m loving Zion National Park and Springdale.

Tomorrow we’re going to take the shuttle to the park for a little exploring before hopping in the car and heading southwest to Las Vegas.

From Antelope – Zion
From Antelope – Zion
From Antelope – Zion

On To Monument Valley

Our base of operations is now Kayenta, Arizona. It’s a quiet, dusty town with two traffic lights. Kayenta is entirely within the Navajo Nation and the statistics I saw show over 95% of the people who live here are Native American&#185.

We left the hotel and drove north a bit over 20 miles. It didn’t take long to see the monolithic rock formations that make Monument Valley what it is.

Before I left, when I mentioned I was going to Monument Valley, most folks shrugged. They recognize the pictures or remembered where all the Road Runner cartoons were set. They didn’t know the name.

Monument Valley isn’t a National Park. Being on Navajo land it is a Tribal Park and for that reason probably gets short shrift as far as publicity is concerned. That it’s far away from everything doesn’t help either.

From AZCentral:

Monument Valley’s towers, which range in height from 400 to 1,000 feet, are made of De Chelly sandstone, which is 215 million years old, with a base of organ rock shale. The towers are the remnants of mesas, or flat-topped mountains. Mesas erode first into buttes like the Elephant, which typically are as high as they are wide, then into slender spires like the Three Sisters.

The valley’s earlier inhabitants included the Anasazi who also built Mesa Verde, and archaeologists have recorded more than 100 ancient Anasazi sites and ruins in the valley dating before 1300, when the ancient tribe abandoned the area. Navajos have herded sheep and other livestock in the area for generations.

The valley was added to the Navajo Reservation in 1984, and the tribal park was established in 1958. Harry Goulding and his wife, Mike, founded the trading post in 1924.

It’s possible to take guided tours. We decided to go it alone instead in our rented Impala. The 18 mile Valley Road is all dirt. It is rutted, puddled, potholed and jarring. Trust me – you’ve never been on a road like this.

It is not to be driven by the faint of heart.

I’ll let the photos speak for themself.

&#185 – Any public reference I have seen here has eschewed Native American for the less politically correct Indian. I’m really not sure which way to go.

From Monument Valley
From Monument Valley
From Monument Valley
From Monument Valley
From Monument Valley

The Strange Drive to Kayenta

The guide books say 332 miles from Albuquerque to Kayenta, Arizona. What they fail to mention is the trip also crosses millions of years in scenery. At one point, Helaine asked me to look out for dinosaurs.

I’m getting ahead of myself.

I couldn’t sleep last night. When I can’t sleep, Helaine can’t sleep. We were in the car and heading west by 5:50 AM MDT.

There were scattered showers overnight in Albuquerque. It was still dark and spitting as we merged onto I-40. The speed limit is 65 mph in urban areas, but as soon as we left civilization (in this case a perfectly apt characterization) it went to 75 mph.

I’ve got a lead foot, but since I found the majority of cars doing the speed limit, I set the cruise control at 80 mph and hoped for the best.

Other than an Indian casino and a few truck stops (one at the Indian casino) there was nothing – 130 miles of nothing – until we got to Gallup.

Gallup, New Mexico is one of those places you see and say, “Why?” It is a nondescript little outpost with the normal collection of gas stations and franchise food joints.

We slid into Denny’s where everything I thought of Gallup was dashed. The staff couldn’t have been nicer, friendlier or more attentive. Could I take a sip of coffee before the waitress came back to freshen it?

From Driving to Ka…

Denny’s is located on US 491, though signs said it was formerly US 666! When you name a road 666, it says something about you. I’m thinking you don’t want to screw with these people.

We cut across New Mexico on two and four lane roads, into Arizona and then north on US 191.

From Driving to Ka…

What began as rolling scrubby hills in Gallup, led to a pine forest and then a succession of rocky vistas.

From Driving to Ka…

Every once in a while we’d pass a small community, often with cows or horses lazing along the side of, or in the middle of, the road. What was surprising is, often the cattle were on the road side of a fence, not the other way around!

From Driving to Ka…

We continue north as the scenery turned weird. I’m not sure how to describe it, but some of what we saw looked prehistoric. Imagine rugged rock monoliths draped in a primordial soup of clouds.

I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

From Driving to Ka…
From Driving to Ka…
From Driving to Ka…
From Driving to Ka…
From Driving to Ka…

After the Eagles game (priorities are priorities) we head to Monument Valley for sunset and more photos.

Dinner At Buca Di Beppo

We wanted dinner. We were tired. We wanted to stay close to the hotel.

From Albuquerque S…

Helaine and I walked through the parking lot to Buca di Beppo. Who knew it was a chain? Well, you probably. We went in as innocents.

As soon as we entered, I thought to myself, I’ve been here before? Buca di Beppo is the spitting image of a restaurant my friend Howard favors on Ventura Blvd. somewhere in the San Fernando Valley.

In fact if I find out this chain was ‘inspired’ by Howard’s restaurant, I won’t be surprised.

From Albuquerque S…

We walked through the kitchen, past a table where some lucky customers ate to one of many different dining areas. Though each is different, they’re all meant to be over-the-top Italian. It’s not a put down, but an homage.

From Albuquerque S…

One small room contains a solitary round table, big enough for a family. The center of the table rotates, so you can pass things back and forth. Since it’s too large to use the middle, that portion of the table has been taken up by a bust of Pope John Paul II.

From Albuquerque S…

We shared shrimp scampi, which was very good. Truth is, the decor was more fun.

We leave in the morning for a very long drive to Kayenta, AZ. Google says it’s 332 miles, most of which is off the Interstate.

Balloons Over Albuquerque

Up early again today, but this was different. We had an appointment to fly over Albuquerque during a mass ascension at the Balloon Fiesta.

Actually, this was Helaine’s birthday gift to me. Though very apprehensive, Helaine decided she’d go too.

I’m glad to say she overcame her fears and had a great time in the air!

We were flying in a ‘small balloon.’ The wicker basket only had room for four plus the pilot. We’ve seen some that carried ten or more!

From Albuquerque B…

Our flying partners were Rachel and Roger Smith from Ft. Worth, TX. Married a year, and with Rachel clutching a new Canon Digital Rebel, they flew in just for this flight.

It was breezy as we walked out onto the field. Breeze and balloons don’t mix. At the edge of the field flags fluttered. The wind had to be at least 10 mph, maybe a little more.

From Albuquerque B…

Overhead were clouds. Yesterday the sky was a deep, pure blue. Today the blue appeared in patches. It was the perfect setup for a beautiful sunrise. The colors were just as they appear in this photo. Even the shaft of light is exactly what we saw.

We were supposed to leave at 7:00 AM, but not with the wind. The Balloon Fiesta organizers put a hold on takeoffs. In an event like this, safety has to be your only concern.

They were hopeful the wind would die down a bit. I wasn’t, so I called Connecticut and spoke to Matt Scott. He pulled up some computer data which showed the wind was already well above what was forecast.

We waited. I felt bad for the Smiths. Though Helaine and I had seen a full day of ballooning, Rachel and Roger might have to fly home with nothing!

A bit after 7:30, the word came. Today, we would fly! It was still a little breezy so the special shapes balloons, which are more difficult to control, would stay on the ground.

From Albuquerque B…

Our pilot, Al, pulled the cords starting two big gas powered fans. The balloon began to fill with air. It was environmental air and not buoyant. Then he lit the burners.

From Albuquerque B…

From cannisters in the basket’s corners, propane rushed to two gas jets. A long, slender, blue flame pushed into the envelope. The balloon began to stand.

Within a few seconds our hot air balloon looked like a hot air balloon. We got the signal and climbed in.

From Albuquerque B…

One of the coolest parts of the Balloon Fiesta is the up-close access. Anyone is allowed to walk the field and get close to the balloons… and they do.

I gave my card to a few people with nice cameras, asking if they’d take photos of our ascent. We’ll see. I don”t have high hopes.

The balloons are arranged in lines, one after another. Local volunteers, dressed like referees and referred to as “Zebras” act as air traffic controllers. With their guidance, one-by-one, the row ahead of us began to climb.

From Albuquerque B…

There was no turning back now. Our Zebra took a position a few dozen yards ahead of us, checked our flanks, turned back to us and raised her thumbs. Al turned on the jets. We were airborne.

From Albuquerque B…
From Albuquerque B…

A balloon climbs effortlessly. At first, its rise is startlingly rapid. As you get a little higher that sensation is gone.

You’re flying with the wind so there is no breeze on the passengers. I’ve flown five times now and have never experienced any bumpiness or turbulence. Mostly it’s quiet.

From Albuquerque B…

The only sound a balloon makes comes from the burst of flame applied every minute or so.

From Albuquerque B…

Looking around we could see ‘dusty patches’ below some clouds. That was rain and some of it was pretty close.

We began to lose altitude. Al picked out a spot that looked good for landing, but as we descended, the wind’s direction changed. He held the balloon aloft and searched for another spot.

From Albuquerque B…

We flew over a beautiful development of very expensive homes, on dirt roads, looking for a place to land. At a dry river bed we scraped the low brush… but Al decided this wasn’t his right landing spot.

He hit the gas.

From Albuquerque B…

Now we were flying at running speed, no higher than 50 feet above the ground. Landing spots were more difficult to find, though it really didn’t make any difference. We’d just fly until we found one.

We finally landed… on a road! The balloon tilted forward but then quickly righted itself. Someone popped out of our chase truck to stop traffic.

From Albuquerque B…

Unlike flying a ‘real’ airline, if you’re in a balloon, you help after landing. We gathered the balloon, cleared the road and drove back to the field.

Maybe it is possible to have a better flight, but I can’t see how. Helaine beamed. Not only had she overcome her fear, she had done so early enough to enjoy the flight.

We’ll spend the rest of the day doing nothing. Tomorrow we’re making a long drive: Albuquerque to Kayenta, Arizona. See you then.

From Albuquerque B…
From Albuquerque B…
From Albuquerque B…
From Albuquerque B…

Vacation Crunch Time

After a few small and even separate trips, Helaine and I leave later this week for the West. We’ll be flying balloons in Albuquerque, driving to Kayenta, Arizona to see Monument Valley, Page, Arizona for Antelope Canyon, and Springdale, Utah for Zion National Park. We finish with some play time in Las Vegas.

That’s a hell of a trip.

Balloon Fiesta

We are not known for packing light to begin with. This is a major undertaking with a few different climates to prepare for.

Helaine is very organized – much more than I’ll ever be. She is now at the ‘worried about anything that might be forgotten’ stage. That will be with her until our first unpacking, in Albuquerque.

Life is much easier for me. My only real responsibility is to round up anything that gets plugged in. That is a larger list with each successive trip. We now bring an outlet strip on vacation!

Some nights we’ll be charging two cell phones and a Bluetooth earpiece, a laptop and camera batteries. That’s five plugs right there.

The main lens on my camera has been acting up, so I’ve rented a replacement from Ziplens in Maine Who even knew you could do that? It’s a very nice Canon lens with image stabilization.

I’ve traded emails with Lee who owns the business. It’s nice to help a small businessman just getting started and his product is really scratching an itch with me.

The camera is very important. We’ll be going to one of the most photogenic events on Earth – Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta. From there everything up to Vegas is naturally beautiful, or awe inspiring, or both.

And Vegas… please. At one point, Kodak might have paid for it to be built.

Of course I’ve got 21st Century concerns. Will there be Internet access? Actually, yes – even at our hotel in tiny Kayenta, AZ

Will there be cell service? Not so much. It’s nearly impossible to know where there will or won’t be access. The maps are awful. It’s almost as if the cell companies want it that way. And user submitted information about cells is old and often subjective.

We’re renting a car for the drive. I’m hoping it’s got satellite radio. Kayenta, for instance, is over 80 miles from the nearest radio station.

The rental company gave me a definite maybe! Many full size cars (a rental car exaggeration) have satellite… not all.

This trip promises to be the kind you remember for a lifetime. What will we see? Will the weather cooperate for our balloon ride? Will this much time together be enough for Helaine to pull out a gun and shoot me?

Anything’s possible. One more day to tie up loose ends and then I’ll be writing you from the road.

How Vacations Are Born

We have plans for the fall – to go to Albuquerque during the Balloon Fiesta. Helaine has been there once. I’ve been there twice. Clicky (my camera) has never been there.

That makes Clicky sad.

Somehow my parents found out and said, “We’ll come too…” until they couldn’t. Something going on with their condo neighbors. I’m not totally up on my Floria happenings.

We were thinking the vacation would be Albuquerque followed by Las Vegas. We could fly to Vegas, or maybe drive. It’s a l-o-n-g drive.

Today, some modifications began to take shape. “What about Monument Valley, I said?” We could drive to Monument Valley in Southern Utah and stretch the one day drive to two.

You might not know Monument Valley, but you’ve seen it. It’s been in a zillion movies with its iconic road driving through the nothingness toward red monoliths rising from the valley’s floor.

Nothingness is the perfect description – Monument Valley is near nothing! If you zoom in far enough on Google maps, you end up with a solid colored background and nothing else.

The closest ‘real’ town is Kayenta, AZ, about a half hour’s drive away. Helaine has already made a reservation in one of their motels.

As long as we were going, she wondered, what about the other scenic stops along the way? If you check out that part of the country, there are many more National Parks and scenic outlooks than people.

We now have reservations in St. George, UT for another night.

What was going to be a point-to-point drive is now going to be two days and three nights through parts of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, more Arizona and Nevada. To someone raised in a Queens, NY apartment, this part of the country is as foreign as the surface of Mars.

Sometimes a wife indulges her husband. This part of the trip is much more for Geoff than Helaine. It’s not set in stone, and we’re very unsure of where to go and what to see, but it’s all coming together.

Well, at least it is in June.

Blogger’s note: My two photos are “Creative Commons” licensed and come from Flickr.com