Arizona, January 8 – 13, 2014.

We decided on this trip about two weeks ago.  The main reason is to tour Antelope Canyon, which is about 5 hours north of Phoenix.  Turns out we have suffered a rather long and record-breaking cold spell, so it ends up being the right time to get away.  The extreme cold since the New Year has wreaked much havoc on area flights.  Around Sunday (1/5) United said they were canceling the EWR-IAH flight, so I called them and got rebooked on US Air via Charlotte.  United then said the flight was reinstated, but the flight never showed up properly on their system, so I decided not to revert back.

Jan 8, 2014 (Wednesday). It was around 8F when we left the house this morning, and along the way we got a call from US Air saying the flight EWR-CLT would be delayed (it ended up being delayed by more than two hours,) meaning we would miss the connection.   At the airport the US Air agent put us on standby for an earlier non-stop EWR-PHX flight, and we managed to get on, even though they were both middle seats (A320 aircraft.)  We had to gate check our luggage, and there was no in-flight entertainment, so I had nothing much to do during the flight, except the puzzles.  Yet, it was an okay experience.  The agent was nice enough to leave a message on my cell after she found out we cleared the waitlist, wishing us a good flight.

Newark airport was a mess, lines were long, flights were full, results of multiple cancellations and delays over the last few days.  (Of course EWR feels cramped on a good day.)  It was good that US Air was still part of the Star Alliance, as we managed to make use of our Gold status for check-in and security.  And we actually bumped a couple of people on the waitlist (mixed feelings about that.)

We ended up getting to PHX early, so we took a leisurely lunch at Chelsea’s Grill (very few options on the land side of the airport.)  Our rental car is a Jeep Compass, 4 cylinders, okay on regular roads but underpowered for a hill climb.  Flagstaff is at about 7000 ft.  In any case, it was around 6:30 pm that we checked into our hotel.  We had a simple dinner at CoCo next door (like an IHOP).

 We passed by many many Saguro Cacti on our way to Flagstff.

 Beautiful sunsets colors.  These photos don't do them justice.

Hotel (3 nights): Hilton Garden Inn, Flagstaff.

Jan 9 (Thursday).  Today was for the Grand Canyon.  We left the hotel a little after 8 and took the “scenic route” (per AAA) to the Grand Canyon.  The scenery while good isn’t spectacular, except for glimpses of a crater.  We did reach a high point of 8046 ft along the way.  I was driving so couldn’t look at the crater that closely, but we may try to visit one on Saturday.

We last visited the Grand Canyon while our children were still very young.  I am sure the canyon hasn’t changed much, it has taken 5 million years or so to get to its present state, after all.  But the buildings in the park certainly have changed a lot.  The Bright Angel Lodges were little dumpy cabins when we visited last, they now look positively inviting.  And the roads are well maintained.  I was somewhat surprised that the canyon wasn’t as awe-inspiring as I imagined it would be.  Not that the visit wasn’t enjoyable, we stayed there until about 4:30 pm before we left.  We drove along the South Entrance Road which turned into Hermit Road, ending at Hermit Point.  Along the way we stopped at many of the turnoffs including Mather’s Point Lookout, Yavapai Point, Hopi Point, Mohave Point, The Abyss, Pima Point, and Hermit House.  Even though there were railings installed along the more dangerous stretches, the thought of how deep the drop is can make someone cringe.  There is a posting at the Visitors’ Center saying there are 350 rescues a year.  Most of them are due to injuries to hikers.

There are relatively few visitors this time of the year, and oftentimes we found ourselves alone.  We picked up a Senior Pass for $10 a couple weeks ago when we visited the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.  That saved us the $25 admissions fee for this Park.

 View of Grand Canyon from the South Rim, taken close to Yavapai Point.  The gorge on the upper right is the Bright Angel Fault.

 Another View.

 The Colorado River as viewed from Yavapai Geological Museum.  The flow is about 5,000 cubic feet per second.  A trickle compared to flows that can be as high as 100x as much.

 We didn't have too much time to look for wildlife.  This is a small songbird.

 The Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Canyon.  Hikers rest there for the evening after their hike down.  It is not possible to make the roundtrip in one day.

 A panoramic view of the canyon, stitched together by google from three photos Anne took.

 Anne at Mather's Point Lookout.

 Hermit's Rest at the end of the road leading west from the Visitors' Center.

 These deer don't seem to have any fear of people.  About 15 of them decided to stop traffic and cross the street.  (Only to cross back afterwards.)

Jan 10 (Friday).  We first visit Meteor Crater, about 50 miles east of Flagstaff.  The crater was created about 50,000 years ago when a meteor the size of a school bus (some think it is larger) hit the earth.  It was about 700 feet deep and a mile across.  Erosion has decreased the depth to about 500 feet.  A tour guide took us on a one-hour walk on the rim, talking about the history of the place, desert life, geology, and the ruins of the small house Beringar lived in for close to 30 years (Beringar bought the land in hopes of mining it for the asteroid.)

Meteor Crater near Winslow, AZ.  Per our guide Eduardo, the crater is about a mile in diameter and 500 feet deep.

Next we visited Walnut Canyon National Monument where people lived around 1150 to 1250 (if memory serves).  The living units were made from the cavities carved out from the canyon walls by erosion.  It is difficult to imagine that kind of life and how difficult it must have been to get around.  This is one of the least “descriptive” National Monuments I have visited; very little is displayed about the anthropology associated with those people.  One characteristic was their name “Sinaqua: People without water” which refers to how scarce that resource was for them.  The hike to experience the ruins involves close to 300 steps each way.

 Notice the wall dwellings in the background.  It is difficult to imagine how people managed to go about their every day activities when leaving your house meant climbing up and down a cliff.

We visited Sedona around 2003, and I have forgotten most of the visit, other than we had to cut it short because I was not well.  This time we spent more time driving around and looking at the rather spectacular rock formations.  They glowed red at sunset.

 Church of the Holy Cross, Sedona.

 It is amazing trees can grow on such hostile environment.  But they do.

 Cathedral Rock.  People can climb up quite a ways onto this butte; that they are allowed to do so is somewhat surprising.  Quite a few people were on the trail.

 It is quite obvious why this is the Teapot.

 Desert flora can be quite beautiful.  I took this close-up while walking up to the Church of the Holy Cross.

After dinner (back in Flagstaff) we went to Lowell Observatory, which I read about in the book “The Heart of Darkness” talking about discoveries that eventually led to the theories of dark matter and dark energy.  Lowell was an early contributor to discoveries that eventually led to the big bang theory.  Tonight we saw Jupiter and her moons, the nebula that is Orion’s dagger, the Plieades, and closeups of the moon.  There was a talk on constellations that wasn’t particularly illuminating.  I learned quite a bit during the visit, though.  It is also amazing how the lack of city lights and the clear skies could make things so much clearer.

Jan 11 (Saturday).  We checked out of the hotel at about 9 am and stopped by the Sunset Crater National Monument for a brief visit.  The volcanic eruption 900 or so years ago created a cinder cone about 1000 feet in height.  There were some rather impressive lava flow fields also.  There was too much snow on the ground for us to walk around the grounds.

Sunset Crater and lava flow.  The destructive power of the volcano is still evident about 900 odd years.

Last night we decided to go for a visit of Monument Valley, which was another 2 ½ hours away.  We left the Sunset Crater Park before 11 am and go to Monument Valley at around 1:45 pm, stopping by KFC in Tuba City along the way.  We visited MV a while ago (at least 25 years).  Again the monuments stay the same, but the amenities are much better.  My recollection of our last trip is vague, Anne is sure we could do only limited driving around.  In any case, we are glad we rented an SUV as we drove the 15 or so mile long trail, getting quite close to many buttes in the process.

Another change is MV is now run by Native Americans.  We gladly paid the $5 per person entrance fee which was not covered by our NPS Senior Pass.

 Monument Valley and the iconic Left and Right Hand Mittens.  The other structure is "Derick's Butte."

 Elephant Butte.

 Camel Butte.  The head of the animal is to the far right.

 Three sisters.  The one on the left bears much resemblance to a nun in a habit.

 Foreground: Totem Poles.  Background: dancers emerging from a hogan.

 Our rental car (Jeep Compass) in front of a butte.  The small structure in the front is aptly named "The Cube."

 View of the valley from Artist's Point.

 Anne gives a thumbs up to The Thumb.

We left Monument Valley a little after 4 pm.  It was quite dark by the time we got to Page.  Best Western upgraded us to a suite as there are not that many guests.  We had Chinese at Starlite Restaurant, run by a brother-sister team originally from Hong Kong.  What passes for Chinese food here is quite different from what one typically gets in a large US city, we enjoyed the home-style cooking nonetheless.

Hotel (2 nights): Best Western Plus Lake Powell, Page, AZ.

Jan 12 (Sunday).  Today is the day, the reason why we came to this area: Antelope Canyon.  About 10 of us piled into a modified pickup truck and drove over some bumpy dirt roads to the entrance to the canyon.  For this time of the year, sunlight does not shine directly into the canyon, so we cannot get some of the more iconic photos where a beam of light shines onto the floor.  Nonetheless we got some rather nice shots of the place: the suggestions by our Navajo guide helped.  The canyon is quite narrow, and feels crowded with tourists even during the off-season.  I can’t imagine what it is like during the summer when people flood the area.

At one end of Upper Antelope Canyon.

 

 

The high winds of the day caused all the boat tours to be cancelled, so we couldn’t get on one, which is a bit of a disappointment.

We visited the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell.  I walked across the Colorado River twice; Anne was too scared of the 1000 feet drops, so she just stayed on one side of the river.  We also visited the Horseshoe Bend where the Colorado makes a 270-degree turn.  I didn’t want to venture all the way to the edge (unfenced) to take these iconic photos with the full horseshoe.

 At the Glen Canyon Dam lookout.

 Lake Powell, with Wahweap Marina in the background.  They are open this winter.  Very quiet, though.

 Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado River.  One can walk as close to the end of the plateau as one dares, close enough (perhaps) to get a complete view of the horseshoe.  This is as close as I dared as there are no fences to mark the edge.

Now this is right above the Colorado River.  I walked across the Route 89 Bridge at Page and snapped this picture.  The bridge is fenced in.

Tomorrow we will drive the five or so hours back to Phoenix.  The regular route (Route 89) is closed because part of it collapsed.  The hastily paved 89T should work okay.

Jan 13 (Monday).  We left Page at around 9:15 am.  There was little traffic until we got close to Phoenix, and 89T worked very well.  Since it is a more direct route, I am sure we shaved several minutes off the trip.

We had enough to make a sight-seeing stop at the Desert Botanical Garden.  Anne suggested this place not so much because of the flora but because they have a temporary Chihuly exhibit there.  I am neutral towards Chihuly’s art, but found this one quite interesting.  The glisten of the mostly bright glass objects contrasts very well with the predominantly green and grayish-green desert vegetation.  Most of the visitors were taking pictures of the exhibit.  Makes one wonder how much additional traffic is generated by this special exhibit.  I managed to record some of the names of the installations and note them in the photo captions.  The names are not the most imaginative, but quite informative.

 

 This installation was right by the entrance.

 Neodymium Reeds and Black Niijima Floats.

 Jade and Crimson Thorns.

 Scarlet and Yellow Icicle Tower.

 

Sonoran Boat.

Polyvitro Chandelier.

 

 White Tower.

 

 A typical collection of plants in the Garden.

 

 Impressive Saguaro cacti.

 

 The Boojum Tree.  Boojum is a word coined by Lewis Carroll.

 A hummingbird resting in a tree.  It was hovering around earlier but I couldn't catch it with my camera.

 An interesting crown on this bird.  At first we thought it was a dove with a worm in its mouth.  A search of the web indicates it is a Gambel's quail, most likely a female.

We purchased the “gas option” which I usually don’t do unless we are in a new city or I know we will be pressed for time.  Both conditions obtain.  The option costs $57 including all the add-ons, which probably costs more than filling up the tank ourselves.  In any case, not quite by design, but the “empty” warning came on when we got to the Botanical Garden.  We didn’t see any gas stations from that point on; we made it, but it was a little too close for comfort.

This is typed inside UA465.  The plane is about half full, Anne and I both forewent our Economy Plus seats for seats in the back of the plane (a row to each).  I forgot to bring my headsets with me, so sprang $15 for a low-quality set at the airport.  They don’t work that well with the plane’s audio system, so I have to content with listening to my iPod during this 4 hour flight.

The flight was uneventful.  We got home at about 12:45 am.

We last visited this area twenty-odd years ago, when our children were still small.  We don’t remember much of that visit; if we look hard, we may find photographs from that trip.  Now that I have blogged this, this record will stay forever in cyberspace.