We woke on Monday to a clear blue sky and the first frost of the season. After breakfast we packed up and set off down R64 to connect with Route 66 again in Williams. We saw the deer crossing the road just before we left the National Park and it felt just like Scotland as we were still in the pine forest. There are a few photo opportunities in Williams, Seligman and other towns along R66. Seligman is a real tourist magnet for some reason but we enjoyed the drive away from the interstate all the way to Kingman. We left R66 there and headed north along the Colorado River for our next diversion: Las Vegas. Not really my kind of town but the approach through the mountains was spectacular and we also got a look at the Hoover Dam. Also weird were the signs advertising machine gun shooting. I still can’t get over being able to buy a gun in Walmart but not a bottle of wine and being asked for ID in one store when I was buying wine. I did enjoy getting an ‘over 50’ discount in one outlet store we visited in Las Vegas. James was keen to see the strip at night so we had a wander but other than some shopping we spent the rest of the day relaxing by the pool.
Tag: Arizona
Canyon de Chelly
On Saturday we were up before it was light and had breakfast as soon as it opened. Then a 6 mile drive to the White House Trailhead. We were the first people there and so had the trail on the way down all to ourselves and some crows. The windblown sandstone rocks were amazing and it did not take us long to get to the canyon floor. There were a few Navajo homes as they farm there and some people were arriving to set up stalls in the hope of customers. Despite the recent heavy rainfall there was some mud but no water in the river. We crossed to look at the ruined White House which was built by the Pueblo people who left the area 700 years ago. Then, as we had a fairly long drive ahead of us, we climbed back up the 1.5 mile canyon wall via the switchbacks and headed off towards the Grand Canyon. This was a drive through the Painted Desert and some spectacular landscapes. We entered the canyon via the East exit which leads to Desert View Drive after a stop off at the Little Colorado Canyon viewing are run by the locals.