In July, Phoenix won the ‘award’ for the hottest month ever recorded in a U.S. city. With temps still hitting triple digits when the calendar switched to August, it felt ripe for an escape-the-heat road trip – onward and upward (maybe not to Narnia, but to the North*!).
*Does anyone get this slightly-adjusted-for-my-needs CS Lewis reference?
Monday: I set off for the Grand Canyon. It had been several years since my mom and I gawked at the giant hole, and with Flagstaff serving as home base for the week, another sighting made geographical sense.
Traffic from Scottsdale was almost non-existent – probably in part to the ridiculously early start date for some local schools (and it being a Monday). A blessing but also creepy on remote roads. I’d plugged “South Rim, East Entrance” into my GPS and realized post-drive I probably should have used “Grand Canyon Village” because my ‘east entrance’ gate was many (many) miles from the main area. Maybe this would be considered bonus scenery for some but I’d just noticed the gas gauge showing low. As more time passed and the fuel dwindled, I thought ‘surely there will be a station on the grounds.” Here’s a tip…there isn’t.
Fancy some Forever stamps? Pop into the handy post office. Craving a cool “I’ve been to one of the 7 wonders of the world” t-shirt? Comb through the many offerings. Have a hankering for a chunk of cheese? Step into the little grocery store. But, if you’re pining for petrol, too bad.
Range-anxiety** aside (**fear that a vehicle has insufficient fuel or battery storage), I took in the majestic views, checking out a small portion of the canyon’s 466 kilometers, and grabbed a number of photos.
Soon after leaving the park, I stopped to feed Sunny. Good thing I don’t have aerostatiophobia or I might have had a problem. What is “aerostatiophobia”? I could just tell you or even supply a handy link – but Jill’s Journey Du Jour is also a place to expand your knowledge base, so it’s up to you to research that one – go ahead, it will be an engaging ‘fun fact’ to use at parties!
With four hours up to the Grand Canyon and an eighty minute jaunt to Flagstaff, my weary-from-driving brain was thrilled to arrive at the B&B (along with the rest of me). It was happy hour which meant wine, cheese and grapes thoughtfully laid out by the proprietors.
Just a side note, that staying in a B&B is a really fun (and oft overlooked) option. You’ve probably gathered from prior posts, that I like talking with random people… on flights, at restaurants, while fearfully taking a cable car… This type of accommodation is basically made for interacting with the other guests.
Tuesday morning: I headed up to Bearizona, a drive-thru safari park. Instead of subjecting Sunny to a potential animal-attack, I partook of a behind-the-scenes tour which included some up-close-and-personal time with a few critters, as well as a guide-led bus ride to see the bigger (some of whom would gladly make you their next meal) wildlife.
The first part of the two-hour experience had our group meeting Penny-the-skunk and a porcupine whose name has slipped my mind. To be honest, that guy smelled so incredibly bad, I probably don’t want to name-shame him anyway.
Did you know porcupines emit a horrible odor? Apparently, they mark their territory with strong smelling pee, emit odors when they are feeling frisky or send out an off-putting musk to ward off predators. Whatever mix of scent was projecting off this rodent quelled my appetite for many hours. But a less olfactory-offensive tidbit – the female quill-y characters are only fertile once a year for about half a day, and their single offspring is called a porcupette (such a cute name, you almost forget that you should only approach with nose plugs).
The bus wove through goats, wolves, burros, bison and the park’s namesake, several bears who were frolicking in the pond, hiding behind trees and lounging in front of the car ahead of us. A bit of a traffic jam, but try telling a bear to move…
Animal-viewing complete, it was time to check out downtown Flagstaff as well as find a pretty backdrop for a late picnic lunch. With a little digging, I came across Buffalo Park (no actual buffalo were spotted that day) – which offered great walking paths, greenery and a mountain view.
Wednesday: A tour booked through Grand Canyon Adventures meant I could sit back and watch the scenery. From Flagstaff, we headed 2 hours north towards Page, driving through the Indian reservation. On the way, we visited a trading post to check out buy the wares (It’s local? It’s homemade? It’s mine!). Next, off to see gorgeous views of the Colorado River winding around Horseshoe Bend.
After eating lunch outside near Glen Canyon Dam – we continued to the pièce de résistance, Lower Antelope Canyon, a ‘slot canyon’ (which sounds like gambling but basically means it’s a long narrow channel with rock walls… less likelihood of getting three cherries in a row).
A couple rules: the visit is required to be led by a Navajo escort and it’s off-limits to bring much of anything more than a water bottle, mobile phone and hat (backpacks are verboten which sadly meant that Boomerang had to swelter in the van and miss the photo ops).
We climbed down some regular stairs, which led to narrower ones and eventually to steps so tapered, it was safer to descend them like a ladder (this ‘fraidy-cat white-knuckled those rails all the way down!)
The slot canyon might not have been a casino, but I definitely won the prize! To say it was awe-inspiring lightly does it justice. The pictures are amazing but seeing it firsthand is highly recommended. Every angle was truly a “wow” moment. I could rave on and on about the magical-ness of the hike but will just encourage you to book a trip to gape at it firsthand.
Two hours back to Flagstaff, where the group was much quieter than when we started – a full day of heat and inspiration can zap anyone’s energy. A special shout out to the tour company – the guide was full of personality and facts and the day was planned out with great precision – a professional and worthwhile experience!
I got back to the B&B just in time for another happy hour and a new set of guests, including a friendly family from Deutschland. A major rain storm hit the area (a rare site for me these days) and brought the temps to the mid-50s – quite a change from 115.
Thursday: With a belly full of delicious blueberry pancakes, I began the drive towards home with an imperative stop at the Sedona Fudge Company, which I’d mentioned in an early June blog. Within that prior post, I shamelessly suggested how nice a replacement cookie would be for the one that disappeared too quickly (done my gullet). Well, one of the owners (Jennifer) obliged and in addition to the delicious fudge-dipped Oreos I purchased (that they made fresh for me while I waited, since they’d just run out – how nice!), I left there with a ‘thanks-for-blogging-about-us’ big fat chocolate /peanut butter chip cookie. If you are in the area, you really should drop in, tell them Jill sent you (please do – maybe I can work out a cookie commission).
From canyons to mountains, sunshine to downpours, cacti to pines and fresh air everywhere – such a memorable sampling of what’s on offer in this spectacular state!