Nature's Eye Candy, a return to Antelope Canyon

Nature's Eye Candy

Long-time readers may remember that we visited Lower Antelope Canyon in October of 2013.  We were on a trip to Zion National Park, and because of the government shutdown were not able to hike there. We knew that Antelope Canyon was about a hundred miles away in Page, and since it too was on our "bucket list" we drove over and toured the lower canyon. Now, on our return to Page, we decided to visit the upper canyon. 

I sometimes forget that not everyone who sees my blog posts has been a reader for a long time, and may not know the names and locations of the places I mention. Five years ago if someone mentioned Page, Arizona, I would not have known were it was either.  So, here is a little map. 



Some places deserve more than one stop!

In 2013 at the lower canyon, we just showed up, paid our fee, and waited for the next tour group of about 20 people plus a guide. This time we choose to make a reservation for an 11AM "prime light time" tour of the upper canyon. Two hour "Photography" tours are also offered for which everyone must have a DSLR and a tripod, and your guide will show you where the best shots are, and keep the crowds from passing in front of you.

We arrived at the parking area, signed in and paid our fees, waited for a little while, and boarded our assigned truck along with 14 other people. Our guide was the driver, and along with a number of other open trucks, we were given a dusty, bumpy ride to the canyon entrance.

A word about the crowds: you cannot go into either Upper or Lower Antelope Canyons without a Navajo guide. You can only get a Navajo guide through one of five companies. Because the canyons have been featured in ads on the Super Bowl and in every guide book and magazine about this area, the demand is very high.  In other words, you are shoulder to shoulder with other people most of the time.

But as you can see from this picture of Craig leaving the canyon, it is a lot taller than a person, so even if you are jammed in on all sides by other photographers, the beauty above is not compromised, and you can get some great images by shooting over everyone's head.

There are a number of other slot canyons in Arizona and Utah, and we hope to be able to explore one that is not as busy as Antelope in the upcoming month. I did consider a day trip to Buckskin Gulch, but even the easiest way in involved a two mile hike (one way) and rock climbing down an 8-10 foot drop-off to get into the canyon. It seemed a little more than I am up to at this point in my life. It is also on the list of the ten most dangerous hikes in the US, because of the danger of flash flooding.

Enough about a hike we didn't do. On this day, we took over two hundred pictures.  Here are a few we have chosen to share:

When the wind blows, sand filters down from above, and during "prime time" the sun shines down to create a number of spotlight effects.

You can easily imagine the swirling water as it carved through the sandstone canyon.

Looking Up

Later in the day these beams of sunlight will be gone.

If you Google "Antelope Canyon" and choose "Images" from the top bar, you can see hundreds of pictures of the canyon walls. But if you can, go see it yourself. Just ignore the crowd and look up!

Bucket List and Bust

First the bust: sometimes the world doesn't cooperate with my time table.  I had it all planned. We would drive down to see the North Rim of the Grand Canyon from our RV spot in Page AZ.  A nice day trip! But, the world isn't cooperating, in that the road to the North Rim is still closed. That part of the park will not open until May 15th.  Oh well, a good reason to come back another time.

However, Thursday I checked off a big one on my must-see bucket list. About 25 years ago, Craig bought a beautiful, large format photo of a river winding around a huge stone formation: a U-shaped bend in the river. Eventually I learned it was a place called Horseshoe Bend. But I had never really researched exactly where it was. When the picture hung in our home in California, I would sometimes look at it and promise myself that someday I would go there. It may have been one of the items that helped stir my desire to RV full-time.

Well, as we drove into Page from Flagstaff on Wednesday, I saw a brown sign along US 89 indicating that a turn-off for Horseshoe Bend Overlook was ahead. Could it really be the same place?

That evening I Googled it, and yes it was. It is located only a few miles south of Page. Going there became our Thursday afternoon expedition.

The turn-off went to a large parking area just off the highway. The path to the overlook was 3/4 mile and consisted of a relatively short, steep uphill climb, followed by a long, not-too-steep downhill walk. But as we were going down, I reminded myself that we would have to climb back up it again!

If you look carefully you can see some people on the path to the overlook (on the lower right). They give a sense of how big the canyon is. You can't see the river until you get to the rim.

Although there were a lot of people there, I wouldn't say it was overcrowded. My friend Al would probably not agree. There were times when I had wait a few minutes for someone to move out of the picture I was going to take, or wait to climb onto a rock that offered a bit better vantage point, but in general the people were all nice and everyone seemed quite respectful of the place and of each other. In fact we rather enjoyed chatting with several people, sharing stories and appreciating our mutual luck to be there on such a fine day.

Once you arrived at the rim there really wasn't much to do except look, people watch, and take picture after picture of this amazing place. We did walk along the rim for a ways, but mostly stayed where most of the people were. 

Another nice thing was the frequency with which people offered to take pictures of each other, using the subject's camera.  
[From Craig] In the case of the two images below, there was the added factor that a pretty young female tends to make men really helpful :-)

Don't get too close to that edge.

That's better!

We each took many pictures, using both of our cameras. This was the closest either of us came to getting the full width of the river and the top of the rock formation.

At one point during the afternoon we spotted a boat coming around the bend. In this zoomed-in image you can also see a tiny boat mored at the shore and part of a campsite canopy tent.

It is so hard to limit the number of images I include in a post about a place like this. My main criteria for inclusion is that the picture should help tell the story. But here are a few more that are just "special".

So,  until next time ...

Walked out of Freightliner and Found A Better Place

After checking out of our stinky hotel room, we stopped at the Freightliner to see when the Alfa would be ready. We had driven by a few times and noticed she had not been moved, and were upset that at 10 AM  she was still not being worked on. As we stood at the desk, waiting for some information, the boss came in and said the guys who were supposed to work on her had been reassigned to another job. That, along with their outrageous estimate was enough for Craig to ask for his keys and the bill for the diagnostic work they had done. The boss said he was sorry, and said there would be no charge.

Craig called the place where Al of The Bayfield Bunch had work done earlier this spring, but they were kind of busy and were in the opposite direction from where we were headed. Then he went to the rvservicereviews.com site and found Northern Arizona Diesel Repair. They had some good reviews and when we called they said to come on over.

It is a small shop that seems to do a variety of work, but the immediate and personal attention we received was a fresh experience after our experience at the big Freightliner shop.

The all purpose service guy, Scott, replaced the big air filter, and Craig and I washed the back surface of the radiator with the Pro/HD Heavy Duty Simple Green Cleaner. We really didn't have enough to do a thorough job, but it was better than nothing.

We thought Freightliner had changed the air filter last September as part of the annual big service job, but it was dated 4/14 indicating they had not!

The total bill was $329.  A lot better than the estimate of $2600 from Freightliner.

Our drive from Flagstaff to Page in the afternoon was not easy nor completely worry free. Part of the drive were two rather long grades, and the temperature gauge did go up, but not to the overheating point. Craig worked hard at down shifting at the right time, and keeping the engine RPMs high enough to prevent it from getting too hot.

Do we still need to get the radiator cleaned in some way? I think yes. We have to find a source for the Heavy Duty Simple Green, and a place where we can run off a lot of water.

Rick R. mentioned using an air pressure blast, and he was nice enough to send us instructions on how to do that.

We have had more mishaps, confusion, and silly things happen to us in the last 48 hours than I can write about, but the important thing is we are OK for now. We made it to Page, and overnighted at Walmart because I had cancelled our Monday - Wednesday reservation. Now, Thursday afternoon, we are tucked in at the Lake Powell Campground after a terribly long drive of two miles this morning!

Below are some of the pictures we took on our Flagstaff side trip to Sunset Crater:

This 35 mile loop off of Hwy 89 goes through some very interesting landscapes with short walkable trails. In the image above, the snow peaks in the background are the San Francisco Peaks and are visible from Flagstaff. In Indian lore, gods live there and the volcanic domes of the Sunset Crater area are their guardians. The rough dark area in the mid-ground is very fresh, very rough lava flow. In the foreground you can see plants struggling to take root in the volcanic cinders.

This area last saw volcanic activity between 1000 and 1100 AD, so the frozen lava flows and cinder piles are quite new as such thing go.

Craig seems to be entering a tree loving phase. Above, he hugs a healthy living Ponderosa pine, and as we have been walking in new areas has taken an interest in some special arboreal specimens.

H said this was a very "brave" tree because it conquered the raw, sterile lava rock flow.

Among the many twisted remains of the dead trees we have seen, this one reminded him of a petroglyph drawing of a person.

Not all of the lava flow area was hard black rock. There were also mounds like this rust red hill.

After exploring the volcanic area we continued our drive around the loop and came to several Wupatki Indian ruins.

They have been excavated and partially restored. Obviously the iron hand rail in the picture above is not part of the original structure.

Archeologists believe people built and lived here about 75 years after the volcanic eruptions at Sunset Peak. It is unknown exactly who they were, or how long they lived in this area, but their pueblos were large and had many rooms.

Oh what a beautiful and interesting area we have come to! It is going to be hard to limit the number of pictures we post.

Life is good.

There Will Be Breakdowns! But unexpected good things can result!

When we started out on this full-time adventure we knew there would be unexpected emergency repair expenses. Everyone has them. Ordinary maintenance on a Class A (or for any RV) can be expensive, but that is part of the deal. It is the unexpected that pinches the most. And are we getting a big pinch this week!

On the drive from Surprise to Cottonwood the engine temperature on the Alfa went very high and the check engine light came on. Fortunately we were at a summit, and the downhill drive cooled the engine enough to keep going.  But, then on the drive between Cottonwood and Williams it happened again. Once again we were able to cool down and get to our destination.

Not wanting to get into a situation where we were stranded, we decided the best thing to do was to stop at Freightliner Arizona in Flagstaff on our way to our next location, and have things checked out.  So, on Monday we were up by 5:30 and drove the 43 miles to Flagstaff, and checked in to Freightliner with no problems.

Several hours later we got the bad news. The radiator and "charge air cooler" that's behind it are sufficiently clogged that both have to be removed for cleaning, and the repairs will not be completed until Wednesday afternoon, at the earliest.  This will cost about $2600, or more if other problems are found.  These units on a CAT C7 were certainly not designed for maintainability.

We checked our extended warranty, but were told that the required work was considered "maintenance" and therefore was not covered. We know radiators need to be cleaned occasionally, especially if you drive through dusty areas, but are shocked that this will require 14 hours of labor. Craig did clean the radiator once while we were at the house, but we have not been anywhere that allows work or washing since. At least not when we had the time or inclination to do so.  

Could we have just driven away and hoped for the best? Probably, but it sounded like something we would have to deal with sooner or later. Could we have found a place that might charge less?  Maybe, but who? Where? How?  If we got in trouble in the canyon lands of Utah and had a complete overheat breakdown the cost of a tow would be enormous and we would still have to have the work done.

Life is too short to be troubled by these things. I mentally keep a place in my "budget" for unexpected repairs, so paying the bill will not be a problem. 

Unfortunately were are not able to stay in the rig Monday and Tuesday nights so we went off to a Flagstaff motel row and checked into an Econolodge. There are four or five similar motels in a row, and as we drove by I choose the Econolodge because the sign said it had an indoor pool. We could see the others had closed outdoor pools.  Unfortunately, the water was murky and I choose not to use it. Also our room smells. It is not too bad, and finally I realized it was because it has not always been a no smoking room. That old dead smell never goes away.

I'm not really complaining. We could move to another place, but doing so would be more trouble than it's worth. I'm just pointing out that not everything is perfect. 

I'm writing this on Tuesday night. We will see how things come out tomorrow when we go back over to Freightliner in hope of getting our home back. 

So, what unexpected good things happened as a result of all of this?

Because we are staying in a motel, we have had to eat out. On Monday Craig Googled "Best Restaurant in Flagstaff"and came up with a recommendation for a little place with a big name: the Simply Delicious Cafe Daily Fare. It is only open from 11AM - 4PM, so we decided to have lunch there on Tuesday. It was a bit hard to find, and if you are ever in Flagstaff you would be best to go to their web site for directions.  

It was just what I needed. I ordered Lamb Stew and a salad. The stew could be described as "Mom Food" if you had a mom who could cook! Comfort food without being heavy or greasy. My salad was also great. I have to say this was one of the best meals I have had in a year of travels. 

[From Craig] My Hot Italian sandwich was among the best I've ever had.

Then another unexpected good thing happened. The owner of the cafe came over to our table and asked a common question "How long will you be in Flagstaff?".  On hearing our plight as delayed travelers, she suggested an afternoon drive  to the Sunset Crater and Wupatki Indian Ruins which are just a short distance north of Flagstaff. 

If we had not had the breakdown, we would not have had the wonderful lunch, and would have just driven north to Page. 


All of the cables that can connect our camera to our computers are in the Alfa at Freightliner, so stay tuned for our next post about Sunset Crater and Wupatki.

A stop at the Grand Canyon is Always Wonderful

I had hoped there would be snow up in the Grand Canyon when we decided to drive up for a day trip from Williams on Sunday.

This what what Williams looked like when we woke around 7.

Feeling no rush to get going, we enjoyed a leisurely morning in bed, enjoying fresh squeezed OJ, and mellow brewed coffee while we checked out the online news and funnies. After a nice breakfast in the coach we drove the Jeep up to the Canyon. 

We only traveled a few miles when all signs of the morning snow disappeared. It had not melted, it simply hadn't fallen there. 

In spite of the less-than-perfect weather, there was still a line of cars at the entrance station, and the parking lots were fairly full.

Throughout the day the sky kept changing. White clouds and blue sky, dark clouds with rain falling in the distance, and both at the same time.

One of many crows we saw riding the wind.

Cloud shadows crawled across the canyon like big dark amoebas.

At the end of the day it is always difficult to choose which pictures to include in the blog, especially when the subject is as breathtaking as this.

Yup, a stop at the Grand Canyon is always wonderful!

Verde Canyon Railroad Ride

We had planned on taking the train from Williams up to the Grand Canyon after our Sedona visit, but when our friend John suggested taking the Verde Canyon Train Ride we decided to do that instead. Several other people had also recommended it as a nice trip. 

Both Bev and I thought it was a bit overpriced, but as Craig would say "the dollar isn't what it used to be!"

We opted for the First Class coach which included access to both a comfortable enclosed car and an open car where a guide pointed out the features that we passed. Craig had a good time taking lots of pictures.

Near the start we passed several Native American dwelling places from 400 to 900 AD.  None of them seemed very tall, more sleeping places than walking-around-in places.

Sometimes the train was quite close to the rocks, at other times they were quite distant.  The Verde River accompanied the tracks most of the time.

A few sandstone expanses interrupted the red rocks.

Most of the Western US seems to be composed of layers.

The ability of cactus and other plants to grow in rocks is amazing.

Looking up at close rocks.

Th train went over several trestles and through a dark tunnel, but we've omitted those images in favor of the scenery.

Bev and I found the first class seating quite comfortable. Although I have not been drinking alcohol for the last month or so, Craig and I shared a bottle of Chardonnay. The view out the window is the ranch land where the engines are brought around for the ride back.

On the ride back the sun had gone lower, which made some of the scenes look better.

The ride is about four hours long. 

[From Craig]  Shooting pictures from a train is much easier than on a hike :-)

On Thursday we drove 100 miles northwest to Williams. From here we will drive the Jeep up to the Grand Canyon for a day trip, possibly Sunday. Other than that, the next few days are devoted to rest and chores around the rig. I am also looking forward to using the heated indoor swimming pool and hot tub. 

The weather is going to be a bit cold for the next few days, with possible snow on Sunday. I hope we can see some snow in the Canyon.  

Sedona-Tuesday

On Tuesday we decided to drive around Sedona and view more of the wonderful red rock formations and attractions.

Our first stop was the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Although I am not religious, I did appreciate the architectural simplicity of the place.

In addition to the views of the red rocks we saw a huge mansion just below the Chapel.

There is a great deal of controversy about it, with some saying its size and style violate the natural setting. I do not agree. To me it doesn't violate the setting any more than the chapel above it does. Each to their own. Hooray for the freedom in this country that allows people to build big houses and other people to install symbols of their faith in the same general area. 

Perhaps someday the mansion will be opened as a tourist attraction. It's not as big as Biltmore or the Ringling mansion, but it may be just as interesting, and it's bigger than some of the other private homes we have toured in the last year.

Our friends John and Bev were our guides and drivers. Our next stop was a view point where we could get a close up look at  Bell Rock and several other notable rock formations. 

From there they took us up to an overlook up by the Sedona Airport where we could get a long view of the red rocks and the town of Sedona.

This is one small segment of the horizon to horizon view.  Craig took so many pictures I found it hard to choose among them, but hopefully the few I have posted give you a small taste of the natural wonder of this valley. 

You just have to visit Sedona in person to fully appreciate it!