Our next stop on the way home was Albuquerque, New Mexico, where we enjoyed a lovely meal made by Greg’s sister, Brenda, and her husband Richard.
On to Amarillo, Texas!
Brenda and Richard
Tag: Camping
Meteor Crater
On Tuesday, we began the long trek home.
Our first stop along Interstate 40 was Winslow, Arizona, the home of Meteor Crater.
After setting up the RV at Meteor Crater RV Park, we headed down the road to see the crater itself.
The signs along the road were adorable.
We got there late in the afternoon, so we weren’t able to get good pictures because the crater was partly in shadow.
After watching a video about the discovery of the crater and the investigation to determine what had caused it, we participated in a guided tour.
Our tour guide told us that NASA astronauts train at the crater, and he was very excited that he had gotten to meet one.
Meteor Crater is one of the world’s best-preserved meteor craters.
It was created 50,000 years ago and is about a mile in diameter and 560 ft deep. The sides rise about 148 ft above the surrounding landscape.
Sadly, the photos really don’t do it justice. It is quite startling in person.
Historic Railroad Trail
On Monday, we decided to get out the bikes and go for a ride.
First, we rode the Historic Railroad Trail, which we had seen from the Lake Mead Overlook the day before.
When the Hoover Dam was being built, all the workers stayed together at what became Boulder City. A railroad was cut through the mountain to take materials to the dam.
There are about four or five tunnels that you can walk or ride through between Boulder City and the Hoover Dam, which is only about three and a half miles away.
The trail provided a pretty view of Lake Mead and the marina.
River Mountains Loop Trail
Next, we biked in the other direction down the River Mountains Loop trail. It went past the campground and continued along Lake Mead for a little while.
We only went about 5 miles on the trail because the inclines, although not steep, were very long.
It wasn’t until we turned around and headed back that we realized we had been going uphill for so long. We both thought we were simply too old and tired to bike very far!
After our ride, we headed back to the campground for lunch.
Greg wanted to rent some Sea-Doos to take out on Lake Mead for the afternoon, but the marina had stopped renting them for the season.
Hoover Dam
On Sunday morning, we headed to Hoover Dam to take a tour.
Mike O’Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge
After leaving Hoover Dam, we stopped at the Mike O’Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge overlook. Walking out onto the bridge, we got a great view of the Hoover Dam.
Lake Mead overlook
Just before arriving back at the campground, we stopped at the Lake Mead overlook.
Valley of Fire State Park
After a yummy lunch of grilled ribeye steak, mashed potatoes, and broccoli, we headed to Valley of Fire State Park.
I had no idea what to expect from this state park, but it was fantastic! I wish we had set aside more time to enjoy it.
Unfortunately, it took over an hour to get there, and Greg wanted to be back to the campground before dark, which meant we only had about an hour and a half to see it.
We even got to see a couple of desert bighorn sheep!
Valley of Fire State Park had some very interesting-looking hikes, but we didn’t have the time to try any of them. Maybe next time.
Sunset
On the way back to the campground, we stopped at a couple of overlooks to enjoy the sunset.
No Kings protest
Greg and I started our morning at Lake Mead by attending the No Kings protest in nearby Henderson.
We didn’t feel like we should let our vacation get in the way of doing our patriotic duty.
I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but it was a lot of fun!
Even the frogs were in attendance!
There were some great signs, too!
Some folks wore their patriotism…
Even the dogs were showing their patriotism!
And many of the cars passing by honked their horns to show their support, waved American flags, or gave us the thumbs up!
After the rally, Greg and I had fast food for lunch before heading back to the campground.
Kayaking on Lake Mead
After finishing setting up the camper at our site last night, Greg and I drove down to the beach to see where we might be able to launch our kayak. Greg had his heart set on kayaking while we were here.
The sun was just beginning to set, and the sky was a lovely shade of blue and pink.
We even got to see a couple pairs of mallard ducks.
So after the No Kings protest and our fast food lunch, we headed to the beach with our kayak.
After our kayak trip, we headed to the laundromat to do what we hope will be our last load of laundry for this trip.
Grand Canyon
Well, if you want to see the Grand Canyon without crowds, the time to go is mid-October.
On Wednesday, the weather was cold and windy. We decided to drive Desert View Drive and stop at the various overlooks along the way. The idea of a hike in that cold wind was unappealing.
The weather on Thursday was significantly better, largely because the wind was non-existent.
Our original plan had been to bike Hermit Road, but we decided it was still too cold to spend a lot of time outdoors. Instead, we opted for the shuttle bus.
I’ve come to the conclusion that no photograph can do justice to the Grand Canyon. The closest one can come to portraying the magnitude and awesomeness of this geographical feature is through paintings.
I am looking forward to trying my hand at capturing the Grand Canyon in watercolor once we get home.
Sadly, we only had two days at the Grand Canyon, and we didn’t make the most of them. I would have loved to have hiked the South Kaibab Trail, but neither one of us was feeling energetic enough.
I would also have loved a plane ride through the canyon!
Today, we arrived at our final planned stop for this camping trip, Lake Mead and Hoover Dam.
After this stop, we begin the long journey home.
Lower Antelope Canyon
Our tour of Lower Antelope Canyon was canceled on Sunday due to flooding, but we were able to reschedule for Monday.
We had an amazing time. Our guide, a young Native American woman named Jo, was wonderful. She was cheery, relaxed, patient, and everything you could want in a guide. Informative, too.
Lower Antelope Canyon is quite different from Upper Antelope Canyon.
First of all, we walked to the entrance of Lower Antelope Canyon rather than drove. Second, Lower Antelope Canyon involved climbing up and down ladders, both to get into and out of the canyon as well as while we were walking through it. And whereas the floor of Upper Antelope Canyon was fairly wide, the passageways of Lower Antelope Canyon were much tighter.
After our tour of Lower Antelope Canyon, we headed back to the campground and relaxed for the rest of the day. (Well, aside from one quick trip to the grocery store.)
There is so much more we could have done while we were staying in Page, but it was really nice to just relax around our campsite much of the time.
Onward to the Grand Canyon!
Navajo Canyon boat tour
We have really lucked out with the weather on this trip. The forecast called for showers the morning of our Navajo Canyon boat tour, but the sun was out, and the temperature was perfect.
Lunch at Wahweap Resort and Marina
After returning from our tour of Navajo Canyon, we had lunch at the resort. It was very good!
Wahweap Overlook
On our way back to the campground after lunch, we stopped at the Wahweap Overlook.
Other scenic overlooks
Since we had the time, we stopped at the other overlooks along the way. Lake Powell is basically a wide section of the Colorado River created by the Glen Canyon Dam. It has more than 96 water-filled side canyons, of which Navajo Canyon and Antelope Canyon are two.
Scenic Drive
Next, we took the short Scenic Drive, which provided an overlook of the Glen Canyon Dam and the Colorado River.
Page, Arizona
Our next stop after Arches and Canyonlands was supposed to be Mesa Verde. We even had a tour of the Cliff House scheduled.
Sadly, the government shutdown nixed those plans. Mesa Verde is closed.
We decided to drop Mesa Verde and Monument Valley off of our itinerary and head straight to Page, Arizona.
Of course, that meant that the tours of Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon had to be rescheduled.
The only time we were able to schedule a tour of Upper Antelope Canyon was Friday morning, when the weather forecast was predicting that we would be experiencing the height of Tropical Storm Priscilla. We went ahead and booked the tour anyway. Time will tell whether we get to go on it.
Horseshoe Bend
We decided to visit Horseshoe Bend early this morning. What we didn’t realize is that the sun rises an hour earlier in Page than it did in Moab, so by the time we arrived at the parking lot for Horseshoe Bend, the sun was annoyingly high in the sky.
Oh, well. We will have other opportunities to visit it at better times of the day. We are only 15 minutes away.
This was the best photo I could get, considering the position of the sun.
Glen Canyon Dam
Next up was a stop at Glen Canyon Dam.
Once again, the government shutdown interfered with our plans. The Carl Hayden Visitor Center was closed.
However, we were able to access the overlook behind the visitor center. We were not able to walk across the dam, which I had been hoping we could do.
Antelope Canyon boat tour
Today was the last hot day we will have in Page, so I was eager to get on the water and experience Lake Powell.
The marina where we are staying offers boat tours, so after visiting Glen Canyon Dam, we headed over there to book one for the afternoon.
We had been told by someone who lives in Page that the storm was due to arrive around 5:00 p.m., so we figured we would be safe as long as we got our boat tour in before then.
Wrong!
No sooner had the boat left the dock than the heavens opened up.
Lightning flashed. Thunder cracked. We were hit by a deluge of rain.
I was sure the tour boat captain would immediately turn around and head back to the dock, but all she did was advise us not to touch the metal railings on the boat.
It turned out to be a great tour, despite the fact that our tour guide wasn’t able to deliver her spiel because the sound of the rain hitting the metal roof of the boat was too loud.
When we got back to the marina, we had to wait about half an hour for maintenance workers to clear the rocks and debris off the road from the flooding before we were able to head back to the parking lot.
I feel like we made the most of the day, in spite of the impediments put in our way.
Canyonlands National Park
Mesa Arch
This morning I hauled myself out of bed at 5:00 a.m. so that we could drive to Canyonlands National Park to see the sun rise through Mesa Arch.
Our first clue that this plan might go awry was the packed parking lot when we arrived. After walking the short trail to the arch, this is what greeted us:
To say that I was disappointed would be a vast understatement.
Not only was the arch crowded with people, but they were all simply standing in front of the arch chatting with one another.
There was no way to get close to the arch, much less take a photo. And no one showed the slightest inclination to step aside for those of us who might like a photo without strangers in it. I confess that I may have experienced a significant degree of rage.
One guy had a tripod set up in front of the arch, taking a video of the sun rising. It was impossible to get a photo without having that tripod in the frame. I was so tempted to give it a little push right into the canyon! 🤬
I was also tempted to stand behind them with my cell phone at the ready and shout, “Smile for the camera! I want a record of all the assholes here this morning!”
I didn’t do any of those things, of course. Instead, Greg and I slunk away and headed to Grand View Overlook to see what that might offer.
I won’t lie. I will be very happy when we are done with canyons on this trip. I am tired of seeing Greg teetering on the edge of cliffs, praying that he won’t lose his balance or trip and fall in.
I’m not really worried about falling in, myself, since I never get close enough to the edge. But my fear of heights is always triggered, nevertheless.
Grand View Overlook
We decided not to walk the trail at Grand View. The position of the sun made it difficult to see into the canyon.
I wish park maps would tell you whether an overlook was east facing or west facing. It would be really helpful!
Mesa Arch–second attempt
After Grand View, we headed back to Mesa Arch to see whether the crowd had thinned now that the sun had fully risen.
Yay! I was finally able to get my shot of the arch. And to be honest, I don’t think it would have been much better if I had been able to take it at sunrise.
Lesson learned.
I did get at least one pretty photo at sunrise, though…
Dead Horse Point State Park
On the way back to the campground, we stopped at Dead Horse Point State Park.
This state park is a hidden gem, and I wish that we had visited it earlier so that we could have taken better advantage of everything it had to offer.
As it was, all we really did was drive to the end of the park road and take some photos of the canyon.
Meanderings & Mind Munchies 