Sedona to Carlsbad, California

Friday, May 13. 2011

Sedona to Carlsbad, California

The trip to Carlsbad was a day of contrasts and constant fascination with the limitless wonder and variety of this marvelous land of ours. I was reminded of Woody Guthrie’s song:

“As I was walking a ribbon of highway

I saw above me an endless skyway

I saw below me a golden valley

This land was made for you and me

This land is your land, this land is my land

From California, to the New York Island

From the redwood forest, to the gulf stream waters

This land was made for you and me.”

We saw the red rocks of Sedona in contrast to the desert of the Phoenix area and the golden hills of California; temperatures ranged from 58 degrees in the forest to 100 degrees in the desert; we drove from 6000 feet above sea level to 1000 feet and lower.

We passed cities and isolated houses miles from any town; vermillion cliffs and long flat stretches of barren land. We climbed slowly up plateaus and drove for miles on arrow straight roads toward the next plateau. The colors of the landscapes changed from drab brown to brilliant red and dark green.

Our route took us through the center of Sedona ( the traffic circle capitol of the USA)  with a brief stop for shopping where I bought my fifth Tilley hat to replace the one I lost last year; down 89A and 179 to I-17  and on to Phoenix where picked up I-10 toward Palm Springs to I-215 south thence to I-15 to Carlsbad.

It was pleasant to arrive in California with its golden hills – a relief from the desert landscape.

We will stay in Carlsbad until Thursday when we continue north to a campsite at Morro Rock.  Hot showers and family for several days!

The road into Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona - very steep and twisty.  nnThe Red Rocks of Sedona

Main street Sedona - Traffic Circle City

More red rocks

Passing through Phoenix

Contrasts- snow capped mountains and the desert

Palm Springs, California

The golden hills of California

and the California Freeway

Kanab Utah to Sedona

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Kanab, UT to Sedona, Arizona

After breakfast on Comfort Inn in the morning we set off for Sedona. After crossing the high desert farm land of Kanab, the road rose climbing toward the Kaibab Plateau. It twisted and turned climbing to 6000 feet. The road leveled and then started down a 6 % grade to the flatland below. To our left (north and east) lay the Vermillion Cliffs – a great escarpment of bright red iron stained sandstone.

We drove along the cliffs for miles taking pictures as we went.  At Marble City we crossed the Colorado River on Navaho Bridge.  At this point the road skirted the base of an escarpement for which we had no name. We sped past roadside stands where Indian vendors hoped to relieve the Grand Canyon bound tourist of his (or more likely her) money, past small houses surrounded with assorted vehicles, wandering cattle, and were delayed by construction. The weather was pleasant at 67 degrees.

Our goal was Cameron, AZ the turning off place for Route 64 to the Grand Canyon. Long before that the landscape became very gray and dismal looking - not attractive at all with little color, a great deal of sand and not much vegetation. 

From there we followed Route 64 to I-40 to I-17 to 89A to Sedona. We didn’t actually seen Sedona until the next morning because our campground appeared before the town did.  Both seemed to be located  at the bottom of a deep canyon. The road into the Oak Creek Canyon was and adventure with hairpin turns, spectacular views, and narrow, winding roads.

Cave Creek Campground was very pleasant with widely separated camp sites under very large trees set in a grassy meadow.

The Vermillion Cliffs of Kanab, Utah

The open road again

                                                                                 Into the Ponderosa Pine forest again.

View from the plateau looking north

Into the Valley again

Roadside vendors waiting for tourists

Grand Canyon Views

The Photographer

Campsite at Cave Creek Campground

Page, Arizona to Zion National Monument and Bryce Canyon

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Page, Colorado to Zion National Monument and Bryce Canyon

We awoke in the morning not well rested for obvious reasons, and after breakfast at Denney’s, went on our way passing through Kanab, Utah where we bought gas for $3.97 per gallon.

We arrived at Zion around noon, made a lunch, and caught the trolley for the drive up the canyon. Outstanding! It was almost magical traveling along the river hemmed in towering red cliffs as our trolley driver regaled us with the history of the canyon and continually admonished us to drink large amounts of water.

At the end of trolley tour we got off and took a mile and a half hike into the gorge where the canyon narrowed. More magic!

We ate our lunch sitting on a log by the river in the shadow of the looming red cliffs and stopped to look for wildflowers and birds.

We returned to the trolley stop after our walk and caught the trolley back to the Visitor Center. Both us were mesmerized by the fact we had actually walked into the canyon. It was, at the time the high point of our trip. We left the canyon at 2:36 pm and drove an hour to Bryce. We toured the one road that passed all the features of the canyon (You will see the best of them in the images accompanying the blog post.) and started on our way to Grand Canyon Village.

We were so tired and so behind schedule after visiting both Zion and Bryce Canyon that we canceled our campsite at Grand Canyon and retraced our tire tracks to Kanab, UT where Route 89A, the route to Grand Canyon begins, and checked into a Comfort Inn for the night. We were both very tired and did not relish the thought of setting up a tent at 10 PM.

What we both needed was a hot shower and a soft bed. Blissful! 

This makes sense - "where the buffalo roam", etc

This however does not seem right!

 View of Lake Powell from campsite in Page, Colorado

Entrance to Bryce Canyon

The wide open spaces

Road side land form

Zion water fall

Roadside red cliffs

 Snow capped mountians

Scenic Zion National Monument. Walk through the canyon following the river. A truly unique experience. Instead of looking into the canyon, you walk along the bottom!

Durango, Colorado to Page, Arizona

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Durango, Colorado to Page,  Arizona

We awoke this morning to frost! This cannot continue!

We left late in morning and began our journey to Mesa Verde National Monument, the location of numerous cliff dwellings. We arrived there at 3:17. The road in is long and very scenic. Upon arrival we signed up for an hour ranger-led hike, had lunch, and drove to the tour start location.

The tour was exceptional requiring that we descend to the via a steep trail and exit the canyon using ladders and a steep narrow set of steps cut in the native rock. The images included describe the visit better than I can. It was a fascinating tour!

Our next destination was Page, Arizona where were scheduled to camp on the shores of Lake Powell.

Along the way we drove past the monument marking the “Four Corners” where the borders of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona converge.

Due to our late start, we arrived at the campground in Page, Arizona after dark. Have you ever attempted to find a little patch ground you have reserved to pitch a tent in total  darkness?  It not a process calculated to encourage marital bliss!

We did find the sandy little patch of ground and set up our tent by headlight. Another process not designed to encourage you-know-what!

The facilities were third class but the view, that we saw when dawn broke, was outstanding.  After breakfast at Denny’s (no senior citizen discount for breakfast) we were on the road to Zion National Monument and Bryce Canyon. Our goal for the day was to tour both the above and then drive to Grand Canyon where we had a campsite reserved. A noble goal - but what did we know!!

 Images of the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Monument

Blog post updates

HI y'all,

We have reached Carlsbad, California arriving on May 13th.  I have just  updated the posts for May 8th and May 9th by adding images. Please take a look.

 My goal is bring everything up to date in the next few days - a noble goal. s

Trip to Durango, CO from Santa Fe, NM

Monday, May 9, 2011

Left Santa Fe bound for Durango, Colorado where we plan to camp for the first time.  We picked up I-26 just west of Santa Fe and drove to Exit 249 and joined US 550 for Durango. Our first stop for gas was in Sana Domingo, NM at a Pueblo Nation service station. This is the place to buy gas!!  $3.62 gallon. The trip took us over the Continental Divide at 12:23 pm Soon after that we passed a 7000 foot marker.

We passed through some amazing countryside. Red, greens, pinks, and white. The whole  trip was an amazing slide show in vivid technocolor. Glorious vistas!  The highlight was a stop in Aztec, CO to visit the Aztec Ruins which were not settled by the Aztecs!!  They were settled by Indians who came from other settlements. The ruins have been partially restored and are open to wandering about through many of the 500 hundred rooms. Often the roof over the visitors head is the original 900 year old roof! The rooms are arranged so that the only way to enter an interior room is through all the preceding rooms. Makes for real privacy since each room was occupied by one family.  The highlight of the restoration is the huge Kiva (round circular ceremonial building) partially below ground level.

I was completely enthralled with an original ladder that was used to enter the upper levels of the village. If you have visited cliff dwelling for pueblos you are familiar with the many ladders that connect the various levels.  At this restoration they had recovered an actual ladder.  Just looking at it gave me shivers. I thought, “the inhabitants actually climbed this ladder.” 

We camped at Lightner Creek Campground opted for a “camper cabin” as there was a chance of rain and it was COLD.  We were prepared and slept well under extra blankets!

Durango is a green place surrounded with cultivated, irrigated fields and mountains.

Tomorrow we visit Mesa Verda on the way to Page, AZ.

I’m running late with blog posts because there hasn’t been time for them!!  When we get to Carlsbad, CA for 5 days I will catch up.

Lottsa good images to share!

Thanks to all of you who been following Carol and Warner's Excellent Adventure

Very flat country

A great variety of land forms is brilliant colors

 

 Aztec Ruins in Aztec, Colorado. Not created by the Aztecs!

Nine hundred year old original ceiling-floor timbers

Largest restored Kiva (used for religious purposes) the country

Our "camper cabin" at Lightner Creek Campground in Durango, Colorado. Cozy but cold
















Durango is located in a valley surrounded by mountains

Bandelier National Monument & Los Alamos

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Today we drove north from Santa Fe to Los Alamos and Bandelier National Monument. In White Rock we detoured to an overlook for a very impressive view of the Rio Grande River Gorge.

Bandelier National Monument is a restored and protected area in Frijoles Canyon (“Little Beans Canyon”) consisting of several groups of Cliff Dwellings and the pueblo village of Tyuonyi. Many of the cliff dwelling are accessible by ladder and visitors are encouraged to climb up and enter them - we did.

The valley is enclosed by high cliffs of volcanic rock called tuff, a soft pinkish rock. The sky was blue, the air was cool and the sun very hot.

At the upper end of the valley was large cliff dwelling called the “Alcove” reached by climbing three sets of very long ladders.  I got up the first one and decided that discretion was the better part of valour and quit.  Carol went on to the Alcove.

Our next stop was the Valles Caldera, a huge bowl shaped depression that had resulted from a volcanic eruption many million years ago. The Caldera is the second largest such geologic feature in the world.   Yellowstone National Park is the largest.

After being thoroughly awed by the caldera and the cliff dwellings we drove to Los Alamos to visit the Bradley Science Museum devoted to the Manhattan Project that led to the first successful atomic bomb. Not so awesome but interesting.

Hopefully, we will find a wireless connection tomorrow and can send off the next blog posts.

Monday we drive to Durango, Colorado where camp for one night.

Ladder leading into cliff dwelling at Bandelier National Monument

Here we are posed for our first formal photo of the trip

Interior of  a cliff dwellingH

Trail leading to cliff dwellings

Trail though the Ponderosa Pine forest

View of ruin of Pueblo at Bandelier National Monument

View Pueblo ruin from a cliff dwelling

View of cliff dwelling location from the top of the cliff