LA (Los Angeles)

Thursday

Well what a night it was last night!

Backtracking for a bit, after our coffee at Starbucks on the outskirts of Salt Lake City (coffee was pretty ordinary but the free wi-fi was good), we dropped off the car at the airport without mishap & are very happy to not have to worry about rental vehicles for now.

We checked in (way early so we were a bit nervous our bags might go on an earlier flight never to be seen again) & took a free shuttle into town offered by the Temple Square mob & then, because it was free, allowed ourselves to have a small conducted tour by the Sisters - interesting... we feigned polite interest in their proselytising but we were not their best customers of the day for sure.

But the guy that drove us in was interesting so we had a sort of mini-tour of SLC.

After (a good) coffee in the new shopping plaza (the central area has had a make-over with at least 2 city blocks replaced; there is a lot of money here. Can you believe, they made a profit of $US40 million from the 2002 Winter Olympics!) we returned to the airport & flew out to LA. This is Mitt Romney (next Presidential hopeful - if he Americans can overcome their fear of the Mormons) country.

I have to say, I was very impressed with SouthWest Airlines. Apart from the fact that they don't allocate seats (rather, you get a boarding no. depending on when you check-in), the online & counter check-ins & the flight service (basic) were all efficient & friendly, the plane left on time, arrived on time - & our bags arrived. I also liked the purple colour of their aircraft!

We then started our adventure into downtown LA. Well, I always say the best way to get to know a city is to take public transport from the airport. My Friend was not happy. And he was even less happy by the time we got to our hotel... It was probably THE WORST overseas Metro we have ever travelled on - about on a par with Sydney & Melbourne.

We took a free bus shuttle to Aviation Station the closest Metro station. We worked out how to buy a ticket (but frankly I don't think anyone cared a damn as no-one checked tickets anywhere). We took the green line, then the blue line with probably the most interesting cast of characters you have ever come across. Some were doing deals. There was a constant parade of people going through the carriage selling trinkets, electricals, chocolate; there seeemd to be a new tableau at each station as one vendor got off & another would get on.

Meanwhile, we - along with a few other sturdy types - kept our eyes averted from the carrying-ons of our more interesting fellow travellers - & My Friend's body language was something to behold (I knew I had crossed a line with this plan!).

We arrived in downtown LA somewhat relieved not to have been bashed, robbed or whatever & My Friend wanted to take a taxi the rest of the way. I tried to say we only had a third of a mile to walk but he reckoned his App indicated it was longer. At the taxi rank, the fellas pointed down the street: 2 blocks away. How nice, they could have taken the fare but they were honest.

We are staying at the Figueroa Hotel. Another eye-raising moment for My Friend. Not only are we as central downtown LA as you can be, but there was a party in full swing in the lobby as we arrived (about 10.30 p.m.) & the poor receptionist (a really sweet man) could barely think for the racket. In addition, this hotel is Amaaaazing - it is Casablanca meets Arabia. Built in 1925 as a YWCA, it was converted into a hotel after the Depression & is ornately decorated moroccan style with colourful tiles, fabrics, etc.

We went out for dinner (& a drink!) at an all-nighter around the corner where someone was being ejected as we arrived & My Friend (wisely) ordered a HALF serve of pork ribs only to be served with THE MOST ENORMOUS platter which he contentedly mowed into along with a couple of beers.

We sank exhaustedly into bed after midnight. Gratefully the party downstairs was over.

This morning I am catching up on this blog while My Friend sleeps in his moroccan-style bed (he was up earlier). I DO like to keep the travel experience varied. But I don't think we'll be taking the Metro out to the airport this evening.... So I spent some time researching alternatives.

Outside, the cacophany of car horns is incessant. People with raised voices in the street outside. I don't think I want to go out!! But we will venture out from the safety of our lovely room - we need to investigate all that noise!

Update: In the street below we find a tickertape parade in progress! Figueroa Street is blocked off, police in cars, on bikes, on horseback. HUGE crowd. I display my ignorance & all is explained: the city is celebrating the LA Kings win over the New Jersey Devils in the ice hockey - LA have won the cup for the first time in 45 years!

I liked the juxtaposition of this photo.

We had brekky in the hotel lobby (my first pancake with syrup) - with a few tables of the LA Police Force who'd obviously absented themselves from the festivities outside..

Actually, despite my preconceived ideas about LA, it turned out to be quite a pleasant city: open, not too many high-rise, palm trees, nice little parks.

We chose not to have an agenda in regards to sightseeing & so, after watching the LA Kings procession, we wandered the streets & visited the Fashion Institute which was set in lovely gardens; the City Library, also set in a lovely park & where we went to the nice restaurant there & had a drink & a cheese platter & chatted away for about an hour or so; we then walked through the Financial District & over to the Grand Central Market via a little funicular railway called the Angel's Flight Railway; then through this to the Million Dollar Theatre & the Bradbury - all historic places with great stories attached; for instance, some scenes in Blade Runner were filmed at the Bradbury with its marvellous interior of lace wrought ironwork. We walked back to our hotel via the Jewellery District & Pershing Square; collected our bags; walked 2 blocks to the Metro to go to Union Station from where we took the LAX FlyAway - which is a very good bus shuttle service to the airport ($7 each compared to $3 on the Metro but much less stressful!).

So that's all for now, folks. 'Ave a good day!

 

Yellowstone NP

Sunday 10 June

Well it sure started off cold today - 36 deg F (= 2.66 deg C, for the pedants). It is snowing.

Woops - here is an Elk standing on the road. We have left Grand Teton & are driving north to Yellowstone. We picnic in the cold at a spot overlooking Jackson Lake with the mosquitoes. "Beware Bear" signs everywhere.

This morning, early, we drove from our Lodge back the way we came yesterday & walked to Leigh Lake by hiking along the shore of String Lake. It was FREEZING, with snowflakes swirling around us. It was a lovely walk through a conifer forest & we saw an elk & a few glimpses of the Teton Range when the fog cleared.

We then continued on down to Jenny Lake where, as it so happened, we arrived at the boat dock just as the boat shuttle was about to leave so we jumped aboard to go across to the other side of the lake where we did a very short walk to Hidden Falls. We dashed back along the trail to get a return boat back, then drove with focus back to our Lodge where I was able to negotiate a later check-out so we could pack & have brekky with some degree of calm!

So, back to driving north to Yellowstone:

We stop at Jackson Lake just north of our Signal Mt. Lodge & walk the delightful Christian Pond Loop through marsh habitat, then climb through a forested area with lovely flowers. The sun came out in patches but by the time we finished it was starting to snow again.

We continue driving north & entered Yellowstone National Park, crossing over Snake River. There is snow on the ground on both sides of the road. It is quite thick. We go over the Continental Divide 8391 ft (= 2557m) - no wonder it's snowing!

My Friend is trying to sleep & drive. We must be the only car on the mountain driving through snow with the windows open. It is 34 deg F (= 1 deg C). 15 kms to go. We stop at some falls - Kepler Cascades. I take over driving. Nearly there. The weather is foul.

We are staying the night at Old Faithful Inn. We are sharing bathroom facilities. My Friend is somewhat bemused by my choice but this is an old historical lodge & he quickly adjusts to the fact that this is a unique experience. Picture enormous lodge, soaring ceilings, all wood, stuffed animals mounted on the walls, stairs go up & up (no lifts of course!). Thankfully we are on the ground floor. As we check-in, a guided tour is standing in the corridor where our room is!

We unpack in our quaint little room, locate bathroom amenities and set out to see Old Faithful, the famous geyser. There is a crowd milling round as we approach, so guessing something is about to happen, we join them & after a little wait, Old Faithful erupts.

We watch a short film in the Visitors Centre about the thermal charactistics of the Park & then set off to walk around the geyser, hot springs, potholes - i.e. around the gurgling mud thermal area - a little more informed. We detour off the main boardwalk to ascend up to Observation Point (we see a couple of busy goldern-bellied marmots!) and we watch the next eruption of Old Faithful from a high viewpoint (Old Faithful erupts occur approx. every 90 mins).

For the descent, we take a loop walk which passes by Solitary Geyser which erupts every 5 mins - a little geyser we could stand really close to & watch it slowly boil. The walk back down was lovely - through conifer forest - & the sun was finally coming out. Such a lovely afternoon. Saw 2 more elk.

Total walk distance today: about 13 kms.

Monday 11 June

Lovely morning - blue sky, sunshine. What a difference to yesterday!

Left early for drive north through the Park. Stopped to go around boardwalk at Midway Geyser Basin: lots of opal-coloured pools with boiling water & lots of steam so at times it was like walking through a sauna (I had to take my glasses off to see!).

Landscape changes abruptly from arid thermal to open meadows, beautiful snow-covered mountains & green meadows with streams in the distance. Then around a corner: a steep descent down into a rocky canyon. Quite amazing. We stop at Mammoth Hot Springs which is only 5 miles now from the north entrance to the Park. An interesting Visitor's Centre here. Helpful. Good exhibits. A film on the establishment of the Park - the first in the U.S.

We drive on through lovely green-treed hills, with white-capped mountains still distant, blue sky, wonderful clouds. Lovely scenery & weather. We stop at Petrified Tree & Tower Falls (40 m) - we can still smell sulphur (a bit like Rotorua, Trev!) - & we spot an osprey floating high through what is now the canyon area of the Yellowstone River. We then ascend up to Dunraven Pass. I see a fox slinking off through a high meadow. There are snow drifts banked high along the road - this road must have been unpassable only a few weeks ago ... & we pass just below the summit of Mt Washburn (10,243 ft or 3122 m).

About 2.30 p.m. we arrive at Canyon Village where we will stay at the Lodge for 2 nights.

After My Friend had a snoooooze, we looked around the "village" such as it is, watch a film about the Park & the instability here due to the thermal activity. Blah, blah, blah - I think I had a few zzzzz's through this one.

Late in the afternoon, we drove down to the Yellowstone Falls - we walked the south rim from the Upper Falls through to Artists Point: about 6 kms return including taking the Uncle Tom's Trail 328 steps down to the Lower Falls & 328 steps back UP - all counted by My Friend who was a reluctant starter for ths excursion. Overall, a lovely walk through some nice conifer forest, with great colours on the rocky sides of the canyon below - yellow of course (hence, the name "Yellowstone").

Wildlife count for the day: at least 10 bison close up (on or close to the road), an osprey, a couple of elk, a fox.

Tuesday 12 June

Last day in Yellowstone NP.

Several elk, lotsa Canada Geese, lotsa bison, hypothetical sighting of a grizzly (we didn't see it), Mountain bluebird (1).

When we thought we were "over" hot pools etc we stopped at a couple of thermal areas on the way to Yellowstone Lake. More extensive than Rotorua, Trev.

Have to say, one thing I notice is the absence of signs warning you to not leave valuables in your vehice (we don't anyway). I keep puzzling each day why this is the case here. Very different from back home ...

We travel alongside the Yellowstone River. Stop at old fishing bridge - lovely views down the river to the snow-capped mountains. Stop at Yellowstone Lake.

Drive on out of south entrance of Park until we get views of the Tetons - we are in luck : skies are clear & we get great views. Picnic by a river. Drive back through Park stopping here & there for views. Back at Canyon Village we walk the north rim.

Hot shower (yesterday & this morning they were very lukewarm. Feel much better).

Leave early tomorrow to drive back to Salt Lake City (7 hours) & catch plane to Los Angeles. Fly home Thursday. Arrive Saturday.

Wednesday 13 June - Leaving Yellowstone today

Set up the Hertz Never-Lost for Salt Lake City Airport for car drop-off. This will be a test for the Hertz GPS as Julie has been packed away.

Leave early & cut across middle of Yellowstone Park to exit out the West Entrance. See a herd of moose plus a great view of a native fox - big white face - taking its time ambling across the meadow. Beautiful early morning light on the snow-capped mountains. Pretty creeks. More thermal pools issuing steam alongside the road. A herd of elk. Lotsa Canada geese. Fat golden-bellied marmot waddled across the road. We cross into Montana. For the first time in days we travel above 45 mph - my goodness, 70 mph as we exit Western Yellowstone past shops wiith names like Bullwinkle, Wild West Rodeo, Fall River Trading Post - where is the accelerator?!

Out of Montana - gee, we weren't there long ... We criss-cross State boundaries in quick succession around here. We started in Wyoming ths morning. Now into Idaho. We'll end up in Utah when we get to SLC.

Pass Henry's Lake. Lovely red log cabins. Cute herringbone-wooden fences.

Targhee Natural Park (same name as Davo's Keens shoes). Conifers. Must be a managed forest (there is a Ranger) - extensive, has camping areas.

More RV Parks. Buckles: you'd be at home over here.

$US 3.79 a gallon for fuel - looking for cheaper ($3.20 has been the cheapest, $4.40 was the most expensive: in Monument Valley, $4.02 yesterday in Yellowstone).

We can see the back of the Tetons soaring up high & jagged in the distance, now over our left shoulder to the east of us. The skies with beautiful cloud formations continue - they have been a real feature of ths trip, all over the US & Canada. Pass big city of Idaho Falls. Contemplate exiting for petrol but looks complicated. The road is bypassing all fuel stations. Isn't it a truism that The Next Exit will either be a cent more expensive - or a cent less.

Pass a truck called Bison Transport. A big retail outlet called The Fly Shop: "150,001 flies ..."

Get fuel for $3.86.

Turn south on Interstate-15. Pass a big town called Pocatello. Looks like a Mormon stronghold.

Cheese & bikkies at a rest stop. Yay, mindless driving for miles. Making good time to get to SLC. The rest stops in the US are very good when you get them - but they are few & far between .. Little picnic areas, gardens, really good. The Rest Rooms over here are generally very good - I know I have mentioned this before. Often no-hands flush, no-hands soap, no-hands water, even no-hands paper. This one had no locks ...

Need to get wi-fi. We are close into SLC now. Key Starbucks into Never-Lost. It takes us there. Miraculous. We get our first coffee since Moab last Thursday. Yay - double yay!

 

 

SLC to Grand Teton NP

Got up early & revisited Temple Square for a daylight view.

Another long drive today: 535 kms. Heading north. Weather forecast not good. Rain/snow (?) predicted, cold front on the way. Looks like winter woollies will come out of the suitcase again; no need to wash the shirts & t-shirts yesterday .... ?? (but all dried overnight). 

Long drive on freeways to exit Salt Lake City. Headed north on Interstate-15 then turn east at McCammon into Idaho on Hwy 30; topped up with fuel & changed into winter clothes! Temperature is now 48 deg F (do the calculations - about 9 deg C). We passed lava hot springs and cimbed up to Fish Creek Summit at 6066 feet (1850 m) which opened out onto an amazing valley on the other side: huge farms, very green - under irrigation.

At Soda Springs we turned north again & we passed a large Monsanto factory. Maybe that's why all the fields are so green: all that fertilizer!

The road narrowed but the valley widened: lots of mountains lined with conifers, huge lakes like Blackfoot Reservoir, streams, quaint farm buildings. 

The road & valley narrowed further, climbed, Grey's River paralled the road through to Tincup Canyon where we exited onto Hwy 26 & into Wyoming to Alpine Junction just after which there was white river rafting down Snake River which travels alongside us all the way to Grand Teton.

We eventually reached Jackson Hole.

By now, Julie, after a commendable start getting us out of SLC earlier in the day, had completely "lost it". We were navigating by My Friend 's phone app & my downloaded Google maps.

In Jackson, we loaded up with groceries, some great hot soup for lunch (it was by now about 4 p.m.) & got a Paper Map from the Tourist Info Service. Yay!

Fortunately, not too far to go now. Jackson looked "hip" - a bit like Banff (a welter of boutiques, galleries, and restaurants) but we pressed on as the weather was closing in & the day getting somewhat late. Looks like a fun place though & a big plus is the wonderful sealed bike track going all the way to the national park - all flat & beautiful views. What a great ride this would be.

The mountains as we entered Grand Teton NP were truly awesome: covered still in snow - &, today, a lot of fog! Still, we got glimpses & the sun did try hard to please. We saw a moose - briefly (too shy to emerge from his bush).

Arrived at Signal Mt. Lodge about 5.30 p.m. Sun came out in patches; we walked along the lakeshore. Just finished our dinner (great salads from the supermarket in Jackson) & it is now snowing large flakes!

Our cabin is overlooking the lake & we are looking across to the snow-capped mountains. Grand Teton itself is 13770 feet (= 4197 m!!).

Salt Lake City

Up at 5 a.m. to see the sunrise. Amazing.

This hotel has been THE BEST we have EVER stayed at. Even the lift has windows out to the views. It is beautifully designed & the service is very efficient. We are leaving feeling very refreshed.

Drive past the John Wayne Cabins. Buttes silhouetted in the morning light. Big drive today from Monument Valley to Salt Lake City (SLC): 620 kms. We share the driving.

As we set off, Julie's voice suddenly booms into the cabin of our car - she seems to have found her way again: welcome back Julie. Top up with gas at Mexican Hat & take photo - & keep on going.

Pass through Canyonlands. Photo at Wilson Arch.

Pass a couple of large pelotons of cyclists going the other way - in race/tour? Then 15 minute delay for road works just before Moab City. My Friend contributes to the blogging: "Stop for very good coffee from barista with waxed moustache, who apologised for lack of artistry with our lattes; also spoke to local cyclists who had no knowledge of the large group of cyclists we saw earlier."

Just after Moab City we see sign for Arches National Park. This had been recommended to us by Parks Ranger at South Rim in Grand Canyon NP. Julie has taken us on an unplanned detour. What a bonus! It is AMAZING. A million photos & over an hour later we leave, having seen just a portion of the Park, but we were well satisfied.

We drive on 95 deg F = 35 deg C. Looking for shady spot for picnic lunch. Keep driving.

Several freeway interchanges & a steep climb to 7477 ft up through a cutting parallel to the railway & river down below with TWO trains on the track going the SAME way through 2 tunnels (& a toot & a wave from the driver when he looked up to see us waving & photographing from a rock high up on the road above him) brought us onto Hwy 6 into the State of Utah & 140 kms to go to Salt Lake City.

Stop (finally) in rest area : sardines on bread for a late lunch.

We bypass towns with names like Spanish Fork, American Fork, Orem, Provo - HUGE. Most of these places were settled by Mormon pioneers in the 1850s. We see a big sign for the software company, Novell. Also a sign for Utah Valley Uni. Snow on mountains in the distance. Lot of traffic.

I am sitting in laundromat in Salt Lake City. The journey today was marvelous until about 70 kms out when it turned into a nightmare - traffic everywhere & going like the clappers. We decided we were an HOV ("high occupancy vehicle" = 2+ people in car). Fewer vehicles by far in the HOV lane - most vehicles have only 1 person in them.

My Friend has gone to get petrol.

My Friend is back. We are having problems with Travel Card. It seems in the last month, 5-digit pin is required. We have only 4-digit pin. Have to go into long explanation at each petrol station. My Friend has gone to get ice as no fridge in room.

My Friend is back with ice. Machine at laundromat almost finished. Hooray. I think we will dry stuff in our room to save time. We want to see SLC afterall. And we appear to have lost an hour somewhere between Grand Canyon & here...

Later ... After dinner at the Salt Lake City Brewery, we walk around the city centre. It is very clean; there are many tall buildings; the city has a glamorous air about it. We come upon the historic Temple Square - world headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is amazing. Huge. Beautiful. The amount of money invested in this complex is immense. Powerful influence here of course.

Trivia Q as we drive along: what % of State Parks plus National Parks does the US have relative to total land area c.f. Australia?

Monument Valley

Thursday 7 June

Walked to Bright Angel Point from our cabin - well past sunrise when we went though!

After brekky we drove back out to Jacob Lake & down Hwy 89A to connect up again with the Hwy 89 coming from Flagstaff/Cameron. Up a big climb through a deep red rock cutting with walls towering on each side - & we go through to Page for fuel & groceries - went to our first WalMart!







Still in Arizona. Backtracked a couple of kms to Horseshoe Bend which a photograper had told us about this mornng at the North Rim. Had to walk up a big sand dune & then down to the lip of the canyon (1.1 kms one way in baking heat 86 deg F) but the views of the Colorado River doing a 270 degree turn around a rocky outcrop, like a huge emerald python - 300 m down below - were amazing.

The scale of everything here is ENORMOUS.

Turn on to Hwy 98. Still big mesas, desert, lovely green, grey, brown, red colours. The desert grasses are of different shades of green & occasionally there's a clump of pretty flowers - some pink, some white, some red, some yellow.

200 kms to go. Joe Cocker on one radio channel; switch to the dulcet tones of Mandy (who remembers THAT song?!); another channel you can get analysts talking the stock market non-stop: jargon like "the stock is going parabolic (or it's tanked!)"), "use your retirement funds & buy silver". Roadside stops with local Navajo people selling silver, jewelley, pottery, mats. Trailer towns scattered along the way - desolate.

Turned onto Highways 160 then 163, entering Utah for a short time, then once on Monument Valley Rd we are back into Arizona. Spectacular scenery. Giant rocky outcrops, red in colour & dramatic in size & shape.

We got in about 2.30 p.m. after 399 kms - sharing the driving in short stints of about 50 to 100 kms each.

We are staying at the View Hotel (thanks Syd & Sue for the heads-up on this one). Our room has a view that is AMAZING out over the desert & the mesas & the buttes. This is the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.

It is about 87 deg F plus & we are not shifting from our balcony & air-conditioned room.

We have all the view you could possibly want & there's no need to go any further. We (well, I am; My Friend is sleeping ...) watching cars meander through the Park: dusty, rocky roads, hot sun. No thanks.

Grand Canyon

South Rim Tues 5 June

Got up early. Lovely morning. Walked the old town of Flagstaff admiring the fine old buildings including the Weatherford Hotel where Zane Gray & Wyatt Earp are meant to have hung out. Some of the buildings, including our B&B, are built out of moencopi sandstone which is quarried locally. We had a great coffee at a local cafe, Macy's. Flagstaff is a university town & benefits somewhat from that I think. It's got a bit of something going on including great cycling facilities: bike lanes on the roads everywhere; in fact, this week is Ride to Work & we saw dozens of people cycling this morning.

We got back to our B&B & had a very nice breakfast then set off for Grand Canyon via Safeway & the gas station. The supermarkets here are great with lots of options & especially good are the salads you can choose & buy by the carton making for great lunches.

As it turned out, we had little for lunch today. Too hot to eat outside anywhere - 94 deg F (34 deg C) was the highest today but the temperature fluctuated a lot as there was a very strong wind.

We drove to Grand Canyon via Wupatki & Sunset Crater Volcano where we did a very interesting lava flow walk & visited some fascinating "pueblos" which are ruins of dwellings used by indigenous Navajo families. Lots of nice plants: saltbush, apache, ponderosa pines, juniper.

As we entered the Grand Canyon NP about 3 p.m., traffic & crowds of course started to increase but we had been told by our hosts at our B&B in Flagstaff about a "secret" place to go to enjoy the Canyon in peace & quiet. We walked 20 mins from an unmarked spot & had the place exclusively. Very peaceful.

But to be honest, by the time we reached our lodge in the Grand Canyon Village about 5.30 p.m., the crowds were not anything like I had expected & we enjoyed wandering around the rim of the canyon, walking down the Bright Angel Trail a little way down into the Canyon itself, then back up again to walk more of the rim as the sun was gong down.

We sat on the stone fence eating pistachios (bought on the drive across from Yosemite to Monterey last Saturday - wow, does that seem like a long time ago!) & having a bourbon & coke - our Mr Page from our wine tasting in Yountville in the Napa Valley told us he drinks only Maker's Mark so we bought some at the supermarket. (As an aside, it's interesting here: in Safeway, if you don't have a "card" then you won't get the discount on "specials"; as we went through the check-out in the supermarket in Flagstaff this morning, the lady behind us put our groceries through on her card which was very nice of her, so we got the specials - & she got the discount on her petrol on her card! A good deal all the way round...).

As I was saying, we had bourbon & coke and nuts while watching the sun go down over the Grand Canyon. Very nice. And My Friend kept observing the Transit of Venus with his special $2 glasses from the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff. He was very chuffed.

But he wants dinner now, so I'd better finish this blog for the day!

North Rim 6 June

Total walked today 13.5 kms

Started the morning 5.30 a.m. Looked out the window - we are right on the Rim - & saw nice morning sunrise light on the Canyon; when I stepped outside - some others out there were still in their PJs (mind you, when I raced back in to tell My Friend about the elk, HE emerged in his PJs too!; & my hair - when I checked later - was definitely "bed hair"!) & there were BIG elk with BIG antlers. Honestly, you would have thought they'd been rolled out just to entertain the early-morning insomniac tourists.

We set off about 6 a.m. & using the shuttle buses, did our first walk of the day starting from the Kaibab Trailhead back along the Rim Trail. Then we took another shuttle bus (all free) along Hermit's Rest Road & stopped off at Hopi Pt to walk to Mohave Pt. We had the place almost totally to ourselves. Just lovely.

The plan today is to travel from the South Rim to the North Rim.

Now of course, you can't just drive across the Canyon. It would be only about 12 kms to do so! Instead, you have to drive around the Canyon: first east back out the way we came in yesterday to the Cameron Trading Post (about 83 kms) then turn north for 93 kms along Hwy 89, then turn back west along Hwy 89A for about 88 kms before turning south again on the Grand Canyon (north) NP road to reach North Rim. A total of about 340 kms.

Along the way the scenery was absolutely magnificent well & truly justifying the trip to the North Rim. Along Hwy 89 were the most amazing serrated edge ridges (one little town is called Vermillion Cliffs so I guess that is a good place to start colour-wise) - the colours were pink, rose & cream & against the blue sky it was just so beautiful.

We stopped at Lees Ferry on the 89A near Marble Canyon. There used to be ferry to cross the Colorado River here (manned by Mr Lee) but then a bridge across was built in the 1930s - a huge span which was BIG news at the time; another one was built later & the first de-commissioned to vehicular traffic.

On one of the spans perched 2 condors. Below, the Colorado was wide & the most beautiful emerald green.

We arrived at the North Rim about 3.30 p.m. The Grand Canyon Lodge is in a sensational position right on the Rim & the views are incredible. We love our cabin.

This place is really another world. North Rim is about 300 m higher than South Rim so you get a wonderful perspective. Even the drive in was so different from South Rim with its dry, desolate, painted deserts. Here, there are huge grassy alpine meadows & forest of conifers - so green. Altitude here is over 2400 m (higher than Mt Kosciuscko). Got to 92 deg F (33 deg C) today but that was before we climbed up to North Rim - it is much cooler here.

Late in the afternoon we drive around to a remote area of the Rim stopping at Roosevelt Point & a little way on we walked the Cliff Springs Trail down a forested ravine & under a large overhang to the spring. Back at the car there was a viewpoint where we could clearly see the Colorado River way down below winding its way through the Canyon. Of course by now the colours are terrific as we drive on to Cape Royal for the sunset. Another viewpoint here, called Angels Window, offers breath-taking views.

Back at the Lodge, we had a drink in the Saloon Bar to which we were drawn by the sound of The House of the Rising Sun playing & found a couple of country & western singers entertaining the small crowd there.

We had dinner in the massive dining room with its soaring ceilings & views across to South Rim.

As My Friend put it: "this place rocks".

To the desert

We are leaving now (about 7.45 a.m.) & have a long drive ahead to Grand Canyon in Arizona.

Not sure what the wi-fi will be like but we will emerge on Friday 8 June in Salt Lake City.

You sure see some interesting things on the road ...

We arrived in Flagstaff about 4.30 p.m. after 895 kms. We shared the drive in 4 lots. My Friend did the very tiring bit from Santa Barbara along the myriad of freeways skirting to the north of Los Angeles (LA); he & Julie (the GPS) made a good team - it would have been impossible without her. (I have to say I am very impressed with the road infrastructure in the US. The entire trip today was on freeways; also the driving here is generally good - we have found drivers to be unaggressive & respectful).

It was amazing how quickly the city became desert once we escaped the confines of LA - the landscape was amazing!

I took over once we escaped the LA traffic until petrol & lunch stop at Bullhead City: an unremarkable place but an "oasis" of sorts as the Colorado River flows through here providing water for farms & so transformng the dusty, rocky desert into green. By this stage we had taken 5.5 hours to travel 555 kms.

It was 104 deg F - convert that into deg C you baby-boomers out there! (=40 deg C). We had a picnic lunch at a park by the river. Boy, it was hot!

Shortly after lunch, we crossed the boundary into the county of Arizona. We saw exits to Route 66 - you can still see remnants of this once great highway (which went from Chicago to Los Angeles, a distance of 3940 kms).

We shared the last 340 kms of the drive equally & saw lots of long freight trains, eagles floating on the up-drafts, lots of desert with lovely brown, grey, green & mauve colours, some wonderful rocky outcrops & beautiful mountain ranges. But we were pleased to get in.

Our hosts at England House B&B have restored an historic home & are very enthusiastic and accommodating.

We had no idea, but there is an historic telescope at Flagstaff & it was just a hike up the road from where we are staying. The "planet" Pluto was discovered here (it as now been re-classified as a "dwarf planet").

As it so happened, we arrived just as the last tour of the day was taking place, so we joined it & learned about the history of the observatory. And we are obviously not up with things astronomical because, apparently, on May 20 there was an eclipse of the sun and TOMORROW (5 June) there is a Transit of Venus which only occurs rarely (there is not another for 105 years) - AND as it also turns out, the Lowell Observatory (http://www.lowell.edu/ ) at Flagstaff is where it is ALL HAPPENING!

So we have walked into something special. There was a lecture tonight by 2 eminent astrologists & then we got to see the planet Saturn through the main telescope. It was all pretty amazing.

And tomorrow it is all happening in the Grand Canyon - & we had no idea! (http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/transven.htm )

On our walk to the observatory, we saw elk grazing amongst the conifers.

Needless to say, dinner became a very poor last & so we had cheese & jam sandwiches plus fruit salad from our "picnic" supplies as it became too late to organise anything else.





Addendum: On one of the freeways skirting LA, we saw this exit: