My favorite sister, Yvonne and I, decided to take a trip to see the canyons in Arizona and Utah while I am visiting her in Tucson.   Last fall we visited San Diego and I got us a four day cruise to Cabo San Lucas, my sister's first cruise!  You may also read about our day to day experiences on our trip to the canyons below the following the links!

Space.

Daily Diary of Our Vacation:

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San Francisco to Tucson Arizona & the Car Pickup.

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September 21, 2010

Day 1:  I went to the San Francisco airport (S.F.O.) to go to Tucson on South West Airlines and got there an hour early to have a coffee and croissant.  Well suddenly the time went from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and then to 1:00 p.m.   Excuse me.

So I rushed to the desk and they put me on a flight to San Diego and a plane change to Tucson.  By the time I rented a car and got to my sister's house I could have flown to London!

The Fox Plaza Apartment complex is just completing a new exterior paint job.  I left at eight A.M. from the 28th floor for the San Francisco International Airport and as I was leaving I looked out the window and I saw an advertizing blimp fly by!

On the left is the Mark Hopkins Hotel.  The building to it's right is the Fairmont Hotel.  The tall silver tower on the right side of the photo is the Hilton Tower and the grey building to the left of it is the St. Francis Hotel.  And this is only my view from the left side of my apartment. 

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Tucson to Flagstaff

     
September 22, 2010 Day 2:  We left Tucson to drive to Flagstaff for our first night away from Tucson.   We got to Phoenix and it was over 100 degrees, I was not happy.   We got out of the car to stretch and that lasted about five minutes and we were in the car with air conditioning going full blast. 

We got to Flagstaff and stopped for a late lunch at Denny's and the waitress said the hotels were full but gave us her card and sent us to a local motel and we got a good reduced rate, only about $59.00.  Such a deal! 

The motel was nice and clean and we enjoyed a first night away from Tucson with nice views from the windows.

     

Grand Canyon Sight Seeing

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September 23, 2010 Day 3:  Today we drove to the Grand Canyon.  The weather was perfect, only about 85 degrees.  We visited the Visitor's Center and told the man that Yvonne was handicapped and he smiled.  He said we could drive the east side of the South Rim from the Center to the Village but the best route was the west side that was closed to cars, only the shuttle could be used.

Except in our case, we were given a sheet of paper with a code and were told to use it to enter the shuttle only east rim tour. 

We drove to the Village, stopping along the way to take photos and talk to other tourists.  Then we had lunch at the Village and sent our aunt and uncle Johnny and Vera anniversary cards for their 70th wedding anniversary.  

Then we drove to the 'special' gate, entered the code and the gate opened up.  A bunch of women gave us a dirty look, like who are these people going through the special gate!   We saw only two other cars the entire time on the east end and took may spectacular photos.  We also met three men from India and had a great time talking to them. 

We then drove to Page and stayed at a motel by the Navaho Bridge.  We also had dinner there and filled the car with gas for the next day's trip to Kanab Utah.

Grand Canyon Overview

The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, one of the first national parks in the United States. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of preservation of the Grand Canyon area, and visited it on numerous occasions to hunt and enjoy the scenery.

The Grand Canyon is 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide and attains a depth of over a mile (1.83 km) (6000 feet). Nearly two billion years of the Earth's geological history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut their channels through layer after layer of rock while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted. While the specific geologic processes and timing that formed the Grand Canyon are the subject of debate by geologists, recent evidence suggests the Colorado River established its course through the canyon at least 17 million years ago. Since that time, the Colorado River continued to erode and form the canyon to the point we see it at today.

Before European immigration, the area was inhabited by  who built settlements within the canyon and its many caves. The Pueblo people considered the Grand Canyon ("Ongtupqa" in Hopi language) a holy site and made pilgrimages to it. The first European known to have viewed the Grand Canyon was García López de Cárdenas from Spain, who arrived in 1540.

Grand Canyon in the Afternoon


Yvonne & Chuck - Southwest Canyons

Yvonne and Chuck


Yvonne & Chuck - Southwest Canyons

Layers of History


Yvonne & Chuck - Southwest Canyons

Trees clinging to the cliffs!


Yvonne & Chuck - Southwest Canyons

Overlooking the Grand Canyon!

Yvonne & Chuck - Southwest Canyons

Colorado River Winding throught the Canyon.


Yvonne & Chuck - Southwest Canyons

Yvonne

Yvonne & Chuck - Southwest Canyons

Lunch with new friends!

     

Zion National Park

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September 24, 2010 Day 4:  We arrived at Kanab Utah and stopped at the Red Feather Motel and found out the office opened at 3:00 p.m.   We asked if there would be a room available and were told, yes.

So off we drove to Zion National Park.  My sister said originally that she was not interested in Zion but as we drove into the park she suddenly said, "This is better than the Grand Canyon!"  

The road going into the park was a mess.   Lots of road construction and sometimes 60 or more cars stopped, waiting for the other cars to transverse the areas of one lane.  We were lucky as most of the time we were in the first group to go through the road stoppages.

We didn't take the shuttle as it was over 100 degrees and my sister didn't feel up to it.   We did get lots of photos and I didn't miss the shuttle too much as it was so hot. 

We got back to the hotel around 3:00 p.m. and got a room.  We met two couples and had a nice conversation, one couple from Milan Italy and the other from Seattle.

Zion National Park Overview

Zion National Park is a national park located in the Southwestern United States, near Springdale, Utah. A prominent feature of the 229-square-mile (593 km2) park is Zion Canyon, 15 miles (24 km) long and up to half a mile (800 m) deep, cut through the reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone by the North Fork of the Virgin River. The lowest elevation is 3,666 ft at Coal pits Wash and the highest elevation is 8,726 ft at Horse Ranch Mountain. Located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions, the park's unique geography and variety of life zones allow for unusual plant and animal diversity. Numerous plant species as well as 289 species of birds, 75 mammals (including 19 species of bat), and 32 reptiles inhabit the park's four life zones: desert, riparian, woodland, and coniferous forest. Common plant species include cottonwood, Cactus, Datura, Juniper, Pine, Boxelder, Sagebrush, yucca, and various willows. Notable mega fauna include mountain lions, mule deer, and Golden Eagles, along with the reintroduced Bighorn Sheep. Zion´s also has rare and endangered species such as the Peregrine Falcon, Mexican spotted owl, California condor, desert tortoise, and the Zion snail, found nowhere else on earth. Zion National Park includes mountains, canyons, buttes, mesas, monoliths, rivers, slot canyons, and natural arches.

Zion National Park


Yvonne & Chuck - Southwest Canyons

This tunnel was constructed in 1930 and is 1.1 Miles Long!


Yvonne & Chuck - Southwest Canyons

Entering Zion National Park


Yvonne & Chuck - Southwest Canyons

The Sundial Mountains in the center.


Yvonne & Chuck - Southwest Canyons

Strange layers of rock formations.


Yvonne & Chuck - Southwest Canyons

View from the Visitor's Center.


Yvonne & Chuck - Southwest Canyons

These peaks looked like bee or wasp nests!


Yvonne & Chuck at Zion Park

Yvonne & Chuck at Zion Park

Chuck and His Favorite Sister, Yvonne!

Bryce Canyon & Coral Sand Dunes Park

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September 25, 2010 Day 5:  Today we drove to Bryce Canyon and enjoyed the sights.  It was warm but not too hot.  We drove through about half of the park as my sister got tired and some of the views were up steep hills.  Even so, we had some great views and photo opportunities.

We stopped for a late lunch and had to laugh, the cafe did not have mashed potatoes and gravy, my sister's favorite.  So the waiter went back and asked his parents where we should to and they said a restaurant at the Zion - Bryce Canyon junction. 

So we did stop there for a nice meal.  We had to laugh, the very cute waiter, blond and about 21 was asked about all the Indian artifacts on the walls and he said he probably slept through the history classes in school.

For some reason I said I had been in the computer industry for over 40 years and he said again, he took computer technology classes in school but either slept or ignored the class!   My sister and I agreed, if we went back in 20 years he would still be there handing out food except, my favorite sister said, "Yes but, his tits would be sagging lower!"

We also stopped at the Coral Sand Dunes Park, lots of sand dunes colored salmon and lots of desert plants.

     

Bruce Canyon National Park Overview

The major feature of the park is Bryce Canyon which, despite its name, is not actually a canyon but a giant natural amphitheater created by erosion along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau.

Bryce is distinctive due to geological structures called hoodoos, formed by wind, water and ice erosion of the river and lake bed sedimentary rocks. The red, orange and white colors of the rocks provide spectacular vistas for park visitors. Bryce is at a much higher elevation than nearby Zion National Park. The rim at Bryce varies from 8,000 to 9,000 feet (2,400 to 2,700 m). The Bryce area was settled by Mormon pioneers in the 1850s and was named after Ebenezer Bryce, who homesteaded in the area in 1874. The area around Bryce Canyon became a U.S. National Monument in 1923 and was designated as a national park in 1928. The park covers 56 square miles (145 km2) and receives relatively few visitors compared to Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon, largely due to its remote location. The town of Kanab, Utah, is situated at a central point between these three parks.

Bruce Canyon National Park


Bryce Canyon

Entering the canyon.


Bryce Canyon

Ourfirst look out!


Bryce Canyon

Our first look out!


Bryce Canyon

Sister and Brother enjoying the sights!


Bryce Canyon

Afternoon colors.


Bryce Canyon

Leaving Bryce Canyon

Coral Sand Dunes Park Overview

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is a state park in southwestern Utah, United States, located between Mount Carmel Junction and Kanab, south and west of U.S. Highway 89 in Kane County. The park features uniquely pink-hued sand dunes located beside red sandstone cliffs. The dunes are formed from the erosion of pink-colored Navajo Sandstone surrounding the park. High winds passing through the notch between the Moquith and Moccasin Mountains pick up loose sand particles and then drop them onto the dunes as a result of the Venturi effect. The dunes are estimated to be between 10,000 and 15,000 years old. The park allows camping, hiking, off-road vehicle driving, and photography. There is a conservation area of 265 acres (1.07 km2), and the total grounds include 3,370 acres (13.6 km2). It was established as a Utah state park in 1963.

The Coral Pink Sand Dunes tiger beetle (Cicindela albissima) is endemic to the dunes, being found nowhere else in the world. The park also contains most of the remaining individuals of the rare plant known as Welsh's milkweed (Asclepias welshii), a federally listed threatened species.

Coral Sand Dunes Park


Coral Sands Dunes

Pinkish Dunes!


Coral Sands Dunes

Plants growing in just dry sand!

Stopping for Lunch as We Drove to Glen Canyon Dam


Yvonne & Chuck at Zion Park

Strange Rock Formations

Yvonne & Chuck at Zion Park

The Golden Hills Restaurant, at the Zion Bryce Junction!


Yvonne & Chuck at Zion Park

A great restaurant and lots of local Indian souvenirs!

Yvonne & Chuck at Zion Park

Entire Stock on Sale for ever and ever!

Glen Canyon Dam & Walnut Canyon Park

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September 26, 2010 Day 6:  Today we left Kanab and started back to Page Arizona and on to Flagstaff.   Along the way we saw a sign that we were passing the Glen Canyon Park with  the Glen Canyon Dam.   So we thought, why not stop and see the dam and visitor's center.  We had a nice time viewing the dam and reading about the history.

In the front of the center was a large slab of stone with foot prints of dinosaurs that were 20 feet long, the dinosaurs, not the foot prints.   We met a nice woman from England who took our photo overlooking the dam and Lake Powell.  This river feeds Lake Powell and the Boulder Dam in Nevada by Las Vegas.

We saw a road off of Flagstaff that indicated the Walnut Canyon Park with houses build about 1000 C.E. in the sides of cliffs.   We also saw the Sunset Crater Volcano, all in all, an interesting short drive off the freeway.

We were about 40 miles from Tucson when I noticed a crack in the windshield!  It was about eight inches long, then later it was 12 inches and by the time I turned the car in, it was about two feet long!  It was covered by the collision insurance at least!

     

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Overview

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (shortened to Glen Canyon NRA or GCNRA) is a recreation and conservation unit of the United States National Park Service that encompasses the area around Lake Powell and lower Cataract Canyon in Utah and Arizona, covering 1,254,429 acres (5,076.49 km2) of mostly rugged high desert terrain. The recreation area is named for Glen Canyon, which was flooded by the Glen Canyon Dam, completed in 1966, and is now mostly submerged beneath the waters of Lake Powell.

Glen Canyon NRA borders Capitol Reef National Park and Canyonlands National Park on the north, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument on the west, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument and the northeasternmost reaches of Grand Canyon National Park on the southwest, and the Navajo Nation on the southeast. The southwestern end of Glen Canyon NRA in Arizona can be accessed via U.S. Route 89 and State Route 98. State Route 95 and State Route 276 lead to the northeastern end of the recreation area in Utah.

Glen Canyon NRA was established in 1972 "to provide for public use and enjoyment and to preserve the area's scientific, historic, and scenic features." The stated purpose of Glen Canyon NRA is for recreation as well as preservation (whereas a national park may carry more emphasis on natural preservation). As such, the area has been developed for access to Lake Powell via five marinas, four public campgrounds, two small airports, and numerous houseboat rental concessions.

Glen Canyon Park


Yvonne & Chuck at Glen Canyon Park

Glen Canyon Dam

Yvonne & Chuck at Glen Canyon Park

Glen Canyon Bridge


Yvonne & Chuck at Glen Canyon Park

Lots of dinasours roamed this land!

Yvonne & Chuck at Glen Canyon Park

Enjoying the View!

Walnut Canyon Park Overview

Walnut Canyon National Monument (Hopi: Wupatupqa) is a United States National Monument located about 10 mi (16 km) southeast of downtown Flagstaff, Arizona, near Interstate 40. The canyon rim elevation is 6,690 ft (2,040 m); the canyon's floor is 350 ft lower. A 0.9 mi (1.4 km) long loop trail descends 185 ft (56 m) into the canyon passing 25 cliff dwelling rooms constructed by the Sinagua, a pre-Columbian cultural group that lived in Walnut Canyon from about 1100 to 1250 AD. Other contemporary habitations of the Sinagua people are preserved in the nearby Tuzigoot and Montezuma Castle national monuments.

Walnut Canyon Park


Yvonne & Chuck at Walnut Creek  Park

A volcano ruined the land for miles!

Yvonne & Chuck at Walnut Creek  Park

This is the only building left after a thousand years!


Yvonne & Chuck at Glen Canyon Park

The locals lived on steep hill sides, carrying water up the small paths.

Yvonne & Chuck at Glen Canyon Park

Wupataki Native American houses along the steep cliffs.

Last Night on the Trip - Flagstaff Hotel and Restaurant!

We were very tired and decided to stop on the last day and get a room at a motel instead of trying to drive to Tucson. We had a nice dinner and decided to use the swimming pool. Suddenly we had a good laugh, we realized we had stayed at the same motel a few years ago when we did a southwestern tour to New Mexico!

Last Night on the Trip

The food at Mamma Luisa was great - next to the Best Western!

Last Night on the Trip

Enjoying spaghetti and a glass of wine!


Last Night on the Trip

We stayed at the Best Western hotel with a pool!

Last Night on the Trip

Sis got to use the Jacuzzi, the perfect thing after a long drive!

Indian Casino - Tucson

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September 27, 2010 Day 7:  Today we relaxed in Tucson and then decided to go the local Indian Casino for lunch.  They have a great cafe that looks like a 1960's restaurant with music and decorations to match.

We did do the penny machines but we each put in $20.00 and within about 15 minutes we were broke so off we went back home.

I decided to clean out the old climbing vines on the porch and it took me about three hours in the 90 degree heat but I do like to be active so the porch looks a lot cleaner and the vines will start to grow again from the cut off areas.  (Even if my sister doesn't believe it!)  They have been growing there for over ten years! 

We finally got to play cards as we were so busy or tired we just forgot to play cards on our whirl wind trip.

     

Indian Casino - Tucson


Indian Casino - Tucson

My sister loves to gamble at the Indian Casino!

Indian Casino - Tucson

They have a great cafe with reasonable prices!

Lunch at the Thunder Canyon Brewery

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September 28, 2010 Day 8:  Today we visited a friend of ours, Mary and her husband.  Mary joined up for lunch at a local shopping center - Thunder Canyon Brewery.

We have eaten there before and the food is great and a good price.  They brew their own beer there so lots of choices to be had.

We went back to Mary's condo and spent the afternoon getting up to date.

Later that afternoon we were back home and Neal was in his room and Yvonne was out in the front yard. I was sitting in the living room watching the news on TV when suddenly I heard a horrible crash!   I jumped out of the chair and yelled out!  

The very heavy ceiling fan/light, crashed onto the table where we play cards!  The screws in the ceiling gave way.  We were lucky we weren't playing cards and our heads would have been basked in by the fan blades.  All in all, very exciting.

We did play cards for the last time that night before I left for San Francisco the next morning.

     

Thunder Canyon Brewery


Thunder Canyon Brewery

Thunder Canyon Brewery bar and restaurant!

Thunder Canyon Brewery

A great lunch at the Thunder Canyon Brewery.

Tucson to Los Angeles and on to San Francisco

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September 29, 2010 Day 9:  The plane was delayed again, but not enough for me to miss my flight to LAX and on to SFO.  I met a young Taiwanese man who deals in specialty saloon hair care products and skin care and gave me his card.  He said he would send my samples of skin care for me to try.

Then on the plane a couple sat next to me, from St. Louis.  We had a long talk and they asked for my card as they love to come to the City.  I got home around 4:00 p.m. and down loaded my photos and relaxed and had dinner and to bed! 

Another great trip!  Wonder where I will go next?  India or Puerto Rica, time will tell!

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Created on: 2010.08.15
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Updated on: 2020.09.20