Pat Gallagher's Blog

So this will  be the last episode of our Western Adventure.  I am sure most of you are very happy about that.  So today we are heading to Grand Canyon from Glen Canyon Dam, which is  about 2 and 1/2 hours, a short distance on this trip.  I have been looking forward to this part of the trip.  THE GRAND CANYON.  As a child you see pictures, movies and hear all sorts of stories about it.  Some people love it, are awed by it or yawn at it.  My critique will happen after I see the Grand Canyon.  My one girlfriend, who will remain nameless to protect the innocent, called it a hole in the ground.  Yet to be determined.  

So we had a nice breakfast, checked out the Dam and Lake Powell again before we headed out.  So traveling along to the Grand Canyon, we got to see some really Cool sights.  Rainbow Bridge, Glen Canyon, the Hanging Gardens, Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend before reaching the Grand Canyon.  Each one of these sights in and of itself are fabulous, awe inspiring, breathtaking and very Art worthy.  But we were on Freddy’s Fast track and did not have enough time at anyone of these locations to really take the time to enjoy the beauty of it all.  You really know there is a God after seeing these landscapes. Trying to draw or paint any one of these locations is a challenge to an Artist.  I will transcribe these thoughts to some paintings at a later date.  

On with the trip.  We arrive late to the Grand Canyon because of our sight seeing.  So our 2 and 1/2 trek turned out to be almost 8 hours because of stoping, hiking and looking. We arrive at the Grand Canyon at dusk.  We put out the big bucks to stay at the Grand Canyon Lodge.  Why Not! Only a few more days on the road before heading home.  The lodge was built in the 1930’s and only wealthy travelers could afford to stay there.  We settled in and headed out again to see the canyon before the sun went down.  Amazing! Wow! Breathtaking! Wow! Jaw dropping! Wow!  OK, I have to give Fred credit for saving the best for last.  We were sitting on the Lodge’s back porch with a glass of wine. Watching the sun go down over the Grand Canyon. It was a Moment. Period end of story. 

We have a dinner, walk back to our room and run into a Moose. Yes a Moose! Maybe a few, but who was counting?  Bedtime at the Grand Canyon.

I wake up very early to get some pictures of sunrise over the Grand Canyon before breakfast. Again, Amazing! Wow! Breathtaking! Wow! Jaw dropping! Wow! Another moment, this time, I felt like God was talking to me and all my past family and friends who have pass to the other side were all there.  It still gives me chills.  I was there for about an hour looking, taking pictures and walking around some of the trails before I went back to wake Fred.  We had the most elegant breakfast in the Lodge and then planned out day of hiking and seeing the Canyon.  

So we are going to look at what hikes are doable.  Do we want to walk, hike, ride a mule or go on the guided tour OVER the canyon, YES over the canyon! On the glass walkway that overhangs the 6000 ft Grand Canyon. Well from the get go, the see through overhang skywalk that Ranger Raoul says is only about 100 ft to the center and 100 ft back does not understand that one foot is too many for me. NO, NOT, NEVER! Moving along the mule thing is out of the question.  I have no problems with Mules, none whatsoever.  But when Ranger Raoul started telling us about the mule trip, heights and helicopter removal I started going weak in the knees. We settled on the self guided, easy pace trip that would not involve $15,000. and evacuation plan or my death by fright. We head out to the Bunny Trail and I see specs of dirt that seem to be moving down in the canyon.  I take my sun glasses off clean them, rub my eyes and clean the glasses again.  NOPE it was a trail of people on mules deep in the canyon.  I was only looking at moving specs and I almost threw up.  

We continued our self guided tour, against Ranger Raoul’s better judgement and drove from site to site to see the canyon. As you remember, Freddy the Fireman, who is not in the least bit afraid of heights wants to hike down these areas so he can get a better look at the the 6000 ft incision in the Colorado River.  All I can think of is heartless Ranger Rick’s warning from a few days back.   Nope, I am not hiking down anywhere, today I am an observer and proud of it.  So as we go from site to site Fred wants to hike down and get closer to the edge to get a better look.  I say take a picture, go on the internet, make friends with one of those foreigners who are hanging off the edge to get the perfect vacation photo.  Ranger Raoul told us not to get too close to the edge or take any risky photos because every day five people die from falling over the edge trying to get a perfect photo.  What does SPLAT look like?  Thank goodness I have the telephoto sense for my iphone so I don’t have to get any closer than the railing.  

The day ends with a wonderful dinner and another sunset over the canyon.  NO ART TODAY! But many ideas swirling around in my head. 

We woke early and had another look at the canyon, then head south towards Route 66. This will be the quickest way to get back to Vegas to start our trek home.  We did get some kicks on Route 66.  What a fun town!  Memorabilia everywhere.  The town is about 2 miles long of fun chachki stuff.  Everything you want or need to know about Route 66 is on those 2 miles of highway.  Even Smokey the Bear.  Fred and I continued to go down memory lane as we went from shop to shop to shop ending up at Rods Steak House, where he swore the owners would remember him from 50 years ago.  We entered Rod’s, passing the giant polyurethane Cow at the entrance of the restaurant.  After Fred approached the owner and told him the whole story of his trip 50 years ago and insisted that he recognize him, I gently nudged Fred out of the restaurant and told him the new Asian owners were being nice and really didn't remember you.  He disagreed.  We had a great dinner at a funky dinner spot then looked for some local music.  We headed back to our hotel for a good night sleep before heading to Vegas in the AM.  NO ART TODAY! 

At the end of our exciting day yesterday, we arrived at the Wren B&B in Bluff, Utah.  We got settled and had a few drinks to settle my nerves on the back porch of the B&B. The B&B was a bit out of the way but after my traumatic day, I wanted something special.  The B&B was in the middle of nowhere, it was like an oasis in the desert.  It sat at the base of one of the Cliffs/ Mesas we just hiked.  I was very glad to be enjoying the view and not having to hike on the ledges.  Then we enjoyed a great dinner at the Cottonwood Steakhouse.  Throughout our trip I have been rating our locations and lodgings,  this was one of the most scenic locations, B&B was very nice, breakfast was great but the bed was made of rocks.  I guess a reminder of my hike!  In all the hubbub of yesterday I forgot to mention Arches National Park.  Another wonder of the USA. It is a 73,234-acre wonderland of eroded sandstone fins, towers, ribs, gargoyles, hoodoos, balanced rocks, and, of course, arches northwest of Moab.  Again if you ever get a chance to visit there, it is fabulous and I didn't have to climb anything.

As we get on the road, today will be a touring day.  We are headed to Fort Bluff, Utah, then Monument Valley, Colorado, ending at Glen Canyon Dam at Lake Powell, AZ. So we will be traveling about 300 miles, 6 hours without stops. Who knows how long with stops at these destinations?  YIKES!!!!!! It is still better than risking my life to see Cliff Dwellers who had the sense eventually move on.

We  arrive at Fort Bluff which is called "Hole in the Wall Trail!  Not sure why?  All we could find out was that it was built by Mormons in 1880's and it was their last stop on a trail they never found!!!!! But we found it and it was pretty cool.  Thanks Mormon men and women for leaving exact replicas of your daily life. 

Then we headed to Monument Valley but before we could get there we had to backtrack about 70 miles because I wanted scenic lodgings that  were totally out of our way.  Oh well!  We get to pass the 4 Corners again.  If you have never visited Monument Valley, you are missing another one of the greatest sights of the USA.  It is a vast scenic landscape in the region of the Colorado Plateau,  it is located on the Arizona and Utah border, near the Four Corners area, that we visited yesterday. The valley lies on the territory of the Navajo Reservation with MANY structures that were made by the effects of wind, water and sand over thousands and thousands of years.  The largest reaching 6,000 ft. above the valley floor.  Everything we are seeing today is by car with a short walk around because the area covers over 20 square miles.  NO Hiking today!  After seeing the iconic vistas of my childhood westerns movies, we head out towards Glenn Canyon Dam.

Glen Canyon Dam is 710 ft high dam, built in 1956 to 1966 and is the little Brother of the Hoover Dam which is 726 ft high and built in 1931-1936.  So we got to see the Glen Canyon Dam, but as Dams go this was pretty big and very impressive.  I am sure no one ever heard of it or really cares!   But we do a tour of the whole Dam and have to cross over the Dam which is a bit more sturdy that the Cliff Dwellers passage, so I am very relieved.  After that we head to our Hotel in Lake Powell.  A  Wydham Hotel overlooking the dam and Lake Powell.  Where have these hotels been????? Dinner and early to bed.  No Art Today!  Tomorrow we head to the Grand Canyon.