March 27 Trip Summary

On Tuesday we filled up the gas tank in the car in preparation for our departure Wednesday morning. The rest of the day was spent going to the movies ($5.00 today) to see FOCUS and chilling by the swimming pool.  With the movie tics we got a BOGO free entree at TGI Fridays so that was where we went for dinner. The last order of business was repacking so we would be ready in the morning.

Wednesday night
We are home again, safe and sound. The flight home was uneventful except for about 10 minutes of mild turbulence.  I was expecting worse because of the inclement weather across the U.S.  The lineup at the airport in Toronto was humungous due to a backlog at Customs.  We had to line up to line up. Adrian picked us up from the airport. The house was tidy, thanks to Justin, for which I was very grateful.
Summary
Summing up, it was really nice to get out of the cold and snow.  We were busy sightseeing every day and didn't stop much to rest but, when you have a flight home booked you have to keep moving toward that goal. The two states were interesting to see; it certainly provides a view of a different way of life.  Vegas was busy and fun and as Dorothy said "Disney world for adults".

March 23 Monday Hoover Dam

Our trip to the Hoover Dam started in the morning and wrapped up around 2 pm. We took the Power Plant tour. There is lots of information to read and the site is a awe-inspring. It was a very warm day and I am getting tourist burn out. I think tomorrow should be a "law low" day.

March 22 Sunday Drive to Vegas

Today was spent driving to Las Vegas. We drove by the Hoovee Dam and decided to come back Monday when it should be less busy.
We checked into our hotel and then got our luggage organized. Carl's card got declined at the front desk and when we called the Credit card company they told us they had to cancel it because someone was trying to use it fraudulently. Luckily, my card is still ok.
Sam's Hotel has a large variety of stuff to do and places to eat. It even has its own 13 theatres on site as well as a bowling alley.  For dinner, we decided to get the buffet and get the temptation over with.  There was so much food and the desert section is almost bigger than some of the others put together. As we were eating, there was a laser and water show just outside the restaurant in the courtyard. Needless to say, we were stuffed when we left there.

I decided that since I had not yet gambled that I would risk a buck and give it a shot. Needless to say, I am now sixty cents poorer.

After this big loss we went to look for the pool. It looks pretty nice.

Tomorrow we will target the Hoover Dam.

March 21 Saturday More Grand Canyon and more

This morning we drove back to the Grand Canyon to see the Desert View drive scenic points. Today it took quite a while to get through the gates. There are several unnamed and named pull ins to stop at and enjoy the view, slightly different from yesterday.

At around 2 pm, we arrived at Desert View Visitor Center and had a late lunch there. We looked around at the watch tower and said good-bye to the Grand Canyon. 

 After driving over to the Wupatki National Monument, we looked a a few more ruins.

Further along the trail, the earth started turning black. This is volcanic ash from the last eruption, some plants are already established here. We came to an overlook that identified the dormant volcano and its vents as they are today. 

Around the road from this site was an immense lava field.

This was our last sightseeing for today. 

March 20 Friday Grand Canyon

The whole day was spent at the Grand Canyon. We walked a lot! It was beautiful and below are a few pics. We did not get back to our room until 10 pm so it was a very full day.

Getting into the park only took a few minutes. We then drove to the  Visitor Center, chatted with a ranger on how to approach the day and then headed off  to start our hike at Mather Point.
Later in the afternoon we decided to stay and watch the sunset not anticipating any issues. The reality was quite different. After sunset it got colder but we were prepared for that. It seemed like longer than 15 mins for the shuttle bus to come get us and when it came it filled up so we had to wait again. Luckily with much squishing we got into this bus. It was very cozy. When we got back to the transfer station, we had to wait for 2 busses to get a ride back to the Visitor Center (last stop). Last stop arrived and we all piled off the bus. Wait, it was pitch black outside and there are no street lights. You could not see a thing and the bus driver pointed in the general direction of parking lot. Did I mention it was pitch black? Luckily, Carl had a flashlight on his phone and we headed off in the direction we thought was right. We were close and finally found our car. Did I mention that I was very frustrated by this time; too frustrated to enjoy the the amazing night sky. The stars were amazing. On the bus we were warned about the possibility of hitting an elk at this time but we did not see one and got home safe.

March 19 Thursday Sedona

The day arrived with a bit of sun which was unexpected based on the previous weather forecast so we set off to explore south of Flagstaff. Hwy 89 took us initially to Oak Creek Canyon. The canyon is about 16 miles long and rarely more than 1 mile wide. The canyon is known for its spectacularly coloured white, yellow and red cliffs dotted with pine, cypress and juniper.

The next stretch of road brought us around many turns and presented us with scenery such as we had not seen yet. We kept stopping to take pictures but of course, you can never do nature justice.

Arriving in Sedona we checked out the main drag and then decided to continue on Hwy 89 to Tuzigoot. Here there is a hilltop pueblo ruin, occupied until 1425.

Continuing on our current route brought us to Jerome, a town initially based on copper mining. Jerome is known for its 1900s brick buildings that cling to the slopes of Cleopatra Hill.

Lunch was had in Prescott, the original territorial capital. Lunch was followed by a short walk around town.

Late afternoon we headed back to Flagstaff on the interstate.

March 18 Wednesday Painted Desert Flagstaff

We left ABQ at 9:00 and after a few hours arrived at our first stop, The Petrified Forest National Park. I must say that of all the places we have been so far, this is the nicest. At the park we saw scenery, petrified logs and petroglyphs. Around each corner was a view, more stunning than the last. I have posted a few photos below.

As we approach Flagstaff, it started to rain. The weather will determine where we go tomorrow.

March17 Tuesday Albuquerque

We spent all morning at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. The center depicts the history, art and culture of New Mexico's 19 American Indian Pueblos. It was interesting but we are getting to the point of seeing things we have seen before.

They have a very nice cafe on the grounds where we had a very good lunch that included blue corn onion rings as an appetizer.

Some trees are in bloom here with white and pink blossoms showing.

After our tummy expanding lunch we decided to go to the Nuclear Science History museum. There was a lot of reading but, very educational. It was almost closing when we left there.

After this, we were both pooped and wrapped up our sightseeing, returning to our room.

March 16 Albuquerque

This morning we set off for Albuquerque via the scenic Turquoise Trail. It was a beautiful drive albeit it a bit slower than the interstate.

We drove straight to the Turquoise Mine Museum arriving in time for the 11:0 tour. I learned a lot like the fact that the turquoise in the native american jewellery is likely not native but more likely from  China. Turquoise  starts out white and darkens in colour over time. The darker the colour, the more valuable and the more spider veins, the more it is desired. No photos were allowed in the museum.
At the Museum of Natural History & Science, we saw two movies; one about the city of Jerusalem in 3D which was interesting.

This afternoon we saw various exhibits about dinosaurs, early computers, the Mars Rover and Birds of Paradise. We could have spent more time here but the museum closed at 5.
Check out the Brachiosaurus front leg.

I saw Obsidian and skeletons of Dire wolves (reference to Game of Thrones).

Here Carl stands beside a 700 year old tree slice.

Tonight we are staying at a newly renovated Econolodge. It looks pretty good.

March 15 Sunday Taos Enchanted Circle Drive

Yesterday at McDonald's I filled out a survey and as thanks I got 2 for 1 Egg McMuffins so breakfast today was a real deal. Heading off of our Enchanted Circle drive we first detoured to the Rio Grande Bridge, one of the highest spans in the world.  At first glance  it did not look like much but then staring down into the gorge, the view is spectacular.

Backtracking then we headed north of 522 to Arroyo Hondo, a small artists colony. Questa is the next town, a small hamlet with rivers, mountains, and lakes against a rocky backdrop.

At Questa, we took Hwy 38 to Red River. Here the drive takes you through a mountain pass with mountains rising up on both sides of the road; it is gorgeous.
Red River is a cute little town, which still has quite a bit of snow on the ski hills and skiiers enjoying it. The town still retains an old west architecture.

At Bobcat Pass, 9,800 feet above sea level, there were snowmobilers enjoying the snow and a beautiful day. After this we passed Angel Fire, another ski resort. Hwy 64 back to Taos is a windy twisty turvy road that brought us back in time for lunch.
Carl wanted Mexican food so we stopped at the Guadalajara Grill.

To sum up, the Enchanted Circle drive was an interesting way to spend 3 1/2 hours while viewing spectacular scenery.
The after found us returning to Sante Fe via the High Road. This road toward the end is like a roller coaster but you get to see some local villages and jaw dropping views.

We returned to Sante Fe for the night and will head off to Albuquerque tomorrow morning.