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Saturday, September 21, 2019

Traveling the West, Part Three: Arizona

Well, here we are in northwest Arizona, friends.  We looped onto Route 66 hoping to see a lot of cheesy roadside attractions, but this was the only stop along the whole loop.  It's mostly antique memorabilia, but fun to look at.



photo



I took the next picture just for the cactus and Joshua tree.  Don't see those on the Oregon coast!




It was fun to look around inside the store, too.  We each bought a Route 66 sweatshirt.




After a long drive with not much to see, we put down roots for three days at a park in Williams, AZ.  It was the last place we stayed before heading into Grand Canyon National Park.




Wally and LuLu had room to run free, but it was so dang hot except in the early morning and late evening.




I thought of my blogging friend, Connie, when I took the following cool tree bark photo.  She likes this stuff.  So do I.




The remainder of today's photos were taken along the Grand Canyon's south rim.  They don't come close to showing the awesomeness of the place, but you've seen plenty of Grand Canyon photos, I'm sure.  We arrived mid-day when the sun was high, the distance hazy, and the shadow play minimal.  Nevertheless, these are my photos which will look fantastic in large print in our yearly Shutterfly photo book.




I was taking pictures when a nice lady came along and asked if we'd like her to take our picture.  Well, sure!  So here we are.  I'm squinty-eyed and wild-haired, but this was pretty much my look the whole trip.




I spotted this condor from across the canyon.  I didn't know there were condors in the Grand Canyon, but I thought if I could see a buzzard on a rock from that far away, I either have very good eyesight or it's a very BIG buzzard.  So we drove to another view point so I could get a closer shot.




I loved the stacked rocks in the next photo.  See the tiny people on the rim?







Rich parked alongside the road and stayed with the dogs and the air conditioning while I plowed through the brush and came out at a flat where I walked a fair distance.  I kept careful watch for rattlesnakes and mountain lions as this is their country, but I wanted to experience the views and the countryside without the crowds.  It would be so easy to fall off the rim...  I knew Rich would be getting worried by the time I turned around and, sure enough, before I got all the way back to the RV he started honking intermittently, just in case I was lost.  Sheesh.




As the day wore on the shadows grew deeper.




After this we headed into Utah, and that's another whole experience.  I'll see you again next Saturday.  Have an awesome day!


22 comments:

  1. I always seem to be either first or last to comment here. I rise and visit early! Your photos of the Grand Canyon are amazing! I can imagine these blown up and framed for a wall in your home. That is a place I will most likely never get to visit so your blog posts mean a lot to me. I love it when you get to a place where Wally and LuLu have a chance to roam a bit!

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  2. We were in Williams, Arizona and went to the Grand Canyon. It is truly God's country.Your pictures are beautiful!

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  3. Beautiful scenery and I so enjoy your photos and post of where you have been and where you are going next. I think the pictures of you and Rich is fabulous. I have flown over the Grand Canyon, twice, but was always on the wrong side of the plane to see it. It is spectacular...thanks for sharing all these great photos!!

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  4. Ooooh Leslie, I've loved traveling along with you and Rich this summer!! And of course, this was my very favoritiest place (that's a word, right?! *hahaha*)

    What wonderful photo's! I would have been right behind you at the old store too! We love the road less traveled, but the memorable spots we remember as a young couple are disappearing -- sadly it's like watching your history disappear. I laughed when you said Rich honked the horn in case you had lost your way. Not a bad idea, but, I was pretty sure you were being very careful. We stayed in Williams last August when we were in Arizona for the month. Did you get to see any Monsoon storms? You were so close to the beautiful red rocks in the Sedona area when you were in Williams. You would have loved it!! It's a beautiful drive around Oak Creek and Sedona. Both Vance and I would love do to a trip like this. I think the closest we have come was in August of 2014 when we went from Virginia to Michigan and to the Upper Peninsula and then across on Hwy 2 across the upper U.S. along the great lakes, the head of the Mississippi and crossed over into Alberta, Canada to go to Banff National Park. From there we continued on into British Columbia and down into the U.S. through Washington State. We took the ferry across through the San Juan Archipelago and down to Seattle. From Seattle we started to head back and drove down the coast of Oregon and into the interior (a place I had never been). We stopped in Pendleton, Oregon at the Mill and I made one and only purchase on the trip. A blanket for both our kids with the Arcadia design (we were stationed in Arcadia National Park in northeastern Maine for two tours) so it was a very memorable souvenir for the kids. We got a youth size blanket for Teddy too. From Oregon we went to Yellow Stone Park (Oooh that was so awesome!) and then on to see Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Devils Tower. We even made a stop at Little Bighorn Battlefield. It was a memorable trip for so many reasons. We traveled with a couple we had met in 1970 in Bremerhaven, Germany while we were all in the Navy. When we were overseas we traveled with them often (Holland, Paris, etc) and of course we watched our children grow up together, we went to their college graduations, weddings, and watched them all begin their own families. Dennis and Linda were from North Carolina. Sadly Dennis passed away a year ago - it was a shock to everyone. Linda is struggling with his loss. When we look back at the trip now we realize we all knew this would probably be our last big trip together. We remain close to Linda today. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful photo's I've loved looking at all of them! Big hugs, Susie ~

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  5. Leslie, your photos for this post are fabulous. What fun to travel Route 66 and that little out of the way store is so perfect. It must have been a blast to look through all the memorabelia they had in the store. Love the photo of you and Rich. We don't see many of those and the ones of the Grand Canyon are truly spectacular. I love the very last one in particular. The splendor of God's creations is so evident. Thanks for sharing.

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  6. what a wonderful trip. those photos are amazing but my favorite is one of you and Rich!

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  7. WOW! Thank you for sharing your photos and for sharing the story too!

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  8. sounds like a wonderful trip. love all the images. Rattlesnakes... Have a great day

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  9. Omigosh, Leslie! These scenes are amazing! I can just imagine your photo book and how much enjoyment you are going to get from it. You have captured so much color and texture. I'm envious, I guess, because I know we will never do this. We're lucky to get to the west side of Oregon! :-)

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  10. That roadside attraction is what you would expect, bummer there was only one but looks like they did it up pretty good. Bummer it was so hot, it is hard to enjoy when it is too hot. That's nice that the lady took your picture, isn't the grand canyon huge, it is a shock when you see it in person, we went to the Grand Tetons after and I think I enjoyed that even more. I love how Rich was honking to make sure you found your way back :) That tree is way too cool, great texture and smooth in the middle! I think my favorite is the stacked Rock photo!!

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  11. We were at that stop on Route 66 in June. Wasn't it is Sleigman AZ? Yes cheesy but fun! Also went to Williams and took the train to the canyon. Did you know that the condors all have numbers on them so you can track them? We saw one and I would have to dig through a ton of pictures to tell you his number now but I think it is cool! Your pictures are amazing!

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  12. Well just WOW your pictures and the scenery are just simply amazing
    Carol x

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  13. Joe and I so enjoyed your pictures! They bring back so many memories! We will probably never get there again,so it was nice to reminisce. I remember when we first saw the canyon, I thought it was a bird flying in the distance but it was a helicopter instead. We just stood there in awe of its beauty. Thanks so much for sharing your photos. You'ss have to make a card of Route 66.

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  14. Gorgeous photos! Thanks so much for sharing.

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  15. Oh my goodness Leslie, your pictures are absolutely STUNNING! The photos of the Grand Canyon are breathtaking. Never been there, but this is on Bill's and my bucket list! Love the picture of you and Rich and how fun is that store you came across on Route 66, some great memorabilia ! So hard to pick my favourite but I would have to say the last picture and the one with the stacked rock with the people standing on the rim. The picture displays the depth of the Canyon for miles and miles in the background, totally stunning! So happy for you and Rich to take this trip - just amazing! Looking forward to the next chapter next Saturday! Thank you for sharing such beauty! (PS, Bill enjoyed your photos as well!)

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  16. Thank you so much for taking me along with you for this trip, Leslie. There are two places I wanted to visit all my life - the Grand Canyon and parts of Alaska. I never made it there in person, but enjoy different people's perspective through their photography. HOW GORGEOUS. Remember "back in the day" when most of the service stations in the desert had one of those wooden Indians? The photo that includes you is especially beautiful - your skin is amazing, and so are your lovely smiles. It's been forever since we were on Route 66, except where it was in Santa Monica, and we frequently drove it as a main drag back then. How about that series back in the day, too, with Route 66 theme song. The South American Condors winter here in our area, and they are incredible birds to watch in the sky with magnificent wing spans. When I worked in downtown Tampa, it was always dangerous walking outdoors during lunch breaks because they nested in the tops of buildings - and the sidewalks turned a rather "white-ish" color, if you get my drift. I imagine your soul SOARED seeing the Grand Canyon. I cannot imagine the sound of the winds, the smells of the dust and rock, and the colors upon which to feast one's eyes! It would be life-changing in my humble opinion. thank you, Leslie! xx

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  17. Hi Leslie. Popped over here to see some pics of your adorable goldens and oh my goodness, what a trip you've been on! The photos are absolutely stunning - and I've gone back quite a way! - but my favourites are still the ones of Lulu and Wally!

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  18. Hello Leslie: WOW!! I love sitting here looking at these gorgeous pictures of your travels and reminiscing of our own adventures with our grandchildren. For over 13 years we went all over the USA with them on their Spring Brake and the Grand Canyon was one of our stops, we hiked and enjoyed the amazing sights and beauty of this gorgeous National Park.
    Love the picture of you and Rich, believe me, you guys look beautiful, natural and happy and I bet that, in spite the hot weather, your fur babies also enjoy the sights.
    Thank you for sharing your wonderful adventures and pictures.
    Hugs.

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  19. Stunning photos!! Love all the antiques too. I like old signs and memorabilia. What an awesome trip.

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  20. Amazing scenery and photography. God has surely graced our country with beauty. And isn't retirement wonderful??

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  21. Thanks for sharing, so fun to see, I hope to do a road trip across the US one day. You look fabulous by the way. Take care!

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