No flat tires this trip, at least so far. However, I have run into a few....bloopers.
Alex and I left Flagstaff after doing a bit of food shopping, edibles and cold stuff carefully tucked into the big new cooler with ice. Edibles included Blake Forbe's delicious homemade fruit scones and chocolate chip cookies. If you are wondering why such staples of the road were in the cooler, just think "arf.
We'd eaten breakfast at Miz Zip's, huevos rancheros for me, and I grimaced over the coffee. I am picky about my coffee; I want half and half, not milk!! I'd last been in Miz Zip's 40 years ago. Coffee excepted, it's comforting that some places are still where they are supposed to be.
Tummies full, provisions stashed safely away from canines, we set out on a relatively short 200 mile jaunt on Rte 89 to the North Rim. Our journey would take us up to Marble Canyon , then cutoff on 89 Alt through Lee's Ferry, over Navajo Bridge, up to Jacob Lake, and then that gloriously beautiful drive to the Rim.
Chatting away about old times, new lives, the grandeur of the country through which we were passing, we barely noticed a sign with weak electric lettering positioned awkwardly a few miles past the turnoff onto 89A. We crossed the bridge, checked out the small community which serves the river rafters, eagerly recalled our own trips down the Colorado, then....... (You saw this coming back at the sign, didn't you??) Yes, amidst this stunning scenery
a torrential downpour had pushed tons of thick, red mud (there is a reason the area is called the Vermillion Cliffs) onto 89A in several places over about a 20 mile stretch. Imagine this road deep in mud:
This stuff:
And this: (More on these photos in another post)
Now imagine what went through my head and then past my lips as I realized we had to back track 20 miles, making a total of 40 miles out of our way. Grrrrrr........Aarrggg....... Back to 89. North to Page. Detour in Page around construction; poorly marked. Grrrrrr........Aarrggg....... Up through Kanab, down through Fredonia. Grrrrrr........Aarrggg....... It's beautiful but over 100 miles out of the way. Could have been there by now, with a cold beer or lovely glass of wine. Another sign in Fredonia. This time I pulled a U turn to make sure we read it, carefully, slowly, methodically. Hmmmm....neither of us certain. Could we make it to Jacob Lake? We asked at a nearby Forest Service ranger station. No way were we going to make the same mistake again in the same day.
Fortunately for my sanity, the sign referenced the road closure south of Jacob Lake, so on we sailed, stopping in Jacob Lake for gas and both canine and people comfort stations. Surprisingly, two vehicles filled with polygamous youth looking to be in their teens were in the parking lot. Not difficult to identify them as polygamous. Girls in that odd style dress and hair in one vehicle; boys staring fixedly at Alex and me from the bed of a pickup truck. Later that day at the North Rim check in station, I asked about their presence. On a picnic a few days earlier, between Jacob Lake and the Park boundary, a 5 year old boy had wandered off, and the search was still underway. His body was eventually located.
The lovely drive
brought us to the North Rim and our campsite. We got everything squared away....had wine and cheese and fruit for supper, savoring the clear air, the clean skies, headed for bed.
And then my bed fell! As those of you who have small campers know, a table lowers to make a bed. In my ALiner, two wooden slats attached to the bench seats hold the table; firm cushions go on the lowered table; my not-so-firm-body adorns the top. One of the slats fell off. Bed caved, me with in it. I had to laugh. Fortunately, I have two tables, ergo two potential beds, so I just made up the other one.
And the next day, Alex and I spent most of the day in the camper. Rain, rain, rain, rain. And 8,800 feet in altitude. I fell asleep three times, a combination of the rain on the roof and the altitude. We decided to drive to the Lodge rather than cook and arrived in time to eat with clearing skies....this:
Alex and I left Flagstaff after doing a bit of food shopping, edibles and cold stuff carefully tucked into the big new cooler with ice. Edibles included Blake Forbe's delicious homemade fruit scones and chocolate chip cookies. If you are wondering why such staples of the road were in the cooler, just think "arf.
We'd eaten breakfast at Miz Zip's, huevos rancheros for me, and I grimaced over the coffee. I am picky about my coffee; I want half and half, not milk!! I'd last been in Miz Zip's 40 years ago. Coffee excepted, it's comforting that some places are still where they are supposed to be.
 |
| Except for my mother's biscuits and sausage gravy, huevos rancheros and Eggs Benedict are my breakfast favorites. |
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| Fortunately for me, I've never been to a restaurant that offers both. My inability to choose ..... |
Tummies full, provisions stashed safely away from canines, we set out on a relatively short 200 mile jaunt on Rte 89 to the North Rim. Our journey would take us up to Marble Canyon , then cutoff on 89 Alt through Lee's Ferry, over Navajo Bridge, up to Jacob Lake, and then that gloriously beautiful drive to the Rim.
Chatting away about old times, new lives, the grandeur of the country through which we were passing, we barely noticed a sign with weak electric lettering positioned awkwardly a few miles past the turnoff onto 89A. We crossed the bridge, checked out the small community which serves the river rafters, eagerly recalled our own trips down the Colorado, then....... (You saw this coming back at the sign, didn't you??) Yes, amidst this stunning scenery
a torrential downpour had pushed tons of thick, red mud (there is a reason the area is called the Vermillion Cliffs) onto 89A in several places over about a 20 mile stretch. Imagine this road deep in mud:
This stuff:
Now imagine what went through my head and then past my lips as I realized we had to back track 20 miles, making a total of 40 miles out of our way. Grrrrrr........Aarrggg....... Back to 89. North to Page. Detour in Page around construction; poorly marked. Grrrrrr........Aarrggg....... Up through Kanab, down through Fredonia. Grrrrrr........Aarrggg....... It's beautiful but over 100 miles out of the way. Could have been there by now, with a cold beer or lovely glass of wine. Another sign in Fredonia. This time I pulled a U turn to make sure we read it, carefully, slowly, methodically. Hmmmm....neither of us certain. Could we make it to Jacob Lake? We asked at a nearby Forest Service ranger station. No way were we going to make the same mistake again in the same day.
Fortunately for my sanity, the sign referenced the road closure south of Jacob Lake, so on we sailed, stopping in Jacob Lake for gas and both canine and people comfort stations. Surprisingly, two vehicles filled with polygamous youth looking to be in their teens were in the parking lot. Not difficult to identify them as polygamous. Girls in that odd style dress and hair in one vehicle; boys staring fixedly at Alex and me from the bed of a pickup truck. Later that day at the North Rim check in station, I asked about their presence. On a picnic a few days earlier, between Jacob Lake and the Park boundary, a 5 year old boy had wandered off, and the search was still underway. His body was eventually located.
The lovely drive
brought us to the North Rim and our campsite. We got everything squared away....had wine and cheese and fruit for supper, savoring the clear air, the clean skies, headed for bed.
And then my bed fell! As those of you who have small campers know, a table lowers to make a bed. In my ALiner, two wooden slats attached to the bench seats hold the table; firm cushions go on the lowered table; my not-so-firm-body adorns the top. One of the slats fell off. Bed caved, me with in it. I had to laugh. Fortunately, I have two tables, ergo two potential beds, so I just made up the other one.
And the next day, Alex and I spent most of the day in the camper. Rain, rain, rain, rain. And 8,800 feet in altitude. I fell asleep three times, a combination of the rain on the roof and the altitude. We decided to drive to the Lodge rather than cook and arrived in time to eat with clearing skies....this:
 |
| A rainbow smiling on us |
It was the beginning of a wonderful week.
You've got some gorgeous photos here. You ought to develop and frame one or two of them and hang them in your cabin.
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