Sunrise at 6am means you have to get up at 5am even if it’s -5degC.
I know, I know, I keep saying it ... we are struggling with clear blue skies and the promised snow still has not arrived.
We start taking photos before the sun is over the horizon
and there are a few minutes only
before the sun actually rises over the rim and contrast becomes excessive.
After which it’s back to the motel for breakfast and then we head off to Winslow for the day.
We head out back along the canyon rim looking from all the car parks and sightseeing platforms, which tests both our nerves, to see which one might be the best for the evening when we return. Our path is through Flagstaff which seems to be a boring little spot with not much to recommend it but first, of course, we have to cross a mountain pass ... well the easy way is too easy isn’t it ??
On the way up we start to come across the snow we had hoped would be at the canyon
and because there was eventually much more than this it was not wise to stop in the pass.
On examining the map we discover there is “the world’s best preserved Meteor Crater” on our way so we take a 20km detour to have a look. It turns out to be fenced off on private land and there is an exhorbitant fee required to enter the property and have a look. We decide we don’t need to pay any more fees to see holes in the ground.
Soon after getting back on the main road we find we are on Route 66 which eventually brings us to Winslow Arizona ... such a fine sight to see, there’s a girl my Lord in a flat bed Ford slowin’ down to take a look at me.
This is the location popularised in the Eagles song “Take it Easy”.
There is of course a memorabilia shop opposite playing the Eagles songs over a loud speaker continuously. It would be enough to drive you out of your mind, it does us in after about 5 minutes!
Eventually it’s time to head back through Camp Verde which turns out to be much bigger than anticipated and Sedona which turns out to be much nicer than anticipated, quite like Zion in many ways.
On the way back we detour to look at what is supposed to be a deserted mining town called Jerome. It is of course another rip-off like the meteor crater, not because they charge a fee but because it’s not deserted. It’s still got a couple of thousand people living there ... mind you in this country that’s like deserted.
It’s hard to get a feel for it from this but it is perched up on or hanging off the side of a 2000m high mountain at about the same level as they started the mine. It is completely run down and it’s hard to tell what’s in use and what’s abandoned. Interesting - but not especially.
By this time it’s well past the time we should have been heading back and we still have a mountain pass to cross again. Fortunately there has been no more snow on the mountain and we are able to negotiate the switchbacks without having a conniption.
Of course it’s completely dark by the time we arrive back so evening photography is out but we settle for dinner in the local restaurant and an early retiring in order to be up for tomorrows sunrise.
Comments powered by CComment