Here is a snapshot of our National Park reservations – not looking too healthy but Lynne did manage to find us 1 night in the Grand Canyon to be followed by 2 nights of First Come First Served and 3 nights in Zion (she really is good at this)!
We still have a few reservations intact along the Oregon coast so we will do a quick sprint across there from Utah and hopefully connect with the remainder of our West Coast trip.
Arizona weather has been fantastic so far and we went on a great hike this morning after our Nespresso coffee
Friday’s drive through Sedona was mesmerizing, different views from our elevated perches in Ushingi.
Ushingi was amazing at negotiating the steep inclines and switchbacks although Lynne was a bit nervous as she was on the canyon side and could see straight down from her seat!
We stopped to stretch our legs at a scenic spot, a lot of visitors due to graduation celebrations but we were masked and maintained social distancing. It is interesting, and somewhat alarming, to witness very different attitudes to Covid 19.
We spent most of the day relaxing after unsuccessfully trying to visit the Grand Canyon where they closed the entrance at 10:00am to keep crowds down.
We woke up early on Sunday, cooked omelettes, bacon and beans (more about the beans later) and then off to hike in the Grand Canyon. Words cannot describe the beauty and grandeur of this special place. We hiked a portion of the Kaibab – Skeleton Point trail, exhausting and exhilarating. Enjoy the pictures. Videos will be posted when we have WiFi.
(OK, I did sneak around the back and climbed over the ledge)
We planned to drive around the canyon from the South Rim to the North Rim but fortunately we mentioned that to the Ranger at the South Rim entrance and he advised us that the North Rim entrance and exit were closed for the season!
The detour ended up being another highlight of our trip with unbelievable scenery along the way.
A scenic stop just before crossing into Utah; the enormity of these cliffs can’t be captured with a photograph.
Spending two nights in Hurricane, UT catching up on laundry before heading off to Zion.
My hair is getting too long but not risking a visit to a barber. No hair clippers to be found at Walmart, Sally’s, CVS – what is a man to do? Lynne, thinking outside the box searched for pet grooming trimmers…..the rest is history 😀
We have spent a few glorious days and nights at Watchman Campground in Zion NP. As I write this I am sipping a peaty single malt alongside our campfire, perfectly complemented by the wood smoke occasionally drifting my way.
Zion is truly another magical place in this wonderful country. Photos of our trip will be posted below and then I should start another page (this one is video heavy and takes a long time to load) for our next leg of our journey.
Another cancellation on the Oregon coast has changed our plans but thanks to Lynne we had a contingency plan and new reservations at recently opened Lassen Volcanic Park. Look out for a new page (yet to be named) for further updates.
ushingi 