September 28-9, to LA & SF, CA

Saturday we spent driving from Las Vegas Nevada to Los Angeles California. We set up camp in Anaheim at a campground about a mile from Disneyland. We went to downtown Disney for dinner at Earl of Sandwich and while we were there we found out we could rent a car from Alamo for $100 for the week. So this morning we picked up the car and headed north to San Francisco to spend a couple days. We are driving up Highway 101 which is the old El Camino Real. It runs through a valley between two rows of mountains with a lot of farmland on either side. A lot of the farms are Vineyards. Since we were spending a lot of time on the road we listened to Focus on the Family's radio theater version of "At Home in Mitford" by Jan Karon. We enjoyed it very much.

We drove down to Fisherman's Wharf and walked around a little while, then had clam chowder in a sourdough bowl at Boudin's sourdough bakery and restaurant, that is been in business since the mid-1800s.

Sunset over Alcatraz

September 26-7, Las Vegas, NV

Yesterday we went to Hoover dam in the morning for a tour. It is an amazing feat of engineering. They completed a huge bridge nearby three years ago so you know longer have to drive across the dam.

New bridge over Colorado River

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lake Mead which was created by the dam is a beautiful blue lake and very large. After a tailgate picnic by the dam we went down to the Boulevard in Las Vegas and walked around for several hours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best that Las Vegas Blvd has to offer is Bellagio's Dancing Fountains and the natural wonders of their Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, a 636,000-square-foot  luxury mall, was beautiful to walk through but way out of my price range. The mall had arched ceilings painted to look like sky so it looked like you were walking through a Roman town; they changed the lighting to match the time of day outside. We did find an Apple store in the mall and used their free Wi-Fi update our phones with the new OS7.

This morning, Friday, we went to the town of Henderson next to Las Vegas to tour to the Ethel M. Chocolate factory and its extensive botanical cactus garden.

They produce high quality preservative free chocolates in small batches. Besides selling their own homemade candies they also have a small M&M shop.

 We had our first In-N-Out burger for lunch which was very good. Then we went to the local Ford dealer for an oil change; we figured it was due after putting over 4500 miles on the truck this month since we left home.

September 24-5 AZ-NV-UT

Yesterday was spent mostly traveling from AZ to NV. We arrived in Las Vegas late afternoon, set up camp, went to Nellis AFB to do some shopping then came back to do laundry.

This morning, we set out early on a day trip north on Hwy 15 which cuts across the NW corner of AZ and into  the SW corner of UT to Zion National Park.  I have lost track of how many people have told us that we ought not come this far and not see it. It was indeed beautiful,  a canyon following the Virgin River.

We got back to Las Vegas after 6pm and took a walk for a couple blocks down the boulevard and had dinner at Earl of Sandwich.

Another McDonald's arches you won't see anywhere else.

(The one I posted from Sedona the other day is supposed to be the only arches that are not McDonald's trade mark gold.)

September 23rd, Flagstaff and Williams, AZ

Today we took a day trip north on 89A to Flagstaff. It is the shorter, more scenic route, but also the steep windy route.

We visited Wupatki National Monument where there is evidences of past volcanic activity.

Remains of a lava flow

We hiked up the Lenox Crater trail and made it to the top.












There are ruins of several Native American Pueblo settlements scattered throughout the park. This Wupatki "Tall House" was a multistory Sinagua pueblo dwelling of more than 100 rooms in the early 11th century after the last volcanic eruption, which improved the soils ability to retain water and thus agricultural productivity.

From there we drove over to Williams, AZ and walked around some of the shops in the Route 66 downtown loop and had dinner before driving back to camp in Sedona.

September 22nd, Sedona and Jerome, AZ

This morning we went to the worship service at Wayside Bible Chapel in Sedona. A gentleman we met there suggested we drive up a mountain 45 minutes SW of Sedona to the mining town of Jerome, known for its rich copper mines in the 19th and 20th centuries.  He said the view from up there is extraordinary. Though no longer an active mining town, Jerome has become a tourist attraction with many shops and galleries as well as its view.




 The coolest shop in Jerome was one that sold every kind of kaleidoscope imaginable.



 Driving back down the mountain was especially beautiful.(pictures don't do it justice)

Driving into Sedona

Do you see anything unusual about this picture besides the reflection of the mountains in the windows?

September 21st, Sedona, AZ

Today we spent several hours driving around the Sedona area, enjoying the unique red rock formations.

Snoopy Rock

Bell Rock

Montezuma Castle National Monument

Chimney Rock

We also stopped at the Montezuma Castle National Monument. The five story, 20 room cliff dwelling stands like a high-rise ancient apartment building standing guard over the valley below. It was built by the Sinaqua Indian Tribe about 700 years ago in the early 1300s. For reasons no one is sure, the Sinaqua abandoned this habitat in the 1400’s. Early settlers erroneously connected the Aztec emperor to these ruins but he wasn’t born until after the ruins were abandoned.

Later in the day we took the Pink Jeep sunset Coyote Canyon tour which was interesting. 

September 20th, to Arizona

Friday, went broke camp and headed I-40/Rt66 to Arizona. We took a side trip through the Petrified Forest National Park on the way to Sedona. It is a 25 mile drive through the park beginning along the Painted Forest with its unique and colorful rock formations. It can be driven in under a hour but we spent almost 5 hours because we stopped almost every opportunity to take pictures.

The Petrified Forest is a strange forest in that there are no standing trees but sections of petrified logs strewn about in certain areas. The mineral deposits in them add to the color of the place.

The approach into Sedona

New Mexico, September 18-19

Wednesday morning, we did a little shopping, and then went to visit some friends who live in Albuquerque, Clyde and Pat Harris.

They took us to Garduno’s for Mexican cuisine and then took us on the Sandia Peak Tramway, for a 2.7 mile ride 10,378 feet above Albuquerque. The 11,000 square mile view is breathtaking.

 On the other side of the peak is a view of the ski slopes and lifts. We had a good time catching up on we each have been doing.

This morning, we packed up camp and headed west again and took a side trip they recommended, Acoma Pueblo, also known as “Sky City” because it is situated 370 feet above the desert on a large mesa. Dating back to 1150 AD, Acoma Pueblo is known as the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America. There are over 300 structures in the Pueblo and although only a few families still live there year around, they return periodically for ceremonial occasions and some to sell their distinctive, handmade pottery and other crafts.

The young man, who gave us the tour, grew up on the mesa as a child and related the fascinating history of his ancestors. The San Estaben del Rey Mission dates back to the early 1600’s when the Catholic Church forced the Acoma to build over an 11 year period and tried to make them leave their tribal beliefs for Catholicism.