The ABCs of Starting Over- OR to KY Roadtrip + WDW 50th Ann. Trip 9/28-10/4; Day 6 and REPORT COMPLETE!

[YYCmom]

I was super excited to read about your time in Sedona, since I'll be there soon! I had to go back and re-read about Jerome... maybe we'll head over there.

Last summer we drove through Revelstoke (BC), and I wanted to take a tour of the dam, but it was also closed - I think both due to covid and maybe(?) road construction work.

I vote for the first photo. I like the way the clouds echo the shape of the land.

 

[franandaj]

Sedona, which is FAR more touristy and built up than when I was going to university at NAU in Flagstaff in the mid-80’s

And I bet it is more touristy than when I went through there in the late 90s as well.

I opted for the most affordable option of camping in the form of a U.S.F.S. campground. I think I paid something like $24/night. Showers were extra.

That's not bad.

So, Z and I found our site and got set up. No tent, no frills, just bags in the back on top of some foamies.

I used to do the same thing. In the 80s.

This cleared out our cooler and it was then that we realized that the hard-boiled eggs we’d packed were well beyond rotten. I think Zach legit gagged when we cracked one open.

In that half hour, we had to drive to the front of the campground, wait in line to get the tokens, find the showers, hope one was available, and shower. I was in a hurry to say the least.

Nope. I'd go to sleep dirty.

The one that I didn’t see/forgot about made a hideous crunch-scrape-your-car-is-now-jacked-up-with-about-$1,200-worth-of-damage sort of noise and I knew in that instant this trip was far more expensive than I’d hoped it’d be.

Ugh. Sorry about that.

Black Momba let out a stifled sob as I laid down in her cargo space for a long night of very little sleep. I’m sorry Blackie, I let you down and in your heart of hearts I know you are as well aware as I am that you will not be fixed any time soon.

As soon as I got out of the car, I knew I’d struck gold when 2 hot air balloons floated into view. I can’t even imagine how incredible it must have been up there.

Nice!

 

[Steppesister]

W is for: Wonderful Wadi with Wavy Lines​

Some things are worth going way out of one’s way for and some end up being so breathtakingly beautiful they are counted as an I’m-glad-I-didn’t-die-before-I-got-to-do-that. Others you desperately hope you can do again so they don’t end up on the once-in-a-lifetime list. Roads less traveled can often be the very best ones; Day 8's journey would fall into all 3 categories. Follow me, Dear Reader, to a magical place in which photos can simply not even come close to portraying just how stunningly beautiful and jaw-dropping it truly is- Secret Antelope Canyon and, to a lesser degree, Horseshoe Bend Overlook.

Packing up our few things we’d taken into the hotel room, we set out for the meet up place for our morning tour. Yes, in case you were wondering, it was supposed to be a 3-hour tour. I’d done some research and settled on Horseshoe Bend Tours (<<link) for seeing the slot canyon, but this company doesn’t go to the highly visited Upper and Lower Antelope Slot Canyons. While it is part of the Antelope Slot Canyon System, this is an offshoot privately owned by a Navajo family and no less spectacular or less deep than the one more advertised and trafficked.

The tours are not cheap at about $150 pp but are limited to 15 people per tour which floats my boat because, to be frank, I don’t like my photos wrecked with people. Don’t get me wrong, generally I like people, but not in my pictures that are supposed to be filled with luscious nature. Luckily, I didn’t have to worry one little bit with this tour!

I was glad I'd gotten up early as the sky was amazing! It's not often the clouds cooperate in such a fantastic way when you really need them to for better-than-average shots. It was truly a treasure to watch the day unfold!

​

We met up at about 8:30 for our 9:00 tour. We checked in and signed our waivers and were offered the bathroom and a drink of water. Word to the wise: Go. There are no facilities on the tour. Not even any facilitrees. At 9:00 we loaded into our open-air jeep (think AK Safaris without the doors) with about 8 others and headed out. About 6-ish? miles outside of town we turned off onto the private land and followed a bumpy, dirt track over some exquisitely gorgeous landscape to the canyon entrance. At the mouth of it, our Navajo guide gave us some history and laid the ground rules. Basically, "Respect the Land". If you need more than that, you are missing the point.

​

Over the course of the canyon, which is about ¼-mile long, it gradually becomes steeper and deeper until you come out the other end. We stayed together for the hike IN, but once we got there, our guide told us we could climb to the top and look down, and then at our own leisure, and on our own terms, hike BACK on our own. We had approximately half an hour to make it back to the entrance and be free to take as many photos and as much time as we’d like as long as we were back in the 30 or 40 minutes of free time. The website is very clear that seeing the famous light shafts is fairly unlikely, since they only happen in the Fall and Spring mid-day and only for about half an hour. The effect is captured by throwing sand in the air at just the right time and snapping the shot. (We were not there at just the right time.) I'm sure the diehards know when that is and those tours are booked a year out.

Suffice to say, Zach and I lingered taking copious shots because every bend we rounded had just as stunning a view as the last. There is no way anyone seeing this canyon couldn’t be struck by the artistry and “Signature” given.

​

The guide told the story of how the canyon came to be a place that his family, for generations now, offered tours. Basically, until the 50’s or so? The canyon was thought to be a place where demons lived and was “dangerous” to enter. Our guide’s grandmother was a shepherdess and defied the advice of the Elders and went in anyway. She proved them wrong, and the rest was history as they found a way to make some money while showcasing their land. Our guide related how he would come there in his youth with the sheep and his ponies or with his friends to find a cool place to rest on hot days as the air rushing out of the canyon’s mouth is a full 20 degrees cooler. He joked that he would say to his buddies, "Hey, let's go to the room with AC."

​

After our walk out, we re-boarded our jeep and headed for the privately owned Horseshoe Bend Overlook. There is a public overlook, but you have to pay to park and see it. No thanks. Oh sure, if you want a certain time of day like sunset, that’s awesome, but since it was included in our tour, why? A short walk brought us to the overlook at which there are NO rails, no barriers, nothing. Was is dizzying? That would be an emphatic yes. If you are prone to vertigo or think everything should be regulated for your safety, this isn’t the activity for you.

​

We still had a lot of ground to cover as we continued north into Monument Valley so we didn't waste any time after the tour. Tipping is welcomed, which we did, then boogied after getting gas. One does not forget gas in this area of the country. I hope that someday, if you have not visited Northern Arizona, you will. It is truly, though less traveled, well worth your time.

Until next time... Steppe

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Simply stunning! Nature at its most magnificent self!

 

[Wood Nymph]

The canyon is amazing and fascinating! I think that in a way it is nice that it isn't something that is easy to get to. It needs to remain pristine and unspoiled.

 

[franandaj]

A couple of days prior my sister let me know that she and my niece were driving west from Virginia as we made our way east. As luck would have it, it looked more and more like our paths would cross in Flagstaff, so we hatched a plan to meet up for breakfast.

Interesting point where your paths crossed...

The highway from Sedona to Flagstaff was ablaze with fields of yellow flowers… just gorgeous!

Pretty!

I was VERY tempted to drive through campus and point out to Zach all the places I did some really idiotic things in my formative years, and then thought better of it.

Probably a good idea that you didn't. I'm guessing you weren't nearly as wild as I might have been, but still better not to let your kids know you had a life before becoming their mom.

We set out north again; the goals for the day included: Wupatki National Monument, Moenave Dinosaur Tracks site, the Vermillion Cliffs, Glen Canyon Dam, and Marble Canyon.

That sounds like a lot for one day.

To even think that was even close to possible is like me thinking I will try all the foods at an EPCOT Festival.

OK. That puts it in perspective.

I, for some silly reason, thought the ancient ruins sites were just off the highway, but instead ended up being like 50 miles of slow road out of our way.

That sounds long.

By the time I figured out that it was a giant detour that looped back around to the highway we were committed and it was too late to backtrack. Poop. That said, the first part of the Loop Rd. 395 has some super cool scenery

Well at least you've got that going for you....

Finally back onto US 89, we continued north and into Navajo Nation Land. It is stunning landscape and it should be obvious to the traveler the inspiration for Navajo blankets and baskets. (More on this later… a lot more) Just look at these colors!!!! I could travel through here and never, ever get tired of how beautiful it is.

OK, you're back into territory where I've been before, but instead of going to Page, we turned off onto Highway 160 to Tuba City on the way to Monument Valley.

This day has 2 more chapters worth of photos which I’ll try to get to this weekend.

OK. Well I believe I'm caught up here so that's fine.

I spent quite some time composing these shots and can’t decide which one I like best. Time to vote!

I like the first one.

We did happen to make it to Glen Canyon Dam to peer over the edge.

That is very deep!

The food was average for a Bar and Grille, which made me question the “Best” part.

Well, perhaps there was a regional component to that claim?

instead of camping out in the back of the car I sprang for a legit hotel room

Sounds like it's about time. You slept in the car the night before, and wasn't it the fleabag motel before that? Oh, yeah and Barstow in the Crack motel, and was it Bishop or VC where you had the last not-so-questionable accommodations?

So what day is this now? I count it as night six on the road....


OK. I guess im not all caught up. Theres an update with slot canyons. Be back later to catch that one.
O

 

[pkondz]

Some things are worth going way out of one’s way for and some end up being so breathtakingly beautiful they are counted as an I’m-glad-I-didn’t-die-before-I-got-to-do-that.

Whoa...

Day 8's journey would fall into all 3 categories. Follow me, Dear Reader, to a magical place in which photos can simply not even come close to portraying just how stunningly beautiful and jaw-dropping it truly is- Secret Antelope Canyon and, to a lesser degree, Horseshoe Bend Overlook.

You're definitely selling it.

Yes, in case you were wondering, it was supposed to be a 3-hour tour.

A 3 hour tour...

I don’t like my photos wrecked with people.

I've noticed that.

It's not often the clouds cooperate in such a fantastic way when you really need them to for better-than-average shots.

Nice sky, indeed!

Wow! It doesn't even look real.

Word to the wise: Go. There are no facilities on the tour. Not even any facilitrees.

Thanks for the tip.

We stayed together for the hike IN, but once we got there, our guide told us we could climb to the top and look down, and then at our own leisure, and on our own terms, hike BACK on our own.

Wait... back the same way, I presume.
No chance of getting lost? It's a ... one lane canyon?

We had approximately half an hour to make it back to the entrance and be free to take as many photos and as much time as we’d like as long as we were back in the 30 or 40 minutes of free time.

So was that enough time or did you find yourselves rushing?

The effect is captured by throwing sand in the air at just the right time and snapping the shot.

Huh. I didn't know you had to throw sand. That kinda ruins it a bit for me.

There is no way anyone seeing this canyon couldn’t be struck by the artistry and “Signature” given.

Your shots are stunning. A few that stood out...

This first one... with the glint of light...

Our guide’s grandmother was a shepherdess and defied the advice of the Elders and went in anyway. She proved them wrong, and the rest was history as they found a way to make some money while showcasing their land.

Cool story.

He joked that he would say to his buddies, "Hey, let's go to the room with AC."

It looks like faces peering into the canyon.

Love that protuberance.

A short walk brought us to the overlook at which there are NO rails, no barriers, nothing.

I wonder how many people fall? Several every year? One every few decades?

If you are prone to vertigo or think everything should be regulated for your safety, this isn’t the activity for you.

I think I'd be okay... but might not creep right up to the edge.

Brave soul.

 

[Steppesister]

Simply stunning! Nature at its most magnificent self!

It is truly a magical place. I was blown away by how unique and pretty it was.

 

[Steppesister]

The canyon is amazing and fascinating! I think that in a way it is nice that it isn't something that is easy to get to. It needs to remain pristine and unspoiled.

100% agree, Sue, it would really detract and destroy if it was more easily accessed. I"m glad that with some effort and time people ARE able to see them though.

 

[Steppesister]

Interesting point where your paths crossed...

I think because it was I-40 and she was sticking to that.

Probably a good idea that you didn't. I'm guessing you weren't nearly as wild as I might have been, but still better not to let your kids know you had a life before becoming their mom.

Just as I'm sure that I don't wanna really know what THEY are doing now... HA! (They're pretty good kids, but I"m sure there's some shenanigans I don't know about. )

That sounds like a lot for one day.

WAY too much. I was very overly ambitious.

That sounds long.

Yes, really was a huge time sucker!

OK, you're back into territory where I've been before, but instead of going to Page, we turned off onto Highway 160 to Tuba City on the way to Monument Valley.

I think I'm going to go that way next time, well, actually Z and I took part of that road too, but that's coming up.

That is very deep!

It was dizzying!

Well, perhaps there was a regional component to that claim?

I'm thinking you're onto something!

Sounds like it's about time. You slept in the car the night before, and wasn't it the fleabag motel before that? Oh, yeah and Barstow in the Crack motel, and was it Bishop or VC where you had the last not-so-questionable accommodations?

Yes, that is correct. Enough roughing it for the week! LOL! VC? We'd had a few, I mean the Tipi was kinda cool, but certainly not luxury.

So what day is this now? I count it as night six on the road....

That was Day 8. Chugging right along....

 

[Steppesister]

You're definitely selling it.

I really hope you can get there someday. It's so unique among landscapes and VERY worth getting to its out of the way location.

Wow! It doesn't even look real.

I assure it was! But very lucky too.

Wait... back the same way, I presume.
No chance of getting lost? It's a ... one lane canyon?

It's a, yes, one-lane canyon. Only one way in and out.

So was that enough time or did you find yourselves rushing?

Yes, it was. I wasn't rushing, but not doing any real tripod stuff either. Not necessary as it's daylight. I think it was plenty of time to savor the area and take the photos I wanted.

Huh. I didn't know you had to throw sand. That kinda ruins it a bit for me.

I think there's a lot of photography techniques that "cheat" a bit. Backlighting a cactus, stuff like that.

Your shots are stunning.

Thanks! Coming from you that means a lot!

This first one... with the glint of light...

Funny how they say you'll get about 1 out of 50 that are keepers. And that's for someone who's practiced. I'd say that was about right for this shoot.

It looks like faces peering into the canyon.

I hadn't notice that before. You're right!

Love that protuberance.

Just how???!

I wonder how many people fall? Several every year? One every few decades?

The answer is SHOCKING!!

"The number of fatalities in the park for all causes has remained fairly even over the past several years, he added. “The 10-year average is 16 fatalities per year.Apr 14, 2019"

I think I'd be okay... but might not creep right up to the edge.

Not a good idea. The sandstone is soft and can break away. You can't see if there is even anything UNDER what you might be standing on, and that's how most people die. They break off and... people can't fly.

 

[pkondz]

I really hope you can get there someday. It's so unique among landscapes and VERY worth getting to its out of the way location.

Maybe some day!

It's a, yes, one-lane canyon. Only one way in and out.

Okay... had these visions of handfuls of tourists wandering, lost, until they die from exposure...

I think there's a lot of photography techniques that "cheat" a bit. Backlighting a cactus, stuff like that.

That's true...

Funny how they say you'll get about 1 out of 50 that are keepers. And that's for someone who's practiced. I'd say that was about right for this shoot.

But you did get some keepers.

The answer is SHOCKING!!

"The number of fatalities in the park for all causes has remained fairly even over the past several years, he added. “The 10-year average is 16 fatalities per year.Apr 14, 2019"

I'm not all that surprised. But... that is a lot!

Not a good idea. The sandstone is soft and can break away.

<backs slowly away from the ledge...>

You can't see if there is even anything UNDER what you might be standing on, and that's how most people die. They break off and... people can't fly.

Yikes!

 

[missjackiemcg]

I can't even come up with words for how gorgeous! Love the picture of you overlooking the horseshoe, looking so casual and relaxed. I'd be white knuckling or holding onto someone else for dear life, I think!

Have you ever visited the upper or lower Dells along the Wisconsin River? Much less luxurious, but the layered rock and caverns, etc. in some of your pictures made me think of the Dells. I always have fun taking pictures there, but you have such a talent that I'd really love to see what you'd come up with!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Follow me, Dear Reader, to a magical place in which photos can simply not even come close to portraying just how stunningly beautiful and jaw-dropping it truly is- Secret Antelope Canyon and, to a lesser degree, Horseshoe Bend Overlook.

Ooh, can't wait! I've been to the area a few times but never toured either of those places.

The tours are not cheap at about $150 pp but are limited to 15 people per tour which floats my boat because, to be frank, I don’t like my photos wrecked with people. Don’t get me wrong, generally I like people, but not in my pictures that are supposed to be filled with luscious nature.

Totally with you. I don't know how much time I've spent waiting for some clueless dope to wander back out of my shot.

Word to the wise: Go. There are no facilities on the tour.

Eh, I'm a guy. The world is my toilet.

If you need more than that, you are missing the point.

Wow!

Our guide related how he would come there in his youth with the sheep and his ponies or with his friends to find a cool place to rest on hot days as the air rushing out of the canyon’s mouth is a full 20 degrees cooler. He joked that he would say to his buddies, "Hey, let's go to the room with AC."

I suspect that's really good to know in that part of the country.

Just stunning!

A short walk brought us to the overlook at which there are NO rails, no barriers, nothing. Was is dizzying? That would be an emphatic yes. If you are prone to vertigo or think everything should be regulated for your safety, this isn’t the activity for you.

I was amazed at the Grand Canyon at how easy it was to just go up to the edge...pretty much everywhere.

One does not forget gas in this area of the country.

Truth.

I hope that someday, if you have not visited Northern Arizona, you will. It is truly, though less traveled, well worth your time.

Well said, and I totally agree!

 

[YYCmom]

So many beautiful pictures! It sounds like an amazing tour.
I think this one is my favorite:

 

[franandaj]

I don’t like my photos wrecked with people.

Me neither!

Don’t get me wrong, generally I like people

I don't!

Over the course of the canyon, which is about ¼-mile long, it gradually becomes steeper and deeper until you come out the other end. We stayed together for the hike IN

OK, this answers my question. It's not something that Fran would be able to do.

The guide told the story of how the canyon came to be a place that his family, for generations now, offered tours.

Interesting story.....

If you are prone to vertigo or think everything should be regulated for your safety, this isn’t the activity for you.

I'm not a huge fan of regulations, but on the vertigo. I wouldn't get that close to the edge though.

We still had a lot of ground to cover as we continued north into Monument Valley

What road did you take?

 

[pkondz]

I don't!

 

[Steppesister]

Okay... had these visions of handfuls of tourists wandering, lost, until they die from exposure...

No, that's a Death Valley thing.

But you did get some keepers.

I think so.

I'm not all that surprised. But... that is a lot!

Too many. And yet, I'd not want the view spoiled with a fence up either. People and either be stupid and get too close or not.

 

[Steppesister]

I can't even come up with words for how gorgeous! Love the picture of you overlooking the horseshoe, looking so casual and relaxed. I'd be white knuckling or holding onto someone else for dear life, I think!

I was pretty nervous to be honest. LOL!! It was really dizzying and I had my son take that quick photo and I skedaddled!

Have you ever visited the upper or lower Dells along the Wisconsin River? Much less luxurious, but the layered rock and caverns, etc. in some of your pictures made me think of the Dells. I always have fun taking pictures there, but you have such a talent that I'd really love to see what you'd come up with!

I have only been to WI once when I was very young and don't remember anything of it. I'd love to go to the rural parts of that area someday for sure! You should post some of the photos you've taken so we can see!

 

[Steppesister]

Ooh, can't wait! I've been to the area a few times but never toured either of those places.

I am hoping to travel through again as I make my way back to Kentucky and see the other places on my list. If not, I'll just see where I end up for the 2 weeks I'll have off between contracts. No real route yet and that's okay. Not all who wander are lost.

Totally with you. I don't know how much time I've spent waiting for some clueless dope to wander back out of my shot.

I wish people were more aware of their surroundings sometimes. I mean, Come on, Man!

Eh, I'm a guy. The world is my toilet.

I suspect that's really good to know in that part of the country.

Yes, it's both surprisingly warm in the summer, and can get unbelievably cold in the winter!

I was amazed at the Grand Canyon at how easy it was to just go up to the edge...pretty much everywhere.

Indeed! I can't remember, did you guys do the North Rim too? That is super undeveloped and easy to get really close!