Thursday, June 10
Pre-planned:
-Fly into Las Vegas, NV/pick up rental car
-Stop in St. George, UT for some sight-seeing
-St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site
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-Arrive in Springdale, UT
What actually happened:
We arrived in Vegas, picked up the car, and started on our way to St. George, UT. The changing landscape was really beautiful to observe. I enjoyed passing the big city and driving through more rural, less-populated areas. When we got to St. George we found some place to park and then paid a visit to the Mormon Temple. The structure was really beautiful but as you might guess, you can't look around without someone trying to convert you. Still, it wasn't as obnoxious as you might think. The young lady that spoke with us was very nice. Before we left for our final destination we went to the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site (2180 East Riverside). It was interesting but a little disappointing when I recall some of the dinosaur fossils/tracks I saw as a kid when my family and I vacationed in the Southwest. This was a pretty small scale exhibit and fairly pricey for the little that you could see.
Later in the afternoon we arrived in Springdale, Utah at Harvest House Bed & Breakfast, our home for the next three nights. It was a lovely, modern home. Our room was spacious and clean and comfortable. NO TV. That didn't bother either of us one bit. And we had our own private little balcony area to read or relax. We also had a spectacular view of Zion National Park, which was just a few hundred feet away. All of our breakfasts were fabulous. I'd have no complaints except that I found the B&B host to be somewhat of a drill sergeant. He was very stern and kind of forceful about guests socializing. I don't like being told what to do at any time, much less on vacation. So for that reason alone, I wouldn't stay there again. But because we had a personality clash and not bad service, I wouldn't dissuade others from staying there.
Friday, June 11
Pre-planned:
-Zion National Park, UT
They strongly discourage driving through the park so we took the free shuttle that makes about nine stops throughout Zion National Park. We got off at all of the major stops and walked around and took pictures. Neither of us are big hikers and frankly, I was a little paranoid about mountain lions. Haha. We did do some walking but none of it was death-defying and we stuck close to other visitors. Later in the day we walked around Springdale, which is very small and quaint. There's only one "major" grocery store and some other little novelty shops and restaurants. Aside from our breakfasts, I don't think we had any exceptional meals in Springdale.
Pre-planned:
-Bryce National Park, UT
What actually happened:
The weather was pretty weird that day. It was unseasonably chilly and a little gloomy. We had to drive through Zion to get to Bryce, which was 1-1.5 hours away. The road out of Zion was very precarious, but the views were amazing. We stopped about 15 or 20 minutes outside of Bryce at Dixie National Forest and bought Smokey the Bear sweatshirts. Haha. They were ridiculously expensive but we were cold! We also stopped to take some pictures of the beautiful red rock formations.
By the time we got to Bryce National Park the weather had improved. We parked the car at Ruby's Inn and hopped on the Bryce Canyon Shuttle. Much like the Zion Shuttle, the Bryce Shuttle took us to the main viewpoints. Between Zion and Bryce, I was definitely more in awe of Bryce. I really liked the sand castle-like rock formations. We saw so many people hiking into the depths of the canyon and it looked scary. I saw a Japanese tourist with a camera in one hand and a bag in the other, attempt to hike and I just cringed. If you're going to hike then you need to have your hands free for balance or to catch yourself if you lose your footing. Sheesh!
Sunday, June 13
Pre-planned:
-Stop in Page, AZ for a tour of Upper Antelope Canyon
-Arrive in Monument Valley, UT
We had a long drive (six hours) to Monument Valley so we broke up the trip by stopping in Page, Arizona where we picked up a tour of Upper Antelope Canyon with Overland Tours. "Regular" people can't go into these canyons because they're on Navajo land so you have to go with a tour group that has special permits. The ride into the canyon was SO MUCH FUN. If you have a weak stomach then you should probably skip this. We had to drive over sand for about 20 minutes and it was VERY bumpy. I mean, I'm short and my head hit the ceiling...a lot. The canyon was a very tight area. They informed us that if it rained, we'd drown because that's how fast and high the water would rise. It reminded me of the type of canyon Aron Ralston (think 27 Hours) got stuck in.
Afterward, we continued onward to Monument Valley. The drive there was really spectacular. We stayed at The View Hotel, which was built a year before right inside Monument Valley. I believe that all staff members are part of the Navajo nation. What can I say about the hotel? It's definitely worth going to in terms of the view (duh) and convenience. We were able to watch the sunset from our balcony and then we made reservations with Bobby, a Navajo guide, to have a more extensive tour of Monument Valley the following morning.
Monday, June 14
Pre-planned:
-drive to Flagstaff, AZ
What actually happened:
Anybody can drive through Monument Valley but there are sections that are considered sacred or off-limits to people who aren't Navajo. With Bobby as a guide, we could see those off-limit areas and also, learn more about the significance of the rock formations. This was one of the highlights of the trip for both of us. It was definitely worth the 4:00am wake-up (we met Bobby for an early sunrise tour).
After the tour, we hopped into the car and began our journey toward Flagstaff, AZ. Along the way we stopped at Dinosaur Tracks, AZ not far from Tuba City. I found this "exhibit" way more impressive than the Dinosaur Discovery Center in St. George, UT. It's on Navajo land so there isn't an official site. Some of the Navajo people have tents set up near the dinosaur tracks but basically, it's a free excursion. Still, there's an understanding that you'll pay one of them to give you a tour. I was fine with that! And it was enjoyable.
We eventually arrived in the "big city" and checked into The England House Bed & Breakfast in Flagstaff, AZ. My impressions of the B&B? The room was lovely and small, in a European way, but the bathroom was really nice with a separate jacuzzi tub and walk-in shower. The hosts were a little off. Haha. The breakfasts were also good but they might have tried a little too hard to be unique. Sometimes simple is best. Despite not having any real complaints, I probably wouldn't stay there again. I wouldn't discourage others from staying there, though.
We ended the day by visiting Walnut Canyon National Monument, only 20-30 minutes outside of Flagstaff. Evan waited while I did the "hike" around the Monument. It was toward the end of the day so there weren't a lot of people. I definitely got paranoid (about the mountain lions, again) so I hurried through it. By the end, I was so out of breath. I'm not in the best shape, but it was a different out of breath experience. The air was a lot thinner because of the high elevation so in some ways, it was like I couldn't get the air in my lungs fast enough.
Unfortunately, Evan picked up a stomach bug. To this day, we have no idea where he got it from - maybe a tainted tamale? Anyway, this put us out of commission for the night and following day.
Tuesday, June 15
Pre-planned:
-
Poor Evan spent most of the day in bed. Once he got some medication in him he felt a lot better but he was pretty exhausted. I read a little and toward the late afternoon/evening we took a walk in downtown Flagstaff. It's a really charming college town. Very artsy and laidback. I think this was the evening we went to the Lowell Observatory, which might interest you if you're into space. I'm not, but Evan is. We looked through some of their really big telescopes and saw the Moon and Mars. *shrugs*
Wednesday, June 16
Pre-planned:
-Day-trip to Sedona, AZ
Evan was feeling a little better but we didn't want to do too much strenous activity so we took a short drive to Sedona. Downtown Sedona is really cute with lots of shops and restaurants. And you can tell that a lot of successful/wealthy people own homes there.
After we explored the downtown area we made our way to Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village. It's a lovely little space with upscale crafts and a couple of restaurants.
And in no particular order we saw:
Montezuma Castle National Monument
Wupatki National Monument
Sunset Crater Volcano National Park
Thursday, June 17
Pre-planned:
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What actually happened:
Evan was finally feeling back to normal so we went to Grand Canyon National Park. Unlike the other big parks we took our rental car to all of the major South Rim viewpoints. It was kind of crowded, more so than the other Parks. We saw some wild elk and big birds and I'm pretty sure I saw a coyote on the drive up...no joke! We pulled off at one point to this "secret" spot that our B&B hosts told us about. Apparently, all the locals use it. Anyway, it was a 20 minute plus walk to a really nice, unobstructed-by-tourists lookout. It was cool but we both felt weird being in the wilderness when no one knew where we were. We were both glad to get back to the car!
Friday, June 18
Pre-planned:
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-See "O" at the Bellagio
We got up pretty early and started on the long drive to Las Vegas. Unfortunately, I picked up a milder version of Evan's stomach bug so I wasn't in the best mood. Our B&B hosts recommended that we stop in Oatman, AZ, a ghost town that's famous for wandering burros. Well, there's a very long, narrow, unpaved road that leads to it and it seems to go on forever and ever and ever. We got there around 11:00am and we kept wondering when we were going to see the burros. (That's the only reason why I wanted to go.) Someone said they came down from the hills around noon. We ended up leaving. It was a fruitless excursion for us but maybe others will have better luck!
By the time we got to Vegas, I wasn't feeling up to walking around. We checked into THEhotel at Mandalay Bay and that's when the trouble started. First of all, what is with the casino hotels being gigantic labyrinths? The casino's on one side of a massive structure, the hotel's on the other and there are miles between the few available elevators. Once we found our room, we noticed the bed hadn't been made and that there were dirty towels on the floor. The last guest's tip was still on the bar. So then we had to go all the back downstairs through a circuitous maze and get a room that had been cleaned. By then, around 1:00 or 2:00 in the afternoon, I was ready for a nap. Needless to say, I wouldn't recommend the Mandalay Bay. I don't have fond memories of it.
We didn't even leave the room until 1.5 hours before "O" at the Bellagio Hotel. I didn't get to see the rooms but based on a quick, superficial impression I much preferred the Bellagio to the Mandalay Bay. "O" was a fantastic show. I love Cirque du Soleil and "O" has such an innovative concept. To pull it off is quite a feat. We somehow managed to get amazing seats so we were in the "splash zone". We got a little wet. "O" made the stop in Vegas totally worth it. But I'm still glad we shortened our two-day stay to a one-day stay. I know I'm in the minority, but I don't get the appeal of Vegas.
This was a great trip because it was really relaxing and spending all that time in the car was really good for bonding!
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