Saturday 8 May 2004

We head south on 69 (4 lane freeway) to 17. On 69, we came across two things of note - my favorite name of the day "Big Bug Creek" and the crumbling little town of Humboldt, Arizona. Since I work for Humboldt State University, where we occasionally have to deal with things like "mission statements," I found amusement in the "Humboldt Mission."

Highway 17 is a four lane freeway, 75 mph. Lots of motorcyclists on the road, mostly cruisers adorned with folks with no helmets and shirtsleeves. Dry landscape but hills; made fast time. Our first saguaro cactus - at first I think one of them has a security spotlight installed on top, but no - it's a white blossom!

Entering Phoenix environs, we take 101 then the Union Hills exit, to reach Wade and Becky's apartment on 79th Street. We found a very nice Ramada Inn just south, 100 miles from Prescott. It's over 100 degrees - pant, pant, pant at red lights; tear open the Aerostitch collar, gasp for air...

Wade and the "lovely" Becky and the "adorable" Alex arrive in their new "bitchin'" Hyundai car. So good to see them - we've missed them more than they know since they moved away from Eureka last August.

We piled in the car again and went out to see their new house, which is in its beginning stages of construction. The model homes are beautiful (although one of them has the heater running full blast and it's 104 degrees outside!)

We also got to see where Wade works (Capital Electric Supply), then picked up Gil's bike. (Now Alex thought it was time he had his own bike, so he started his own conversations with the staff. I think he was all set to start negotiating a rather good price. He seemed to want one of each item, starting with dirt bikes ("a yellow one") and ending up with watercraft.)

We ate a huge meal at The Borders Mexican Restaurant. Fresh guacamole, a balloon hat for Alex, fajitas, yum. Rolled back home. Gil and I waddled over to Dillard's that evening and bought a wallet "like Wade's."

Sunday 9 May 2004

Slept in a bit - Wade, Becky and Alex came over to pick us up, and we all went to Mother's Day breakfast at the Cheesecake factory. All the many restaurants around here are packed with people. Some have misters installed to keep the waiting patrons a bit cooler as they stand in line.

We were on the road by noon. Highway 17 north; it soon cooled off to more comfortable levels. Something bit me on the back (or at least it sure felt like it), so I kept hitting myself on the back, which must have looked peculiar. Went through Flagstaff (didn't stop, but it looked nice - there's real trees here, at 7,000 feet). We caught Highway 180 going west. Very nice easy road, 2-lane, not twisty, but with hills and curves, pines and birch. At 8,000 feet, we were surrounded by snow-capped mountains.

Junction with the road from Williams to the Grand Canyon - I realized I had a migraine coming one. Unfortunately, this one didn't shake off, so we ended up staying at the Grand Canyon Inn, right there at the junction in the middle of proverbial nowhere. Expensive and practically empty, it had no "soul", so we decided we disliked it. Intensely. The pool turns out to be closed for repairs, green grass appears to be off limits. We bought odd snacks from the store next-door for our "dinner." Spicy Vienna sausages straight out of the can (not particularly recommended), chips, cookies, beer. Only 190 miles today.

Monday 10 May 2004

Up early, no breakfast in this dismal spot. 27 miles north on Highway 64 to the Grand Canyon. It's a lovely day. Had breakfast at Bright Angel Lodge (original Colter-designed dining room was unfortunately transformed into a 1980's brand of aqua and peach "southwestern" coffee shop). I did have decent banana bread French toast. We walked along the rim, bought a turquoise bear necklace, saw squirrels (friendly, but not the famous Kaibab variety), went to Outlook House, El Tovar Lodge and Hopi House. Left by 10:00 am - efficient tourists, eh?

And traveled east on 64 to 89N. A coyote came suddenly out of the woods on our right and trotted alongside our road for a bit. It's very windy again. At one of many Navajo reservation roadside stands, I bought a turquoise silver bracelet. Spectacular canyon country, as far as the eye can see.

89 goes north to Page, Arizona (lunch at an old-fashioned drive-up A&W, where our lunch threatened to blow away),

then over Glen Canyon just in front of the infamous dam. Then 89 veers west. (We chose not take the scenic 89A alternate) We were thoroughly pummeled by the gusting winds and the wind blasts from oncoming semi trucks. Stopped at Kenab, Utah. Stayed at Parry Lodge, famous since the 1920's for hosting movie productions shot in the Kenab area, especially westerns. We stayed in one of the 3 original duplexes dating from the 1930's. Ours is named "Joey Bishop." It's right next to Fess Parker, then John Wayne.. Julie Newmar, Ann Blyth and Robert Taylor name the remaining neighboring abodes. Lots of green grass and trees. Full breakfast is included for $62. Nice pool, but it wasn't open quite yet for the season. We did our laundry. We really liked this place. We walked around town; it's still rather windy and the poplar trees sway around our motel.