Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona...

28 September 2011

Got an early start on a brisk morning and blatted down the I40 four lane from Holbrook to Winslow where I picked up 87 south to Camp Verde. It looked like a long bleak ride at first but as I climbed up into the Coconino National Forest, it got cooler, the desert gave way to pine forest and it became a very enjoyable ride in the seven to eight thousand foot elevation range.

Descending into Camp Verde on 260 it was back to the desert heat. I topped up the fuel tank, blatted up I17 for 11 miles then took 179 into Sedona. I adore Sedona, it is an oasis in the desert and looking at the property values, I'm not the only one who feels this way. I couldn't resist stopping for lunch and even did a bit of shopping. There is some very nice art and jewelry on display and way out of my price range but also lots of stuff for a more modest budget.

Continuing north from Sedona on 179 I followed a lush river valley (in the desert!) that eventually climbed up to pine forest in Flagstaff. Flagstaff is a more typical mid sized city with about everything you might need and the moderately heavy traffic to get to it.

Heading northwest from Flagstaff on 180 we end up at the south rim of the Grand Canyon and grand it is. I took a few photos but had a feeling of “why bother” because they cannot begin to convey the grandeur of the place.

Heading east and north from Grand Canyon Park I passed through the Navajo Indian reservation to Page, where I am writing this from.

Americana for the day: dodging tumbleweeds on the highway on a windy day

Photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/108481211284683809830/USA20113?authkey=Gv1sRgCInJ3fTt3fO0Mg

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