Day 8: Wednesday 8th September

Navajo nation, jewellery and a big lake

Today was filled with images that I can only describe as surreal. We missed the sunrise over the Grand Canyon, but were grateful for the good sleep. We checked out and drove along the Desert View Drive, stopping at each vantage point for the most amazing views!! Grandview Point, Moran Point, and most especially, Lipan Point, will live long in the memory. From here, there was a magnificent view of the Colorado River, snaking its way through the canyon. And there were condors flying overhead. It truly was most wonderful.

(click for bigger)




see the birdie?




Van Nistelrooyd does not enlarge.

Our last stop was Desert View itself, with Mary Coulter's famous Watchtower. I was slightly disappointed in this, I think. It didn't help that there was quite a walk to the viewpoint and I got myself a new blister (wearing my most comfortable shoes). Added to that, my knees weren't up to the climb up to the top of the tower, and the place was (unlike the other viewpoints) quite crowded. Had a good rummage around the shop though - and bought a variety of knickknacks: dream catchers and a nice little pot.

Continuing on, there were many Navajo jewellery stalls, on the roadside, overlooking the Little Colorado River Gorge (Navajo Tribal Park) and I bought a few very lovely pieces from one of these (Smoking Horse?). They were very cheap and I felt a little guilty at having parted with such little money, on seeing how most of the Navajo were living. Their little houses were dotted around the desert and I have to say that these were the only evidence of poverty that we saw throughout our trip.

Further along this (most idyllic) road, we stopped, seemingly in the middle of absolutely nowhere, at a Navajo market for sandwiches, candy and beef jerky and stopped there for a while to eat our lunch. Just along the road there was the Cameron Trading Post - what an Aladdin's cave!! We spent big heap in here - with purchases including a glass cactus, an arch of Arizona sandstone and a scorpion paperweight. I nearly also bought a kachina doll - and rather wish I had, as I subsequently saw no better (cheaper).

Then we turned off onto Highway 89, which was an unremitting delight, from start to finish. We did not even feel (too) sorry that we had no time to turn off for either the Dinosaur Tracks or Horseshoe Bend - we had more than enough to fill our senses. We drove parallel to the Echo Cliffs (the Easternmost section of the Vermilion Cliffs, which we would encounter later) . Very striking indeed.

The scenery just got better and better and ahead, we could see the sparkling blue waters of Lake Powell! I had not been looking forward to driving over the Glen Canyon Dam bridge, but, hey, it was a piece of cake (you couldn't see down the side!) and very soon we were stopping to gawp at the lake itself!

(as usual, a click will do the trick)




(Glen Canyon Dam in the far centre)

Whether one agrees or not, that this amazing lake should've been created at all, it has to be said that the effect is absolutely stunning!

We continued around to Wahweap Marina and to Lake Powell Resort (formerly known as Wahweap Lodge), reception, only to discover that we didn't have a room booked!! I had booked for June and they had us down, on their computer, as having stayed in June! No, we didn't - I changed it!! Very fortunately, I had dragged along all of my correspondence, and the young man behind the desk read through it carefully and conceded that a mistake had been made and gave us a room. Phew! All was very reminiscent of a high-class resort around the Med (although with cliffs peeping out from the water!) and we were very pleased that we were, indeed, able to spend our overnight here! The room was nothing at all special; two double beds (eventually, later in the night ....) a rollout, fridge, small table, telly, dirty carpet ... but the balcony and splendid view over the lake, from it, was to die for!

It was getting dark (already!), so we decided to drive back over to Page to get something to eat. There was a restaurant on the resort, but there was no grocery store and we needed things like water and wine! We got our provisions from a liquor store and then proceeded to the McDonalds!! We appeared to have fallen into a routine of sandwiches and burgers - but, heck, we weren't here to EAT, so who cared (and it was keeping Paul from further fainting attacks!). Besides, the view from outside this particular McDonalds, was something else - sunset over the Glen Canyon - quite wonderful. We returned to our room, for TV and wine - and had the bonus of watching a jack-rabbit scampering around the grass in front of our balcony. Life sure is good sometimes.

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[ Introduction ] [ Day 1 ] [ Day 2 ] [ Day 3 ] [ Day 4 ] [ Day 5 ] [ Day 6 ] [ Day 7 ] [ Day 9 ]
[ Day 10 ] [ Day 11 ] [ Day 12 ] [ Day 13 ] [ Day 14 ] [ Day 15 ] [ Day 16 ] [ Day 17 ]
[ Days 18, 19 and 20 ]

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