SOUTHWEST NATIONAL PARKS

A TRIP FOR TURNING 70!

Desert Botanical Garden at dusk

The final act celebrating the 70th milestone was a trip to the mountains for my gift to me! Originally, I had intentions of planning the trip myself, driving to the mountains etc. The thought of making the effort to secure entry times and all the things associated with it was a bit daunting. When this tour brochure showed up for the American Southwest that included Sedona, Grand Canyon, Navaho Nation, Monument Valley, Lake Powell, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks……..it seemed to be the right thing at the right time.

A bonus was ending up in Las Vegas and an opportunity to see the U2 UV movie at The Sphere.

SCOTTSDALE

TC and I flew into Phoenix to meet the tour group. Somehow, an Arkansas Alumni tour included only us………with everyone else from Texas A&M and Michigan State. Still trying to get answers about how this happened.

We bussed to the Marriott at McDowell Mountains. Unbeknownst…..it was at the TPC Scottsdale where the now infamous Waste Management Open golf tournament is held. That’s the one where way too many people get way too drunk and make a mockery of the game. My opinion, but also the opinion of a wonderful bartender of 30 years who told us stories of how terrible people act nowadays. Seems like every sport is this way….they absolutely hate it when that week comes around.

TPC Scottsdale

DESERT BOTANICAL GARDENS

[embed]Homepage - Desert Botanical Garden Discover the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona, and experience the vibrant tranquility of desert plants…dbg.org

So we are going to see cactus in the desert? Sounds fun, right?!

Well, it was an outstanding beginning for the tour, especially since we had a full moon. Enjoy these pix from the desert…

Cacti everywhere…

Here comes the full moon…

It’s dark, but the Iphone camera does a pretty good job of capturing the scene

Very interesting seeing a garden of Saguaro cacti!🌵…We then gathered for a late dinner and began to meet some of the folks we’d be sharing the next week with. It was late…..but a good time.

OFF TO SEDONA

Heard a lot about Sedona….but we only spent a couple of hours there. No opportunity to do some of their famous hikes….but we did see some fabulous rock formations that would serve as a precursor for what was coming next….our guide Greg, a former parks ranger, told us about Sedona before the tourist invasion. To see it best, one needs to get out to the trails and the solitude of the desert mountains.

As we drove North from Scottsdale, allegedly the last cactus!!

Sedona Red Rock

the lines of the rock tell the story of time..

Couple interesting sights in Sedona….a prospector monument and a V-22 Osprey tilt wing rotor aircraft

View at lunch..

More lunch view…

Back on the bus, and off to the Grand Canyon. One of the Seven Wonders of the World, we had great anticipation…...how would we react? Would it be overwhelming?

Before we arrived at the park entrance (and we had a long line…) some elk presented themselves….

Kin to our Arkansas elk??

THE GRAND CANYON

There will more than one blog on the GC….this is just the beginning.

Our first stop was at Mather Point, so our first glimpse of the spectacle. We are staying at the lodge on the rim, which was very exciting. But to see the Grand Canyon for the first time was overwhelming, breathtaking, and quite an emotional experience.

TC and I memorializing we are here!

Don’t usually tie my hat around my chin, but it was darn breezy up there….about 7.000 feet..

It may seem I’m taking several pictures of the same spot, and I did….but the light would change and the view would change ….it was constantly changing and needed to capture every bit of the color….

Some people are brave…maybe once upon a time…..

No, not at 70…

A few more of our first day at GC….we checked into our lodge room on the rim…

Can you see the people out on the ledge in the foreground?

Colorado River is the green in the middle.

Mather Point is named for Stephen Mather, who persuaded Congress to create the National Park Service in 1916. Mather Lodge at our Arkansas State Park, Petit Jean State Park, is also named for him. He was the first director of the National Park Service. This is his recognition at Mather Point.

We’re heah!!

TC in the lodge room, and view from the room. Pretty cool, huh?!

Sun setting and throwing a special light on the canyon…

Inside the lodge headquarters..

About time to end the day….a long one and an exciting one. We have reached the Grand Canyon on a beautiful, and windy day. God has blessed us yet again. Can’t wait to see what the next day brings…..there may be a chance of snow and 26 degree temperatures?!?! We’ll see.

I’ll leave this blog with a sunset and a moonrise….how could it be better.

First the sunset…..

Well, okay…another one….

Okay…..another one!!

Then the full moon rose after dinner, glad to see this with the impending clouds the next day…..

Lunar event…..the moon is rising over the canyon..

A different view of the moon rise…

For now, we anticipate a low of 26 (setting heat records back home!!) A possibility of snow……….maybe?

So you’ll have to wait until the next blog to see if it happened!

Remember to be deliberate, be intentional, and have no regrets.

Until next time…

Travelin’ Arkansan