Grosvenor Arch

Today we drove over 300 miles through southern Utah and northern Arizona, about 50 miles of it on a dirt road that was severely rutted and would have been almost impassable for a regular car (we had an SUV).

About 30 miles from Tropic and about 20 miles along this back road is Grosvenor Arch (pronounced "Grovner"), a magnificent double arch that is remotely located, to say the least. After we left the Arch, we traveled another 30 miles through Cottonwood Canyon all the way to Rt. 89, which traverses the southern part of Utah between Page, Arizona and Kanab, Utah.

After leaving Page, we ventured south toward Flagstaff, but turned onto Alt. 89 instead and headed for Jacob Lake, which is where you venture to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The North Rim is closed now, so we headed on, eventually landing in Mosquite, Nevada, where we are spending the night. Casinos all around--and they are PACKED!

I can't believe the money that is being literally thrown around in these casinos. Poker, machines, blackjack, you name it. And people of all ages, some in wheelchairs, some on oxygen, some dressed up and others dressed beyond casually. But ... no recession here. The first hotel/casino we tried to find a room in had none left--and it has seven buildings of rooms!

Tomorrow we head to Las Vegas, Hoover Dam and then get ready to fly back home on Friday.

Roots

My 84 year-old lifeguard, Clella, was born and spent the first 14 years of her life in the small town of Tropic, Utah, which is nestled in the valley beneath Bryce Canyon.

Jan and I brought Clella back to Tropic last year about this time, joining Clella in a walk down Memory Lane. We visited her childhood home and the barn where Clella dreamed of becoming a Zigfield Follies dancer.

As you can see in the photo here, Clella has a lot of spunk. This shot was taken along I-15, which will get you from Las Vegas to southern Utah.

We visited much of the same ground today, but added a trip to the "East Valley," which is "out" from Tropic, which is in Bryce Valley. In the East Valley we finally found Clells's grandfather's house, along with the grave of her great-grandfather. Both of these men were from Clella's mother's side. Clella's mother died giving birth to her tenth child, who also died that day.


Yesterday, we were at Zion National Park. Spectacular views of the tallest sandstone cliffs in the U.S. This morning we did an abbreviated tour of Bryce Canyon, doing it almost no justice, but it was enough to at least get a tasted. We spent much more time in Bryce last year.

Tomorrow we head to Grosvenor Arch and Kodachrome Basin, along with Cottonwood Canyon. After that we will go to Page, Arizona and the Glen Canyon Dam, which forms the head of Lake Powell. Then we will skirt the Vermillion Cliffs and eventually end up in Mosquite, Nevada. It will be a long day, but the scenery will be spectacular.