Our route, starting in Phoenix, heading in a clockwise direction and ending in Phoenix, a total distance of 3700 km.
Montezuma Castle, an Indian dwelling built around 1400 AD about 100 feet up and into the face of a cliff.
Misnamed because it was thought Aztecs built it. Was abandoned about 1700. No one knows which Indian
tribe lived there.
Arizona - Sedona - Margaret"s Trail - Just behind our motel.
Arizona - Sedona - Pink Jeep Tour - Native Ruins - Our tour was actually in a green jeep, because
those are the ones used in the archeological division. It was a 2 ½ hour tour and we were lucky - it was
just Judy and me and the guide/driver. He really knew his stuff and we learned a lot about the rock
structures and Indian history in the area.
Arizona - Sedona - Pink Jeep Tour - On the way back we passed a bull snake on the road (in the Boa family),
about 3 feet long. Grows to 6 feet. Then a "sounder" of Collared Peccaries (AKA Javalinas) ran by us.
They are wild grey pig like animals which are common in the area.
Arizona - Sedona - Boynton Pass Trail. About 4 km (70 minutes) in each direction, leading up to a vista
which looks back through the canyon. 15 minutes before we reached the end, we met a couple who
encountered a rattler in the trail about 5 minutes further up. I took over the lead and went very carefully.
On the way down, we heard a rustling in the brush at about that spot, and were very nervous.
But it turned out to be another "sounder" of peccaries.
Arizona - Sedona - Red Rock Crossing, which is supposed to be the most common spot photographed. Oak Creek
flows just in front of a beautiful outcropping
Arizona - Grand Canyon - Walked down and up the Bright Angel Trail for 1½ miles - 1 hour down, 50 minutes up.
It’s supposed to take twice as long up, but Judy only knows one pace. We were soaking wet with sweat
by the time we got to the top. Saw 2 mountain goats on the trail.
Arizona - Grand Canyon - West Rim
Arizona - Grand Canyon - West Rim
Utah - Coral Pink Sand Dunes state park. An interesting place to visit about 10 miles off SR89.
Utah - Coral Pink Sand Dunes - Has sands dunes and a walking trail which explains the plant life and dunes.
Great place if you have a dune buggy.
Utah - Bryce Canyon - The formations have multiple coloured layers - red (due to iron), purple (due to manganese),
white (due to a pure limestone) and yellow (due to a less pure limestone).
Utah - Bryce Canyon
Utah - Bryce Canyon
Utah - Bryce Canyon - The canyon is made up of "Hoodoos" which are spires and other rock formations caused
by erosion. The main reason for the erosion is that the canyon dips below freezing 200 nights a year and
rises above during the day during many of them. Rain freezes in cracks and breaks apart the rocks which
regularly tumble during the night.
Arizona - Monument Valley - Compared to Bryce Canyon, this is a real bust. There is a 17 mile drive through
the valley on a dirt road amongst various outcroppings of large rocks ($3 per person). We came too
late (7:30PM), so we could not go - it closes at 7:00PM. We went to the visitor’s centre and viewed the
rocks from there.
New Mexico - Canyon de Chelley - We took a tour in a large jeep which could hold 20 people (no one is allowed
into the valley without a guide - you must take the tour).
New Mexico - Canyon de Chelley - Beautiful canyon with high red walls and farmland squeezed in below.
New Mexico - Canyon de Chelley - White House - Interesting history of the Anasasi and Navajo Indians
New Mexico - Canyon de Chelley - White House
New Mexico - Bandelier National Monument - The canyon was the home of the Anasasi. The canyon walls are made
of a soft porous volcanic rock called "Tuff". There are hundreds of natural caves, which the Indians used
for dwellings, enlarging them by scraping with rocks. They also built homes against the cliff walls and in the
valley centre. The soil was fertile for growing, and there was enough water, with a steady stream running
through the canyon. We did a walking tour of about 2 miles, visiting the cave dwellings, and a ceremonial
cave at the end which you had to use ladders to climb up (about 140 feet).
New Mexico - Carlsbad Caverns - We did a 2½ mile, 3 hour hike in the cave, down the natural entrance and
around the "Big Room", a cavern about 14 football fields long and 250 high in parts. The room was at a
depth of 750 feet, but afterward you have to take the elevator up. It is also home to thousands of bats
which fly out at dusk to search for insects at night. There is a presentation in front of the cave
every day where you can watch them come out.
New Mexico - White Sands National Monument near Alamogordo. We spent about 1½ hours there - very
interesting and worthwhile to see.
Our route, starting in Phoenix, heading in a clockwise direction and ending in Phoenix, a total distance of 3700 km.
Montezuma Castle, an Indian dwelling built around 1400 AD about 100 feet up and into the face of a cliff.
Misnamed because it was thought Aztecs built it. Was abandoned about 1700. No one knows which Indian
tribe lived there.
Arizona - Sedona - Margaret"s Trail - Just behind our motel. 
Arizona - Sedona - Pink Jeep Tour - Native Ruins - Our tour was actually in a green jeep, because
those are the ones used in the archeological division. It was a 2 ½ hour tour and we were lucky - it was
just Judy and me and the guide/driver. He really knew his stuff and we learned a lot about the rock
structures and Indian history in the area.
Arizona - Sedona - Pink Jeep Tour - On the way back we passed a bull snake on the road (in the Boa family),
about 3 feet long. Grows to 6 feet. Then a "sounder" of Collared Peccaries (AKA Javalinas) ran by us.
They are wild grey pig like animals which are common in the area.
Arizona - Sedona - Boynton Pass Trail. About 4 km (70 minutes) in each direction, leading up to a vista
which looks back through the canyon. 15 minutes before we reached the end, we met a couple who
encountered a rattler in the trail about 5 minutes further up. I took over the lead and went very carefully.
On the way down, we heard a rustling in the brush at about that spot, and were very nervous.
But it turned out to be another "sounder" of peccaries.
Arizona - Sedona - Red Rock Crossing, which is supposed to be the most common spot photographed. Oak Creek
flows just in front of a beautiful outcropping
Utah - Coral Pink Sand Dunes state park. An interesting place to visit about 10 miles off SR89.
Utah - Bryce Canyon - The formations have multiple coloured layers - red (due to iron), purple (due to manganese),
white (due to a pure limestone) and yellow (due to a less pure limestone).
Utah - Bryce Canyon - The canyon is made up of "Hoodoos" which are spires and other rock formations caused
by erosion. The main reason for the erosion is that the canyon dips below freezing 200 nights a year and
rises above during the day during many of them. Rain freezes in cracks and breaks apart the rocks which
regularly tumble during the night.
Arizona - Monument Valley - Compared to Bryce Canyon, this is a real bust. There is a 17 mile drive through
the valley on a dirt road amongst various outcroppings of large rocks ($3 per person). We came too
late (7:30PM), so we could not go - it closes at 7:00PM. We went to the visitor’s centre and viewed the
rocks from there.
New Mexico - Canyon de Chelley - We took a tour in a large jeep which could hold 20 people (no one is allowed
into the valley without a guide - you must take the tour).
New Mexico - Canyon de Chelley - Beautiful canyon with high red walls and farmland squeezed in below.
New Mexico - Canyon de Chelley - White House - Interesting history of the Anasasi and Navajo Indians
New Mexico - Carlsbad Caverns - We did a 2½ mile, 3 hour hike in the cave, down the natural entrance and
around the "Big Room", a cavern about 14 football fields long and 250 high in parts. The room was at a
depth of 750 feet, but afterward you have to take the elevator up. It is also home to thousands of bats
which fly out at dusk to search for insects at night. There is a presentation in front of the cave
every day where you can watch them come out.
New Mexico - White Sands National Monument near Alamogordo. We spent about 1½ hours there - very
interesting and worthwhile to see.