Out west with Sylvia, Tom and Robbie … Vegas, Death Valley, Sierras, Tahoe, San Francisco, Sequoia, Flagstaff, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Vegas.
Highlight for me was Monument Valley (at 12F) and Sequoia for a white Christmas day – oh, and the pleasure of meeting Alice and Family. Surreal moment, eating dinner outdoors on the balcony at Olives with 6 hours to kill before our return red-eye from Vegas – recommended fountain-entertainment-and-food value even at The Bellagio prices.
More later when I’ve sorted the pictures, and dealt with the e-mail backlog.
Happy New Year Ian.
Monument Valley was the highlight of our roadtrip back in ’86 – Houston to Houston via Santa Fe, Estes Park, Pikes Peak, Glen Canyon Dam, Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon (North Rim)and a 30 hour non-stop drive home to get back into the office after a shower and clothes change. This was (obviously) pre mobile phone but we chose where to sleep on a day by day basis from a set of Mobil Guides and only had one bad and one mediocre bedroom in 17 nights! Monument Valley was one of two choices we could squeeze in right at the end of the holiday. The other was Messa Verde. We chose MV and got there around 4:30, too late to go around on one of the pick-up tours. We obviously looked upset and the guide said that we could drive around in our own car (just a regular Pontiac saloon), but we were on our own if we got stuck. We chose to do this and it was the best part of the entire trip. As we drove around the sun moved lower, the sky turned to those colours you can see in Pena prints – blue/turquoise/green/yellow/red – I didn’t think you could see all those colours in a sunset. We drove around for at least a couple of hours, stopping several times to walk around in total silence. We left when it was fully dark having seen all aspects of a sunset in the valley. Truly memorable. then a short run to New Framlington, a night in a motel and then the non-stop (almost – a short snooze after an early breakfast outside Dallas) drive (with only me driving) home.
I’m looking forward to the pictures.
Hi Smiffy, happy new year to you too.
We had the the north side of the canyon in mind, and Bryce and Zion, but the key roads were all closed with snow so we modified our plans. Anyway glad we went to Monument Valley … it was on my wish list and Tom’s. We went north of Monument Valley after we’d done the local tour until the sun went down and came back south through the valley at sunset. Tom got some great pictures, better than my snaps. (So cold we could only get out of the car a few minutes at a time.)
I’m gonna have to sort out those pictures.
Monument Valley Pictures:
http://dur.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2195899&l=9674d&id=61212203