Max & Diane's Adventure - Day 6

5:18 am. Good Morning! Here we are at the Grand Canyon. Dawn is barely breaking and we can just see the 'gloaming' on the uppermost peaks. I've turned the light on in the Jeep to write, but that means I can't see anything Max is doing outside. Its cold out there. During the drive up, the temps went up and down - 40 to 31 degrees and now it reads 44 degrees. Leica and I are staying in the Jeep wrapped in blankets.

Uh oh - I'm crying again. I've never seen this many stars in my life! The same Big Dipper I see from my back yard every night, but it's so bright and surrounded by so many more stars!

6:35 am. The park sign told us that sunrise was at 5:44 am. Ummm ... more like 6:44 am? I could have had another nap! But, I shouldn't complain. This is a rare experience. The colors are astounding. Layers of pinks and blues above the uneven landscape of the canyon walls.

There are a few hardy souls waiting for the sun to break across the canyon and light up the eastern-facing canyon walls. Though there is a heavy haze, it is still amazing.

The first picture is one of Max's - the second is mine as we drove out of the Canyon.





9:30 am. We just left Carmelon - gas, breakfast and now we are off for Monument Valley. As we were talking about the trip, Max said, "What do 'Fort Apache,' 'The Searchers,' 'Tie a Yellow Ribbon,' 'Red River' all have in common?

John Ford, director. John Wayne, star. All shot in Monument Valley. Yup, he's my Geek.

Here's a picture of Leica in the backset. She is having a rough trip, eh?



9:49 am. Came up over a rise and before me stretches an immense plain bordered by a row of red cliffs that stretch as far to the right and left as I can see. Vast, Grandeur, Majestic, Immense. These are the only words I can think of and they're not enough.





11:13 am. Pit stop in Kayenta, AZ. The monuments are already showing up. These are amazing!





Max: "It's better than going through Universal Studios. John Ford movie sets right here in nature!" He has pointed out scenery from 'The Searchers.' Oh! and that's where so and so's horse died and they had to leave him. And that's where John Wayne hid in a cave from Indians.

Good heavens, I love him.







1:20 pm. We're in Utah and the colors and landscapes are changing radically. More green mixed in with the sage. The deep reds are giving way to oranges, whites and yellows.



1:30 pm. San Juan River



1:36 pm. Mexican Hat. Ok, I know we are in a Jeep, but NO we are not driving that way just to get closer. This is close enough.



We're less than an hour from the hotel and we both sense a nap coming soon. We passed the Valley of the Gods. Maybe we'll come back tomorrow. Looks amazing! As we get deeper into Utah, the landscape has transformed to whites and greens.

I keep waiting to get to a lower elevation. I'm tired of thin air, but I don't think it's going to happen until we get back to Omaha. Sheesh.

Tomorrow we're off to Canyonlands and wherever else we find ourselves!