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Little Colorado, Painted Desert, Petrified Forest

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Rethinking Monument Valley Scenic Drive

I know that in yesterday’s post I listed a bunch of options but I was poking around online trying to get more information about the Painted Desert and ran across this link http://www.arizona-leisure.com/painted-desert.html There’s a video on the bottom and it really makes me want to take that long drive to Monument Valley. Apparently you will pass through the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest on the way to Monument Valley.

I continued my search and found information on the Little Colorado. I drove by this on my last visit but didn’t stop. Now I’d like to see how we might be able to fit in a visit to this canyon as it was quite impressive too.

 

 

http://www.navajonationparks.org/htm/littlecolorado.htm

According to these links Cameron seems to be a “hub” for both the Painted Desert and The Little Colorado and Cameron is on the way to Monument Valley.

Once again the only drawback is the length of the drive but if Sandy is up for it, I think I am too. If it ends up taking too long with all the stops for sight-seeing we can always turn around.

I’ll see what my co-explorer has to say. At least we can change our minds since there wouldn’t be any tour guide or dinner appointment to worry about.

Sedona and Grand Canyon …Tentative Itineary

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All right! Things are starting to come together. Here’s what I have so far. This is all subject to booking and my co-traveler’s approval.

DAY 1

Saturday is a travel day. we’ll fly out of Albany into Phoenix and pick up the rental car. The goal is a morning flight so we will have time to swing into Scottsdale for the trolley ride with “Boston Jim”. We can have our lunch there.

Then back on the road for the rest of the drive to Sedona & check-in. ETA between 4 & 6pm. Once checked in we’ll be off to the grocery store for a few food staples and any other essentials we might have forgotten or chose not to pack.

Finish the day watching the sunset at the Airport Mesa.

DAY 2

Recover from yesterday’s full travel day. Take our time getting out and about. Once out, head for Upper Sedona and take the double trolley tour.

 Then get lunch in Tlaquepaque.

After lunch browse the shops in Upper Sedona and relax.

Spend the evening at the time share relaxing and grilling dinner. It needs to be an early night because we’ll be headed to Williams early the next morning.

DAY 3

Grand Canyon Railroad and Rim tour with Lunch at the canyon. This is a full day so nothing else is planned here.

Day 4

Back to the Grand Canyon. I’d like to do one of the tours here. Maybe the Bottom of the Grand Canyon? That one is quite unique. Depending on the time we may be able to get the IMAX show in as well. This is still being “fine tuned”.

Day 5

A little closer to “home” we’ll head south toward Cottonwood and check out Montezuma’s castle & Montezuma’s Well. My plan was to do this on our own but we can consider a tour. Then over to the Blazin’ M to see the Olde Towne they have set up. From there catch the Verde Canyon Rail Road trip and then return to the Blazin’ M for the Dinner Show.

Day 6

Slide Rock Park in the morning. Lunch back in Sedona at the Canyon Breeze and then the Trail ride and dinner at the M Diamond Ranch. there might be time for a spa treatment before lunch if we are so inclined LOL

Day 7

This is the last day and depending on how we did up to this point we can chose from a bunch of things.

Red rock Jeep Tour

The Ghost Town of Jerome

Grand Canyon of the Little Colorado

Painted Desert

Out of Africa Safari Park

“Spa Day”

Sunset Crater

Meteor Crater

So that is where the planning stands at this point. There’s enough left on the to-do list for another week!

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Name The Prairie Dog~The results

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Editor in Chief

Well the votes are in as you know and there was a 3 way tie between Scout, Flower and Whiskers.

Our editorial panel has been considered the choices because they liked them all but after much deliberation and consideration of all your comments the final choice is………

　

Prairie Dog with Flower

 Flower is a skunk in Bambi and Whiskers is the name of a cat food. But Scout is what a Prairie Dog does. He’s curious and “scouts” his area to watch for predators so he’s always on the alert.

SCOUT

 

Thank you all for participating. The suggestions were all great. I was surprised that “Scamper” didn’t make the cut because I thought that was kind of cute too but Scout it is.

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Getting Lost in Rhode Island

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If you’re going to get lost anywhere I guess Rhode Island is a good place since it isn’t very big. Sooner or later you’re bound to see something you recognize. I was headed down to the Audubon Society Environmental Education Center. Now that’s a mouthful.

I used map quest since I don’t have a GPS nor did I have a RI map. To add to the problem my printer is being temperamental and printed out blank sheets so I hastily scribbled the directions and set off. According to Map quest it should take me about 40 minutes.

The first leg was pretty easy and I made good time. The problem came when I found my last turn…RT 103. According to my notes it was supposed to be RT 103/114 and I would end up on Hope St. There wasn’t any RT 114 and the street name was Child. I took it anyway and did see a sign for the Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary. Different name but close enough except that that was all I found, just the sign.

However as I was driving around I came down to the water and there were a bunch of ducks and a swan so I pulled over and got out. I parked on the side of the road and followed the shore. I found more birds and gulls and loads of sea shells.

 It was pretty chilly and windy but I was so engrossed that I didn’t realize it until I turned around to walk back to the car.

A little farther on the road moved back to the coastline and I saw some more swans. I pulled over where a stone wall bordered the water. One of the swans was floating next to what appeared to be another dead swan, probably it’s mate. That was so sad. It’s been a harsh winter all around. There was another pair of swans out in deeper water but this one made no move to join them, instead it stayed right next to the dead swan as if standing vigil.

I decided to backtrack and see if I could find RT 114. Once I located it I followed it past Roger Williams University to the Mt. Hope Bridge. It was afternoon by this time and the bridge looked wonderful. I pulled over in a little parking area and took some pictures of the bridge. It looks like there’s a sidewalk so maybe I can walk up the bridge and get pictures from the top. I’ll wait for a little warmer day for that.

Turning around I headed back home. The sun was sinking and the moon was rising so I took the opportunity to experiment with different settings on the camera for the clouds and sky. There’s quite a difference in color depending on what settings are used. I may not have found what I was looking for but I had a nice afternoon anyway.

I’ll try to find the Audubon Center another day.

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The Bottom of the Grand Canyon

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A couple of days ago I mentioned the Native American Journey’s website and the Bottom of the Canyon tour.

Grand Canyon

The Bottom of the Grand Canyon

Take a spiritual journey to the depths of one of America’s most breath-taking sites. You will enjoy songs, hear legends, and learn about Native concepts and philosophy. An amazing photo opportunity – see the Canyon from the bottom, enjoy the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon caverns – a complete Native American experience! Lunch is included

 

 

Grand Canyon

 

 

 

At that time I said I would have to call for more information on how we get down into the canyon and back up again. So I took a moment to call.

I reached a very nice man who said he wasn’t the owner,  just one of the drivers and he was covering the phones. We discussed the Bottom of the Canyon Tour and he said it was great. He raved about the tour guide who is a geologist, naturalist and expert on Native Americans and their history in the Canyon. He got a pretty good laugh when I asked him how we would get into and out of the canyon. I don’t think he had ever gotten that question before. Turns out there is a road down to the bottom and our guide will drive us down and drive us back.

I told him we were “older women” and that I wanted to be sure it wouldn’t be way too strenuous for us. He assured me it wouldn’t be. He said he hadn’t taken the tour himself but that he had discussed it at length with the guide. He also said he has climbed down the canyon and that the Bottom is really something that should not be missed. By the time we were done talking he was saying he thought he’d actually take the tour himself now. LOL He rated it the best of their tours.

From the South Rim

We also discussed the Monument Valley tour and he said “it’s nice: but it was clear from his tone of voice that he was way more enthusiastic about the Bottom of the Canyon tour than the Monument Valley one so I’m glad I called. Now we’ll have to rethink think this.

He said Monument Valley is a long drive but that on the tour they will explain a lot and all we have to do is sit back and listen. It’s just so hard to choose. I hope my co-traveler will have some preferences to help with the decision.

　

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