Flagstaff, Arizona to Bryce Canyon, Utah

We were woken by jackhammers pounding away outside our hotel at 6am! We had been warned by the receptionist this might happen, but it wasn't the best way to start the day!

Kenny and Dee Anne had left the hotel early, as they were going to take a side trip to see the Coal Miners Canyon. We had already decided that there was enough to see on the drive not to need another seventy miles added to an already quite long day's driving of around 300 miles.

First, we went with Bob & Thelma to a local diner for a very good breakfast of oatmeal and toast. A reasonably healthy way to start the day, rather than the delicious eggs and hash browns that all American diners serve!

We walked back to the hotel to pack and take our leave of Flagstaff. We really enjoyed the town and would like to come back again.

As we drove away, we went past this old steam engine. Flagstaff is a major railroad junction.

Driving out of Flagstaff, we saw this large array of solar panels. It makes my 16 panel system in London look pretty insignificant!!

The drive took us due north along wonderfully straight roads across the Arizona desert - mile after mile of wonderful scenery. The rock colours are simply fantastic with broad bands of differing colours to the rock strata.

Fifty miles of driving brought us to the turn-off to Tuba City where there are dinosaur tracks which were discovered in 1943. The fossilised impressions are in limestone and are incredibly detailed. We had a local Navajo Indian guide who, using a water bottle sprayed into the prints to make them easy to see, told us which animals they came from. We could see the claw imprints and even the skin folds of the feet.

 

This photo shows a baby dinosaur's print alongside that of the adult.

There was the fossilised foot of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. It was enormous.

We left the dinosaur tracks after about half an hour and drove to the Colorado River at the Navajo Bridge. The bridge spans the gorge that the river has cut into the rock.

 

Bob, Thelma and Wendy walking across the bridge.

A short drive took us to Lees Ferry, where we walked down to the river and felt the cool water as it rushed through the Paria Riffle. A riffle is a small rapid.

Near to Lees Ferry were these incredible rocks that have fallen from the cliff face. Over years, the ground around them has eroded, leaving them perched precariously above the ground.

Leaving Lees Ferry, the drive took us forty miles along the beautiful Vermilion Cliffs. As we left the cliffs, we rose up to a viewpoint from where we looked down into this huge valley with the cliffs on the far side.

The day then took a turn for the worse when we stopped at another viewpoint. As we drove away, I failed to realise it was a 40 mph limit and immediately got 'gunned' by a police car coming the other way. I was pulled up and given a ticket for exceeding the speed limit!! I had the option of paying by post or at the local Court House. As we were driving past it a few miles farther up the road, we stopped to pay the fine of $98.

My first speeding ticket in over thirty years of driving in the US.

Shortly after we left the Court House, we entered our third state of the trip, Utah.

The remainder of the drive was uneventful and we drove into the Bryce Canyon region at about 5pm. We approached Bryce Canyon and drove through this arch cut into the vivid red rocks, made even more impressive by the evening sun.

We checked into Bryce Canyon Lodge and walked the few yards to the canyon rim. The view from the rim is one of the great sights in the world. I hope the photos do it justice, especially as the sun set and the colours deepened.

A pleasant evening meal in the lodge ended a good and bad day!