Deserts and Canyons and Mountains, OH MY!

     We just returned from a 12-day tour, which included five American national parks---Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, Grand Teton, Yellowstone---and many attractions along the way.  All lodging, most meals, and  the driving were all provided.  It was great to let someone else worry about the details.

      At the end of May, we flew out to Phoenix, AZ, and were transported from the airport to our hotel in Scottsdale where we  met our tour manager, bus driver, and the other 43 people we would spend the next 12 days with.  We soon realized this was a very friendly and positive-thinking group that came from various areas in the U.S., Canada and the UK. 

     Each day we all put our bags outside our hotel doors by 7:00 (6:30 a couple of times) so they could be loaded on the bus. We departed for the destinations of the day by 7:30 or 8:00.  Even though as retirees we had grown accustomed to "sleeping in," we got into the groove very quickly, especially since somebody else cooked our breakfast and did the driving.  We saw and learned enough about so many places that each could be a blog on its own and may be in the future.  For now, these are just the highlights.


Saguaro Cacti, AZ

     Our journey started with 110 degrees in Scottsdale, AZ and desert scenes with saguaro cacti.  These cacti can grow to 40 feet and live between 100 to 200 years. The bloom is Arizona's state flower. 

Sedona, AZ

 








     As we traveled on to our next morning destination to see the unique rock formations of Sedona, our elevation gradually increased and we left the saguaro behind.  In the afternoon, we passed through the Navajo's reservations and saw some of their traditional circular and six-sided dwellings with dome-shaped roofs called hogans.

Ron & I on a Lake Powell Breakfast Cruise, AZ

     We spent the night at the Lake Powell Resort and were treated to an early morning breakfast cruise to get a closer look of this beautiful reservoir lake created by the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River and its surrounding canyons.



Grand Canyon North Rim at Sunrise, AZ

      After the cruise we boarded the bus and continued to the Grand Canyon North Rim, AZ.  Words cannot express the beauty of this natural wonder.  The multiple layers of  the sandstone and rock that had formed over millions of years reflected the light of the


moment and changed as the day progressed.  We spent the night in rustic cabins at the Grand Canyon Lodge.  Quite a contrast to Scottsdale, it was so cool at night the cabins were not even air conditioned.  We relished the cooler temperatures, kept our windows open all night, and slept very comfortably.  A pre-breakfast hike with astounding views was invigorating!

Meatloaf Extraordinaire at Zion Park Inn, UT

Next destination was Zion National Park.  This time, instead of looking down into a canyon, our tour bus took us down to the bottom of the canyon.  We all applauded our driver as he expertly navigated all the switchbacks on the way down.  At the bottom, we boarded a tram driven by a local guide.  We were able to stretch our legs by taking a hike along the Virgin River to see a small waterfall, and rapids.  We spent the night at the Zion Park Inn where we had quite the dinner with some of our new friends.  Ron and I had meatloaf but it was such an artistic creation one of our fellow travelers just had to take a picture.

Bryce Canyon hoodoos, UT

     One of my favorite stops after leaving Zion was the Bryce Canyon with its amazing "hoodoo" formations.  They are formed by a process called frost-wedging as snow and ice melts, and refreezes due to the freezing nights and warm afternoons 180 days per year.  Each hoodoo looks like a sculpture of something or somebody, depending on your own individual interpretation.

Mormon Temple, UT

      Salt Lake City was a deviation from seeing the natural wonders.  The Mormon history of the area was quite interesting.  We had a local tour guide that took us through Temple Square and we were able to watch  the Mormon Tabernacle Choir rehearse in the evening.  Awesome!



A Selfie on the Chair Lift

       We moved on to Jackson Hole, WY  and cowboy country.  We were entertained over dinner by the Bar J Wranglers.  Hee-haw!   The next day we had a free day to do some optional add-on activities with the group or do whatever we wanted.  Ron and I chose the latter.   First, we decided to ignore our senior citizen status, rode a chair lift up the mountain behind our lodge, and then slid all the way back down on a giant slide. It was a blast!  After that burst of bravery, we just wandered around the town, had lunch at the famous Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, and played miniature golf. 

Grand Tetons,  WY

           The following morning we drove through the magnificent snow covered mountains of the Grand Tetons. No foothills  obstructed the view of the peaks and canyons that rise abruptly from the flat valley of Jackson Hole.  We were told the Tetons were formed over millions of years of earthquake movement which caused the mountains to rise while the valley floor actually dropped.

      Next on our agenda was the spectacular Yellowstone National Park.  It's everything you have ever imagined.  Unforgettable scenery and wildlife.  We arrived just in time to see Old Faithful erupt.  Funny, we all cheered it on as if it could hear us!.  Since it performs approximately every 90 minutes, we were able to catch another awe inspiring show shortly before sunset from the deck of the historic Old Faithful Lodge.  We enjoyed waking up to below freezing temperatures in Yellowstone and continuing our journey. 

Yellowstone River Falls



Old Faithful, Yellowstone



Bison



Big Horn Sheep

     Our sightseeing tour ended with visits to  the Crazy Horse Monument, the world's largest mountain carving, which is still in progress, and the patriotic Mount Rushmore Monument nestled in the Black Hills of South Dakota. 

       

Crazy Horse Monument,

    
Our last night was spent at the Bar S Lodge in Keystone, SD where we could see the lighted Mt. Rushmore monument from our window. 

Mount Rushmore, SD

   

    The farewell dinner with our new found friends and traveling companions was bittersweet. We vowed to keep in touch, and, who knows, maybe we'll connect again on future tours. 

      It is on my bucket list to see as many of the 58 National Parks as possible. With this trip, I have seen 10.  Guess I better kick it up a notch!!!.