USA / Canada, Newsletter 1 - June, 2012

A good flight (we were both able to stretch out over three seats and sleep some hours) and we landed in Los Angeles to a warm sunny day. Took a shuttle to Hollywood and after checking in we walked and walked to help the jet lag. A good night’s sleep and we caught the metro to Universal Studios. 

Jen and Garry - Universal Studios

It wasn’t very busy and we did the “backblocks” tram ride and most of the “adventures”. James and crew from Channel 7 were filming for the weekend show and I was surprised to see kangaroo paw and bottle brush in the streets along with all the tall palms.

James from Channel 7

Central LA is easy accessed by Metro (25c for seniors), and we walked the streets for a few hours admiring the BIG buildings – not just high but taking up a whole block, huge theatres and cultural centres. The Walt Disney Concert Hall looked more like a Guggenheim Building, 

Walt Disney Concert Hall

and the RC Cathedral, Our Lady of the Angels, completed in 2002 was a modern but beautiful building. 

Los Angeles, R C Cathedral

How about the one with the wrap around for decoration?

Walkway going nowhere?

To eat out can at first be tricky. We had to learn to look at the prices, add about 8-10% for tax and then another 10-15% tip. It’s good to have lots of 5 and 1 dollar bills in your wallet. But generally the food is good and reasonable. Most orders come “full” and “half servings”, and we find “halfs” are plenty.

We bussed to Las Vegas and badly chose a long weekend;

"The Strip" - Las Vegas

 however we enjoyed the opulence and grandeur of the place, and visited Paris, Venice, 

Venetian Casino

ancient Rome and Camelot all over four days. 

Excalibur Casino

We had lessons at the Apple store for the new iPad, went to shows – Bill Cosby, 

a Girly revue and the brilliant, classy Human Nature, and didn’t even put a dollar into a slot machine. The casinos are not smoke free so we tended to avoid them. We were fascinated with the spiral escalator at Caesars, 

Spiral Escalator

and the beach complete with wave pool, at Mandalay Bay.

Beach and Wave Pool

When our hire car wasn’t ready for us they gave Garry an almost new Mustang for the morning to try out his RHS driving skills. 

The Mustang for the Day

We did some shopping, bought a Sat Nav at Walmart for $180 and other bits and pieces, and went back in the arvo to pick up a little Jeep. We had decided to take a fortnight and “do” the Canyon lands, central Arizona, and north into Utah.

Hoover Dam, Nevada

So we set off and explored the new arched bridge over the Hoover Dam 

New Road Bridge

and made Kingman later that evening. We thought it was a small town as we’d taken a room in the first motel with a vacancy, so the next morning when we went to the Visitors centre 

Kingman, Nevada

and discovered we were in the old town and it was really a big town of 40,000+ (most of the houses were in the next valley) we had to stay 2 nights. The West Rim of the Grand Canyon, with the Skywalk

Grand Canyon Skywalk, West Rim

was north of Kingman so by the time we did that and the Route 66 Museum the day was gone. Andy Devine was a son of Kingman, a “B actor” with John Wayne so there was a whole section about him. The town’s other claim to fame was that Clark Gable and Carole Lombard came from Hollywood one weekend in 1939 to be married in the little Methodist church to avoid the paparazzi. 

Kingman Methodist Church

Mary Beth was the guide for the 1915 Bonelli House, built by one of Kingman’s wealthy storekeepers, and she told us. For the rest of the house tour she barely drew breath – her enthusiasm really added to the interest of the mansion.

Bonelli House - Kingman

So we were on Route 66 for quite a distance along with a group of bikies from Germany. The desert was dry and the temperatures were going up by the day. 

Route 66 Memorabilia

There were lots of places of interest to stop for ice cream and malts – many with “30’s+ memorabilia”. 

On Route 66

 Before we made Flagstaff we turned south to Prescott. Didn’t know anything about the place but did the town walk with a local volunteer the next morning and learnt lots. It was a town built on mining from 1860’s. Whiskey Row was the centre of town and when three and a half blocks burnt down in 1901 the 75 foot long bar of the Palace hotel was carried out to the park (and saved). Wyatt Earp and his brothers used to drink here. 

The bar at the Palace Hotel

There were some philanthropists of the time too and a library, opera house (that is beautifully restored) and other public buildings were built for the town. 

Prescott County Court House

Our guide, Mike, a Rotarian remembered a Group Study Exchange some years ago with Kirsty from Yass.

So next day we headed east via numerous switchbacks (hairpin bends), over the Black Hills. We paused in the 100 degrees F to look over the small hillside mining town of Jerome before going down into the valley where we stayed at the Little Daisy Motel in Cottonwood. Nearby at Nic’s Cowboy Cafe we had a half serve of ribs with baked potato (sour cream of course) and brochelli. No room for sweets!!

Cactus

 Fort Verde straightened us out as to what the forts in 1870’s were really like. 

Fort Verde Parade Grounds

Alas John Wayne’s (director’s) interpretation, leaves a lot to be questioned.

Information board at Fort Verde

Montezuma’s Castle, originally presumed to be of Aztec Heritage (thus the name), stands in a cliff recess 100 feet above the valley. With a reliable source of water and fertile land, Sinagua Farmers began building the five storey dwelling in the 1100’s. 

Montezuma's Castle, Cliff Dwellings

Standing above the nearby well (a limestone sinkhole formed by the collapse of the underground cavern), we saw a mother Grey Fox calling her three young to follow. It was good to see some wildlife.

We reached Sedona (at the mouth of Oak Creek Canyon) in the early afternoon – what a picturesque city surrounded by huge red rock monoliths, each with their own name. 

Sedona from the Airport Road

We found a wonderful photographic area at Red Rock Crossing (of Oak Creek) and in the afternoon sun the Cathedral Rocks looked so beautiful. It’s obviously a favourite holiday place in Arizona – so many activities are catered for.

Red Rock Crossing, Sedona

So the next morning we went up again to the lookout to get photos in the morning sun.

Oak Creek Canyon was total natural beauty, steep canyon walls, the creek tumbling over rocks and rapids, cool and green and the road winding with the creek. At the end we climbed out of the valley (over 3000 feet) up a series of switchbacks that we were able to look down onto from the lookout, at the top. Ah, so lovely! We just had to move on to Flagstaff.

The lady at the tourist information centre suggested a trip to Sunset Crater. 

Lava Flow from Sunset Crater

We found rivers of lava, black and brittle as if the volcano had erupted in recent times, not 900 years ago, and acres and acres of cinders – unbelievable!!

Sunset Crater and cinder field

And so to the Grand Canyon. I booked a night at the Bright Angel Lodge. We’d stayed there 29 years ago so it was a bit of a nostalgic trip. 

Grand Canyon

The tripping from lookout to lookout is very well organised with shuttle buses so we just parked the car and never stopped taking photos. 

The Grand Canyon, Mohave Point

Over six million plus, visit each year. 

Colorado River in the Grand Canyon

The trip out, due east to Cameron offered two of the best views at Grandview Point and Desert View where you can look both north and west and have good views of the river. A Watchtower built in 1932 in Puebloan style can still be climbed four levels today for better views. 

The Watchtower looking North over the Grand Canyon

We could see a smoke haze above the horizon from the fires that were raging in the New Mexico forests.

So we’ve been here two weeks now and have another before handing the car back. Garry has been so attentive when we are returning to the car after sightseeing. He invariably walks to my side and opens the door for me before realising that’s not the side with the steering wheel!!

The Wildlife

Lots more to see in Canyon Country. We’re looking forward to some temperatures cooler than the high 30’s. Our best wishes until next time,          Jen and Garry xox