Headed home

I should be writing this all down as it happens. We left Cottonwood today at about 9 AM. and drove north through Flagstaff, onward and upward to the Navajo Indian Reservation on highway 89, then took highway 160 toward Tuba City in search of the dinosaur footprints. We saw a hand-painted sign on a piece of plywood saying, "Dinosaur footprints, left 1/4 mile." One quarter mile further on, there was a gravel road leading off to the west and about a quarter mile along it were a series of shelters with tables set up under them. We drove, quite uncertainly up to the arrangement and were greeted by a young man who welcomed us, showed us where to park, and volunteered to be our guide. His name was Dennis. He was very articulate and well informed, pointing out the various tracks and fossils, and highlighting them with water to make them clearer on the pale sandstone.

Tyrannosaurus  Rex was here.

This is a fossilized pterodactyl.  The head is looking to the left.  The dark lines show the wing bones.

A fossilized dino claw.  I touched a real dinosaur claw!!

Eggs from a little dinosaur.  Kyle's feet to give a sense of scale.













 Dennis would have taken us down the canyon to see the petroglyphs as well, but I was feeling the heat and not ready to take my unsteady steps out of sight of the RV. It was a fascinating experience, despite the unprepossessing signs and set-up. I was expecting something air-conditioned with displays in cases. This, run by the Navaho Tribal council, was vastly more enjoyable. And Dennis pointed out his home for us (about five miles away - under those trees.) as we were walking around. Also, we bought some hair-clips made by his auntie.

Then back to highway 89 and on to Page, Arizona by Lake Powell. This involved climbing some fairly steep hills and took us to a stunning, knock -your-socks off viewpoint where we could see the East end of the Grand Canyon and the cliffs of the North Rim.

The scenery along this road is even more amazing than the scenery around Sedona and Cottonwood. All these colorful sandstone ramparts and monuments, carved into fantastic shapes, looming overhead or thrusting up out of the flat desert. WE drove through one area that looked like hundreds of piles of gravel set up for the road crews to use in the winter. But one pile was gray and one was buff and one was red and one was almost blue . . .

We stopped in Page for gas and lunch. If you stop in Page around lunch time, be aware that tour busses stop at the MacDonalds and Taco Bell. We got there just after a busload of Asian tourists debouched. They all had menus with pictures, and their translator was doing her best with "Quarter Pounder" and "Sweet Potato Fries." We decided to get lunch elsewhere.

We pulled out of Page with tanks full of gas and hearts full of gratitude for our forethought. The cupboards are packed full of yummy treats to get us to the next stop. We crossed the Little Colorado River at the Lake Powell dam, and before you know it, we were in Utah. Headed south, was a flatbed truck piled with stacks of bran new fire hydrants. Kyle pointed it out to me and said, "Look, disaster relief for all the dogs in Houston." 

We drove and drove through red and gray and buff colored country, over hills and down gullies and across washes and through cuts. We passed an old sheepherder's wagon headed in the other direction, drawn by six mules and bedecked with enormous signs stating, "Jesus saves." There was traffic behind us or Kyle would have pulled over for photos. I couldn't believe my eyes and we were past before I could turn on the camera. I have seen the most amazing sights on this trip.

Kyle has been immensely kind to me. the drive today has been just over 300 miles. We are now comfortably established at the Kanab RV Corral,It's clean, compact, right off the main highway in Kanab, Utah, attractive, and fully equipped with electric, water and sewer hook-ups, and offering the extras of showers, a laundromat, and a pool. I am so very grateful!!

We walked about half a mile to Big Al's Burgers and had a very tasty early dinner. I recommend Big Al's if you are ever in Kanab.

Do be aware, though, this is an open carry state. I especially appreciate that, "Judicious marksmanship is appreciated."