Today we crossed the Mojave Desert and arrived in the San Joaquin Valley – it sure felt like the “Promised Land”.
The landscape was both forbidding and fascinating….
Tomorrow we will spend the day visiting the Sequoia National Park and then on to Yosemite.
We stayed last night in Boulder City, a 1930’s “model” city, conceived by the Federal government as an ideal town, to which the American people could look for hope of a better future.
For dinner, we took the short drive to Las Vegas, to try out the Buffet at the Golden Nugget. A bit like “Old Country Buffet”
We continue to make stops on the “Scientific Traveler Tour”. Hoover Dam is certainly one of them.
It is not only an engineering marvel, but to a girl from “the city” it reminds me of Radio City Music Hall…
The inscription reads….
"Since primordial times, American Indian
tribes and Nations lifted their hands
to the Great Spirit from these ranges
and plains. We now with them in peace
buildeth again a Nation."
We stopped for lunch from the Grand Canyon to Boulder City on a portion of Route 66.
The rest rooms….
One of the most enjoyable aspects of visiting a National Park is attending a Park Ranger program. the Park Rangers are always knowledgeable and enthusiastic.
Today we started the morning off attending a Fossil Walk program and we learned all about fossils in the Grand Canyon and found a number of them ourselves. Ranger Pat said looking for fossils is like looking for mushrooms – at first you think you can’t find them or identify them at all and then after you see one or two, you can spot them all over.
This afternoon, we attended the Condor Talk. Ranger Nicole was able to deliver a Condor during her talk. It flew above us and we could all identify the bird by its markings just as she had explained.
Resting on the Trail!
It’s pretty Grand! The light is always changing and gives us a grand show.
We are staying in the Bright Angel Cabins – 1930’s cabins designed by Mary Jane Coulter. Our cabin has a with partial view of the rim. As we walked the south rim trail, we heard many languages spoken along the way!
As part of the Scientific Traveler Tour, we stopped at a 50,000 year old meteor crater. A huge iron-nickel meteorite estimated to have a diameter of 150 feet and weighing several hundred thousand tons struck the earth and left a giant bowl shaped cavity – 4000 feet across and 700 feet deep --
It took us seven hours to travel from Santa Fe to the Grand Canyon – Interstate Highway all the way. Lots of interesting sights along the way
When I was in Santa Fe 34 years ago I remember walking down Canyon Road. It was full of galleries and artist workshops – it still is, but pricier and more commercialized. But alas this is the story of Santa Fe itself. It still is, however, an enchanting and enjoyable little city. Today, last day of the Holiday weekend, it is quieter and less crowded – much better.
At the end of our canyon road walk, we walked along the Santa Fe River and came across these wooden carved figures….
After a refreshing ice cream soda, we visited the Georgia O’Keefe Museum and the the New Mexico Museum of Art – both great.
A photo inspired by Georgia O’Keefe
On the food front – we began the day with another Jane and Michael pick – the Plaza Cafe; we plan to end our day dinner at El Faro on Canyon Road.
After taking a walking tour of Historic Santa Fe, we drove to Los Alamos.
First we visited the Bradbury Science Museum in the town of Los Alamos (part of the “scientific traveler tour”).
After that went to Bandelier National Monument – wow!! cliff dwellings, kivas, and petroglyphs!
and a hour walk around the slopes of canyons and mesas
We arrived in Santa Fe, NM yesterday afternoon. Whizzed thru OK, TX (stopped at Dyer’s BBQ for lunch) and saw the beautiful scenery of NM – buttes, mesas, sage, wildflowers. I visited Santa Fe 34 years ago with Ginger. It is more crowded and commercialized but still retains a certain charm. We are staying at the Hotel St Francis right near the Plaza. Last nite we ate at the Cafe Pasqual where we ate at the community table – lots of fun and great food. Today we take a walking tour of Santa Fe and drive to Los Alamos to see Bandelier NM and Bradbury Science Museum.
Photos to be posted tomorrow…
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