only 6 days left

Grand Canyon

As usual when we are in a nice setting, Alan and I got up for sunrise on our last morning at the Grand Canyon.  We went close to Mather Point and also to Yavapai Point.  It was not a spectacular sunrise, but we did see deer eating on the side of the road. They were very sweet!

Then we met up with Jim, Jennifer, Bill and Nancy for breakfast.  Nancy is feeling better, she says she was ok after about 10 minutes.  Possibly the heat, altitude or who knows, but we were all relieved that it was nothing more than that.  It was sad leaving "new" friends behind.  Of course, I have known Nancy since we were at Florida State University as Delta Delta Delta Sorority sisters. She was my little sister!  I am the worst at keeping in touch with people and am very grateful that we were able to reconnect through a Facebook group!

Nancy and Pat

The good news is that Bill and Nancy are hoping to come see us soon. Soon being a relative term, since it took 30 years for this to happen!

Leaving Grand Canyon takes a while for us.  We have to stop at the various lay bys and take more pictures, did I say "us"?  Really it is Alan, but we all do benefit from these photos eventually!

Our main destination on the way to Kanab, Utah was Deadhorse Point.  This was a very daunting walk, up a steep hill in deep sand. And of course, the weather now is getting hotter and hotter, thank goodness!  But it was a hard walk.  And worth it!  This is another place like Goosenecks, which I remember I have not posted a photo.  But Deadhorse Point has lots and lots of color, something Goosenecks lacks!

Deadhorse Point

When we got to the summit of the first steep climb, there were Navajo women selling jewelry!  Of course, I had no money with me, they said to just carry them down and pay their brother!  Such trust!  I waited til the return journey and another woman was there selling earrings 2 for $5.  Alan had $5 and I could justify getting some earrings, so that was great.  However, they were so beautiful, I now wish I had bought more.  It certainly is not a place you can just go back to!

Arriving at Kanab, Utah was like coming home to Jim, Jennifer, Alan and me.  It is just one of those special places.  We stumbled upon it on our travels last year and did not know it was the Hollywood of the West during the heyday of making Westerns!  Although it is a sleepy little town, it has a vibrance and energy you don't usually get in a small place. 

Last time we stayed in a motel on the edge of town and Alan decided if we ever returned we would stay at the Parry Lodge.  And there were vacancies when we arrived! 

Parry Lodge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The Parry brothers started the whole movement to have westerns filmed here in the late 1920's and bought this place for the stars to have a place to stay!  It is old fashioned and very comfortable.  All the rooms are named for Hollywood actors, at this point we do not know if they actually stayed in the rooms named for them.  We are in "Tyrone Power" and Jim and Jennifer are in "Tim Conway".  None of my Scottish travelling companions were familiar with Tim Conway, so I wish they had gotten a different room. 

Question:  Was Tim Conway actually in a Western?

We ate dinner at a wonderful little place, that felt like it should have been an old time saloon!  I got Linguine Pomodoro and it was perfect!

this is where we ate, but I can't remember the name!

This feels like the end of the journey already.  There is very little left in the way of National Parks to visit, before we end up in Las Vegas.  I am feeling very sad that this is the end, and there are still 6 days left!  So I need to cheer up and continue to enjoy this amazing journey!