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Southwestern Odyssey

October - November 2016
We are fulfilling a long desire to learn more about wine. Now it’s Napa Valley’s turn. We will also retrace some of our old haunts for our first year of marriage in California. Read more
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  • Southwestern Odyssey
    Day 12

    Bass Lake to St. George, Utah

    October 18, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    We spend all day driving from Bass Lake to St. George Utah. This section was the longest single leg of the trip.The drive took about eight hours plus another hour to stop for lunch. I was pleased when we went over Techachapi Pass, despite heavy traffic. My mind returned to our trip from Monterey to San Angelo, Texas in 1973 when our VW beetle barely had enough horsepower to get us over the pass. I had to plod along at about 25 miles per hour, and I had traffic backed up for a couple of miles. Lord only knows the new cuss words drivers invented to describe the idiot in the white Volkswagen. Our rental car today had plenty of power to spare. I was struck by the huge forest of windmills on the crest of the ridge. Half of them were not working. Ah! Such are the environmental joys of renewable energy. A forest of windmills! Indeed! Nothing like protecting the environment, even if you have to uglify the mountains to do so. A pine needle got caught under the windshield wiper, and when we drove up to speed it vibrated so fast that it hummed, yet every time we stopped for a break, I forgot to remove it. Finally, Glenda remembered, and took it out. She took me through Las Vegas Nevada just so I could see with the Strip looks like. The last 20 miles before arriving in St. George displayed some fantastic and awe-inspiring rock formations. The highway actually passes through some of them. Seeing them in the setting sun was truly magnificent.Read more

  • Southwestern Odyssey
    Day 13

    Bryce Canyon Grandeur

    October 19, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 50 °F

    We had breakfast at McDonald's in St. George, Utah and then drove to Bryce Canyon National Park. We arrived in the park about 12:30 pm and had quick lunch at a Subway. We spent several hours touring in photographing Bryce Canyon Afterwards we drove on to Page, Arizona.Read more

  • Southwestern Odyssey
    Day 14

    Slot Canyons

    October 20, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    Today I fulfilled a long-standing dream to photograph the slot canyons near Page, Arizona. We woke very early and went to the canyons after breakfast with Mark our host. The people in charge weren't quite sure of what their program was so we kept our sea legs about us and adjusted. Glenda's guide was Marla and my guide with her husband Lionel. We actually were in groups all by ourselves. Because of this we were able to stay together and finish our tours at approximately the same time. In several of the canyons I was the only person with Lionel. The pictures we took were utterly amazing. First I photographed Mountain Sheep Canyon, Upper Antelope Canyon, Rattlesnake Canyon, and Owl Canyon. We finished at about 3:30 PM and went to a place called Big John's and had Texas style barbecue for lunch. After this late lunch we went to see Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado River. Finally we cleaned the car out came back home and settled in to look at our photographs.Read more

  • Southwestern Odyssey
    Day 15

    Wildfire

    October 21, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    Still on our little excursion in Page, Arizona, we rose at a normal time and had breakfast with Mark. We arrived at the lower Antelope Canyon tour at 9:30 AM, about an hour before our tour was scheduled to begin. The lower canyon was very crowded and there were several places where we had to use ladders to get around. I took some beautiful shots of the canyon. I will have to reduce the color saturation on those shots for which I used the settings recommended by the professional photographer that I met at Yosemite. We had a wonderful lunch at the Fiesta Mexicana Restaurant. Glenda went to buy some Aquaphor for our chapped lips and I got a haircut in page Arizona. On the way back to St. George the GPS directed us onto Highway 14. This road runs through the Dixie National Forest. It goes right over the mountain and at one point we reached a pass that was about 10,000 feet high. The scenery was spectacular. On the western side of the slope we saw a strange cloud. We couldn't tell if it was fog or smoke from the forest fire. We arrived at Cedar City, got gas, and were told that there was a forest fire. A family at the gas pump told us that they were in the process of moving here from Massachusetts. They had just met the moving van at their new house but had not even unpacked. Immediately upon their arrival at their home, the fire authorities told them they must evacuate. They emptied the moving van and simply stashed all their belongings in the garage. They said they wish the truck had arrived just an hour later. Then their stuff would at least be safe, but now it is in a fire-threatened garage. They may lose everything. So now they wait, not knowing when or whether they will be able to move into their new house, nor whether the house is in the path of the forest fire. It may be days before they learn the fate of their new dwelling. Their two children looked tired, frightened and uncomfortable, and my heart went out to them.Read more

  • Southwestern Odyssey
    Day 16

    Kolob Canyon

    October 22, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    After breakfast at the condo, we went to Zion National Park. The part of the park we went to is called Kolob Canyon. We took about a 2 mile hike to a beautiful overlook. From there we could actually see the beginning of the Grand Canyon. We had lunch at the Sakura Japanese steakhouse. Then we came back to the condominium in St. George and went to bed because we were very tired. We slept for about 15 hours.Read more

  • Southwestern Odyssey
    Day 17

    Red Cliffs

    October 23, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    We begin the day by going to Red Cliffs Recreational Area. This is a local park in St. George that had been mentioned to us. One woman told us that it is so beautiful that if it were larger it would be a national park. We went and found that what she said was true. There are beautiful red rocks, and we followed the trail that went to a little pool. Glenda wanted to steak and baked potatoes so we had lunch at the Outback Steakhouse.Read more

  • Southwestern Odyssey
    Day 17

    Snow Canyon

    October 23, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    After lunch we had to work around the detour to get to Snow Canyon State Park. Its ivory cliffs were amazing. We took a number of short hikes, took many photos, and watched some rock climbers scale a cliff. We went to an observation point to try to photograph the sunset but the colors were not very exciting. Several serious rock climbers were scaling a wall, and I even ventured to scurry up a slope to perch in a little niche on the side of the cliff. The veiw from up there was wonderful. We had a cheeseburger and milk at Burger King and came home to wash our clothes and get ready to go to Phoenix tomorrow.Read more

  • Southwestern Odyssey
    Day 18

    Virgin River Gorge

    October 24, 2016 in the United States ⋅ 66 °F

    I mentioned some of the remarkable rock formations we saw upon arriving in St. George, Utah. Our highway passed through some of them again on the way from St. George down to Phoenix, where we will meet our friends from North Carolina. I saw a roadsign that calls this area the Virgin River Gorge, and it is beautiful. We not only saw the rocks, but also a thunderstorm in the distance. Visually this was a very appealing morning, despite the clouds.Read more

  • Southwestern Odyssey
    Day 18

    The Best Tacos in the World--El Paraiso

    October 24, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    I knew we would have to stop for lunch on our leg from St. George through Las Vegas and down to Phoenix, so I checked online last night to find a place. More than one correspondent said that it would be worth getting off the beaten path to find El Paraiso Burgers and Tacos at 702 Eastern Avenue in Kingman, Arizona. A couple of people affirmed that they have the best street tacos in the world. They were right.

    This is not a fancy place. You go up to a counter to order. The menu is posted on the wall, and there are only a few tables. We sat at one outside. The tacos are magnificent. And cheap. You can pay more for a fancy restaurant, but as far as the quality of the food is concerned, this place is is one of our favorite restaurants in the world.    Read more

  • Southwestern Odyssey
    Day 18

    South Mountain Condo

    October 24, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 84 °F

    We arrived at our lovely condo adjacent to the South Mountain Recreation Area in Phoenix. The facilities and the decor are certainly above our expectations. Just out our back door is a hiking trail that goes for several miles up onto a mountain. For supper, we found an excellent Italian restaurant called Oregano's at 1475 W. Elliot Rd. Tempe, AZ. I was impressed that there is quite a bit of family tradition represented in the restaurant. There is a plaque giving the story of the current owner's grandfather, Lawrence Gibbilini, who lived on the Chicago north side in 1918. He eventually came to Phoenix and opened this wonderful restaurant. I was also impressed that as I enjoyed Oregano's Bistro Classic Pizza, they were playing a recording of Count Basie's "April in Paris," one of my favorite jazz pieces.Read more

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