Western USA - Summer 2017

July 2017

A 15-day adventure by S Read more

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Traveler Western USA - Summer 2017
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- Jul 18, 2017, 5:23pm
- ☀️ 31 °C
- Altitude: 1,574 m
- United States Utah San Juan County Goulding Monument Valley Airport 37.01216, -110.2056737°0’44” N 110°12’20” W
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Day 4
Monument Valley
July 18, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
Crossing back into Utah (and therefore changing our clocks, again...sigh), we approached Monument Valley through scenery from every western film you can think of (and Red Dead Redemption, too). Vast monoliths of sandstone strewen across a barren, wide landscape, missing only cowboys and wagons!

We checked into our cabin over looking the Valley...unbelievable. Superbly clean and comfortable, fully equipped with kitchen, bedrooms, and a fabulous shower, and with striking views over the Valley from the veranda, bedroom and living room. With a bbq planned for tonight, and beers in the fridge, this promises to be a memorable scene.Read more
Daniel Murphy What's Ben hiding from?
7/24/17Reply
Daniel Murphy Do you have your squash racket out?
7/24/17Reply
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Traveler Western USA - Summer 2017
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- Jul 18, 2017, 9:38pm
- 🌙 22 °C
- Altitude: 1,574 m
- United States Utah San Juan County Goulding Monument Valley Airport 37.01211, -110.2056137°0’44” N 110°12’20” W
Day 4
Lightning over Monument Valley
July 18, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 22 °C
After dinner we want out to photograph the Monuments. Out in the distance all around us it was pouring with rain and we were treated to a spectacular lightning storm that went on for hours over the Valley. With the rain far away, we were able to on the veranda in the warm evening air and enjoy the show. Eventually we retired to sleep with the storm still in full flow, and as we got in to bed the heavens opened. We spent a night in the desert, in the rain.Read more
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- Jul 19, 2017, 11:53am
- ☀️ 23 °C
- Altitude: 2,154 m
- United States Arizona Coconino County Sunset Crater 35.37129, -111.5041335°22’17” N 111°30’15” W
Day 5
Sunset Crater
July 19, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Up early to watch the sunrise over Monument Valley, the view was brilliant. The speed of the sunrise was surprising and it was not long before the desert heat was again striking, even at 7am.

On departing Goulding's Lodge, we stopped by their museum and by John Wayne's cabin, used in one of his many films at the Valley. Then we hopped across the road to the Navajo Visitors Centre for a more up-close view of the karsts and to learn about the Navajo code talkers used in WWII.

From here, we headed back into Arizona (changing time some again), aiming for the Grand Canyon via Flagstaff. En route, we made a brief detour to Sunset Crater, a volcano and lava field. Whilst trekking up the crater is no longer allowed, we walked through the basalt lava fields which was fascinating.Read more
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- Jul 20, 2017, 7:00am
- ☀️ 17 °C
- Altitude: 2,098 m
- United States Arizona Coconino County Grand Canyon 36.05732, -112.1418436°3’26” N 112°8’31” W
Day 6
Flagstaff and Grand Canyon
July 20, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
A brief foray into Flagstaff took us along some of Route 66...more of which we'll drive in a few days. The town itself was both huge and tiny - we drive through over 8 miles of sprawling 'Flagstaff' to get to the historic centre, which covered just three blocks. But a pleasant coffee and a self-guided historic walk of the town, in existence mainly due to the railroads, was nonetheless interesting.

Setting out from here, the Grand Canyon was ninety minutes drive through the Kaibab Forest, something more like Canada or Scotland than the desert in which the day had begun. We were lucky enough to miss the huge storms on the horizon but as we got to the GC entrance, lightning followed immediately by a huge crack of thunder was so unexpected it made me jump! Just as I checked in, the heavens opened in an almighty downpour, and whilst it has eased by the time we'd driven to the room, the Canyon itself was full of thick white cloud, making for an anti-climatic first viewing. After unpacking however, it has cleared quite nicely, and from the Lookout we were afforded far more striking views. The room too, whilst not overlooking the view, is less than a minute's walk from the rim.

This morning, not planning on getting up for sunrise, I did pop out once the sun broke through. As well as being treated to beautiful, hazy views across the canyon, the squirrels and chipmunks were out in force, playing on the edge of the rim.Read more
Daniel Murphy Loving the photos! Looks like a great trip - looking forward to nicking some ideas.
7/21/17Reply
Daniel Murphy Btw did you say you had an inflatable canoe - if so do you know the make and model?
7/21/17Reply
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- Jul 20, 2017, 9:33pm
- ⛅ 25 °C
- Altitude: 983 m
- United States Arizona Coconino County Bass Canyon 36.22397, -112.3426836°13’26” N 112°20’34” W
Day 6
Grand Canyon Pt.II
July 20, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
After photographing the early morning wildlife, and a breakfast of croissants, we began the day walking the 2-mile rim trail from the village to the bike hire centre. The trail was surprisingly empty and we had much of the view entirely to ourselves. This was perhaps explained later by the bike hire staff who said the average time spent at Grand Canyon is 17 minutes.

Once we'd been fitted with our bikes, we set out to Yaki Point, an easy ride to the west of the Visitors Centre. The views from the trailhead were, unsurprisingly, fab. Heading back, we cycled to the hotel, stopped briefly for lunch, before heading east to Hermit's Rest, beginning with a fun 6% incline in the baking early afternoon sunshine. Hermit's Rest is a 10-mile each-way trip and, with four applications of factor 50 sunscreen, we made it there and back with no significant burns, even outracing the thunderstorm on the way back. We also had the excitement of seeing an elk on the way home; Ben was most pleased (although still bitter about the lack of loose in Canada).

The evening held the excitement of trying American beers...we picked six and shared each one. Sadly, Mum and Kev managed to pick there porters for their choices - little variety! But, much fun had and a good end to a brilliant but exhausting day.Read more
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- Jul 21, 2017, 10:00pm
- 🌙 31 °C
- Altitude: 654 m
- United States California San Bernardino County Kelso 35.01622, -115.6540135°0’58” N 115°39’14” W
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Day 7
The Great American Road Trip
July 21, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 31 °C
Before departing the Grand Canyon, we stopped into the Kolb Brothers studio and the Yavapai Geology Museum to learn a little more of its history. Once on the road, today was to be a long day, with 6hr20 of driving planned, all the way to Twentynine Palms via the Mojave Desert.

Much of the drive was along Route 66, and we made a brief stop to see the Americana in Williams, the last town on Route 66 to be bypassed by the Interstate system. Beyond this, the vastness of the America n west becomes apparent, passing no obvious settlements for hours at a time. We briefly stopped in Searchlight, for lunch and fuel before entering the desert, and we're thankful it was a brief stop!

The Mojave Desert itself was fascinating to drive through. Surrounded by Joshua Trees and scrub, the landscape was different again to anything we'd seen so far. In the middle of the desert was the NPS Visitors' Centre (happily in Kelso!), in the old train depot, where we learnt not only of the wildlife and vegetation, but the development of the rail system and the gold rush.

We arrived in Twentynine Palms, home to the world's largest marine base, just after 5pm, having checked out at 8am. The town itself is right in the edge of Joshua Tree NP, our stop tomorrow before LA. A quick driving tour of the town and a stop at a dollar store later, we returned to our two bed cottage on the edge of town. The clear skies and sparse city made for excellent star gazing, and the milky way was in full display.Read more
Daniel Murphy Pint of APA please
7/24/17Reply
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- Jul 22, 2017, 10:42am
- ☀️ 33 °C
- Altitude: 626 m
- United States California Riverside County Turkey Flat 33.87649, -115.8102933°52’35” N 115°48’37” W
Day 8
Joshua Tree
July 22, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C
After a full cooked breakfast in our cottage, we headed into Joshua Tree NP this morning. The park is made up of half Colorado Desert and half Mojave Desert. The first stop was the Oasis of Mara, and then the Cholla Cactus Garden where the view over the park was coupled with a self-guided, quarter-mile, walk...which, even at 10am was blindingly hot. Then we headed to Keys' View to look over the San Andreas fault before heading out of the west entrance...sadly not seeing too much in the way of wildlife! Some kangaroo rats and a few lizards, but no desert tortoises or snakes.

After a brief thrift store stop, for the experience, we headed to LA. The traffic was not as bad as we expected and we found out motel in Sunset Boulevard with little trouble but with just enough time to drop out kit before heading out to a Dodgers game.Read more
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- Jul 22, 2017, 5:56pm
- ☀️ 27 °C
- Altitude: 150 m
- United States California Los Angeles County New Chinatown Chavez Ravine 34.07437, -118.2408334°4’28” N 118°14’27” W
Day 8
LA Dodgers
July 22, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
An evening spent watching the L.A. Dodgers playing the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium...An all-American experience. Three hours and nine innings of excitement interspersed with endless "entertainment" and adverts!Read more
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- Jul 22, 2017, 11:34pm
- 🌙 21 °C
- Altitude: 127 m
- United States California Los Angeles County Hollywood Heights Kodak Theater 34.10154, -118.3388634°6’6” N 118°20’20” W
Day 8
Walk of Fame
July 22, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 21 °C
To round off the evening, we took a brief walk from the hotel we visited the Hollywood Walk of Fame...unsurprisingly busy but surprisingly dirty and ignored amidst the crowds, souvenir shops and street performers. Had to make a stop to see Trump's star though.Read more
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- Jul 23, 2017, 12:20pm
- ☀️ 27 °C
- Altitude: 7 m
- United States California Los Angeles County Venice Beach Venice Recreation Center 33.9855, -118.4732333°59’8” N 118°28’24” W
Day 9
Venice beach
July 23, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
After breakfast, we began the day on a hop-on-hop-off narrated bus tour of L.A...starting near our hotel in West Hollywood and aiming for Venice (Muscle) Beach. It was actually a great way to see a city as big as L.A. in one day, and we spent a happy couple of hours walking in Santa Monica and Venice beaches. The Santa Monica pier was as touristy and predictable as every British pier ever, but a nice visit as the end of Route 66.Read more
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