Thursday 29th September

Today was intermittently cloudy and sunny and we decided to have an easier day.We drove through Firehole Canyon and then visited the lower Geyser Basin with the Fountain Paintpot and wandered around the boardwalk. We then drove around Firehole Lake Drive viewing the Great Fountain Geyser which unfortunately wasn't being very active. We then drove past Madison Junction to the impressive Gibbon Falls,

Beryl Spring and then parked at Artist's Paint Pots. There was a short half mile walk to the overlook where you could view the Paintpots which displayed wonderful colours.

There was also a fascinating white mud (?clay) pool of mud blooping away merrily.

We then went to Norris Geyser Basin and did the short loop around the Porcelain Basin, leaving the longer Basin trail until tomorrow.

Encountered a Bison jam on the way back but got some good photos of the herd and an old solitary male.

Friday 30th September

Today was another mostly sunny day and we did the Monument Geyser walk (Slightly over 2miles) which entailed a steep climb, through young pine forest, of 640 feet to the deserted geyser basin at the top.

we then revisited Norris Geyser Basin to do the 2 mile walk around the Black Basin which included Steamboat Geyser and Vixen Geyser both of which were spouting merrily.

We then decided to drive along the Norris to Mammoth road until the closure 5 miles up so that we could see the Roaring Mountain.

Saturday 24th September

After breakfast we drove from Flagstaff to the rental car return at Phoenix airport. Despite the sat nav we got a bit lost, but eventually found our way to the right place! One bag was 6lbs over the limit so we had to do a bit of hurried repacking. Once we got to Salt Lake City we eventually managed to drive the hire car to Ogden. They don’t believe in putting the car manual in the car, so it is all down to guesswork; and we hadn’t realised that the brake was a foot brake and needed to be released before we drove away without alarms ringing!

The hotel in Ogden was the Hilton Garden Inn and came up to the Hilton standard. We had a good dinner and then crashed in a comfortable bed until morning.

Sunday 25^th September

After a good breakfast we set out on the long (5hrs) drive to Yellowstone Lake. The drive was uneventful and the scenery was varied – from rolling hills to fertile plains. We passed bison and elk as we drove down to the Lake from the park entrance and the colours of the hills and the aspens were glorious.

Unfortunately most of the places to eat were closed as the season is nearing its end but we were lucky to get a table, after only about 20 minutes wait, at the Yellowstone Hotel where we are staying in one of the cabins.

Monday 26^th September

We drove to Fishing Bridge where we had coffee and a sandwich for breakfast sitting in the sunshine. We then went to the Visitor’s Centre where we purchased the essential bear spray and a bottle of red wine. We drove up the road to Canyon Village, stopping at the Mud Volcano for a walk around the bubbling mud, steaming pools and geysers.

We also stopped at the Sulphur Cauldron and then drove up to the road along the south rim of the Yellowstone Grand Canyon. We had wonderful views of the Canyon and Upper Falls from the overlook.

We then took a trail down to near the base of the Lower Falls that involved 328 steps – but it was definitely worth the effort, even at 8000 feet! We also saw several chipmunks on the way, darting around in the undergrowth.

We then went along the North Rim Drive stopping at various viewpoints. The colours of the steep canyon walls were beautiful, especially in the sunshine.

We then drove along the road from Fishing Bridge around part of the lake, up to Lake Butte Overlook where we had grand views of Yellowstone Lake and also appreciated the effects of the 1988 fires that devastated this area.

We had dinner booked for 5.15pm (the only time they could fit us in) but with not having eaten since our breakfast sandwich we were ready for the excellent meal provided. The corn chowder was delicious and I enjoyed the bison tenderloin I had yesterday so much, I added bison tips to my salad, and was not disappointed!

Tuesday 27^th September

Today was sunny again although the mist was over the Lake when we had breakfast at the Yellowstone Hotel. I had an omelette with bacon and cheese that was the most enormous I have ever seen and I only managed two thirds of it!

We then drove 21 miles to West Thumb (passing close by a bison and a coyote) which is a geothermal area on the edge of the Yellowstone Lake and very interesting to walk around,. The water was so clear and the colours of the earth were varied and beautiful.

After an hour or so of walking on the boardwalk past hot springs and small bubbling geysers we drove another 17 miles to Old Faithful and the upper geyser basin.

We had a lovely walk through the woods to the Observation Point and then to Solitary Geyser and back on the board walk through the upper basin. Luckily no bears! We saw Old Faithful erupt which was more spectacular than I was expecting.

We waited nearly an hour relaxing in the sunshine for the Grand Geyser to blow but eventually gave up and carried on past several other spectacular geysers such as Grotto Geyser and Castle Geyser.

We stopped at Keppler Cascades on the way back and also saw a splendid stag elk with a good spread of horns at the side of the road.

Wednesday 28^th September

Today, after a couple of very minor earth tremors that only made a couple of the windows rattle, we had breakfast and checked out. It was another sunny day – and we didn’t have the early morning mist and chill of yesterday. We had a close encounter with a small red squirrel just by our front door and on the drive to Black Sands Basin we had a great photo opportunity, a large owl perched right at the side of the road, and we were able to stop directly opposite him. 

We walked around the various geysers and hot springs at Black Sands Basin on a boardwalk for about ½ mile.

We then tried to call in at Midway Geyser Basin but there was a long queue of cars trying to find parking places so we just pulled up to use the restrooms and went to Biscuit Basin where we decided to do the walk 500ft up to the overlook and then along to Mystic Falls. 

it was very beautiful and worth the effort although we were glad of the intermittent shade of the pine trees and had frequent stops on the route up. We actually went on a small trail by mistake that winded through new pine growth and involved hurdling over many fallen pines from the 1988 fires. It joined the trail we should have been on and we soon realised what we’d done – I was just pleased we hadn’t encountered any bears! The whole trail was a little over 3 miles but we took most of the afternoon over it!

We then tried to park at the Midway Basin again, this time successfully and walked the ½ mile boardwalk around the Grand Prismatic Spring and various small geysers. 

The hot bubbling water gushing like twin waterfalls into the Firehole River that we saw from the bridge before the boardwalk began was the most interesting part to me but the colours on the ground and the clarity of the water in the pools still amazes us.

We then decided it was time to find our accommodation in West Yellowstone – the Holiday Inn. We have been very impressed with it so far and there is complimentary guest laundry so I am doing all the washing while I can!

Thursday 22nd September

After breakfast we visited the Horseshoe Overlook which entailed a 1.5mile walk over the sand and rocks. There were notices everywhere warning of extreme heat but luckily it was cloudy and spitting with rain so we didn't suffer from heat stroke! The views were wonderful.... well worth the effort!

We then drove mostly through pouring rain or cloud with the occasional sunburst, for a couple of hours, down to Cameron Trading Post again, where we had a bit of lunch before continuing on to Flagstaff and our B&B on the outskirts of town.

Our host recommended a small authentic Mexican place within walking distance, so we ate there. Very cheap and cheerful but the food was fine, so we will probably return tomorrow.

Friday 23rd September

The upside of this B&B is definitely the breakfast - delicious! The downside is the lack of facilities to make a brew. The sun was shining this morning, although there had been torrential rain in the night, and it was still a bit windy. 

We decided to do a recommended local walk on the side of Mount Elden, called Fat Man's Loop (because there is one place where the rocks are a little close together and I suppose if you were enormously fat it might prove difficult). This was a pleasant 2-3 mile walk that climbed through woodland on a rocky path to some splendid views before bending around down the mountain. 

We both felt that the altitude (7000+ ft) was affecting us a bit and making us more breathless than usual. 

We then drove for about 10 minutes to Buffalo Park and walked for a couple of miles there, as well as sitting in the sunshine and having a snack for lunch. Lots of butterflies and grasshoppers, including one that flashed a brilliant red when it jumped.

Wednesday 21st September

We had a late 9.30am breakfast in the dining room of the North Rim Canyon lodge, with wonderful views over the canyon through their large panoramic windows.

Afterwards we walked out to Bright Angel Point (over 8000 feet) for some amazing views with clouds hanging in the canyons and occasional shafts of sunlight highlighting the colours of the sandstone. Again we were lucky as the rain didn't start until we were back in our car ready to drive away.

We then did a short 18 mile diversion to Imperial Point and were able to take some photos without it raining, although one side of the canyon was hidden in thick cloud. The road wound through the beautiful Kaibab Forest - mainly pine, scrub oak and aspen. These latter you don't find on the South rim and they are currently turning a brilliant golden yellow - reminds me of Canada!

A lot of the journey the rain lashed down, sometimes being quite torrential but when we got nearer to Page the sun came out and we sat on our little balcony enjoying it with a nice cup of tea! Then it was time to get the laundry done and go and find somewhere for dinner. I think an early night is in order as we have done quite a lot of driving the last two days.

Tuesday 20th September

We are so lucky! We had hot sun yesterday for our canyon trip and today was cloudy and heavy rain We had a leisurely start and drove to various viewponts where, despite the rain, we had some lovely atmospheric scenes of the clouds drifting and hanging in the Canyon.

We had been out about an hour and had just visited Grand Point View when we realised we still had our room key, so it was about turn and drive back to Tusayan again! We drove out again and although it is only 12 miles across the Canyon to North Rim Lodge it is a drive of 216  miles and takes 4.5hours. With several stops along the way we reached Cameron trading Post shortly after 2pm for a late lunch (we were only able to book dinner tonight for 8.30pm so a late lunch was what we were aiming for). I had a Navajo Taco which consisted of a delicious puffed (?fried) bread topped with mince, beans, salad, chillies and cheese… yummy!

We were lucky again to find the rain had stopped so that we could wander out to the viewpoint over Little Colorado River Canyon

 and also when we reached the Navajo Bridge over the Grand Canyon. 

Having passed several elk and moose along the way, we arrived in fog and darkness at the North Rim and had great difficulty finding where to go to park and register at reception for the North Rim Lodge. It has 200 rooms scattered over a very large area and no signs telling you where to park or where to go! Anyway we eventually made it to our room which is about as far from reception and the dining room as you can get, but we did manage to find one space in the nearest car park!

Dinner was excellent, however, and so was the bottle of wine!!

Monday 19th September

Today we had to set the alarm for 5.20am as we needed to be at the airfield at 6am. After coffee etc 14 of us boarded a small aircraft for a flight of just over an hour over the Grand Canyon east to Page. Amazing views and colours!

We landed at Page and boarded a jeep for a trip into Antelope Canyon, also know as Slot Canyon, because it is very narrow. The red sandstone has been eroded by flash floods into amazing swirls and shapes that the camera just doesn't do justice to. It is only 1/4 mile long but with lots of stops for photos it took a while to walk there and back. By the time we came out the crowds were building so we were quite pleased to have got there early. The water has only reached halfway up in recent years but in 2004 the canyon was full to the top with water and overflowing twice.

We then were driven to the Glen Canyon dam where we boarded a pontoon to float down the Colarado river through Glen Canyon to the mouth of the Grand Canyon.

The trip of 15.5 miles took nearly four hours, with a couple of stops to look at some petroglyphs and cool off in the river.

I just wetted my hat and let it dribble down and cool me but a couple of people went swimming, although the water was very cold. The temperature was in the high nineties so it was nice to have a bit of breeze as we went down the river. Glen Canyon's wall rise from 700-1000 feet and are made of red sandstone stained with iron and manganese.

Once we arrived at Lee's Ferry we boarded a coach to bring us back, with a stop at Cameron Trading post, where we had some coffee to try and stay awake! On the way we saw several small groups of young elk - no stags though. Once home we ate in, (pizza and salad) and intend to have an early night! Hopefully the mule deer won't be too noisy as we heard their high pitched neighing a lot last night.

Sunday 18th September

Today we retraced our steps from Needles towards Seligman and the turnoff up to the Grand Canyon. We decided to do a slight detour along Route 66 that more or less parallels the freeway for 80 miles or so. The countyside was either rocky and arid or flat barren plains until we got nearer the Grand Canyon where the road rund through part of the Kaibab Forest. We got to Canyon Plaza around 1pm so had a salad lunch and went up to the south rim. There is really only one word for the Grand Canyon - awesome! 

After exploring various viewpoints we went and booked into Canyon Plaza where we have a suite. It sounds very grand but isn't; although it has a nice little balcony and the kitchenette is okay. We shopped at the local General Store for our dinners for the next two nights but there wasn't a lot of choice; pizza and enchiladas are on the menu but the tomatoes look good. Tomorrow we have our big trip starting at the airport at 6am but luckily it is only 5 minutes down the road!

Saturday 17th September

Today we decided to drive and explore part of the Mojave desert. We were unsure how the roads were going to be as we only had two wheel drive but the ones we chose were paved and often in better condition than the freeway! After an hour of driving through a very arid landscape on the freeway we entered the Mojave on Kelbaker Road to Kelso. The landscape, although very dry, had a soft gentle glow to it and I thought it was very beautiful. Kelso was an old trading post on the Union Pacific Railroad but now, apart from a gift shop, some exhibits and restrooms there was nothing there; which was a shame because they used to have an eatery where we could have had lunch. It actualy felt very pleasant, temperature wise, and quite a bit cooler than Needles where the temperature reached 104 today. The goods trains still run past - one we saw rivalled the Australian trains for length!

We then continued to Cima, which appeared to be just a crossroads where we diverged from the railway to cut up through an area of Joshua forest to the main road to Nipton and Searchlight, where we hit the freeway from Vegas back down to Needles. The Joshua trees are amazing - very large cactus growing up like trees.

We arrived back in time to cool off in the pool and relax before going out to dinner where we went yesterday.

Friday 16th September

Today we drove for about 4 hours from Sedona to Needles. The first part of the journey was very scenic through Oak Creek Canyon

and then onto the freeway through a barren semi arid plane and then through rocky areas to the desert. Needles seems to be a pit stop rather than a town - no supermarket and just a few eateries and motels. The room we have at Rio del Sol Inn is well appointed with everything we need and they also have a nice pool that we used. We ate at a local diner where the food was surprisingly good, so we will probably go back there tomorrow when we return from exploring the Mojave desert.

Thursday 15th September

Today we woke to brilliant blue skies and after breakfast drove up to a local trail head and went for a 3-4 mile walk through wonderful desert like countryside with spectacular red and yellow sandstone cliffs and  trees with dark green foliage - beautiful colour contrasts.

It was quite hot but often with a pleasant breeze as we walked along a small wandering track over rocks and sand and then along an unmade rocky road to the Devils Bridge trailhead.

We decided not to go the final half mile which was steeply uphill, as my foot was beginning to hurt and Iain wanted to conserve his energies, which was sensible but a bit of a shame. We loved the walk we did though; and we then drove around a scenic loop road near Red Rock State Park before driving through Sedona to the Chapel of the Holy Cross high up on the red cliffs. Several scenic views later we stopped at the Secret Garden cafe on the way back to Sedona as I was getting hungry (it was 3pm) and I had only had yoghurt and a bit of fruit and granola for breakfast. I had some excellent hummus and pitta bread whilst Iain demolished an enormous pink and red slice of cake/raspberry mousse/whipped cream! I thought it looked horrible but it disappeared rapidly and Iain enjoyed it. We then drove down towards the airport where there is a scenic lookout with a beautiful vista of Oak Creek and the red rocks.
We are eating at the Casa again tonight as although it is quite expensive it is a lot easier than driving into Sedona.

Tuesday 13th September 2016

A 6.30am start today, with the taxi picking us up at 7.15am to go to Manchester airport. Unfortunately we had to avoid the motorway because of a 90 minute delay caused by a pile up but we still arrived an hour late, at 9am. Luckily the plane was also delayed by an hour so we still had plenty of time for breakfast in the business class lounge. We were a little worried that we might be rushed with our connection at Washington Dulles for Phoenix but we actually had enough time to sit in the lounge for half an hour! We picked up our bags and the hire car without difficulty and the sat nav took us sucessfully to the Best Western airport hotel, only about 3 miles away. It was getting on for 10 pm so we just went to bed as we had been travelling for over 33 hours!

Wednesday 14th September

We had a leisurely morning, having breakfast around 9.30am and then leaving around 11am to drive to a department store to pick up a Sim card and water (and a couple of bottles of wine) as well as a belt for Iain (left by mistake at the security check in Manchester). Iain is getting used to driving and I am going to have a go tomorrow. The countryside was very arid  and we crossed over some impressive hills at 4000ft before arriving in Sedona where there are wonderfully coloured hills around with strata of red between the paler colours. The Casa Sedona where we are staying for 2 nights is a lovely place and we were able to get our room early at 2pm so we had a relaxiing afternoon playing boggle on the roof terrace and utilising the spa bath in our room! We are eating here tonight for convenience although it is quite expensive; tomorrow we might go into town.