Exploring the Grand Canyon -- Unreal!

From Flagstaff, AZ, we made the short run to Williams, AZ so we would take a side trip up to the Grand Canyon. We have been to the Canyon a couple of times before, but this is such an amazing sight, it is well worth a return trip. In fact, the first time we see the canyon at each visit, we are overwhelmed as you can see. 

 The Canyon is literally huge as it is over 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide and some 6,000' deep. Orinda was interested to figure out where, exactly in those 277 miles she was!

The Grand Canyon is one of the best places to visit in America and it is a must do for any fulltime RVer!

 This is an amazing place with vistas that never end. At each stop the view seemed to change dramatically -- especially as the light changed as the day progressed. 

 This shot is from the Grandview overlook, which is certainly well named. This location is a few miles to the east from the Visitor Center, but well worth the drive to see it.

 One of the most remarkable traits of the canyon is the multitude of colors that we saw. It seems there was a constantly changing palette of reds, blues, and whites mixed in.

It is hard to believe that the bottom of the canyon is over 1 mile down (it seemed that it was straight down at times!). At the left bottom of the picture is a line of bushes and a small, white path. This is the path that the mules take when making the trek to the bottom of the canyon and back. We saw one of the pack trains on the path and they looked like small ants since they were so far away.

Wupatki Ruins National Monument

 Located just a few miles north of the Sunset Crater Volcanic Monument is the Wupatki Ruins Monument. This location was home to a large number of native Americans who built extensive pueblo style buildings and homes over 1,000 years ago.

 This main building shows the amazing size of the ruins that still remain over 1,000 years after they were abandoned. We did not know what to expect, but were really surprised at the size and complexity of the buildings.

 This artist reproduction of the above building shows how experts believe the structure looks in the 1,000 ad time frame, which was right before the Sunset Crater volcano erupted. Apparently, several thousand people lived in this area in the many buildings that dot the landscape.

 We were able to walk all the way around the ruins which allowed us to get a great idea as to the size of the structure. At the height of the construction, it is thought that this structure contained over 100 rooms!

It was very hot during our visit (about 95 degrees), but we were really surprised at how much cooler it was in one of the rooms of the pueblo. The thick walls really hold the heat out.

 Here, you can see how the walls were constructed. Each rock was carefully placed using a clay-based mortar which still holds well hundreds of years later. Further, if you look closely at the back wall, you can see a wooden beam still in place. According to the folks at the Visitor Center, this may well be an original beam still in place 1,000 years later.

 There are many of these ruins in the area and we saw quite a few of them. Each structure was situated in a strategic spot for defense and a handy place to live with regard to farming and hunting.

This was apparently a very developed society that was able to function in this challenging environment. They must have lived here for many years to have been able to complete all these structures, but this came to an abrupt end with the eruption of the nearby volcano.

This was a very interesting and unexpected find during our short stay in the Flagstaff area.

On to Arizona and the Sunset Crater Volcano

 After leaving Amarillo, we drove to Flagstaff, AZ along I-40. As we got close to the Arizona border, the landscaped changed to the classic bluffs and mesas of the southwesterm desert area. Along the way, Orinda say this long train next to us and Rick thought she should take a picture of the 4 large Diesel locomotives working hard to pull the mile long string of cars.

We like Arizona and were happy to see the state line. Arizona is a state of great contrasts -- in the north, where we are, you will be at some 7,000' in elevation and experience cold nights, even in the summer. Just a few hours south, however, the elevation drops dramatically and temperatures soar in the Phoenix area. 

 We were happy to have lunch in the rest area at the Arizona Welcome Center. One thing we constantly enjoy about the coach is the ability to be at home in the motorhome no matter where we are in the country.

 Located just north from Flagstaff is the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. The volcano erupted in the 1050 ad time frame and there are amazing lava flows in this area today that look like they happened yesterday.

 Lava rocks are literally everywhere, as Orinda shows us. Of course, these rocks and the entire area is protected, so we put this rock back where we found it. Volcanic rock is amazingly hard and sharp, so walking in this area needs to be done carefully.

 Here we are in the front of a large lave "river" that is frozen in place. The black ground cover is actually cinders that are many feet thick. These are like small pebbles and it is very difficult for any plants to grow in it.

 Here is one of several lava flows in the area. These are a few hundred feet wide and many feet thick. The molten lava must have flowed for several thousand feet before it cooled enough to become rock.

What is amazing about these flows is how they look like they just cooled. There is very little vegetation in the area and the rock is still knife-edge sharp. 

 While there are not many plants in the area, the ones that have been able to get a root hold in the lava flow area. This flowering small bush was a real rarity in this area and provided a real touch of beauty in a very rugged environment.

 There is a trail around the base of the mountain that goes through the lava flow. However, there is no nice, paved trail here -- you really need to watch your step here.

This is the actual volcano, with a huge field of cinders (the dark area on the cone of the mountain) from the eruption that still is totally devoid of vegetation. This is one of the few places in the continental US where you can really see the impact of the volcano eruption.

Amarillo - home of the Big Texan and the Palo Duro Canyon

We arrived in Amarillo, Texas after a great stay in Oklahoma City. We set up camp at the Amarillo RV Ranch, which worked out well with good connections and wide sites. 

 Of course, we had to have a great lunch at the Big Texan Steakhouse, which was just down the road from the RV Park. The Big Texan is well known for excellent beef and BBQ.

 Of course, everything in Texas is BIG! Along those lines, the Big Texan offers a FREE steak dinner -- provided you eat ALL of the 72 ounce steak, salad, appetizer, etc. in 60 minutes. We decided to simply share a wonderful ribeye steak instead.

 The Big Texan will even come to pick you up in these spiffy limos! We saw these cruising into the RV park to pick up patrons.

 Located about 30 minutes south of Amarillo, is the Palo Duro Canyon, which is claimed to be the second largest canyon in the United States (measured by the length of the canyon) and is 120 miles long (the largest is the Grand Canyon at 277 miles long).

 Palo Duro Canyon is a remarkable change from the flat terrain of the panhandle of Texas. Indeed, we were amazed at the 800 foot deep canyon as we drove into the park. We learned that in the late 1800's the canyon was the site of the famous JA Ranch, which at its peak size, owned 1.3 million acres of land and ran over 100,000 head of cattle. Now even in Texas, that must be a BIG ranch!

At the Visitor Center, we could see for miles over the canyon. The Visitor Center and many of the roads were built by the CCC in the early 1930's and now it is easy to take a 16 mile drive through the canyon. 

The temperatures were in the high 80's in Amarillo and about 90 at the top of the canyon, however, as we drove down into the canyon, the temperature soared to well over 100 as you can see here. We were really glad the air conditioning in the Buick was working well.

Even though the temperatures are high (and this is early June!), there are many plants int he canyon. One that caught our eye is this cactus-type plant with these beautiful blooms. However, look at those thorns!

There was a stream that meanders through the bottom of the canyon, and not surprisingly in these dry times, the stream was at a very low level. As a result, instead of building bridges over the stream, there was just a paved place to ford the stream called a "Water Crossing".

 However, not ALL the crossings were dry! When we got to crossing six, we found LOTS of water still on the road. Rick decided to turn around rather than see if the Buick would float. Interestingly, we found a sign indicating that the highest water ever recorded at this site was 25' higher than it is now! this would have filled most of the canyon with water!

A Great Visit to the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History

 Our last museum visit was perhaps the best as we toured the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History on the University of Oklahoma campus in Norman, OK. This was a remarkable museum and one that the grandkids, especially Caleb were really excited about. As we entered, the dinosaur head at the top of the photo kind of set the stage -- Caleb was delighted!

 This museum focuses on dinosaurs, but has all kinds of exhibits. Including this great display of small skeletons, which sure hit the sweet spot for 4 year old Caleb. How absolutely cool!

 Abigail was interested, but not overjoyed at the dinosaurs. she decided that she was just as happy to be with grandma -- which was just fine for Grandma Orinda.

 These dinosaurs are huge! This is the actual thigh bone of the mighty   tyrannosaurus  rex which is Caleb's favorite dinosaur. This fossil was actually found in Oklahoma and gives us a great idea how big this critter really was!

 In addition to the dinosaurs, there are many other fossils including this armored fish that was about 10 feet long. Great Grandpa is a big fisherman and would have liked to hook this fellow, but I would hate to see this rascal coming after my lure.

 This triceratops skeleton was huge and you can see how happy Caleb is to be with his dad at the dinosaur museum. He liked this even more than the railroad museum.

 In the center of the museum is this life-sized mastodon which the kids loved. Made of bronze, we were surprised to see how large this guy was.

 Abigail gives us a perspective of the size of the mastodon. We were glad this was only a statue and not a real live prehistoric elephant. We all found it interesting to be able to see how large these animals really were.

Our final stop in the museum was the kids room where you could touch and hold re-creations of many of the smaller ancient animals that we saw in fossil form. Here, Orinda holds a snail made of life-like rubber and is not too excited about it. Abigail is reserving judgement and decided she would just as soon watch.

This is a wonderful museum and wrapped up our museum tours of the Oklahoma City area. Well worth the short drive down to Norman from OKC.

Oh Boy -- A Railroad Museum!!

 While we were at the 45th infantry Museum, we noticed that the Oklahoma Railway Museum was just down the road! Oklahoma City has created a very interesting concept by trying to locate a number of museums, the Zoo, and more in one part of the city. As a result, you can easily visit more than one location. Rick, of course, was delighted and thought this ALCO Diesel engine block was very interesting!

 The museum is run by a group of volunteers and had a surprising number of engines, cars and other displays. Most of these are in running condition and you are allowed to get right next to the cars to get a good look.

 This old steam engine, however, looked to be for display only, but was still very interesting.

 The best part of the museum was the fact that we got to enjoy the grandkid's reaction. Caleb was very eager to check out all the equipment, especially when he learned you could actually get on some of the cars, such as this hand car!

 Abigail was happy to be with Orinda, but did not care too much about the trains. Still, it was great to get up close to these massive machines.

 This 1955 Alco engine is in great shape is being made operational for the future. The Museum provides rides to kids in the area and this engine might be able to be used for that.

 Here was a surprise! In one of the rail cars, there was this great HO model railroad layout which was running. We all loved the models, even Abigail.

Rick and Caleb really liked the model layout. Caleb said that he really needed a train set like this!