Balboa and Padre's

San Diego is said to have the best weather in the United States and I can see why. With only 5 inches of rain per year it leaves plenty of time for sunshine. The temperature is always a nice comfortable 75 with low humidity.

We drove back towards the San Diego Zoo to explore the area around it. It lies in a park called Balboa. (no relation to Rocky) Within this park are many buildings that consist of Museums, United Nations buildings, Restaurants, home to the largest outdoor pipe organ and a gymnasium in which the famous one on one basketball game between Bird and Johnson was played. The park is huge and has free trolly's to shuttle you around if you get tired. With green parks laid out between each building and views of the San Diego skyline down below it is a beautiful area to spend the day.

Here is a picture of the Arboretum with the roof made entirely of wood. There are plants from all over the globe. Each with its own colors and smells.

Walking under archways you find hidden gardens filled with colorful flowers that open up into their own oasis among the many buildings surrounding them.

After spending the entire morning walking Balboa Park we headed off to the coast line to see the oldest hotel on the west coast.

It has been standing since 1888 and is the world famous Hotel Del Coronado. Its history is filled with famous visitors and Head's of State meetings. President Reagan enjoyed coming here and did so many times while in office. The hotel still retains its old look and feel but has been completely renovated with all the modern luxuries. The back opens into big porches that overlook the Pacific ocean. The beach is very wide and when you get down towards the water it almost seems as if the sand is glittering with small pieces of gold but is actually silica. Surprisingly enough the water was not that cold. After the afternoon spent with our feet in the sand and ideas of how we could move out here being bounced around, we decided to head back across the Coronado bridge and check out the downtown area.

Hey, there's a ball game on tonight! We bought the cheapest tickets and went inside of PETCO Field to watch the Padre's and Diamondbacks play. The stadium is fairly new and opens up in the outfield to reveal the cityscape. For a Wednesday evening the stadium was pretty full. It also helped that they had a special tonight. Hotdogs = 1$ Softdrinks = $1 and 1$ off any beer. Needless to say, we saw plenty of "big" fellows walking away with half a dozen dogs for themselves. You can't beat the price! By the time we made it to our seats (which you can see by the picture - way up there) the game was already in the 5th inning. It's a nice place to walk around and see the game from different areas. Honestly, we aren't big baseball fans so we only lasted until the 7th inning in our seats. Time to move on and check out the nightlife in the city.

Old and Fur

The morning fog was still hanging around until the sun got hot enough, around noon, to burn it off. We set off to explore downtown San Diego and were happy to see the sun join us. Our first stop was to visit the Historic Downtown area. This place was where the first settlers started the city. Many of the buildings are restored structures that still have the smells and looks of many years ago.

After walking around and taking in the ancient sites we decided to head over to the world famous San Diego Zoo.

The zoo is huge and looking at the map we had to sit down and plan a route so that we didn't walk around in circles and retracing our steps. There is an Air Tram that connects the two ends of the zoo together and gives you a nice birds eye view of the park.

During the summer hours the zoo stays open until nine and it gives you an opportunity to see the nocturnal animals wake up and forage for food.

We spent some time watching the big apes and orangutans as they were very close to the glass and were just as intrigued by us as we were of them.

As we are sitting here this evening watching the news we are surprised to hear that an earthquake hit LA today around noon. It was a 5.4 size shiver. We didn't feel a thing. Too bad.

As night fell the temperature also started to dip down. By the time we go to bed the air will be cool enough to sleep with the windows open. The one thing you've always heard about San Diego is true. The weather here is great.

Can't Drive West Anymore

We've done it! We have made it to the WEST COAST!

To get there we had to drive through a desert landscape of tall sand dunes.

Wait in long lines on the highway for Border Police to inspect cars for illegal immigrants being stowed away.

When we finally saw the bay in San Diego it was a long awaited site that we couldn't believe we were actually looking at it.

It only took us eight months to get here but looking back at all the great places we've seen, great people that we've met and great memories has all been worth it.

The best part is that we are only half way! We still have so much more to see and do.

In the Desert...

For some reason when we arrived in Yuma, Arizona, only two thoughts came to mind. First: I kept looking to spot a lone horse out among the tall cactus with a cowboy perched on top. Both looking haggard and in search of water. Second: I can't get that song out of my head from the group America -A Horse With No Name. The lyrics fit this area perfect.

On the first part of the journey I was looking at all the life

There were plants and birds and rocks and things

There was sand and hills and rings

The first thing I met was a fly with a buzz And the sky with no clouds

The heat was hot and the ground was dry But the air was full of sound

I've been through the desert on a horse with no name

It felt good to be out of the rain

In the desert you can remember your name 'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain

La, la ...

After two days in the desert sun My skin began to turn red

After three days in the desert fun I was looking at a river bed

And the story it told of a river that flowed Made me sad to think it was dead

After nine days I let the horse run free 'Cause the desert had turned to sea

There were plants and birds and rocks and things there was sand and hills and rings

The ocean is a desert with it's life underground And a perfect disguise above

Under the cities lies a heart made of ground But the humans will give no love

You see I've been through the desert on a horse with no name

It felt good to be out of the rain

In the desert you can remember your name 'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain

La, la ...

That's about all there is in Yuma, Arizona.

Which Way Do I Turn for COLD Water?

This is what we both imagined the desert would look like. Tall cactus with multiple arms reaching up to the sky and small shrubs that barely cover the sandy desert floor. And, of course, HOT!

As I said in the previous post, Phoenix, this time of year isn't hot...it's unbearable.
When we checked into our campground the escort that took us to our site explained to me that in Phoenix you don't need to turn your hot water heater on in the summer. The water will come out of the ground hot already. He wasn't kidding. The water was so hot that you would turn the knob hoping to get some cold reprieve. Something to relieve you of the heat. The water was almost hot enough to steam the mirrors in the bathroom!

We met up with our friend that moved to Phoenix from the burbs of Gaithersburg several years ago. I asked Shari some questions that had me curious about this area and the people. Here is how the interview panned out:

Road Hazard: Why would you move here?

Shari: When I visited the area it was during the typically cold months, in the rest of the country, and the weather here was gorgeous. How could you not like it when your friends are shoveling snow you are putting on sunscreen!

Road Hazard: Do people go outside and do stuff or do they hide away from the sun during the hot summer months?

Shari: Oh no, people go out all the time but it is usually during the very early morning or very late evening. All before or after the sun has scorched the earth. My softball game starts at 10 tonight!

Road Hazard: Is it true that the city doesn't have cold water during the summer months?

Shari: When I first moved here and experienced the hot/cold water thing, I called my Mom, who lives in Tuscon, to ask her. I also couldn't understand why the water was coming out hot. To answer your question, there is no cold water.

Road Hazard: Even the pool at the campground we stayed at was so hot that we couldn't tell the difference between the hot tub and the swimming pool!

(thanks Shari for the interview and being a good sport about it.)

This conversation was held at a restaurant that sits in the shadows of the new Phoenix Stadium that was built a few years ago. The last Superbowl with the Giants beating out the Pats was held here. The whole area is developed into a great atmosphere for coming to any sporting event. Bars and restaurants all have their "misters" hissing away at the scorching air and trying to cut into the suppressing heat.

With the heat and the sand, that gets kicked up by the "Monsoon" winds, you can bet that every evening you will have a great sunset. Clouds piling up on top of each other and the heat lighting exploding deep within, illuminating the huge formations like a candle in a pumpkin.

I will say this...Phoenix is a very large city. With so many smaller cities all around it you don't know where one ends and the other starts. The roads were well thought out and easy to navigate around the cities. If you love the outdoors there is a lot to do with hiking, biking or off roding. As for the weather? I'll have to come back when my friends are shoveling their sidewalks back east and experience the desert sun again. Maybe by then they'll have cold water.

Definition of "HOT"

The true definition of the word "HOT" is:
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning.
My definition of "HOT" is:
Phoenix, Arizona.
The story that you always hear "But it's dry heat!" is false. Today we spent the entire day outside and around Road Hazard. Getting estimates, washing and waxing and doing small repairs. IT WAS HOT. Not a dry hot either. If you are unfortunate and have to be in direct sunlight than it's like you're some fries at a local McDonalds sitting under the heat lamps. I have asked Reta numerous times today: Why would anyone want to live in this heat? Our friend, Shari, lives here and hopefully we'll see her soon but I will ask her the same thing. WHY?
We decided to postpone getting Road Hazard's cosmetic repairs done here. Two reasons. Price and length of time to perform repairs. We will address this at some other time in the future.
Tomorrow will be our day to explore this area which encompasses Phoenix, Mesa and Scottsdale. I'll have pictures of us melting like a cheap candle in our travels.

Two Wheeling

So what would a trip to Sedona be without a trip on the Mountain Bikes?

We took off this morning for what we thought would be a nice easy ride through the red rocks. The trail maps that they give you are just an approximation. It looks something like the map if you turn it around and tilt your head one way and close one eye.

The trails were quite nice. It took us around the base of these huge rock formations that all have a name. This one on the right, below, was called the Castle Rock.

We completed the first loop and we thought that maybe we should continue because that one wasn't so bad. Hey, look at this on the map! This next loop doesn't seem like it is that bad or too long! We set off what turned out to be a steady one mile climb that took us about 900 feet up. Once we arrived at the top we continued down the other side looking for this next trail that would form the loop. Pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal...you starting to get the idea? There, lets try that trail. Under the highway and pedal up hill some. Under the highway again and pedal up hill some more. At this point we were both quite tired and very hungry. Between breaths I managed to snap this picture of Reta that pretty much summed up how we both felt about this time in our ride.

We finally made it back to the top of the one mile hill and all the Gods were helping us as we descended the 900 feet down to the parking lot. It totaled close to 9 miles that we rode and ascending a total of 1400 feet in all. It was quite a workout and the only thing we wanted to do at this point was to get back to Road Hazard and fire up the grill.
Oh yes, remember that we are riding around these huge RED rocks? The bikes kick up some dirt while you're riding.

This isn't a tan line but it shows how much red dirt my legs had attracted.

Wednesday we are on the road again and are headed for Phoenix, Arizona.

Sedona Red Rock

Since our arrival in Sedona on Saturday there has been much to tell but we have been unable to. After getting set up in this beautiful campground which sits near Oak Creek and buried deep within the lush forest, a huge storm started to build. This time of year in Arizona is called the “Monsoon” season. You would think that with a name like that it rains all the time but here in the desert it just means that there is a little bit of humidity and once in awhile you get a light sprinkle. Well, this storm looked like it wanted to drop more than a few sprinkles. Dark, billowing clouds loomed overhead with streaks of lighting setting off the loud claps of thunder that echoed off the canyon walls. True to its history only a few sprinkles fell and with that the power went off. It was off until Monday morning. I don’t know how or what caused it but 19 power poles were collapsed. Because everything in this campground runs on electricity we had no water also. Luckily we had about ½ tank of fresh water, enough to take quick showers and use the bathroom. No electricity meant that we had to sleep with the windows open and a little fan blowing on us at night to stay cool. The people here at Lo Lo Mai Campground were very nice to us. When we asked to extend our stay an extra day they said it was on the house because of the inconvenience. There are also local residences that come to your campsite to make sure everything is up to par.

The only thing is sometimes it is hard to get rid of these loud honking guests. Did I mention they like to bite?

The city of Sedona sits at the base of several of these huge red cliffs.

When you are walking around town the beautiful red mountains all around you mesmerize you.
We set off to hike up one formation called the Cathedral. We missed the turn and ended up at this beautiful little church built up in the rock face.

After getting blessed we left and found the right trial. It’s hard to believe but this place is very different than the other places we have been. It seems they all have their own personality and style.

This area seems to be more upscale and is filled with vortexes. What is a vortex? It is, they believe, a location where electric energy is expelled from the earth in a concentrated form and that if you stand in that exact location you will feel the benefits of this current. We found one such vortex and stood in the middle of a circle of rocks that someone had left. The only thing I felt was the sun beating down on my bald spot on the back of my head.

On our drive home a coyote that crossed the road in front of us stopped momentarily to observe us. We managed to snap a picture before he took off.

Last night my pyro wife was in heaven because she built us a little fire and we sat outside for a few hours just mesmerized by the flames and the crackle of the logs. With a full sky of stars overhead it made for the perfect ending for the day.

Fields of Destruction

The day began with the sun flirting with the clouds above the mountain peaks. We set off to explore a volcano that exploded about a 100 years ago. Most of these mountain peaks, at one time, were active volcano's. As we arrived at the Sunset Volcano National Park the clouds had won over the sun and it started to lightly sprinkle. You could stand there and watch as the clouds drifted by and see the area's that were getting rain.

Our first stop was to climb this very steep trail that would lead us to this view of the San Fransisco Mountains. That's Humphrey's Peak in the picture above, being the tallest in the state of Arizona. It stands a little over 12,000'. While we were here taking in the scenery and posing for a picture together a lighting bolt came out of the sky and exploded, what seemed to be, at the base of the mountain we were on. That's it! Too close for me! Get back to the car as quickly as possible. We are standing on this almost bare mountain top. If you look at the slide show you will see us in the picture after we saw the huge bolt. We are trying to smile as we realized where it struck.

By the time we made it back to the car the sun had taken over the sky and was shinning brightly once again. The next stop took us to the lava fields. As we walked this trail of sharp rocks we followed the contour of the flow. Its amazing that after 100 years there still isn't much growing around us.

What remains of the peak of the mountain now is only a black bald dome of pumice. For miles around you can see the blast zone.

Getting back into the car and driving only a 1/2 hour away we came across this Indian dwelling that they believe was constructed about the time of the volcano's eruption.

This was the biggest dwelling for 50 miles around and the Indians would build their homes around here so that they were never further away than a days walk. This was the center for the inhabitants of the area. A very interesting find was a natural blow hole. Its a crack in the earth where air blows out, deep from within. You'll see in the slide show our pictures of standing on top of the hole. The sun was finally out and it was another hot day but standing on the blow hole it felt like an AC vent.

Today, Saturday, we are headed to our next destination a little further south. Sedona. Many people said that we had to stop there because it is incredible. By the looks of it on the Internet it seems like a beautiful place. We will stay there until Tuesday when we have an appointment with a body shop in Phoenix to get Road Hazard's fender repaired properly. We can't be driving around with duct tape on it.

Big Hole

The day turned into a beautiful one after the last two days of running around and patching things up. If felt good to get on the road and just let your mind wonder while your eyes took in the different scenery. We headed off this morning to the Grand Canyon which was about 80 miles northwest. We took a scenic route which involved climbing over a mountain. The views were great. Tall mountains with evergreen trees reaching towards the peaks. The backdrop of white clouds against a blue background completed the picture. We felt our ears popping as we climbed up to about 8000'.

Surprisingly when we arrived at the Grand Canyon we were still pretty high up. I think it was about 7,000' above sea level.

How else to describe your first glimpse into the massive hole but overwhelming. You really have to stand there for a minute and just take it all in before you can say anything because the size is so big. It's one thing to hear about it or see it on TV but to actually approach the edge of this massive canyon is incredible. You're looking down a vertical mile while the canyon stretches to 11 miles across and even in some area's close to 18.

When we arrived the sun was still pretty high in the sky so everything looked washed out. The colors were not very bright.

As the sun started to set in the western sky behind us the shadows started to emerge and you began to see the different shapes and depth. The shadows of the clouds cast their presence across the landscape in front of you as it glided quietly across the cratered landscape.

We found ourselves sitting along the Rim Trail and just hanging our feet over the edge while we took it all in. I can understand why the Indians felt this place was special because you can't help but sit quietly and stare for miles around you and feel something special. Each person feels connected to this place in their own way. The sun cast different shadows and the colors started to become brighter and you were able to watch this magical postcard change right before your eyes. They say that this Grand Canyon took millions of years to create but everyday the canyon changes from the light dancing across the peaks and valley's right before your eyes. Merriam-Webster describe the word "Grand" as: large and striking in size. They must have thought of the Grand Canyon when they defined the word.

Change of Plans...Again.

Road Hazard is all patched up and ready to roll. Yesterday we spent the day running after certain items to patch up the hole in the basement compartment and reattaching the fender.
I replaced the wood in the compartment and added a wrap of galvanized steel around the outside of the box to protect it from the elements and road debris. I had to fix the mud flap because it was all twisted up but that only required taking it apart and banging it out with a hammer to get it sitting properly again. The last part was reattaching the fender. With the violent force, put on that entire area, the screws that hold the fender in place were just stripped right off. Just a matter of drilling in new holes and attaching new screws. As for the rip in the fender there is nothing like duct tape. It even matches the gray on the RV already. The important thing is it should all hold until we make it down to Phoenix and get it repaired properly.
As for us? We decided to stay put in Flagstaff and drive to the Grand Canyon in the Pick Up. After talking to a few people in the campground we discovered that the campgrounds near the park are really not that good. It's not that far but the comfort of this campground is well worth the drive. We will head off today to check out the big hole in the ground.

Detour - Road Hazard

Oh, so much to tell...where should we begin?

What would a trip around the US be without some Road Hazard adventure? Let me just start by saying the Reta and I are fine but as for Road Hazard, there are a few pieces missing. I managed to salvage a few larger ones but there were to many small pieces laying about. Let me back up and give you the play by play of our journey from Moab to the Grand Canyon.

It started as usual, packing everything in the RV, stowing everything into the basement and hooking up the pickup truck. I was excited because we got out early and would avoid the mid-day heat. Moab is a beautiful city and one that I would definitely go back to visit again. Make sure you bring all your toys: bikes, kayaks, hiking shoes, and 4WD vehicle.

The entire drive from Moab to the Grand Canyon would be on 2 lane roads. My atlas has these roads marked as "Scenic Roads" and that they were. Once we reached the Navajo Territory the landscape changed into deep canyons and huge red rocks towering above. We switched off driving to stay fresh behind the wheel and when I resumed my second shift we had just crossed into Arizona. A little after that we turned onto route 64 that follows the South Rim of the Grand Canyon all the way into the park. It was turning into another beautiful drive. Once again we crossed into Navajo country and passed a roadside stand for the "Big Chief". All the nick-naks you could possible want was sold in this place, according to the sign by the freeway. Just as I finished reading the big red sign that said "You Passed the Chief" we heard this loud rattling sound. Were the Indians shooting at us because we hadn't stopped? My first reaction was to make sure the Pick -Up truck was not trying to pass us again. Nope, still there. It sounded like when you were a kid and would put a playing card in your bike's spokes to get that neat sound...rat tat tat tat tat tat tat tat tat tat. Only this sound was much louder as if it were amplified from a boom box.

Our previous experiences have taught us to remain calm as I gently steered the Road Hazard off the highway. Reta and I looked at each other as if asking what had just happened. I had seen previous signs in the road indicating "Soft Shoulder" and once the right wheels of RH hit it, I quickly understood its meaning. The whole thing leaned quickly to the right as if it were going to flip over. I gently steered the rig back onto the highway so that the left side was encroaching the highway driving lane but not leaning so badly.

We jumped out to inspect what had happened but by this point we had a feeling that we had blown a tire. When we do something we like to make sure we do it all the way. When the rear right outer tire blew it created a tongue of rubber and steel that ripped apart the rear basement and in the process tore the fender off the side of Road Hazard.

(note the basement door is fine it's open here so that you could see the hole in the floor)

As Reta proceeded to call our Road Side Assistance I tried to salvage the couple of flares that survived the pounding from the rubber tongue in that compartment. I called the police to come out to lay some more flares because the rig was sitting partially in the road and was leaning at a severe angle. About 25 minutes later an Arizona Highway officer showed up. I asked if he had any additional flares that we could lay out and he said that cones are used in this area because of the risk of starting a fire. Uh oh! I scanned the flares that I had laid out and the landscape around us to make sure I didn't start any wildfires. I don't want to be on CNN.

(Officer Brian and Reta enjoying the afternoon)

The police officer turned out to be a great guy. He laid out many cones and hung out with us until we were back on the road. We pulled some lawn chairs out, popped a few soda's open and sat in the shade of the RV. Brian, the officer, had some great stories to share with us. He also talked about some weapons that he had on his utility belt. Tazer, pepper spray, etc. About an hour and half went by before Floyd, the tire guy, showed up to change our flat. Now remember, this RV is heavy and you need the right tools to attempt to change a tire. We had a spare but it needed to be mounted on the rim. Floyd was a good ol' fellow. "Be'in changing tires for years." His deep raspy voice could be heard above the roar of the air compressor on the back of his truck. He pulled out this little jack that I thought was only big enough to lift a motorcycle. He assured me that size didn't matter. Remember the sign about "Soft Shoulder"? As Floyd began to lift the RV with this little jack it also started to bury itself into the soft shoulder. I asked if he wanted a piece of wood to prevent any sinking. NO, it'll be fine! I've heard that before...right before something bad usually happens.

Floyd showed his experience by quickly getting the flat shredded tire off and mounting the spare on the rim. He then put the new tire on and was under the RV securing some loose pieces so that we could drive without anything rubbing and causing another flat. WHAM! In a split second the RV had fallen off the jack. Officer Brian and I were standing close by and all we saw of Floyd was his two legs sticking out from under the RV! My first reaction was to put my hands up like I was going to stop the RV from leaning any further. Officer Brian was quick to see if Floyd was still alive. "Floyd? Do you want us to pull you out? Are you OK?" The only sound that came out from under the RV was the hissing sound escaping from the air bag suspension. After, what seemed like a lifetime, we heard Floyd reply that he was fine. We pulled him out and his eyes were wide as the gaping holes in his mouth where teeth used to be years ago. He brushed it off like it was nothing but I suspect that once he left us he had to put on some clean underwear. Can you imagine?

After our day of sitting by the highway for 3.5 hours with Officer Brian we decided to bypass the Grand Canyon and instead head south to Flagstaff for some much needed repairs. Tomorrow we'll find out more details about repairs. As for the tire? After Floyd inspected the tattered doughnut he concludes that we must have driven over something that caused the tire to explode and rip the huge tongue that licked the bottom of the RV until only pieces were left.

Chalk it up to another - ROAD HAZARD.

Heading Down

Today we will be on the road for most of the day. Road Hazard will roll for 373 miles. It shouldn't be bad since we will stitch off every couple of hours. Enough time to catch up on my reading. Our next destination is the south rim of the Grand Canyon. The campground is about 30 miles from the rim. There isn't a whole lot out in that area. The campground we are staying in only has water and electricity. There is a dump station close by but that means we have to shower in the bath house. Not our favorite thing to do. The other thing is that being out there we probably will not have Internet connection or phone. So, if you don't hear from us in a couple of days you'll know why.

Slick Rock Mecca

The Gods were smiling down at us this morning when we arrived at Slick Rock to go mountain biking. There were huge banks of clouds covering the hot burning sun from beating down on us. To get ready we read many reviews of this trail and learned about the high risk that this trail poses. NOT INTENDED FOR BEGINNERS. MAKE SURE YOUR BIKE IS TUNED UP. VERY STEEP AND DANGEROUS. TAKE PLENTY OF WATER. YOU CAN GET SERIOUSLY INJURED.

Sounds fun huh? We decided to take a trail called Practice loop because it is a 2 mile trail that sticks pretty close to the parking lot. In case you get hurt or your bike brakes you don't have to walk very far or be carried out very far.

The trail was marked by white marks on the rock. Occasionally there was bright yellow XXXX across the trail to warn you off a large drop off and to stay away.

I have written about several of our hikes that were very strenuous and that we felt like our lungs were burning for more oxygen. How our legs were dead weight. Well, it was all either a good training for today or a good measuring stick for how much we got our butts kicked. This is by far the hardest thing I have ever done. The hills were so steep that it took everything you had to climb them. When you got to the top it just felt like you wanted to throw up. In the picture below, I didn't fall but I did collapse after one of these huge hills. I just needed to catch my breath. Please don't laugh. I just wanted to lie there until the vultures started to circle overhead.

I know that Steve DeSatnick and Kenny Bumgardner would appreciate these trails. It is nothing like the trails back east. To start with you're riding on sandstone which is really like sand paper. Your tires stick to it like stink on poop. It was amazing to ride steep inclines and not have any fear of sliding or your rear wheel slipping. It made climbing the steep inclines a little easier because you could stand up to peddle and your rear tire would never slip. If we had more time here we would venture off to try some other trails. They have one trail that has a 900' accent over 3 miles. The reward is that you have a 2,800' descent that takes you to the Colorado River. At that point you better have a car down there to take you out because there is no way you would turnaround and ride back up.

I am very proud to say that Reta was the only women on the trail and she kicked butt. I am also proud of the fact that we did it and survived with no injures. Just very tired, heavy legs. We had such a good time that when we got to the end, we turned around and did the loop going in the other direction. Ok, now my legs are like jello.

Fiery Furnace

After talking to a local at a local watering hole, she told us of a place about 9 miles north of the city that is not known to many people. It is some hills that are exposed, showing layers of green clay that the water has slowly been eroding. It's exposing many types of rocks that have been buried many years ago. We found a few geodes that when you break them open reveals beautiful crystals inside. There are also pieces of bone that are from the dinosaur period. We found a few pieces that looking at closely does look like bone but not being an expert it is hard to tell.

In the afternoon we headed back into Arches National Park for a guided tour of the Fiery Furnace, an area in the park that you can only hike with a guided tour. The reason you can't wonder off alone is because there are really no trails in the huge spears of rock and it is very easy to get lost.

The tour was very informative . The guide would stop and show us certain rock formations and explain how they believe it was formed. She also told us what to look for to determine the different layers of rock.

Of course, we found many more arches that few people ever see because of its remote locations. The park has over 2,000 arches.

The downside to taking the tour was that it seemed that we stopped every 10 minutes to look at something or wait for the entire group scramble over rocks.

After walking this 3 mile hike we were both ready to head back to Road Hazard and relax. Tomorrow we are heading to the mecca of Mountain Bike riding.

Golden Arches

Have you ever been somewhere and stood staring at what someone had produced hundreds of years in the past? We spent our early afternoon standing and touching the past. On these rocks covered in "desert varnish" the early Indians would draw the important happenings of the day. At this particular "news rock" they drew an image of a women giving birth. It's interesting to point out that the birth was feet first. According to the locals there are only six such petrogylphs of this type of image in the world. They are proud that they have one here in their backyard.

After visiting with the past we headed over to Arches National Park to see what years of water running through sandstone can do. This park has the most arches than any other park in the country. This is caused by the water slowly eroding away rock and sand to produce these magnificent structures. Its amazing to look at them and marvel how they don't just crumble under their own weight.

This one has two arches together. If you look closely at the picture below, you will see some people climbing up to get in the arch shadow. This will give you an idea of the size of these structures.

We decided to go for an afternoon hike to look at some other arches. We climbed up dirt paths, scrambled across steep rocks and finally made it to the end of the trail. At this point we were faced with a decision. Should we go back on the same trail we came on or take this other trail marked "Primitive Trail". Aside from being another mile longer it was a little less marked but promised spectacular views.

About a 1/4 of the way into this primitive trail, I have to confess that, I become a little worried. This trial clearly had very little traffic. In fact we didn't pass another person while we were on it for 1 1/2 hours. Since you are scrambling over mostly rocks there really are big trees to mark a trail with paint. So, the trail is marked with a pile of rocks like below.

I became concerned when we were walking and all of a sudden I realized that we hadn't see any piles of rocks for awhile. I looked back and luckily I saw where the trail had turned. Can you imagine if we hadn't noticed? Everything looks the same out there. We could have been wandering around, while the sun was setting, looking for piles of rocks. I became very quite while we continued, afraid that we would miss a turn. When we finally got close enough that we could see the main trail did I open up to Reta and tell her my concern. Oh, by the way, the trail had some beautiful views.

It has been interesting to compare the three parks that we have been to so far: Zion, Bryce and Arches. They are all completely different from each other and each with its own unique vistas.