The Big Trip Out West
Well, we did it. I carpe'd the diem, turning unemployment into opportunity, and we had a cheap 3-week vacation in the inspiring, sacred lands of Colorado, Utah and Arizona. I can't explain the feelings I have when I'm in those places. They have to do with the unimaginable sweep of time, and, in the words of my 4th cousin, Gunn Stokke, feeling small and big at the same time. Small, because out there it is clear that a lot happened before I was born. And big, because I am a part of this immense creation consisting of wonder upon mystery upon miracle.
I also tried to be a good nephew by bringing my son to my great aunt and my favorite uncle. It was great to spend time with them, and they of course enjoyed him. Well, as Rob Reiner once said, enough of my yakkin'. Let's look at pictures:
Day 1: We left Des Moines on Tuesday, Aug 28, 2001 and drove our van to Ogallala, NE to camp at Meyer's campground. (See Family page for info about our gear.) They had a pool, so Quinn was happy. We used the goggles and snorkel to look at each other underwater a hundred times.
Day 2: We drove to Colorado Springs and Quinn loved climbing on the rocks at Garden of the Gods.
We made camp at Buffalo Bill's Royal Gorge campground.
Day 3: The next morning, we played miniature golf and then boarded the Royal Gorge Route train. Quinn met a friend named Stevie. We then went to the top of the canyon and walked across the Royal Gorge suspension bridge and rode the unique cable car to the bottom and back up. At the end of the long, hot day, Quinn swam at the campground for almost 2 hours.
Day 4: We left Royal Gorge, headed for Durango. I underestimated this drive. It traverses two mountain passes with many 10 mph hairpin turns. And it turns out that 5-year-old boys get tired of gorgeous scenery in about 14 seconds. The TVCR was an absolute necessity on this trip. Anyway, after visiting Black Canyon of the Gunnison, we stopped short at Ouray, Colorado which turned out to be the biggest discovery of the trip. Ouray sits in a Yosemite-like valley with cathedral mountains and cliffs on all sides. We spent the evening soaking in the hot springs. I floated on my back and gazed up at the evening sky framed by the high cliffs around us and just felt happy and grateful to be in that beautiful place. Quinn liked splashing around.
Day 5: We rose early and drove 70 miles to Durango from Ouray. This took 2.5 hours but the driving was spectacular. Quinn got carsick, but he didn't complain a bit. In Durango, we boarded the Durango/Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad for an all-day train ride in the mountains. Supreme. Quinn met some friends, Chance and Garren, and we camped in Durango that night.
Day 6: Here's another day of driving I underestimated. I intended to drive from Durango to Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. On the way, we stopped at Lake Powell because Quinn saw a good climbing spot. We climbed to the top of a 75' rock and looked back at the van. We made it to Capitol Reef National Park that day and, miraculously, there was a spot available at the campground. At 6:00 pm Sunday night on Labor Day weekend. So, we reveled in this mythical setting and had some good campfire time.
(added May 26, 2005: I learned later that the first two photos below are of the Mokee Dugway, one of the most spectacular and out-of-the-way drives in Utah. Here's another link full of photos.)
Day 7: We awoke in Capitol Reef with the high, vermilion cliffs ablaze in the morning sun. We took a short hike to a viewpoint over the Goosenecks of Sulfur Creek. Then, we drove to Bryce Canyon, looked around, bought a toy for Quinn at the gift shop and had a picnic lunch. We made camp at Zion National Park. We had a reservation for a campsite at the commercial campground outside the park but again got lucky and found a site in the park.
The drive into Zion from the east is one of the most dramatic in the world. As you approach, the road rises through desert terrain and canyons until you enter a 1.1 mile long tunnel dug into the sandstone cliffs in 1930. It is pitch black except for 3 or 4 ventilation windows piercing the cliff, affording brief glimpses of the spectacular Zion Canyon. When you emerge from the tunnel, you are in El Dorado, Shangri-La and Valhalla all rolled into one celestial setting. Our National Parks are such treasures.
Day 8: When we awoke, we boarded the Zion shuttle which takes you up the canyon. We got off at the trailhead for Weeping Rock and hiked to this microclimate ecosystem of ferns, moss and the like resulting from groundwater seeping through the sandstone. We had a snack of apples and cheese, then rode the tram back and headed for Grand Canyon North Rim. Along the way, we encountered Bighorn sheep crossing the highway. I'll never tire of such miracles. Our natural heritage is simply priceless. We made camp and I grilled ribeye steaks on the campfire. They tasted great with black beans and some canned fruit. Quinn and I looked at stars and tried to see the Milky Way, then Quinn went to bed. I stayed up for awhile and just looked at the sky and sat by the campfire, savoring the whole atmosphere.
Day 9: We awoke at the Grand Canyon North Rim campground. It was full, so we felt very blessed just to be there. There are cabins, some with canyon views, which we may stay in next time. Normally, we had cereal for breakfast, but this was the last campout of the trip, so I made a cowboy breakfast of bacon and scrambled eggs.
We drove to Phoenix to see my aunt, Ruth, who is 91. I told Quinn that she was his daddy's daddy's mother's sister and he said, "I know that". Ruth lives in a fabulous retirement community and it was great to see her so well situated. She has traveled to most of the places we had visited, and it was fun to hear more about her life.
Day 10: We had breakfast in the dining room down the hall from Ruth's apartment, did some laundry, talked ourselves out and headed for Sedona's gorgeous red rock country. Quinn developed a temperature, so we went to the emergency room to find out he had a simple ear infection. Antibiotics got him feeling well enough to swim in 2 days.
Day 11: While in Sedona, we drove up Oak Creek Canyon for the fabulous view and I bought some things from the Navajo artisans there. We wandered through Tlaquepaque, a tony shopping area full of things nobody needs and had a great Mexican meal.
Day 12 - 14: We got going early and drove to Slide Rock State Park. Slide Rock is a natural water chute. It's a bit dangerous, since you have to wear shoes and keep your feet out in front of you. And the water is beyond cold. But it's a blast and Quinn and I got in the frigid water and rode it down a few times.
Then, we headed for Tucson via the quaint former mining town of Jerome. Today, it's only a tourist town, but it's worth the drive for the view and the artsy shops. We stopped and Quinn got to see a glassblower at work.
Once in Tucson, we stayed at my uncle Bob Swanson's home for 4 nights. He's a retired Bell Labs engineer who had a very interesting career concerned with missile guidance systems. He's a great guy and it was fantastic to talk with him about a wide range of topics. What a vibrant, fascinating person. It was the first time I'd seen him in almost 11 years so this was the first time he had met Quinn. His wife, Judy, is just a gem and she prepared wonderful meals and we all had a great time together. Quinn loved dancing to Y-M-C-A on Uncle Bob's jukebox. We rode the shuttle up nearby Sabino Canyon, which is a great way to get an idea of the local ecosystems and wildlife.
Day 15: This was Tuesday, Sep 11. We spent the day watching the horrific events in New York and Washington unfold. Quinn and I were going to start driving home, but we decided to stay one more night and leave in the morning on Wednesday.
Day 16 - 18: We left Tucson, headed for Des Moines. I had gotten the oil changed in the van the day before and topped off the brake fluid and checked the tires so our vehicle was in good shape. We felt like just getting home quickly, but the rich terrain of Arizona demanded that we see a few things on the way home. We saw Salt River Canyon, which is like a smaller sibling of the Grand Canyon. I'm amazed at the number of awesome sights in the Southwest.
We arrived home on Friday, Sep 14, having driven 4300 miles in 92 hours of driving in 6 states. Unforgettable.