Road Trip in the American Southwest // #6: Monument Valley

Next stop of our road trip in the American Southwest: After Sedona, Grand Canyon, Lake Powell and Antelope Canyon, here is Monument Valley, at the border between Arizona and Utah.

The Mittens Buttes

We all have seen those buttes in movies, series, cartoons, comics and what not, so you can imagine that expectations were high! We left Page in the morning to drive the 250 miles round trip in one day. For lack of time we had decided to not go further towards Moab. I somewhat regret not going further to go around the Lake Powell because we missed on more amazing landscapes like Canyonland and the Arches National Park. But there's always choices to be made... Without a doubt, Monument Valley remains a very majestic scenery. The 300 to 1000 feet high red sandstone buttes that cover this large valley are stunning. We are surrounded by miles of mesas and buttes that shape the Colorado plateau. The buttes are what is left of this plateau after thousand years of erosion. 

The drawback is that the place is very touristic, and the set up and crowd takes away from the magical feeling you'd hope to experience. After paying the fee at the park entrance, everybody drive their car to the parking lot at the end of the road, where, needless to say, sits the unavoidable souvenir shop/restaurant/hotel. The site is part of a Navajo reserve, and it is Navajo Indians that collect the entrance fees. The National Parks Pass is not valid here. (It is in Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion Park, to name the few other parks in the surrounding.)

The visit is done by car following a stony sandy lane, either in one's own car (be sure it is not too low so it doesn't scrape the ground), or with Indian's guides. The road zigzags in between buttes in a loop. It is permitted to stop here and there but forbidden to get outside the tracks. All these buttes are considered sacred for Navajos Indians. It is a little disappointing to not be allowed to wander freely and to have to share this only road with all the other tourists, but it is worth the journey.  If not enough time, or if you don't want to pay the fee to get in, I think it would be acceptable to only drive by the park, if possible from East to West, because the westbound view as you get close to the park entrance is amazing! You can stop on the side of the road where Forest Gump stopped running, and take a pretty photo! 

"Forrest Gump ended his crosscountry run at this spot"

Unlike what we'd think, it is not extremely warm in the area: about  85 degrees in the summer. We went there in April and it was much less than 70 degrees even in the middle of a very sunny day. It was also very windy. 

Last advice: Native Indians do not change hour throughout the year, so I'd recommend to be careful about the time difference depending on the season...

Road Trip in the American Southwest // #5: Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend

If there is a place to not miss if you drive by Page, it's Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. Both splendid! And to make things even better, they are both very close to each other, making both visits doable one after another in one morning or one afternoon easily. 

There are two "Antelope Canyons", the Lower and the Upper. The canyons are both located close to one another and are on Navajo land. I have read that they are quite different from one another, but I don't know if it is worth visiting both. Fees are pretty pricy! Almost $30 per person if I remember well, for a tour that last approximately 30 minutes. Add to that the $6 fee for a standard permit required to enter Navajo territory. There is no reservation required, you show up, write your name down on the list and a Navajo guide takes groups one at a time. 

We visited Lower Antelope Canyon, which is narrower to climb into than the Upper. From pictures I have seen, the Upper Canyon is at ground level, seems to be flat and the canyon walls are wider. The hike is much easier. In the Lower canyon, you will have to climb steep metal stairways up and down to make your way through it.

 

For optimum lighting conditions, it is better to visit the canyons on a bright cloudless day between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. when the sun is overhead. We were lucky to be there in April, which also seems to be one of the best time of the year for good lighting and weather conditions. The canyon can be flooded after it rained... It has been closed for weeks at a time in the past. And it is particularly prone to flash floods. Even when rain falls miles upstream from the Antelope Canyon slots, water can funnel into them with little prior notice. In 1997 a terrible flash flood killed 11 tourists including 7 from France. The group went into the canyon despite the fact they were warned not to go because there was a storm about 20 miles away. The rain from that storm traveled the distance and flood the canyon.

  

All along the canyon the colors and the flowing shapes in the rocks are absolutely amazing. Our guide pointed out a few interesting shapes carved in the rock. Some were more obvious than others, like the two faces in the pictures below. The only downfall is that you are not alone in there... As such it can be tricky to take pictures without people ruining your shots... Photographers have the option to pay more money to stay longer in the canyon. I assume that way they get a chance to not have anybody around in between two groups coming down with a guide.

 

Just a few miles away, right outside of Page, is Horseshoe Bend, a beautiful meander of the Colorado River. You will have a quick 10 minutes hike in the sand before to reach the cliff. It is short but can be pretty hard, in the sun and heat, to go back up to the parking lot. Though the view is totally worth it!

I remember spotting the tent of a lucky guy camping by the river. Personally I don't know any information about navigating down the river but it must be a blast. One more thing, I tried to take photos of this meander by every angle to get a full view of it, but you'll figure it out yourself, it is quite tricky to get it all from left to right as well as from top to bottom!

Road Trip in the American Southwest // #4: Page and Lake Powell

Lake Powell is a reservoir on the Colorado river, that sits on the States of Utah and Arizona. It was created after the construction of Glen Canyon dam in 1963, and it's the second largest man made lake in the United States. Planet of the Apes was shot there in 1968 and 2001. 

 

 

It is a major vacation spot, especially for water sports lovers. Indeed there are almost a hundred side canyons with red and ocher rocks, that are only accessible by boat, canoe or jet ski. Even though it will cost you an arm, the thing to do is to spend at least a day or two on the lake to be able to discover some of its nooks. Rainbow Bridge particularly, which is the biggest natural bridge  known in the world, is only accessible by boat and it takes almost two hours to get there. (The lake is 300 kilometers or 180 miles long). We did not do it, but if you come as a group, and that you have time, and money, it might be interesting to rent one of those house boat to stay in the middle of the lake. 

The little town of Page, next to the lake, was founded in 1957 to serve as a housing community for workers and their families during the construction of Glan Canyon dam. Its site was obtained in a land exchange with the Navajo tribe. For us tourists, it serves as a place to sleep when visiting the lake and everything around: Glen Canyon National Recreational Area, Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, etc... There is nothing interesting to see in the town itself. Though as you drive by, you'll be able to notice the succession of churches along South Lake Powell Boulevard: Episcopal Church, Lutherian Church, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormons), First Baptist Church, etc.... In short, they are all contained in the same place, in buildings that look nothing like churches. A dozen of cult venues for such a small town seems astonishing, but religion occupies a very important place in the United States. And above all, there are different churches, different religious denominations. When one comes from France, where there are mostly catholic churches, and often one per village, it inevitably seems puzzling. Let's say that it gives us the opportunity to mug up on all the branches of the Protestant Church... 

Aside from that, oddly I ate the best croissant I've ever had in America! It was at the "Blue Bakery Coffee and Wine Bar" on North Navajo Drive. But let's not get carried away: it was a croissant that had the taste of a croissant and the consistency of a croissant. To me it is now worth getting carried away. 

Road Trip in the American Southwest // #3: Grand Canyon

Grand canyon, the inescapable destination of our road trip. We've all heard about it and seen so many stunning pictures. As a result I had almost anticipated a deception. But no, it did not disappoint. The first few seconds when you approach the cliff for the first time are truly breathtaking. 

We had made sure we arrived about two hours before sunset because that's when the light is the most beautiful. During these few hours we went from a vista point to another on Hermit Road, to the west of the park. A free shuttle takes you to each of them. You can get in and out of the shuttle as you please, or, if you have time, walk along the path that follows the cliff and links every vista point to one another. 

After one or two stops, we ended up waiting for the sunset at Hopi Point. Of course we were not alone. If your thing is to be alone in the nature, it's not necessarily the best place to catch the sunset... That time of the day is very popular for visitors and photographers, and we were in the middle of quite a crowd. Of course it's more than likely the same thing everywhere anyway... In the end I don't really understand all the hustle and bustle about not missing the sunset. All those people are massed in the same spot to capture those few seconds. Though the best time is the few HOURS before the sun disappears behind the horizon, when it makes hues of orange all over the rocks, really not the last few minutes. Plus you freeze your ass off afterwards. (We were there late April) Just saying.

Once it was dark outside, we went back a few kilometers south of the park entrance, in Tusayan, where we had booked the hotel. By the way, another drawback to waiting till the sunset before to leave is that obviously you are not alone trying to get back in the shuttle... It's kind of a pain... Anyway, we were staying in Tusayan because there was nothing available inside the park even when we booked online about a month before. The town has no merit, just a few hotels and a few unappealing places to eat. Though it really didn't matter much as we were there only to sleep.

The next day we got back on the road along East Rim Drive. Our first stop was Shoshone Point. This vista point is not indicated on the road, but was in our tourist guide book. So you got to look for it a little bit... It's also less convenient for some people because you have to walk a little less than a mile to reach the cliff. That seems to discourage most tourists. It made it only better for us. We arrived there in the morning, alone in front of this spectacular landscape, and I think it was my favorite!  

Our second stop was at GrandView point. It's the departure point of a hiking trail which goes all the way down the canyon and goes back up on the other side on the north cliff. You have to plan two days for that, with a night at the camp in the bottom of the canyon. We hadn't planned that long hike in our trip, but we walked down the trail a little bit just to get a taste. The trail is very steep and narrow, and personally, I think you might want to stay away if you're scared of heights! Well, maybe I'm a bit wimpish... It's actually not the scariest one at all but I will get to that in a future post. Narrowness and steepness are not even the most dangerous aspect of that hike. The most common accidents are caused by lack of hydration, and it is reminded to you everywhere on boards where the trail begins. Warnings are illustrated with not too funny stories of fatal accidents. 

Finally, Desert View Watchtower, the last vista point before to exit the park on the East side. Out of the few places we stopped at, this one was the only one where we caught sight of the Colorado river at the bottom of the canyon. Practical point: there is also a gift shop and a little cafeteria.

We ended up exiting the park in the early afternoon in direction of Page. A few weeks earlier, Highway 89 collapsed, cutting off the city from the south. We had no choice but taking a detour through Highway 160 and 98, which doubled the normal distance. Not so cool. However, on the road, just before Tuba City, a stop to an Indian site tempted us. A road sign showed we could see dinosaurs fossils and footprints. Upon arrival on the parking lot, you will notice there is no price indication. They will show you where to park, escort you outside your car with some enthusiastic "this way, this way!", they will tell you to leave your camera in your car as pictures are forbidden. Before you even had the time to say anything, they will start guiding you from fossils to footprint (to be fair, that was pretty cool). Then, after 5-10 minutes, they will walk you back to the parking lot asking you for money and trying to force your hand to buy the local merchandise. It kinda feels like you fell in a big tourist trap. I wish a fixed price was given up front so you can at least judge if you want to be taken on the tour or not. But it must be said that Indians do their business as good as they can... It is not easy to compete when all their land has become National Parks and is now in the hands of the government... It was the first time I had seen such amazingly well preserved dinosaurs remains just here in the open, so I do not regret the stop. Too bad we have no pictures to share though!

Road Trip in the American Southwest // #2: Sedona

Leaving Flagstaff in the morning, we head out to spend the day in Sedona, about 45 minutes away. After a few switchbacks to go down the canyon, we first end up in a narrow and verdant valley. Just a few more miles and we arrive in the town of Sedona, where we quickly stop only to buy something to eat for our pic-nic. Then we continue on driving a little bit further south until the Chapel of the Holy Cross. It's a pretty vista point with a tiny modern chapel built in 1957, at the top of a small hill. A very small dirt path starts from the parking lot and leads you away from the crowd of tourists who come up the hill to the chapel. We walk down the path for a few minutes to take advantage of the views. The contrast between the lush vegetation and the red rocks formations that surround you is what makes this place so beautiful in my opinion. It's different from the other typical arid landscapes you can see in this region. 

View of the mesas from the Chapel of the Holy Cross

After this quick stop, we get back on the road to go further south, and stop in the parking lot located just north of the village of Oak Creek. The hiking path (4.5 miles) makes a loop around Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte, two huge rocks, one of which known to be a "spiritual vortex". A lot of people in pursuit of spiritual harmony come to Bell Rock to revitalize themselves. Sedona is considered a "New Age" capital, and its touristic industry is catering to supporters of this spiritual movement. It is possible to climb up Bell Rock, or you can also simply go  around it. We haven't walked into a lot of people when hiking the 4.5 miles loop, which made the experience even more pleasant. Plus the path is more or less flat all along. 

 

In the end, this was a very good foretaste of the rest of our journey... I highly recommend it.

Road Trip in the American Southwest // #1: Jerome Ghost Town

We started our trip from Phoenix, Arizona. As soon as we landed and got our rental car, we quickly got out of this ugly stifling urban area in the middle of the desert, and headed north on Road 17. It is already well past noon so we don't have much time to spare. We have to spend the night in Flagstaff, about two hours away. But on the way there we want to make a detour via the old mining town of Jerome and get a view of Sedona landscapes, which makes us go through smaller roads and will require more time.  

Jerome is a tiny village, 5,200 feet high, that barely appears on maps. It is located northeast of Prescott and southwest of Sedona, next to the villages of Clarkdale and Cottonwood. From Clarkdale, we take road 89A, which climbs pretty stiffly, and after a short ascent we enter what is the biggest ghost town in the US. This old mining camp was built on the biggest copper mine in Arizona. First it was only a settlement of tents but then grew into a roaring mining community. 

The town was founded in 1876 and once was the biggest city in Arizona. Population reached 15,000 in 1920. Mining operations slowed down during the Depression but took off again during WWII because of the high demand in copper. Following the war, it declined for good and the mine was closed in 1953. The remaining 50 to 100 inhabitants promoted Jerome as a historic ghost town. It now has become an artist community with a population of about 450. It almost looks like the way it used to a hundred years ago, although some buildings have been renovated. Others have simply felt down the mountainside. Considering the stiff slope that is not too surprising.

 

 

When wandering the streets by feet, one can find a few art galleries, antique shops, pottery and hand made jewelry boutiques, a few restaurants and bars, and here and there out in the street, random bizarre attractions that make for an original atmosphere. 

Baltimore, Maryland

My first and only visit on the East coast. Yep, usually it's the first side everybody come to visit, but I guess I felt too good and comfortable on the West side... As a result, those few days in Baltimore almost felt like a return to my roots... I mean European roots: a few narrow streets, sometimes even cobbled ones, brick buildings, small human scale shops. I know Baltimore is not the first choice city to see on the East coast (by the way I didn't chose to go there either), but because all is relative, it was pretty refreshing for me, considering that, at the time, what I knew was californian suburbian life.
Baltimore was founded in 1729, is located on the Chesapeake Bay, between Washington and Philadelphia, and is one of the most important port of the East coast. 

Fell's Point neighborhood, an old 19th century port village

 

Little Rock, Arkansas

Last fall I was sent to a work conference in Little Rock, Arkansas. On the face of it, not a dream destination. Let's say I wasn't expecting this city to be more exciting than Baton Rouge. I had even read that, like here, it was one of the most dangerous city in the US, with ghettos all around the city, gangs problems, murders, rapes and so on happening everyday. In the end, I was rather pleasantly surprised. At least the Arkansas capital city gets to have a few highrise buildings worthy of a downtown, and even a pretty tramway and a pedestrian bridge that both go over the river! Damn, we still have a long way to go in our Louisiana capital...