Best Value Inn - Williams

Wynne here: Time to begin our journey to New Zealand, so as a symbolic gesture for this big change (latitudes, attitudes, seasons...) it was time to cut Mark's hair for donation. Naw, really, he couldn't wait to get it cut. I get to say goodbye to Mr. Scruffy, and say hello to the 29-yr old guy I married! Wait till you see what he looks like now!

As much as I've been looking ...

We got up early in Phoenix to get
away asap, headed off to Flagstaff. Stopped at Montezuma National Park,
went on a mini hike to see a castle embedded in the hillside, was
pretty strange knowing people had managed to live there a long time
ago! 2.5 hrs to Flagstaff, not too long and found the hostel. Very cute
hostel just as they should be, wooden floors etc, very fitting for a
town in the middle of nowhere. It is 7000ft above sea level and cold,
but the ...

Driving to Flagstaff was a little better of a drive than the day before. We didn't have to travel as many miles and we made a few stops along the way. We stopped a few times looking for buildings and such that we're still standing along the original route 66. We didn't have too much luck, but at least we were still able to drive on it. We also got to see a pretty cool storm, with lighting hitting the ground, it was crazy. We did drive through some rain but ...

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... north of Flagstaff and then up to 82 in the Painted Desert. Cameron Trading Station along the route has been a popular tourist stop since 1910. Along with every typical Navajo and Grand Canyon souvenir you could want, there were Navajo blankets up to $20,000 and even a collectible basket priced at $120,000. We bought jars of prickly pear cactus and hot pepper jelly, costing less the $5 each . . big spenders. The Painted Desert is Navajo ...

... really recommend a visit to this park too, it is superb. Again a shuttle bus system operates in this park which reduces the congestion and pollution. The shuttle stops at all the main points and trail heads. I think we'll let the photographs speak for themselves. But of course there is no substitute for the real thing! Lake Powell, Arizona / Utah Lake Powell has been made possible by the construction of the huge Glen Canyon Dam which was completed in 1963 ...

... that they are drugged to keep them docile but we can't comment on that, although if it is the case then we certainly saw one that hadn't had it's medication!

From Oatman it was more climbing for Chip around twisty mountain roads (those pioneers were hardy people). When we reached the top we stopped to give Chip a rest but soon moved on as, although we couldn't see them, we could hear plenty of Rattlesnakes!

Back down in the valley we saw and experienced ...

... 5th wheel and off back on Interstate 40 (which has taken over from Route 66). Our next stop was Winslow, Arizona - mentioned in the famous 70's Eagles song 'Takin' it easy', one of our family favourites. A dusty old style town, another relic from the Route 66 heyday. And yes, we had to stop at the corner with the hitchhiker statue, complete with mural of girl in a flatbed Ford behind him, and of course a real red flatbed Ford parked by the corner ...

... Rim, 7522 feet. On a clear day you can see as far as the Painted Desert and Navajo Reserve. We spent a little time here hiking around and photographing the canyon and the tower. The east has fantastic views of the Colorado River. And lots of wide open canyon areas. It's 26 miles from the East entrance to the "Village." It's mostly a dirt road, so no speeding here. And with all the pull offs for canyon views, it takes a while ...