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Radiator Springs.... A HAPPY Place!!!!!DAYS 6 - LOS ANGELES TO GRAND CANYON We FINALLY left LA for the official beginning to our 2007 vacation. One concern leaving this late in the summer was the expected high temperatures driving through the desert. I was really happy with temps hovering around the 85 degree mark driving through San Bernardino at around 11 – was ok when the temps hit 95 in Barstow, thinking it was still under the threshold level – but when they hit 117 in Needles, I got a tad worried. Also, gas prices hit 3.60 a gallon, which was above our budgeted rate. But from there, things got much better. Temps dropped and were down in the mid80’s the rest of the trip to the Grand Canyon, and gas prices were all at or below 3 bucks a gallon. By the end of the day, we are already up to 1300 miles for the trip since leaving Turlock. OATMAN, ARIZONA – One of the highlights of the day was a 60 mile stretch of road that is one of our family favorites in the whole country. If you ever get a chance to make this drive – DO IT!! After you fill up for gas in Needles, head north on highway 95 towards Las Vegas. About 10 miles into the drive, take a right following the signs to a town called “Oatman”. Shortly into that drive, the road turns into a classic stretch of route 66. This roller coaster of a road starts heading up to an old semi-abandoned (except for bikers like Joe and Cookie, hippies, and extraterrestrials) gold mining town, Oatman Arizona. When the hills ran out of gold 75 years ago, the miners left town, but they left all of their burros behind when they left. Over the years, wild burros have proliferated in the hills and they dominate the streets of the little town of Oatman. We arrived in town, parked our car, and did what all good tourists do: we fed overpriced carrots to the wild burros and bought some t-shirts. After one has done this, you pile back into your American van and continue on 66 up an absolutely hair-raising twisty, turny road to a summit that looks down on Kingman Arizona. On this particular stretch of road, you drive through 5 or 6 “washes” (which being interpreted means “occasional raging flood zone”). We saw the after affects of perceptive events as we drove through the washes, and were thankful that we were there between events. Anyway, please book a trip through Oatman sometime.
Here are all of the locals, roaming the streets in Oatman. Outside of this particular setting, you probably wouldn’t take much notice to a bunch of burros. But here in this town, where they are indigenous to the hills, they make Oatman a one-of-a-kind town. The girls are clustered together to protect each other from these ferocious beasts, until they determine if they’re friend or foe.
Brian is here, taking on one of the town’s burros in a game of “Don’t Laugh”. The burro ended up winning.
The girls tried to get out of Oatman before we were ready to go, but we were the only vehicles to actually give them a lift to Kingman. WILLIAMS, ARIZONA – Another classic town on route 66 is a town called Williams Arizona. We had intended to eat at good ole Rod’s Steakhouse, but when we got there we changed our minds. Right next door to Rods, they’ve build an old west town, with a little café called the Typhoon Saloon. We all sat at the front of the restaurant, right next to the singing cowboy. After he finished his first song, he asked if anybody had any favorites he could sing for us. All we could come up with as a country song that this country cowboy could sing for us was “Thank God, I’m a Country Boy”. He smiled, practiced a few chords quietly to himself, and then broke into the John Denver masterpiece. You can imagine the pandemonium in the joint as he cut lose, especially at our table. We were dancin’, and singin’, and movin to the groovin’ (oops, wrong song). I have it all on videotape to bore you with when we return.
Here we are, having arrived in Williams Arizona.
Here we are, entering the Typhoon Saloon…
… and here we are listening to our country cowboy singer. DAY 7 – GRAND CANYON. Woke up this morning and enjoyed an incredible day in the canyon. Highlight was probably doing a partial hike down one of the legendary trails down into the canyon. We didn’t have enough time to do the whole hike, but plan on coming back sometime in the future to go all the way down to the bottom of the canyon. We went to the local pizza joint for 3 large pizzas, and now we’re in one of the hotel rooms, watching a movie (except for me, of course, the only one dedicated enough to give you, our public, the news that you so richly deserve).
This is in because Lindsey loved this picture. It is pretty cool, I admit. Hard to believe that I’m not standing next to a backdrop – that’s the REAL thing.
Notice how I’m grabbing my girls inordinately firmly? I find that more dads end up freaking with their kids when they’re near uncomfortably high places, and I happen to be one of those dads x 10. Doesn’t Jennifer look calm and lose, and don’t I look stiff, unfriendly, and slightly bothered?
Here we are on that cool trail I told you about. It’s the Angel something trail, near the Grand Canyon Lodge. Simply spectacular.
Lindsey was taking a picture of KC, standing on that nice rock wall, when for no reason at all, he started to levitate. It was REALLY weird, he stayed suspended about 12 inches above the wall for about 30 seconds. He was screaming, crying, and carrying on, hitting air with his fists. And then for no reason at all, he was just set right back down again on that wall. Tomorrow we leave for Zion National Park for some mountain biking , hiking, and floating down the rive. Goodnight, one and all!! 11:03 PM - Jul. 31, 2007 - post comment
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Description "For I know the plans I have for you," Declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 My Church Home My Profile Archives Recent Entries -Yet another tag... -Tagged, again... I am one of those strange people who like being tagged... -Moving again... -Tagged Again... -Days 8 to 12 |
