Peter: Arose at 7.00am in sunshine, today the red rocks of Sedona were looking their best, with just a little cloud curling round. Packing then breakfast and on the road north by 9.00am. The old local I was talking to last night in the bar told me about where to find some genuine and well priced native american crafts on a rest area on route 89.
This road bends and climbs to around 6,500 ft above sea level of some 25 miles amid wonderful scenery.
We found the craft market at the highest point on the road and Gill made some purchases.
Me now! We drove on to Flagstaff where we needed to find Walmart superstore where we hoped to purchase a new Tom Tom. We got hopelessly lost although we had a map of sorts. The Americans don't do maps the way Mr. Michelin does. We stopped to ask a handy standing around cop and found we were within a spit of the place. We managed to purchase a new Tom Tom and hey presto - no more getting lost!
We head off north towards the Grand Canyon, the first part on the old route 66. We arrive around 1.00pm and after dumping the luggage in our room we rush off towards the Canyon rim and spend an idyllic afternoon walking and taking photos that can never do justice to the real thing. After walking our sox off we returned to our room.
Later we went to a restaurant overlooking the Canyon and watched the sunset. Spectacular and quite unphotographable The meal was enormous and totally beyond us to finish and the aircon was arctic with many people sitting with coats on. Peter was the only one to complain not that it did much good. Because of a one way system we managed to get lost on the way back - yet another adventure.
Before we left the following day we had another short walk along the rim going in the opposite direction to yesterday. We felt we were photographed out so didn't take a camera. Wish we had as the light was different again to yesterday. It reminded us of the light changes we experienced in Monet's garden years ago that consistently evolves and changes ones perception of the view. In other words - wished I had taken the camera !
Back in the car and off back down the road to Phoenix. We hadn't been travelling for more than an hour when Sacha phoned with the news that Sophie had given birth to Zachary Luke weighing in at 7lbs.15oz. So now they are three Shaw Sophie & Zachary Enoui
A brand new family.