2023 CANYONLANDS ADVENTURE - IT WAS A GRAND DAY

 

DAY #9 – SUNDAY – JULY 10, 2023

 PAGE, AZ – KANAB, UT

191 – MILES / 2,766 – TOTAL MILES

 

We spent the night at the Best Western – Lake Powell in Page Utah. This was a really good hotel. My Room was clean and comfortable. The breakfast was basic but it featured a spectacular view of the Colorado River and the Arizona Desert. We had to have our luggage out by 6:30 and the breakfast area didn’t open until 7 a.m.

This hotel features a balcony that extends the length of the breakfast area so while I was waiting, I grabbed a cup of coffee and decided to take a walk and watch the sun come up. The morning sun really highlights the colors of the Arizona Desert.

By the time I finished up my morning walk, the breakfast area was open, and I joined a couple of others from our group and enjoyed breakfast with a view on the balcony. Nothing like breakfast with a view and good company.

We were scheduled to leave the hotel a 8 a.m. and surprisingly everyone was on the bus before 8 and well pulled out right on time. From the hotel balcony we could see our first stop of the day. So less than 10 minutes after leaving we pulled up to the Glen Canyon Dam.

At 710 feet high, the Glen Canyon Dam is just 16 feet shorter than Hoover Dam that stands 726 feet tall. Construction began on the dam in 1956 and it wasn’t completed until 1966. During construction more than 4,901,000 cubic yards of concrete were used. That concrete is still curing today and will take several more decades to completely cure.

Today The dam serves multiple purposes such as flood control on the Colorado River, and as a power generating facility for millions in Arizona, Utah and along the lower Colorado River Basin. Finally, it created Lake Powell, one of the Southwest Largest Recreation areas. Lake Powell is the second largest reservoir in the United State. Only Lake Meade that was created by the Hoover Dam, is larger.

Because we were so early, the Visitors Center wasn’t open and all we could do was walk around the area and take a few photos. This was a nice stop, but I would have liked to delayed our departure from the hotel about 30 minutes so we could have toured the Visitors center and Museum.

As it is we only spent about 30 minutes here before heading out to our next stop of the day, which was about an hour away. The drive from Glen Canyon through the Arizona desert was beautiful, and only our habitually late couple found it boring and as usual complained to those that would listen.

Anyway, about an hour after leaving the Glen Canyon Dam, we arrived at Marble Canyon and the Navajo Bridge.  Marble Canyon was created by the Colorado River and stretches from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon to near the Glen Canyon Dam in Page, Arizona. Marble Canyon is part of the Grand Canyon National Park.

The Navajo Bridge spans the Colorado River which flows through the canyon more than 450 feet below. There are two spans here today. The original span was built in 1929 and is about 910 feet long. It carried vehicle traffic until 1995 with a new span was constructed. Today the Original 1929 span is used as a pedestrian bridge that affords visitors fantastic views of the canyon and river below.

While I was walking across the 910-foot bridge, I saw a large group of rafters making their way down the river under the bridge.  One of the volunteers at the visitors’ centers said rafting trips stretch for various length. Some put in at Page and raft down to the Bridge. The longest rafting trip available is a little over a weeklong and stretches from Page all the way through the Grand Canyon. Rafter on these trips spend the night in Tents and cowboy camp and cook along the way.

All total we spent about 45 minutes here at Marble Canyon and the Navajo Bridge. It was a good stop and one that Most of our group enjoyed.

From Marble Canyon we were off to our benchmark stop of the day. It took almost two hours to make the trip to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I have been to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon several times and no matter the time of year that I visited the South Rim was always crowded. I have heard that the North Rim is more remote, less developed, and not as crowded.

One the way to the Nort Rim we made a quick rest stop at the Jacobs Lake Inn and Store. This was a great stop that featured a large gift shop, general store, and a bakery. Several in our group including me, picked some really good cookies and pastries from the bakery. 

The Drive from Jacobs Lake to the North Rim took us another 45-minute. Along the way we passed a rather large fire and saw a number of firefighters beside the road.

After our stop at Jacobs Lake, it was another 45 minutes or so to the Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim. Michelle told us that we needed to be back on the bus at 3 p.m., which gave us two and a half hours to spend here.  That would give us enough time to do a couple of short hikes and still have time to grab lunch.

When we arrived, we soon found out that due to staffing shortages two of the three restaurants here at the north rim were closed. Only the Rough Rider Saloon was open, and it was crowded. So, I decided to delay lunch and hike down to the Bright Angel Point.

This is a moderately difficult half mile trail that stretches from the Lodge down to Bright Angel Point. Along the way you get spectacular views of the Grand Canyon.  It took me close to an hour to complete the hike because I kept stopping along the way to take pictures.

Back at the Lodge, I found the line at the Rough Rider Saloon had decreased some so, I got in line. The Rough Rider features soups, salads, and sandwiches. Nothing fancy and nothing all that great.  I had a $5.00 Hot Dog, a $4.00 cup of Soup, and a drink. This set me back almost $14.

After Lunch, it was getting close to the time that we would need to begin boarding the bus.  I still had time to visit the gift shop to pick up a few souvenirs. I also purchased another drink to take with me on the bus.

Right at 3 p.m. everyone was back on the bus, and we departed for the North Rim. On the way back the fire that we saw on the way in seemed to have increased with a larger smoke field. This time we actually saw flames off to the side of the road. I never did find out if this was a controlled burn or a wildfire.

On the way back out, we also stopped again at Jacobs Lake for a quick rest stop and more cookies and pastries. Then it was another hour and a half drive to the Hampton Inn in Kanab, Utah.

On the way to Kanab, when Michelle got reliable cell service Michelle found a restaurant in Kanab that said they could accommodate our large group. When we crossed into Utah, we also lost an hour and went back to Mountain Daylight Time. While it was only 4:30 in Arizona it was 5:30 when we arrived at the Hampton Inn – Kanab.

Upon arrival at the Hampton Inn, Michelle distributed our keys and gave us an hour to get settled. At 6:30 we were back on the bus for the short trip to Lotsa Mosta Pizza. This was a fast-food pizza joint where you ordered at the counter. There was a small dining area where we could eat but you could see that most of their business was takeout.

They had a limited menu, and I ordered a small sausage and Pepperoni Pizza. With the large number of orders from our group it took a while for them to complete our individual orders. My Pizza was average at best, but it was filling.

Back at the Hampton Inn I settled into my room and snacked on the Cookies that I had bought at Jacobs Lake. They were better than the pizza.

Knab is a small town that is the gateway to Zion National Park, which will be our first stop tomorrow. We are about to begin the part of this adventure that I am looking forward to the most. Our visit to the National Parks of Utah.