The day didn't go quite as planned. The raft tour this morning was excellent and so was the tour provider, Colorado River Discovery. After that things started to move in different directions. The Lower Antelope Canyon tour melted Jan's shoes and Jan. Initially, she didn't want to get out of line and head back to the car, but it became apparent that the 102 or 103 degree heat was going to get the better of her. That tour provider couldn't have been nicer or more responsive. Dixie Ellis's tour group was comforting. They offered a full refund even though they didn't control the heat or the weather. We were not seeking a refund. And they added me to the sold out 8:10 AM tour tomorrow morning when the temperature will be in the low 80's and there shouldn't be a line of people trying to descend into the canyon.
This evening we were going to look at Horseshoe Bend. We saw it this morning on the raft trip from the river but there is a lookout from above that is very beautiful. We chose sunset or near sunset as the time. When we got to the parking lot the temperature on the car's read out showed 107 degrees. I know that is influenced by the pavement, but that still means the temperature was well above 100. There were also hundreds of people staging and preparing to walk the 1 1/2 mile trail. Jan immediately decided to sit it out in the car. I headed out to the trail and marched up the first incline. When I reached the top of the first rise I looked at the rest of the trail, saw the crowd of people marching to the lookout and decided it was too hot, too crowded and I didn't bring water, a mistake on my part. Even if I'd brought water I think it would have been a stupid move so I went down the hill and back to the car.
Instead of posting pictures from that lookout here are the hits and misses on the tour so far.
Canyon Villa in Sedona is a great place. You can't beat the setting. The owners are gracious and helpful. The staff is friendly. Everyone there worked at making sure the guests enjoyed the stay. The owner also works at finding amenities he can add to the rooms for guest convenience. There is a universal device charging station on the dresser. Nice touch. The bed was comfortable. You can tell that repairs and maintenance are a priority since nothing is broken. And the view!!!
Safari Jeep tours took us on an off road adventure. I wasn't happy with the way the Jeep swayed on the highway. I also thought it was odd that the check engine light was on the entire time. I've communicated with the owner who gets points for engaging in dialog, not in a defensive way, with a customer. He says the Jeep does sway on regular roads because the suspension in the vehicle is optimized for off road performance. He also says the check engine light is on because certain vehicle emission controls in the truck are bypassed to improve engine performance off road. I did not like the way seating was handled in the Jeep. But the staff was friendly and the tour scenery and guidance during the tour was good. I wouldn't encourage anyone else to book this tour without checking others. They get generally favorable reviews in social media.
The hotel we stayed at outside of the Marble Canyon in a locale called Cliff Dwellers was fine. It is a perfectly good place to stay for one night when commuting from Sedona to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. They do serve great eats!!!
Hertz Car Rentals is our transportation supplier. We are in a Nissan Versa. It gets great mileage and doesn't have too much trouble with the hills. If I give it a running start before the steeps ones it will maintain speed. The air conditioner cools the car well. There is more room in the trunk then one might think for a small car. We fit four suitcases and one smaller duffel bag in there without any trouble and the back seat is still available, although we do drop one of the seats to open it up so that cool air gets back there and nothing melts in this heat. That isn't a metaphor. That's a literal sentence. In the car is a guidance tool called NeverLost which Hertz is promoting. We are using it for free. However, if we listened to it every time we would get lost. It gets confused easily and the touch screen on the device is not very responsive. It often misreads what you are trying to type. Car is good. We'd rent there again and probably will, but we give NeverLost two thumbs down.
At the North Rim of the Grand Canyon there aren't many hotel and lodging options. There is a camp ground although we aren't campers. Even that is small. The lodge there rents cabins. They are buildings that are split into four, separate units. From that four, two of them, on each side, can be joined together to create a large living arrangement for families. Like most National Park lodging booking early is a necessity. To get a reservation you must connect with them at least a year in advance. The cabins are fine. You aren't there for a spa experience. You are there to take in the surroundings. The walls between the rooms aren't sound proof. If your neighbor is noisy you will hear it. In the early part of the evening we did get some noise from another unit, but truthfully, we could also hear a family on their porch in an entirely different unit. There's nothing to compete with the sound to deaden it. We ended up using our Bose Quiet Comfort headsets one night. Highly effective!!! I would stay there again if we visited the North Rim again.
The View in Monument Valley is a fabulous hotel. They did a great job of designing the space. The decor is fitting and enhances the experience. You get to look at all of the surroundings from your balcony no matter which room you get. Great place.
Equally high marks are awarded to Navajo Spirit Tours. His pickup truck was amended, which is the way most of the operators work in that park. They take the bed off and replace it with a custom built passenger compartment like a very small school bus. It's open air on the sides and a protective canopy over the top. The guide even carried rain gear for all of us just in case. Bring your own water and a camera. We both thought our guide was a special talent for the way he communicated with us about his culture. He also knew the tour very well. How he kept track of all those roads, none of which are paved or marked, I do not know. But he did.
The house where we are staying in Page is a work in progress for a young couple who are new to the rental business. Nothing is wrong. Nothing is broken. There are some things that could use remediation, but none of them is a show stopper in our opinion. Example, the light switch for the kitchen is currently behind the refrigerator. They pulled it out so you can get your hand back there easily, but it is an odd place for a light switch. There is a washer and dryer in the unit. To operate it you open a nearby closet and reach in for the thick, black electric cord with the yellow marker on it and plug into the outlet in the hallway. It's odd, but it works. Matthew and I could rig an electrical outlet in that closet in a couple of hours. In fact, we did precisely that one afternoon. You can tell they are updating the place continually. All new floors are in it. It's more convenient than the hotels. It's cheaper than the hotels. We get to be in charge of our own food instead of eating out each night.
The tour we took on Lake Powell last night was provided by the Lake Powell Resort and Marina. Our only complaint, and it's firm, is that the boarding process is a free for all. There is limited space on the top deck. When it's hot like now everyone wants to be up there. No pre-selection process is in place. They simply announce that the boat is ready for boarding down at the dock, about 1/2 mile away. People sprint, push, block and are generally rude in trying to get to that top deck. It doesn't matter what time you get to the Resort to check in either. The Resort could solve that problem very easily by adopting a seat reservation process similar to Southwest Airlines. 24 hours before the tour departs you can jump on line and select a seat. Some day someone is going to fall running down the slope to the dock and hurt themselves. The boat was clean and comfortable. The staff was helpful about everything EXCEPT the boarding process. I'd recommend the tour because you get to zip around a marvelous lake, but practice your pass blocking. Incidentally, we did get to sit up top. Just fortunate that Jan got up there quickly.
Next week an entirely new list of places to see, stay and eat. Leather always has some scars. It's how you know it's genuine. Not my words, incidentally, It's on the liner notes from the Woodstock album. The first one.
It's a great vacation and we are looking forward to next week, especially since Bryce will be in the 80's. Zion on the other hand......
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