Today - as with so many other places - there is a huge Black Friday sale on at Pickleberrypop with some fab bargains, including new releases. I was lucky to work with two of those, despite having so little time. The links are in the collection images
This is Hey Sunshine by Bellisae
and it is a digi page of Nigel getting his birthday treat at Milestones restaurant in Niagara
And this is Pink Christmas by Pavlinka Designs and I couldn't wait to scrap my cousin's beautiful grand-daughter with it
Today I am thankful for
- successful doctor and hospital visits - though now the long wait for results
- a good film - Knives Out
- Lunch - I wasn't allowed to eat until after 12 midday so it was most welcome.
- Bargain Fat Face scarves - YES!
Day 15 Grand Canyon
29th October 2019
Start miles 5324
Start time 8.00
End miles 5534
End time 4.30
The one with the big hole in the ground
We had a bit of a lie in this morning as it was an easy travel day and we enjoyed the ambience, if not the food, of the breakfast room. We set off for the Grand Canyon and it was another lovely drive with scenery all around to enjoy. We had opted to go the route that took us to Desert view first as we wanted to come home via Williams.
When we got to the entrance station we decided to ask if they sold America the beautiful passes as we wanted one for next year and it would be nicer to get it in person then risk having it posted. Not only did they sell them, but we could use them today and save the entry fee as well. So for $80 we bought our pass which would be good for next year as well and would probably save us over $300.
We parked in the desert tower parking lot and Nigel got out to see how far it was to walk. The answer was a long way but more importantly he discovered how cold it was. The car gauge read 16° which in our world was -9 and there was a strong wind. I was wearing a jumper under my new fleecy hard-rock sweatshirt under my Hoody and it was bitter. Nigel had laughed at me when I packed gloves. He wasn’t laughing now! We both put hats on to try and retain a little warmth. The walk was long when you hobble, but the sky was brilliant blue, the air was clear and the view was incredible. We had been lucky to visit the Grand Canyon before and so I wasn’t that excited about going. Clearly I had forgotten what an impressive view it was and it wasn’t long before the cameras were working overtime again.
At this point I was wearing a t shirt, a jumper, a sweatshirt and a hoodie - and gloves!
We drove to all of the view points and enjoyed taking more pictures and even managing to pull off the occasional selfie. I found that the more I walked the more it stretched the hamstring which seemed to ease it, so painful as it was walking a little was good. We drove round Grand Canyon Village to see the lodge where we had stayed back in the early 90s and then we headed out of The Grand Canyon to Williams.
And the layers are gradually getting less!
As we were pulling away from a viewpoint, I spotted a couple standing near the rim and it looked good I went to take a picture. They saw me and were so sweet and said let us move out of the way. I explained I actually liked it with them in it and they would be immortalised in a scrapbook back in England - they laughed and posed perfectly for me.
On this trip we would visit many many of the route 66 towns, but I think both of us would say that Williams was perhaps our favourite. It was the last town to be bypassed by the interstate and they had done an amazing job of restoring buildings and keeping that historical district looking fabulous. We parked the car and even hopalong enjoyed walking the streets in the historical loop and experiencing what 66 must’ve been like. It was a beautiful town and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit soaking up that history.
Finally leaving 66 behind we headed back to Flagstaff and grab dinner at a Pizza Hut before a chilled evening in our room.
I was surprised to read that you were DRIVING through the G.C. Park. But then I had to remind myself you were there during the off-season. It seems they now have some kind of bus system to move the tourists in and out of the park during the sight-seeing season. It's so much nicer to be able to pull into a parking lot close to the area you want to view instead of waiting for a bus.
The senior National Park cards are a great bargain. Steve and I got ours when we drove through the Badlands in South Dakota. The card cost $10 each back in the day. Unfortunately, the man who moved into the White House in 2016 drastically cut funds to the Parks system, so the price of the passes were hiked. Many Americans couldn't afford it after that. So sad. I'm sure #45 hasn't even been to a National Park!
Anyway, all your glorious photos of Williams prove how much you enjoyed the little town. It looked just like a place out of the '50s. So much character.
Posted by: Barb in AK | March 12, 2020 at 05:16 AM