A small selection from 1,832 photos.
APRIL 7th
After landing in Phoenix, we meet in Sedona, Arizona late on Tuesday the 6th. cb
(cb - photo by Chris tm - photo by Tom vb - photo by Victoria)
Early morning view - We are about 7 miles south of Sedona proper. cb
We drive North through Oak Creek Canyon and stop for the views (and shopping). Victoria and Jean look at jewelry. tm
Chris tries out his new camera's panorama function at the view point.
Click on any photo for a larger view. cb
View of mountains near Flagstaff, Arizona where we head East on Highway 40. San Francisco Peaks, Agassiz Peak, 12,045 ft. on right. tm
View of Meteor Crater - Created about 50,000 years ago by
the impact of a 150 ft. wide meteorite.
(If the pan is not full screen, drag the window wider for a better view) cb
Jean and Victoria on the rim. tm
Chris photographing the ladies. tm
Tom & Jean at the Crater. vb
Next stop, Petrified Forest National Park. tm
Tom & Jean with the ancient petrified logs. cb
View of petroglyphs at Newspaper rock. cb
RV, Jeep & boat etc - travelin' light?... taken at the Painted Desert area. We continue North and arrive in time for dinner at Canyon de Chelly Inn. cb
APRIL 8th
We are ready for our reserved all day tour of Canyon de Chelly. tm
Our first vehicle has a "greenhouse cover" which causes a minor rebellion so they meet us at the first stop with an uncovered truck. It is quite cold but we prefer the open truck. tm
Tim (in hat) Chris and Jean. vb
Jean checks out the Navaho ponies. cb
Closeup. tm
Tom attempts photo while bouncing along through the river. Victoria hangs on. cb
Nowhere is the ride smooth... not even through the river beds. tm
Ledge Ruin. tm
First Navaho sales pitch. tm
Petroglyphs - carved or scratched into rock. Most range from 200 BCE to 1800's although people were living here from 2500 BCE to the present. cb
Pictographs - drawn on rock. These date in the early 1800's. tm
Antelope House ruins on the right, Jean walking towards snacks and Navaho craft vendors. cb
Tom talking to Navaho driver next to our limo. The trucks are 1953 GMC Troop Carriers with six wheel drive and powered by LPG gas. cb
Navaho crafts for sale on the tables. tm
Jean with Antelope House ruins in view. tm
About to take off again up Canyon Del Muerto. tm
We continue up the canyon, heading for our lunch stop. tm
We have our lunch break across from Mummy Cave ruins - Victoria, Jean & Chris. tm
A panorama - on the left, the ruins. cb
Chris and vehicle to collect? tm
Tom picking up trash? Or is that a rock? cb
Heading back and cross the river again. It is dry most of the summer. tm
We are on our way to see the White House ruins in Canyon de Chelly. tm
Pan of the famous White House ruins. cb
White House ruins, named for the lighter colored dwelling at the center. tm
Close-up of the White House ruins. tm
Jean & Chris look at more petroglyphs on our way out of the canyon. tm
We now separate and will meet six days later. Jean & Tom head South and Chris & Victoria go North. The following 23 photos by Chris during that time.
APRIL 8 - 14
Chris & Victoria head to Monument Valley where they stay at historic Goulding's Lodge just across the border in Utah. cb
In Monument Valley they took a tour with a Navaho guide.
Petroglyphs.
An Arizona Highways Magazine favorite photo location.
After the tour photo from the overlook. They recommend taking a tour, you can drive a 17 mile route but it's more limited than a tour.
Their rental convertible - another U.S. gas guzzler!
In the Canyonland's area of Utah.
Farthest north point, Arches National Park.
Viewpoint of Betatakin Ruins at Navajo National Monument.
Telephoto view of the ruins inside the large arch.
Early morning view of the Grand Canyon.
Wildlife in the area!
APRIL 12
View of Hoover Dam on the way to Las Vegas for a couple of nights. Victoria & Chris will meet Jean & Tom on the 14th.
Now back to what Jean & Tom were doing after leaving Canyon de Chelly and a night at Holbrook, AZ.
APRIL 9
Walnut Canyon National Monument near Flagstaff, Arizona. The hill in the center is surrounded by natural rock shelters that were used for dwellings.
It's a couple hundred steps down to the trail that leads around the hill.
Snow still remains in the shadows.
Tom standing in one of the series of ruins that once were homes for the Pueblo Indians.
We travel north of Flagstaff to drive through the Wupatki and Sunset Crater Volcano National Monuments in Arizona. Snow covered Humphrey's Peak 12,600 ft. in view to the West (San Francisco Peaks).
Sunset Crater in view on our drive through the two parks.
We visit Wupatki Pueblo first in that National Monument.
Tom kicking an imaginary ball in a 1100 year old ball court next to the Pueblo.
Near the ball court is a natural "blow hole" - the kids are showing how a jacket is supported by the force of air coming out. Air pressure in the cave was greater than the air pressure outside. Shape and location of the cave is unknown.
The next Pueblo we visit is Wukoki.
View from the several story Wokoki Pueblo, San Francisco peaks in view.
We then drive South and stay with Jean's classmate, Elaine in Sun City West near Phoenix.
APRIL 10
Saturday we visit the Heard Museum in Phoenix where their annual Hopi Katsina Doll gathering happens once a year. We purchase this one from Garrett.
Hopi drummers outside. We happened on this event by chance.
The Heard Museum has a great display of native art of the Southwest.
Part of their Katsina (also called Kachina) collection.
Close-up of earlier Katsina dolls (1870-1900).
Jean and Elaine in the Phoenix Art Museum nearby.
Jean and Elaine among the sheep shearers. (A large painting).
APRIL 11
We drive South to Tuscon and on East to the Amerind Museum at the foundation of the same name. Museum in the far background, large rock bolder formations all around.
A small but excellent museum, also an Art Gallery building.
We have lunch before going South for our scheduled visit at Kartchner Caverns, discovered in 1974.
The Caverns are a State Park, no photos allowed in the cave, carefully controlled environment. We do the Big Room Tour which is closed most of the summer to protect the bat habitat. We then go South to Nogales on the U.S. side of the border to visit Elaine and Jean's classmate, Sherm.
APRIL 12
We found Sherm & Charlotte's home in the dark but return the next morning for a longer visit and tour. They live about 10 miles North of the border.
Sherm's art in the foreground from his "Raptor"series of sculptures.
Elaine, Jean and Sherm visit.
We get a tour of his well landscaped home about 10 miles north of the Mexican border.
Charlotte, Jean, Elaine with Sherm in his workshop.
We visit outside his shop.
Tom successfully attempts the Excalibur test, easily withdrawing the sword from the stone.
(with a little digital magic also).
More of Sherm's art displayed.
Elaine and Sherm's largest "Raptor".
Tumacaori National Historical Park - Sherm examining the construction of the circa 1800 church.
One of the many shops in the town of Tubac that we visit with Sherm.
Border patrol check point about 20 miles North of the Mexico border. We are on our way back to Phoenix.
Jean in front of Elaine's house in Sun City West.
We display Sherm's art in Elaine's living room. Some of Elaine's husbands photography behind us on the wall.
APRIL 13-14
We enjoy a short overnight visit at Cousin Darlene's house in Prescott. Cousin Betty is between Tom and Jean, Darlene on the right.
Betty's husband Daryl is to the right of Betty.
It's time for us to leave and head toward Las Vegas to join the Buckley's.
The road toward Searchlight, Nevada. Then on to Las Vegas where we meet the Buckleys again. We turn in our rental cars and rent a larger one for all of us.
We drive to Red Rock Canyon to do the loop drive and take some pictures. Then head towards Death Valley, California. tm
First stop in Death Valley is Zabriskie Point. tm
The wide view from Zabriskie Point. cb
Chris making a point at Zabriskie Point. tm
View from Furnace Creek Ranch where we stay two nights. cb
APRIL 15
Dantes View at 5475 feet, looking West & North across Death Valley. tm
Jean looking North up Death Valley. On a clear day Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the U.S. (except Alaska) can be seen. tm
The low point in Death Valley is 282 feet below sea level in the center of this panorama. It's the lowest point in the U.S. cb
The view to the South, Jean in the distance. cb
We do Artist's Drive, a loop North and below Dantes View. We start our wildflower photography collection. tm
We do a short walk at Artists Palette area - Chris photographs Jean and Tom. tm
The wide view looking South. cb
Tom photographs Victoria and Chris. cb
Colors in a valley. tm
We took many photographs of the flowers... more to come later. tm
The road out from Artist's Drive. cb
We make our long drive North towards Scotty's Castle for the tour. Road work makes the drive slower but there are compensations. tm
One of which is to explore the surrounding area. Chris talking to Jean & Victoria in our Chevrolet Surburban. tm
Don't jump to conclusions, Chris was actually... tm
...taking a photograph of a Cotton-Top Cactus. tm
This one wasn't blooming but it's a Turtleback - Psathyrotes ramosissima. tm
Following are sets of desert plant photographs from Death Valley and beyond all taken by Chris and Tom.
We have a picnic lunch at Scotty's Castle, a remarkable place. tm
View of the main buildings from the tower. tm
The tour guide's are dressed in 1939 costumes. The owners, Albert Johnson and his wife would often visit and invite guest's. Walter "Scotty" Scott had his own room at Death Valley Ranch but it never was his Castle, he was a character that Albert enjoyed. tm
The main room in the Castle where the surprise is a short concert demonstrating the full sized theater organ - the tour is highly recommended. tm
We eat at Stovepipe Wells Village and enjoy watching the sun go down as we drive back to Furnace Creek. cb
The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are a favorite area for hiking. tm
The above and following various sunset views. cb
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APRIL 16
Time to leave Furnace Creek and head across Death Valley to take Highway 395 North. tm
We will cross about eight passes on our way to Sacramento. Tom taking views at Father Crowley Point, about 5,000 ft. cb
Jean and Victoria in the distance. cb
Close-up. tm
That's Chris taking a pan looking west at the Sierra Nevada range . We are heading toward the Owen River valley.tm
The white area is Owen's Lake, much of it dry. cb
Where we took the above photos, Highway 190 heading toward Lone Pine and Highway 395. tm
From Lone Pine, a view of Mt. Whitney on the right, 14,494 feet. tm
A drive by view of Manzanar National Historical Site, one of the remote Japanese internment camps in the West during WWII. tm
Now we head for some 7,000 to 8,000 foot high passes, this one Sherwin Summit. cb
We don't visit Tom's Place, but continue on into Nevada again, then back into California South of Lake Tahoe. tm
We make the short side trip to Lake Tahoe and stand in snow at this very blue lake. cb
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The view back towards Lake Tahoe. cb
APRIL 17
We spend an evening in West Sacramento, and the next morning the "Search for the missing camera" was soon to start... hint: It's in the small blue bag. tm
We travel West to Napa Valley and visit Frogs Leap Winery. cb
Wine & dry soda tasting... enjoying the view. tm
Tom checks the sample list. vb
In the gardens, the vineyards and gardens are organic. tm
The working area. cb
We visit the CIA - that's the Culinary Institute of America and enjoy a meal at the "Wine Spectator Restaurant Greystone" in the former Christian Brothers Winery building. tm
Chefs at work. tm
And now, desert! Then a long drive North to Redding where we take a curvy road through the coastal range and a night in a rustic motel in Weaverville. tm
APRIL 18
Weaverville - We take off after breakfast for the California coast.
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At Patricks Point State Park Tom checks out the map. cb
We take a short hike to an overlook of the Pacific Ocean. tm
Curious squirrel. cb
We hike down to the beach...
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... and do a little beachcombing. tm
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View from the top of the trail. cb
Then it's a drive north to enter part of Redwoods National Park. cb
This is one of the trees in the Lady Bird Johnson Grove where we do a loop trail.
The older trees are from 200 to 350 ft. tall. cb
Trillium ovatum, a Northwest Coast native. tm
Chris inside a tree that survived a severe burn. From here, we drive North along the coast to Bandon, Oregon where we stay our last night in a motel. tm
APRIL 19
The next morning, Chris makes a call in front of a mural while Victoria and Jean check out the shops in Bandon. tm
It gets cloudy as we go North through Oregon on I-5 so the best option for sightseeing is Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge.
The Upper Fall is 542 ft. and the lower behind us, 69 ft.
Crown Point Vista House, recently restored. cb
The view from Crown Point, looking East up the Columbia river. No views of Mt. St. Helens or Mt. Rainier in Washington State are possible so we head on home to Kirkland. tm
The Gunderson's leave us a message...
Whenever you roam
It's good to get home.
After weeks in the sun
your cloudless days are done.
...so true, so true!
In the evening we enjoy a dinner gathering of those of us who visited the Buckley's Mas in 2008.
P.S. The next day Chris and Victoria are able to take their scheduled British Air flight - the first allowed after the Iceland Volcano eruptions.
