FTJ, Entry 85: Arizona and Grand Canyon Country

Well. we never did get to rent that boat on Lake Powell. I caught some horrid Walmart-onic Plague (I got sick after a visit to Walmart) and first spent six hours-plus losing weight in various ways. Ahem. TMI !!  Then, for more than a day I was totally out of commission, laying on the bed moaning with a fever and body aches. Hey, what fun. Unfortunately, I spoiled the boat trip for all.

I managed to get myself together enough to make the trip to Williams, AZ, and the Grand Canyon Railway RV Park, our headquarters for the week, where we planned to visit Sedona and the Grand Canyon.

Williams is a very cool town, on the old Route 66. They stage an Old West shootout right in the road every night, and the shops all capitalize on Rte. 66 and the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon Railway is headquartered here and makes daily trips to the canyon. Mostly powered by diesel engines, on special occasions -- like Memorial Day weekend, which we just experienced -- they fire up an old-fashioned steam engine to make the run. Hearing the train's steam whistle is a pretty special sound. (We opted not to take the train, based on the reviews we read saying it was a waste of money (a lot of money) and you really don't see anything.)

There are also a number of HUGE freight trains that come barreling through Williams, right alongside our RV park. Some of them have three giant diesel engines in front, with another taking up the rear, probably due to the steep changes in elevation around here.

Some photos from the trip to Williams:

BIG COUNTRY

That is Mount Humphreys, I think -- Arizona's highest peak at more than 12,000 feet.

Williams, AZ gateway

Beau and Buddy lunch together at our site.

Uh oh. I see a disagreement brewing....

and it gets worse! Gunplay in the streets, folks!

One of Williams's proud retail establishments.

Beau gets his kicks on Route 66.

Last night we ate dinner at The Singing Pig, a great BBQ restaurant on Main Street. We also got to know the owners, Kevin and Kathi -- what a great couple. They recently opened this place and are doing very well. With such great barbecue, they should succeed! We were lucky enough to be their last patrons of the evening, so they sat and talked to us for quite a while. So fun. 

Thanks, guys, for the great meal and your hospitality. Best of luck.

Kevin and Kathi, proprietors of The Singing Pig.

Buddy enjoyed The Singing Pig, too! Kathi even gave him a bite of pulled pork.

A Williams oddity almost gets Buddy!

And yet another oddity. I tried to make friends, to no avail.

Other Williams landmarks.

 

Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona

Beau and I picked a beautiful warm day to go to Sedona. We took the scenic route, stopping at the Oak Creek Canyon overlook. It was stunning. The trip to Sedona wound down the steep, steep canyon road, with a series of sharp switchbacks making the trip quite exhilarating.

Sedona itself is filled with wonderful red rock structures, many of which have specific names based on their shapes. Supposedly, the red rocks give the town a mystical quality.

We didn't notice.

To the left, Camel Rock. Below it, to the right, the small reclining Snoopy -- you can see his feet sticking up.

 

Main Street, Sedona

 

Lunching on Main Street, Sedona. Not the best photo, but we took it using the camera's self timer.

We also made a trip to a local tourist attraction, Bearizona. It was overpriced and a bit disappointing, but there were bears there. I think it is better for families with kids. We saw a cute bighorn sheep family, bison, and a depressed wolf. .

This wolf disturbed me.

Where we've been....

Here is the map on the side of our RV -- we have covered a lot of ground!

 

 

Finally, some cute shots of Beau and Buddy fighting in the RV -- Buddy loves to chew on Beau's ear!

Today, we will go visit the Grand Canyon. It will be my third time seeing it, Beau's second. The last time we were both there was with my parents, about six months before my father Casey died. The canyon was on my dad's "bucket list," so we took him there.

I remember when Casey stood at the edge; he had tears running down his face. Very moving for everyone.

Hope we get some nice photos.

Tanks, Panky