Road-trip in the south west of US

Road-trip through Arizona and Utah

Road-trip again… I worked in the US at the beginning of the new millenium. And in the summer of 2001 we took a road-trip, a vacation, for 21 days that included going from the north east corner, Detroit, all the way south west and down to southern California. All the way up the Californian coast to San Fransisco and all the way back to Detroit again. Some 11.000 kilometer-ish and a hilarious schedule.  Apart from the sheer mileage it also included a number of planned stops. My impressions were of great nature but also blurred from the sheer amount of them. No, it wasn’t me who planned the trip but I learnt to be clearer on how I like to travel. Since then I’ve dreamt of coming back, but at my own leisure.

The photo workshop I’m attending for the second year has it’s base in Phoenix, Arizona. And once a year, at the beginning of February, our ’teacher’ organises a one week road-trip at self-cost. A true opportunity if ever one… This year I joined together with 11 others. 10 Americans and two of us from Scandinavia. 4 of us choose to share a room and therefore the hotel cost was in the region of a low cost swedish ’vandrarhem’, very reasonable.

Our transportation, I had a collegue back then and he always called them ’people movers’  

Difficult to capture well when backlit, bison gracing

Early mornings and late evenings catching the best light gave long days and of course – amasing nature and stunning landscapes. For me, who read any indian related litterature in my teens, to be in the indian preservations most of the time was an extra thrill.

 

Source: Donald Giannatti, Lighting Essentials

It’s still winter in Arizona even if I noticed a greener tone in the tress coming back to Phoenix after 7 days. This corner of the US gets incredibly hot during summer, over 40 degrees C is common. Therefore this time of the year is a good time to travel, especially if you want to hike. Early mornings can be a bit cold, some degrees below 0C, as we were at high elevations most of the time. But being Swedish that’s nothing new. And very soon the sun varm the air to a really nice and comfortable just under 20 degrees C. The days were lovely and SUNNY 🙂

For me it was a contradiction to see cactuses growing in the snow. Touching the thorns with my fingers knowing that the ground beneath my boots was frosen. Feeling a nice and warm rock and around me a lovely summer day temperature and yet in the shadow snow…

We did a lot! The map gives you an overview and below you get the details. Links with information on the sites themselves and links to my pictures from each day. I’ll start publishing them soon…

Road-trip – detail

Day 1

• Grand Canyon south rim, 4 stops,  Page for overnight stop

Day 2

• Vermillion Cliffs
• Marble Canyon
• car over Kaibab Plateau on our way to Zion and Springdale for sleeping

Day 3

• Zion Nationalpark, staying in Springdale

Day 4

• Bryce Canyon – solnedgång, staying in Bryce Canyon, Utah

Day 5

• Bryce Canyon – soluppgång Bryce Point
• Upper Antelope Canyon
• Horse Shoe Bend, drive to Kayenta for hotel

Day 6

• Monument Valley
• Canyon de Chelly, staying in Holbrook for the night

Day 7

• Painted Desert
• Petrified Forest

 Glen Canyon, Lee’s Ferry and standing rocks

The week-end before – street art in Phoenix

For the benefit of my trip companions these posts will be in English. I trust that you, my regular readers understand. Google translate does a crappy job at translating anything but the simplest sentences.

..again I hope you Enjoy!