tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100324932024-03-14T09:48:23.435-04:00Les FlâneursSiena to Florence to Paris to Maine to Paris to Providence to Grand RapidsSteve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.comBlogger1929125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-15463147298431747662024-01-08T01:00:00.000-05:002024-01-08T01:00:00.130-05:00Remembering John Ten Have and Clear Bottom LakeLocated just west of Rockford, Michigan, off 10-Mile Road this has been a place of respite for decades. Many have come and some have gone but one way or another all return. . .<div>
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<br /></div>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-63709436165723357542024-01-01T01:00:00.004-05:002024-01-01T01:00:00.128-05:00Perennial favorites<p> Two views I never tire of. . . Happy New Year!!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopciJCmogpF4-QqYDz2tLBS0C-Jkfw84ljUldgbaKe8h16Hfd-UjTq8_r915W8ofHE3quiMyt1eGAsXnEroo5dkorCDyGNp8J2WpXdmzDuOSJQLU7I1ANMv0e-l37ka7oDcR1QODnjXqFc_aD8EgF6amMofYwNeQhejQU_0-EtHqFGYmIQw/s1500/IMG_9240.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1187" data-original-width="1500" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopciJCmogpF4-QqYDz2tLBS0C-Jkfw84ljUldgbaKe8h16Hfd-UjTq8_r915W8ofHE3quiMyt1eGAsXnEroo5dkorCDyGNp8J2WpXdmzDuOSJQLU7I1ANMv0e-l37ka7oDcR1QODnjXqFc_aD8EgF6amMofYwNeQhejQU_0-EtHqFGYmIQw/w640-h506/IMG_9240.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">best friends</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8sFzFeAh-ml-W6hsgc-bg71taBJQSQpIUAjpp7jXL06baA8uTB2YlhWIqi0fA33oaAAxqMC0MjWA2e5RKNNp-7uyNvEHtgQPrIKPagee3Of2T0JwcrS-ge-zpkwqBSJpXD0vyaSf9q7a_HCk0lmj4RlJCLBfQHa_1vod5mUQVa8iF9NxXA/s1500/IMG_9239.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8sFzFeAh-ml-W6hsgc-bg71taBJQSQpIUAjpp7jXL06baA8uTB2YlhWIqi0fA33oaAAxqMC0MjWA2e5RKNNp-7uyNvEHtgQPrIKPagee3Of2T0JwcrS-ge-zpkwqBSJpXD0vyaSf9q7a_HCk0lmj4RlJCLBfQHa_1vod5mUQVa8iF9NxXA/w640-h480/IMG_9239.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">right outside our kitchen window</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-82051568804822456212023-11-21T08:50:00.365-05:002023-11-25T17:39:02.327-05:00Overnight in ChicagoOn Sunday 19 November Susie and I left Grand Rapids for Chicago where we planned to meet up with my brother Greg and later with Susie's cousin Brenda. In-between we hoped to so some sightseeing and enjoy an afternoon tea at the London House.<div><br /></div><div>Since driving into the city held little appeal for us we opted to take the train. There is only one train a day out of Grand Rapids but four trains that leave Kalamazoo for Chicago each day; so we drove the 50 miles or so south to Kalamazoo Sunday morning, found the long-term parking lot across from the station and waited for the train, the Blue Water from Port Huron.</div><div><br /></div><div>The train arrived on time, we boarded quickly and found a pair of seats, settling in for the 2-hour-plus ride into the windy city. Of course this being Amtrak the train sat at New Buffalo for the better part of a half hour while the staff figured out what to do about a flat spot on one of the wheels. The conductor announced that the flat spot wouldn't have any impact on the train so we continued on our way, arriving at Union Station in the city about 45 minutes late.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmaxmkYb2IBv1juJBRFlDKF6jvMdKeGiICLfv2v4_xBmKYRSUFVyS0WFy_G2EF8DmGgZo7eILMPBV5-BHq6UEPA66IgzpMwIBc57ewZfXieL7zyeBna9-YjqxypKR-iExHywkrNQ1iX729dHB10zOLJfvk5Yi95N6nMEl_dw9rwGjapqHCJTtN/s1500/IMG_0304.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1232" data-original-width="1500" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmaxmkYb2IBv1juJBRFlDKF6jvMdKeGiICLfv2v4_xBmKYRSUFVyS0WFy_G2EF8DmGgZo7eILMPBV5-BHq6UEPA66IgzpMwIBc57ewZfXieL7zyeBna9-YjqxypKR-iExHywkrNQ1iX729dHB10zOLJfvk5Yi95N6nMEl_dw9rwGjapqHCJTtN/w640-h526/IMG_0304.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtTkr3p7nWgAXd4n9G92239R_7TXrrbvn1xA3jHMcDhmR0igil4S0fdj_yYvrej0_5qjuqLNktqf_Q7zFfuDmZ-RioHUTeYjQfUfS44APzUErGAHj4tD4BEKffHJ6spZ1z7WaZF0301vR6EVcs8J8HAZa9I20U8rnxLmD5qLhyphenhyphenxawAoO28TfWt/s1500/IMG_0307.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtTkr3p7nWgAXd4n9G92239R_7TXrrbvn1xA3jHMcDhmR0igil4S0fdj_yYvrej0_5qjuqLNktqf_Q7zFfuDmZ-RioHUTeYjQfUfS44APzUErGAHj4tD4BEKffHJ6spZ1z7WaZF0301vR6EVcs8J8HAZa9I20U8rnxLmD5qLhyphenhyphenxawAoO28TfWt/w640-h480/IMG_0307.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_AXB3-IfJMaIETqbr63I6b0rmqMFi-so7hXBPfnEwJsGd-kaed3Iv7tD6tH9NbgAZGkigJ9AkaXKVoj9koHI9-YZpIHzWUGJjwWIfa4GLxpE0dBswNIrG2qS3D8DR02xcTEiohayhV0bsIhd28Eh_J6tbft8GMzGgmQ5_llwwaAntwJb8qUL/s1500/IMG_0308.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_AXB3-IfJMaIETqbr63I6b0rmqMFi-so7hXBPfnEwJsGd-kaed3Iv7tD6tH9NbgAZGkigJ9AkaXKVoj9koHI9-YZpIHzWUGJjwWIfa4GLxpE0dBswNIrG2qS3D8DR02xcTEiohayhV0bsIhd28Eh_J6tbft8GMzGgmQ5_llwwaAntwJb8qUL/w640-h480/IMG_0308.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Making our way to Jackson Boulevard we walked the three blocks or so to our hotel where we joined Greg for lunch. He had arrived a bit early and was there to greet us in the lobby. It had been some time since we had all been together -- although his wife Joyce was home sick -- and we had plenty to catch up on.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaR2WhbRjwNqxBFF0MpVCiqbAD2ezZRs_pWuA9AE3PtYQwYsI-KUR6NevcH2af6C1gBw-QWlN-00cd6hJd7DcSUSPU2N3pHg4lXM5LQjYvKTVWExHNF32pStRgeLD3F6g4UoXbD99m_5gryEluZTc5xHkxjaoRDJIKuti1ZD_soSEZC0a9LUF/s2448/IMG_20231119_131055.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaR2WhbRjwNqxBFF0MpVCiqbAD2ezZRs_pWuA9AE3PtYQwYsI-KUR6NevcH2af6C1gBw-QWlN-00cd6hJd7DcSUSPU2N3pHg4lXM5LQjYvKTVWExHNF32pStRgeLD3F6g4UoXbD99m_5gryEluZTc5xHkxjaoRDJIKuti1ZD_soSEZC0a9LUF/w640-h640/IMG_20231119_131055.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>After lunch we checked in, and chilled out until our timed ticket to the Skydeck at the Willis Tower, located just across the street from our hotel.</p><p>Before making our way to the elevator we had to wend our way through a fascinating series of displays about Chicago history and of course the history of the Tower. Originally called the Sears Tower, it opened in 1973 just a few years before I came to Chicago to attend the University of Illinois. Since I had never taken the time to go up to the top when I was there in the 1970s, I thought it was about time to experience it.</p><p>The views were stunning and, while I was tempted to go out onto the plexiglass Ledge, the line was long so we eventually made our way back down and out.</p><p>Back at the hotel we relaxed and had a glass of wine in the lounge before getting our Uber to take us to dinner.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-7oTIGqwmkBARKgOE_g5HFNpvmtxnP5rqZmvf0hph1HuJ590XOsevKiQXz_WfFrZf3fG1ytVbT7FH7z-sowXjLl2LRmaw4Xfqa1Ni17dzsawELV9_QyS_grgbL6kldH8oO6_8ggTjgNvIib9lXI0nuhcxOzRUJ97Hxxk77Fht8ZYUp1Hp-im/s1774/Willis_Tower_From_Lake.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1774" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-7oTIGqwmkBARKgOE_g5HFNpvmtxnP5rqZmvf0hph1HuJ590XOsevKiQXz_WfFrZf3fG1ytVbT7FH7z-sowXjLl2LRmaw4Xfqa1Ni17dzsawELV9_QyS_grgbL6kldH8oO6_8ggTjgNvIib9lXI0nuhcxOzRUJ97Hxxk77Fht8ZYUp1Hp-im/w432-h640/Willis_Tower_From_Lake.jpg" width="432" /></a></div><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9hVCKNGUCskkTpZPMdAM_T-yc9GLeVjSwubUIMBg-7jxvOXNp9cGM6XsEpKYtzC5vk5CthMFBktnNXOiJ523xNSEijM4PrMoQS0AGpoLZQGjTR-SoVuuzgWOvzfgS9_m2hlCUNaKkhZls4TqYtcKnW3fAAGkS2v-IK8e4GbOcR_MpRbMNRbp/s1500/IMG_0310.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9hVCKNGUCskkTpZPMdAM_T-yc9GLeVjSwubUIMBg-7jxvOXNp9cGM6XsEpKYtzC5vk5CthMFBktnNXOiJ523xNSEijM4PrMoQS0AGpoLZQGjTR-SoVuuzgWOvzfgS9_m2hlCUNaKkhZls4TqYtcKnW3fAAGkS2v-IK8e4GbOcR_MpRbMNRbp/w640-h480/IMG_0310.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">entry for general admission</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqwrdTswyvayBc1T3xbq9JhNV2LQQBRYSe6GpBC7-K9POcHQxt_dOwvwFuwXOhOiWkRVeduI0wkpfGuKsNSNAwurl8kwGKVLBChqNfYgGGCckHyLE1ToIvZOYoRr7fX7k13iwq_8FYbNyfYGXQFLakRboFjYG3YFqAukk0oxSNpZ1NCaMzdT6s/s1500/IMG_0311.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqwrdTswyvayBc1T3xbq9JhNV2LQQBRYSe6GpBC7-K9POcHQxt_dOwvwFuwXOhOiWkRVeduI0wkpfGuKsNSNAwurl8kwGKVLBChqNfYgGGCckHyLE1ToIvZOYoRr7fX7k13iwq_8FYbNyfYGXQFLakRboFjYG3YFqAukk0oxSNpZ1NCaMzdT6s/w640-h480/IMG_0311.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the El car simulator</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wnqe4sKzCWu_Xhrf9AXS6ZrXOsfYo6iCedVHj6lfUZWFEheowS3vIl4B9u1xC8gyDnVXe9Dk91CoPRsRXhIR0g1OsNGgner2XSB2TCknPMAeVEzQIlhuNjzYLxMZFyyN9jEB_hxGT5p-la3jj9Es4Lr73m6lkmU4uKd_DMGXU7eOGMwr_Kpq/s1500/IMG_0312.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1089" data-original-width="1500" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wnqe4sKzCWu_Xhrf9AXS6ZrXOsfYo6iCedVHj6lfUZWFEheowS3vIl4B9u1xC8gyDnVXe9Dk91CoPRsRXhIR0g1OsNGgner2XSB2TCknPMAeVEzQIlhuNjzYLxMZFyyN9jEB_hxGT5p-la3jj9Es4Lr73m6lkmU4uKd_DMGXU7eOGMwr_Kpq/w640-h464/IMG_0312.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">looking south</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoM3U09QdAU9eD9RohgDNzzgJNFsoYK0rbRb4MEGuyJXbZ0OlDg_dzF6SoDoXwF_ErENJVJKul9zW4cyV8g8cDvQw8AwQZCwWQSC0HE-DVnaie1EEe4Kj_ZQ208pKqvXXeztc5Si8MGvR289E0Xt2QfwytAUTVS0s7rZEVzOFK6U5cWsn_T-vo/s1500/IMG_0314.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoM3U09QdAU9eD9RohgDNzzgJNFsoYK0rbRb4MEGuyJXbZ0OlDg_dzF6SoDoXwF_ErENJVJKul9zW4cyV8g8cDvQw8AwQZCwWQSC0HE-DVnaie1EEe4Kj_ZQ208pKqvXXeztc5Si8MGvR289E0Xt2QfwytAUTVS0s7rZEVzOFK6U5cWsn_T-vo/w640-h480/IMG_0314.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">looking east</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3nU8W3-qIdD-R61WDKcSFu43M2YtQcmxMdG2a6Cw17UrpUTsBNiN_O1QN304CXb7VlW-dCUqT8rd8_KAkmo6l2K4iXBjv8dmAFCQ3oeXkjjFCQq6kF3usmmYEeXq90l6gHYZD4qvLjeyLBGNT6Gynlos3Vb9CH0d_gtzTJ0Iq77II1r03Oev/s1500/IMG_0315.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3nU8W3-qIdD-R61WDKcSFu43M2YtQcmxMdG2a6Cw17UrpUTsBNiN_O1QN304CXb7VlW-dCUqT8rd8_KAkmo6l2K4iXBjv8dmAFCQ3oeXkjjFCQq6kF3usmmYEeXq90l6gHYZD4qvLjeyLBGNT6Gynlos3Vb9CH0d_gtzTJ0Iq77II1r03Oev/w640-h480/IMG_0315.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">looking north</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXBtlOXLFGg7TRy1Upr4G7-H0CMSEbkDH13luaLnrcQLaKg_UUTYoaOFSAvDIEQrUchFc5e_nHMfHpE2-A5TfaaXxWlG6S9qWgNZAHOsE_P7mfN0xDM6PejV4UFQ2pvZ4LVxEce2rrmoJEwP24Ie2msuwJTG5QuPc8QddxC3-AytY3dqriQ4n4/s1500/IMG_0316.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXBtlOXLFGg7TRy1Upr4G7-H0CMSEbkDH13luaLnrcQLaKg_UUTYoaOFSAvDIEQrUchFc5e_nHMfHpE2-A5TfaaXxWlG6S9qWgNZAHOsE_P7mfN0xDM6PejV4UFQ2pvZ4LVxEce2rrmoJEwP24Ie2msuwJTG5QuPc8QddxC3-AytY3dqriQ4n4/w640-h480/IMG_0316.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXucQ8olCrbEBB9s5hQzWJtI46oTpYhrj5V-dfzIyMgJtaOkPfRsWNLR1IVGJCCRGYflQhkJvY1GRUtNFo6bik7h0h1UbaSrYhgRrx0c8RhsBeTFZzBE5QVlEe7rsgVYUJw37Iw3NXa7T5dqxLljHn7gqP7FNTvtWaXq36IHMcqCfI5o-ZHxM/s1500/IMG_0317.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1355" data-original-width="1500" height="578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXucQ8olCrbEBB9s5hQzWJtI46oTpYhrj5V-dfzIyMgJtaOkPfRsWNLR1IVGJCCRGYflQhkJvY1GRUtNFo6bik7h0h1UbaSrYhgRrx0c8RhsBeTFZzBE5QVlEe7rsgVYUJw37Iw3NXa7T5dqxLljHn7gqP7FNTvtWaXq36IHMcqCfI5o-ZHxM/w640-h578/IMG_0317.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>The plan was to meet up with Susie's cousin Brenda and her husband John at the Bistro Campagne, one of their favorite eateries in the city. The driver took us straight east to the lakeshore and then headed north allowing us to see some pretty fantastic holiday lights on some of the apartment buildings along the way. </p><p>We arrived just about on time and they were waiting for us with wine already poured -- a delicious Gigondas as I recall. The evening was full of lively conversation, scrumptious food (I had the steak <i>frites</i>) and good fellowship. I think I shocked Brenda, an art historian by trade and passion, when I claimed I failed to see what the fuss was about Mark Rothko. . . a conversation I'm sure we will pick up the next time. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9K-QZ-rE7QEBelXeakRbzkTdgaipeya3vlkTmEQw_jkeUneS_8WurRxkM3lNouuMKKHuiyT4nTqVRY1OQQl9ps8ZQB-8DXaOGlvTBDVHaeV7TQy7A4K-2DnvS0ST0r7oZ0f15O3fu0EbdYFSLXl3tc-oTBnVBGW1kE5a7Jo0Ka4ZwW_Lbft8h/s1600/bistro_campagne.0.0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9K-QZ-rE7QEBelXeakRbzkTdgaipeya3vlkTmEQw_jkeUneS_8WurRxkM3lNouuMKKHuiyT4nTqVRY1OQQl9ps8ZQB-8DXaOGlvTBDVHaeV7TQy7A4K-2DnvS0ST0r7oZ0f15O3fu0EbdYFSLXl3tc-oTBnVBGW1kE5a7Jo0Ka4ZwW_Lbft8h/w640-h360/bistro_campagne.0.0.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Back to the hotel we tucked ourselves in for the night. </p><p>The next morning I showered, dressed and made my way across the street to Starbucks for morning coffee for the two of us. </p><p>After checking out we we walked down to the Chicago Art Institute, arriving a bit before opening and so joined the queue waiting to get in. Once inside we made a beeline for the Impressionist wing, then headed for the Caravaggio exhibition followed by the Camille Claudel exhibition. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhP9rlaaFCpaijdL33KiFJ5vVGCEYjDjevAKJpw7ZHkjf9jqL_YtCBRzJ_HNreymO1Qe-Yvj95lDC86VgL9rs1kTH7ls0sxpqZgDuBVtRxtJtqpSILxiU7UpnR93ajkBbdZLtXgv7taDkxBE24S7DFsq9EKBQd9qZ-22-hmLb-Dz_O3diLo0BU/s1600/art-institute.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhP9rlaaFCpaijdL33KiFJ5vVGCEYjDjevAKJpw7ZHkjf9jqL_YtCBRzJ_HNreymO1Qe-Yvj95lDC86VgL9rs1kTH7ls0sxpqZgDuBVtRxtJtqpSILxiU7UpnR93ajkBbdZLtXgv7taDkxBE24S7DFsq9EKBQd9qZ-22-hmLb-Dz_O3diLo0BU/w640-h426/art-institute.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art Institute</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0EBWtZ_geLrkgDIOIRyPZo53xwyG4JAK5mvkbS8tTs0TJ4yPIJNLH5Q5l3Uc1KjRquEX2xdXOfiwMAWn2PLqiHUL8iGJtn8Uiji-Cqj4KSjsu5CtVb_yveZRy1PYk9WdmNWhJsWtT-4bnWhzxJR1Ps2y0MX1zjlRTPSM4p-tE9nbWj27SQuju/s1500/IMG_0319.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0EBWtZ_geLrkgDIOIRyPZo53xwyG4JAK5mvkbS8tTs0TJ4yPIJNLH5Q5l3Uc1KjRquEX2xdXOfiwMAWn2PLqiHUL8iGJtn8Uiji-Cqj4KSjsu5CtVb_yveZRy1PYk9WdmNWhJsWtT-4bnWhzxJR1Ps2y0MX1zjlRTPSM4p-tE9nbWj27SQuju/w640-h480/IMG_0319.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking from the Art Institute toward the Willis tower</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxRsl7YsnFHObxGKnCUpWWMvKva-iCrHDc3FFdQZ6NHU3ZUdhHcCJl5lxsQ7f4EQ_VDnX0HUTY5dyNGrpixb3gZq7VG_uIq5JThy4mVlscQL7sd6y3zkM_dfpmK7z08E4fWEx0ciNsnFjOW2-Hc9cKLEa1ajaX5_3mU-p0vIihDA42A7tvHSk/s1500/IMG_0320.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxRsl7YsnFHObxGKnCUpWWMvKva-iCrHDc3FFdQZ6NHU3ZUdhHcCJl5lxsQ7f4EQ_VDnX0HUTY5dyNGrpixb3gZq7VG_uIq5JThy4mVlscQL7sd6y3zkM_dfpmK7z08E4fWEx0ciNsnFjOW2-Hc9cKLEa1ajaX5_3mU-p0vIihDA42A7tvHSk/w640-h480/IMG_0320.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queueing up!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Since we were on a schedule we had little time to dally further in the museum so we were off again into the blustery chill of Chicago, making our way to the El. </p><p>Our next stop was the London House Hotel for afternoon tea. </p><p>We found the hotel easily enough but once inside we were a bit flummoxed by the layout -- the registration was on the second floor but when we got into the elevator there were no buttons, one of the odd gimmicks about the place. Anyway we found our way to the restaurant, located in fact in the lobby on the second floor although one would never know this. . . </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisxE65SkcVvcKQK4oVJeRsUd5chtF_Zgpf1jtdsiaQaoi70sBUUXh1iUd4BN9nB1hXX1wEU2fCt913Es9W1XXOyKoxvxvTuvAb1YsopVyazZ4IOl0AebqpcxS0armTSMZ-EsxnDqIHIH0c_EI4aMgsOTmJbyYFc60e3op5uOkmLforORwtrsrf/s1500/IMG_0323.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisxE65SkcVvcKQK4oVJeRsUd5chtF_Zgpf1jtdsiaQaoi70sBUUXh1iUd4BN9nB1hXX1wEU2fCt913Es9W1XXOyKoxvxvTuvAb1YsopVyazZ4IOl0AebqpcxS0armTSMZ-EsxnDqIHIH0c_EI4aMgsOTmJbyYFc60e3op5uOkmLforORwtrsrf/w640-h480/IMG_0323.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the entryway on the ground floor although registration is oddly on the second floor</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dXVBYD4skJBmIzcN6Yf1ZFkq1XynMbnbGTcQOzv0c0r_Pgpk6q-mYu9QW_HuoEgKcucYmyLSZ-MT4743rRPcPcCV5Agt-Q6FmPPSGSOzy9BUTPIjH9GqlnD6OOzBHDCwQX7zHUzd3x3pAeUzn3CTKGHxO7lAUhXDnhUeCteWtAp7SFNUTX6N/s1500/IMG_0326.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dXVBYD4skJBmIzcN6Yf1ZFkq1XynMbnbGTcQOzv0c0r_Pgpk6q-mYu9QW_HuoEgKcucYmyLSZ-MT4743rRPcPcCV5Agt-Q6FmPPSGSOzy9BUTPIjH9GqlnD6OOzBHDCwQX7zHUzd3x3pAeUzn3CTKGHxO7lAUhXDnhUeCteWtAp7SFNUTX6N/w640-h480/IMG_0326.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>The setting was lovely and the staff professional and attentive. The food we thought less than stellar, however, and somewhat more frou-frou than tasty. But it was a grand afternoon and the experience was worth the trip. </p><p>It was a short walk back to the El and to Union Station for our 4:00 pm (16:00) train.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj32KlGF2wf9UN199p_djJklz1KzfvZhr1ggDtlvgt1uj8OnM0jJyI-4XcyqoSD2uzVQgWXqqx6tbg9uau5bIaD5zGD-EOJOtn_OQzo41UBLQWl7-Hpv6M01b41HGpiKHu5qSuIBfXlDZEJXYS8Yg4NgMkVjX3oIyk_w9shCS9GWehchBEGu3z4/s1500/IMG_0333.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj32KlGF2wf9UN199p_djJklz1KzfvZhr1ggDtlvgt1uj8OnM0jJyI-4XcyqoSD2uzVQgWXqqx6tbg9uau5bIaD5zGD-EOJOtn_OQzo41UBLQWl7-Hpv6M01b41HGpiKHu5qSuIBfXlDZEJXYS8Yg4NgMkVjX3oIyk_w9shCS9GWehchBEGu3z4/w640-h480/IMG_0333.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEf3Nj83byWb-sgk7OJ_lkzIYr2NzqG65lp4p78i_ue8RKtdOTLRro58jWuLk9wxj-MaLU6ERNxDVsajsWublLiiI5V0DKMYKw7rUcAnTrbL-PQQi6wgcYFs2TDmoadiy6VGOvrEycEBzrBMg9h4c03oc02otZPp2fpH4f-ji2VZ4C-AyjvikC/s1500/IMG_0334.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEf3Nj83byWb-sgk7OJ_lkzIYr2NzqG65lp4p78i_ue8RKtdOTLRro58jWuLk9wxj-MaLU6ERNxDVsajsWublLiiI5V0DKMYKw7rUcAnTrbL-PQQi6wgcYFs2TDmoadiy6VGOvrEycEBzrBMg9h4c03oc02otZPp2fpH4f-ji2VZ4C-AyjvikC/w640-h480/IMG_0334.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the grand hall at Union Station</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwh4byfPjvOKFA47khbIe-8JPs8e4qZr8mSjJn6OzZVlnvnBlZFBZkOC8mjCf05Eh488uNkzQkd19FV1glHqwt5lLSQqgPMMvPdztoGuh-PVTjsC1ukkfsgkFgmstAQVvUPgXrk1lbkB9akg6ThlV5vwkzxRTVsOmOnUFZ1B0VNkODJ-ZXZSPp/s1500/IMG_0335.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwh4byfPjvOKFA47khbIe-8JPs8e4qZr8mSjJn6OzZVlnvnBlZFBZkOC8mjCf05Eh488uNkzQkd19FV1glHqwt5lLSQqgPMMvPdztoGuh-PVTjsC1ukkfsgkFgmstAQVvUPgXrk1lbkB9akg6ThlV5vwkzxRTVsOmOnUFZ1B0VNkODJ-ZXZSPp/w640-h480/IMG_0335.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the steps used in the Untouchables</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/QJpRSf4q-hI?si=i2POuMAqdBqNw0sb" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The problems with Amtrak, what we know of them, became most obvious at this end of our journey. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We were all told to wait in the grand hall for the announcement for our train. Yet it was next to impossible to make heads or tails of what was being announced. As the time for our departure came and went, scores of passengers waiting for our train, the Blue Water no. 364, milled around, blocking travelers coming and going, and at one point began lining up near the entrance to the Amtrak gates. This was of course frowned upon by the higher powers and we were all broken up and told to return to the grand hall. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">At this point I stopped in the customer service office and said we couldn't hear the announcements and the very pleasant woman behind the desk suggested we go down to the Assisted Access Lounge next to the gates where we could wait in comfort with the other seniors and easily hear any announcements.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We found the lounge and relaxed until a young staff member called out for the passengers on our train to follow him. He led our small group of senior citizens to the head of the line at the gate and before long we found ourselves aboard and seated. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But the ordeal was far from over, no sir. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Just short of Niles, Michigan, the train stopped in the middle of nowhere and we were informed that there was someone on the tracks just ahead. A half hour or so later the announcement came over the tinny loudspeakers that the police had removed trespassers and we were now free to continue on our way. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We eventually arrived in Kalamazoo -- three hours later to be sure but safely nonetheless. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Still, if the journey itself had been less than stellar, the objectives of our trip had been achieved: it was wonderful to see family and visit a couple of the iconic sights in Chicago, not to mention enjoy an afternoon tea in comfort. <p></p></div></div>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0Chicago, IL, USA41.8781136 -87.629798213.567879763821153 -122.7860482 70.188347436178844 -52.473548199999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-75699405276602746232023-09-21T10:04:00.195-04:002023-09-21T11:37:10.453-04:00Leaving Las Vegas<p>[Wednesday 20 September]</p><p>Wednesday was spent with coffee in the room and just relaxing. There is little here in Las Vegas that holds much interest for either of us. But we're here until our flight leaves Thursday. The good news is our nephew, Jonathan from Maine, is here attending a work conference so we'll meet up with him later this evening for dinner.</p><p>In the meantime, Susie went for a walk late morning while I tidied up the blog you're reading right now.</p><p>In the early afternoon we both put on our bathing suits and headed for the pool. We no sooner arrived and got settled into a couple of pool chairs than the clouds rolled in, the thunder began and the lifeguards informed us that no one could go into the water, at least for the time being. And then the rain began, at one point turning to hail, and with very gusty winds. I called it quits and returned to the room, Susie stuck it out but eventually she too had to throw in the towel literally and came back to the room.</p><p>After getting cleaned up and dressed we headed out in search of an afternoon coffee, and our objective in that regard was the <i>Eataly</i> located in the Park MGM Hotel. We had visited one of these in Munich last year and thought their approach to food was pretty incredible, lots of Italian food products for sale in addition to coffee of course and pastries. The one in Munich was also a grocery store, something this one lacked. But it was fun to stroll around the various stands: Italian Street Food, another one selling cheeses, another wine, and so forth. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-_bOzoWjgTuOd1nH6Uq-PSlljGzqThwGaVoHgLkWbtKPqWYWo6aMO2fDNpPLFtxyQs2g4Iz7tQx9lIWo1Wd8WO3zJgZFxhomCzUXgsAVlTNJxFK0OEI8gVkT7Nf4_yy4WOVYa0dJfk7kDgKSZ3SGGAdoO2ZkUan_PivUckPsjE7LAOWVNqFT/s1500/IMG_0246.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-_bOzoWjgTuOd1nH6Uq-PSlljGzqThwGaVoHgLkWbtKPqWYWo6aMO2fDNpPLFtxyQs2g4Iz7tQx9lIWo1Wd8WO3zJgZFxhomCzUXgsAVlTNJxFK0OEI8gVkT7Nf4_yy4WOVYa0dJfk7kDgKSZ3SGGAdoO2ZkUan_PivUckPsjE7LAOWVNqFT/w640-h480/IMG_0246.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7PHeMYMvP1rzkmI9-8ebwfDsg763zirIqNvj-STVKwmV2ZL1Y25gvZ3QATKXywZJNGQDFyCLVHe5vcHXthJjcbgLSfni0q-3xcHHcCbl-BGy23cLSQyNH4FzONxrrWf52xNeipPCy22Yp3rPE7I83bMUeBBNin2CEHPDAkA--1XPnqWV9cVM/s1500/IMG_0247.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7PHeMYMvP1rzkmI9-8ebwfDsg763zirIqNvj-STVKwmV2ZL1Y25gvZ3QATKXywZJNGQDFyCLVHe5vcHXthJjcbgLSfni0q-3xcHHcCbl-BGy23cLSQyNH4FzONxrrWf52xNeipPCy22Yp3rPE7I83bMUeBBNin2CEHPDAkA--1XPnqWV9cVM/w640-h480/IMG_0247.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLwCdian7McXpu9gmZ1-lmpvQlzOJGFssiw1Bvf7O9VBUsjV962suzpGS7hlYsM6bbl_RW-5QOPCNjyb7G2ZzCb-1qxN6qQUf7QDfE6_aW9MDE6ehQpr9PYFr9qMNWIEmVbtmsFrUxJJYjqC4dl6amXYr_K5zbLwG-1UBuJMEsgent02uQCrA/s1500/IMG_0250.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLwCdian7McXpu9gmZ1-lmpvQlzOJGFssiw1Bvf7O9VBUsjV962suzpGS7hlYsM6bbl_RW-5QOPCNjyb7G2ZzCb-1qxN6qQUf7QDfE6_aW9MDE6ehQpr9PYFr9qMNWIEmVbtmsFrUxJJYjqC4dl6amXYr_K5zbLwG-1UBuJMEsgent02uQCrA/w640-h480/IMG_0250.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPpCFWA6qk7ictTc2Jj5NFQkio9sUxp5lRfYA9dsbla0L52Y0sN5NdhUE8WdS9Iy9B9ibdIoGjtXKOXXPAguVhKZGZyDrgjMWa7h-DCCL5UaQWdLwZWTFRLzpDgMjYxkdu25kZJfCN7gG90UUjvRi9QGIZuDEQVbW4Z5k6oxldGJclF_CYsLZh/s1500/IMG_0251.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPpCFWA6qk7ictTc2Jj5NFQkio9sUxp5lRfYA9dsbla0L52Y0sN5NdhUE8WdS9Iy9B9ibdIoGjtXKOXXPAguVhKZGZyDrgjMWa7h-DCCL5UaQWdLwZWTFRLzpDgMjYxkdu25kZJfCN7gG90UUjvRi9QGIZuDEQVbW4Z5k6oxldGJclF_CYsLZh/w640-h480/IMG_0251.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBGs84QwF2M8PD_rEHpniy1iHi18ShVj3bNE57IpG1y9VYVDobNuIi4JOIfpOdj0cITswltUczn4M9RdvyILxASUkkW-zitVT91PTj3V_G0KVr65Rc1dyMBcnI0-6mJUbSD_PTdItU3FwCcSSMqRDTHEQrrg_0Ln7qs3jTmx1YTF7pNlzqRrp/s1500/IMG_0252.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBGs84QwF2M8PD_rEHpniy1iHi18ShVj3bNE57IpG1y9VYVDobNuIi4JOIfpOdj0cITswltUczn4M9RdvyILxASUkkW-zitVT91PTj3V_G0KVr65Rc1dyMBcnI0-6mJUbSD_PTdItU3FwCcSSMqRDTHEQrrg_0Ln7qs3jTmx1YTF7pNlzqRrp/w640-h480/IMG_0252.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>To get to the Park we had to traverse New York New York, which I must admit was fun, much of the interior actually laid out to resemble some of the iconic NYC streets (Bleecker, Fulton Fish Market, etc.) We had our coffee and later an aperitif before heading back. And since the rain returned with gusto it was nice to walk inside. (Most of the hotel/casinos are so HUGE that you could actually get from one to another without going outside, except to cross a street to the next casino.)</p><p>Leaving the Park MGM we made our way back through NY NY back to the Tropicana. Seeing several of the the other hotel/casinos though made us realize how truly tired our hotel is. There are virtually no shops, certainly fewer restaurants, worn appearance, and the overall impression of the Tropicana is that of an aged queen who has fallen on hard times.</p><p>Later that evening we made our way to the Paris complex to meet up with Jonathan for dinner at Mon Ami Gabi, a restaurant made out to resemble a typical French bistro. We had looked into using the monorail for transport but found the nearest station difficult to get to and actually quite costly so we opted for an Uber. </p><p>We arrived a little early which gave us time to stroll through the streets of Paris (literally and figuratively), which was similar to the idea of NY NY but much lighter and cleaner looking.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHdgnFGgjaBxlpL03EfdVOB1iOUGG7IGyhXLgxa5vNn155NUNGiwwBBY2QeO3vsOkTNz8TfXxdPkglSCJmS67c4Y8HRccCBgb0CM7weQm9Q1Tv64W_-DLNDIuYVRxtU-156QJ2nvHcm9jSugNhOirnoWioYQgOtSOQRlYfNqsYn6eqEDZQQ0K/s1500/IMG_0259.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHdgnFGgjaBxlpL03EfdVOB1iOUGG7IGyhXLgxa5vNn155NUNGiwwBBY2QeO3vsOkTNz8TfXxdPkglSCJmS67c4Y8HRccCBgb0CM7weQm9Q1Tv64W_-DLNDIuYVRxtU-156QJ2nvHcm9jSugNhOirnoWioYQgOtSOQRlYfNqsYn6eqEDZQQ0K/w640-h480/IMG_0259.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It appears to have all the same inscriptions as the actual Arc de Triomphe</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVxcTENQXzNVvu4cYX2xtiQvP0EDTjnLIzay4EaAQu5i9eWrDLQqROBrdtPghWK3fkODv5asrGDLFkKUJe9-gNRMctFTuGdlBsNbynYAuqjjWj9cIhCCLu5bcZC3dLkN7XBe1qcf0_DE5ywKG3jOBCQO3iHhYJhJa6QSrxmuRYZtvaRVPcHn4M/s1500/IMG_0260.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVxcTENQXzNVvu4cYX2xtiQvP0EDTjnLIzay4EaAQu5i9eWrDLQqROBrdtPghWK3fkODv5asrGDLFkKUJe9-gNRMctFTuGdlBsNbynYAuqjjWj9cIhCCLu5bcZC3dLkN7XBe1qcf0_DE5ywKG3jOBCQO3iHhYJhJa6QSrxmuRYZtvaRVPcHn4M/w640-h480/IMG_0260.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hotel entrance</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41g6rSleHSAc6M8TRFpKTsG1e95DBOUyaXjTpWtRQD25U9y3ZjluDwbELqfJ90gAoPWHRlfiARdzSbfYMtno2dUapm4ux-NZwVxVS5_BauLJ-xcfOvq00fl_YMJyrnW1I35in0pdxIZOfMTE_xck9KyASL-NnDMrJwaXvz4fZV-4ya6h1oU5S/s1500/IMG_0271.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41g6rSleHSAc6M8TRFpKTsG1e95DBOUyaXjTpWtRQD25U9y3ZjluDwbELqfJ90gAoPWHRlfiARdzSbfYMtno2dUapm4ux-NZwVxVS5_BauLJ-xcfOvq00fl_YMJyrnW1I35in0pdxIZOfMTE_xck9KyASL-NnDMrJwaXvz4fZV-4ya6h1oU5S/w640-h480/IMG_0271.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1fI6E2cZ5Pkp8peT6hL3zrRFZ9aEgWMd6wiBH5QqqhhYoDcEbxZkWBI46pxSQ2TWAIweIrVc-XyNSaCrHR9Y8AF5wpR7JU9DDzgM5G8KtnJgR-68_WNfg-SHxg88BTyFlH7h8Y2hJr-9seEWBsYj80uXxnV8yRbZTWZef7XwAYW8zKeQWziYN/s1500/IMG_0273.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1fI6E2cZ5Pkp8peT6hL3zrRFZ9aEgWMd6wiBH5QqqhhYoDcEbxZkWBI46pxSQ2TWAIweIrVc-XyNSaCrHR9Y8AF5wpR7JU9DDzgM5G8KtnJgR-68_WNfg-SHxg88BTyFlH7h8Y2hJr-9seEWBsYj80uXxnV8yRbZTWZef7XwAYW8zKeQWziYN/w640-h480/IMG_0273.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Jonathan met us just outside the entrance to the restaurant and before long we were seated outside on the patio overlooking the boulevard and directly across from the Bellagio, whose fountain occasionally treated us to some spectacular water dancing.</p><p>It was a lovely evening, traffic and street noise notwithstanding. We all caught up on the latest news: Jonathan talked a bit about why he was there for work and what he was doing and his family news; we brought him up-to-date on his Gram and the general Grand Rapids news. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO353uqw1YQcpQvXo5DU_3OvKCIU_QQlqBry8D7cO5dni64cCEoLq0HrMUUiIW0T3TbvUiTGFVPdMmYMaDJCCq6jz2sgLnAjUysTBCyiE_MjGGUmfhGpFdr3G4WXeDkK_EzYWiCrMX_Xo_KF3dXuqeWmoIZo9Q25KatzIsRkdLELouRSRENr14/s1500/IMG_0274.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO353uqw1YQcpQvXo5DU_3OvKCIU_QQlqBry8D7cO5dni64cCEoLq0HrMUUiIW0T3TbvUiTGFVPdMmYMaDJCCq6jz2sgLnAjUysTBCyiE_MjGGUmfhGpFdr3G4WXeDkK_EzYWiCrMX_Xo_KF3dXuqeWmoIZo9Q25KatzIsRkdLELouRSRENr14/w640-h480/IMG_0274.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Eventually we had to say <i>au revoir</i> and while Jonathan headed off to his hotel we walked in the opposite direction back to ours. The sidewalks were packed with people but before long we were back in our room and settled in for the night.</p><p>Tomorrow it's back to Michigan! </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-7461567105921511082023-09-20T10:11:00.109-04:002023-09-21T11:23:11.427-04:00Leaving Grand Canyon<p>[Tuesday 19 September]</p><p>Another cool morning, crisp and cloudless. A perfect day for a helicopter ride over the canyon.</p><p>After coffee and finishing our packing we strolled along the rim one more time until time to check out. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5AsZrPY1pxeCrjeSeczr1Er69plGo1tzZVtG_PC_7kzToqhj3i12NHi6rL--pPvipN-QxpQ5pUzYlkT4l1fqL2UlvVoxZCGZpwATgpp3VKHN9lHCXE12tdvR-swNyr-fy9labAiQ15zrlph-EpgTl3V6Lxq8xsDRxWf7BYQFng7MQ5BPEa-7r/s1500/IMG_0201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5AsZrPY1pxeCrjeSeczr1Er69plGo1tzZVtG_PC_7kzToqhj3i12NHi6rL--pPvipN-QxpQ5pUzYlkT4l1fqL2UlvVoxZCGZpwATgpp3VKHN9lHCXE12tdvR-swNyr-fy9labAiQ15zrlph-EpgTl3V6Lxq8xsDRxWf7BYQFng7MQ5BPEa-7r/w640-h480/IMG_0201.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVEkcZiphEeEprXbrPXwtOhYbtUosfxjAiAoaZOQeCrK8O4qH_WM4jK80A3_otf8ZHeDi8bBO7jbi0u9jbO03UoPL-6nImAx1x8fjiVJD15Q8VPog15b2CGTDCYiWOGGuWx5Poy-gdChPxNStN4uQzCK8rMQfkznSsq0sY24kW_EVs6D_TiO9m/s1500/IMG_0202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVEkcZiphEeEprXbrPXwtOhYbtUosfxjAiAoaZOQeCrK8O4qH_WM4jK80A3_otf8ZHeDi8bBO7jbi0u9jbO03UoPL-6nImAx1x8fjiVJD15Q8VPog15b2CGTDCYiWOGGuWx5Poy-gdChPxNStN4uQzCK8rMQfkznSsq0sY24kW_EVs6D_TiO9m/w640-h480/IMG_0202.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYS_xrYMS6Jitiw0t3T5Y35vmwbSBhogCpvDOW8-48c46XGwWtzTOA-SwU1rvSnEbuzB8NskGA3FJtUBWTIfty-ZtPAyBckH4B09qVPEvCol8f0bb_KLfJJ3vM6tDHrDMNz5QJh0v9K-6W5pPQCf8KEZkHaxpCwX3esCZGgt1KneGVl83yvQO/s1500/IMG_0203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYS_xrYMS6Jitiw0t3T5Y35vmwbSBhogCpvDOW8-48c46XGwWtzTOA-SwU1rvSnEbuzB8NskGA3FJtUBWTIfty-ZtPAyBckH4B09qVPEvCol8f0bb_KLfJJ3vM6tDHrDMNz5QJh0v9K-6W5pPQCf8KEZkHaxpCwX3esCZGgt1KneGVl83yvQO/w640-h480/IMG_0203.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9us6smgngFdj64JNzrhyc1reKJRVdFBsinWW5UNf56rrMeGJzExdegzhSF141-rKEUD22VxNg4nVO07Wul3JovBnMRduZjhMMEhON6LcIu2l_8qR0FnTpFAXApHIg3uHXauxFUtcusxhwc9W8MhZk1nQQvCskCoz51qsNbQ7dtWhZlmBDB2Kd/s1500/IMG_0204.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9us6smgngFdj64JNzrhyc1reKJRVdFBsinWW5UNf56rrMeGJzExdegzhSF141-rKEUD22VxNg4nVO07Wul3JovBnMRduZjhMMEhON6LcIu2l_8qR0FnTpFAXApHIg3uHXauxFUtcusxhwc9W8MhZk1nQQvCskCoz51qsNbQ7dtWhZlmBDB2Kd/w640-h480/IMG_0204.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">saying good-bye</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We drove out of the village and headed for Rt 64 south toward Williams. After about 7 miles we pulled into the Grand Canyon Airport and made our way to the Maverick Helicopter building where we checked in, a process that included standing on a scale one at a time. (Significant weight limitations in place.)</p><p>A few minutes later we watched as four helicopters landed one after another and the passengers disembarked. They gathered around the pilot, took photos, and appeared to have had a grand time. At 10:00 am the pilots began calling out the names of their passengers and as luck would have it we ended up with John.</p><p>After introductions he took six of us out to the helo and we were given a brief introduction to the safety measures, things like how the seatbelts worked (NOT like on airplanes) and, oh don’t open the door while in flight, that sort of thing.</p><p>It was then time to climb aboard. We were given assigned seats — presumably based on weight distribution — and once buckled in put on our headsets (so we could all communicate and it reduced the noise SIG-NIF-I-CANT-LY). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVPSDiwzTfbX6415JMI-5M_ZBA_qgsbLuJlJagV5oODyk0WGNaSuVaB5Iy8kzpTbRTQkBlzg_5v5zBjJuCAPf8tuyRNblBRqtMr8wtTxfM0N1-6w3WkqRuI7wsrj1BPX8E8SpwVjEz1u_4plxGNdsGyeWifF6ffxEht1NBYQr0Ypl4Qmrd6_u/s1500/IMG_0205.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVPSDiwzTfbX6415JMI-5M_ZBA_qgsbLuJlJagV5oODyk0WGNaSuVaB5Iy8kzpTbRTQkBlzg_5v5zBjJuCAPf8tuyRNblBRqtMr8wtTxfM0N1-6w3WkqRuI7wsrj1BPX8E8SpwVjEz1u_4plxGNdsGyeWifF6ffxEht1NBYQr0Ypl4Qmrd6_u/w640-h480/IMG_0205.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6qsyOkl0O1sq0RxSR0KmlY8OBhEwacDwfGjt8edWGAGewAcPRLe6M44MX_AM4AHQUBuV29kCNR0v-Se--XbWE_QXUUwkgO84C7jTEm5pHMo1Xg01dWSzsmnpdb1pbTzAIFe97XoLTs9iHWkk2sf6cEITzG5Vdtdy3PKLHoxWq_1rtgFi3af3/s1500/IMG_0206.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6qsyOkl0O1sq0RxSR0KmlY8OBhEwacDwfGjt8edWGAGewAcPRLe6M44MX_AM4AHQUBuV29kCNR0v-Se--XbWE_QXUUwkgO84C7jTEm5pHMo1Xg01dWSzsmnpdb1pbTzAIFe97XoLTs9iHWkk2sf6cEITzG5Vdtdy3PKLHoxWq_1rtgFi3af3/w640-h480/IMG_0206.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj88_fOHcBLYdRYnDKGzijjMokqXM5n8Ebiwu5deWyra5lZXNINlGd3QRYck4qhc36WnCH-deT6UycXdUdykneZo8FBgP8H2Ha7nPxNGoRXZxQddvVseBq7oeuhDSCWLnu93IVTX0nOe8FXNCDXQ9aDBsy5FuKnyBzbUk4AylU7n5MLccR3j1_A/s1500/IMG_0207.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj88_fOHcBLYdRYnDKGzijjMokqXM5n8Ebiwu5deWyra5lZXNINlGd3QRYck4qhc36WnCH-deT6UycXdUdykneZo8FBgP8H2Ha7nPxNGoRXZxQddvVseBq7oeuhDSCWLnu93IVTX0nOe8FXNCDXQ9aDBsy5FuKnyBzbUk4AylU7n5MLccR3j1_A/w640-h480/IMG_0207.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpxeCN0of0jc_2wriA7AzWkzrkRqGjFbNdVkEClJYTtzLFcTzDXQHYYbE5vSUXvbzQcRufViCDpIyWJPSDXayVlX7oahXTYu8Z3uKux0v2TkcFUHPLGVM7YJJ22b4AlWIa2u5MCUZSbCky-LCTgOdgl0083uAzNwIfEJ49xTmlVl2InS3Hnx3/s1500/IMG_0209.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpxeCN0of0jc_2wriA7AzWkzrkRqGjFbNdVkEClJYTtzLFcTzDXQHYYbE5vSUXvbzQcRufViCDpIyWJPSDXayVlX7oahXTYu8Z3uKux0v2TkcFUHPLGVM7YJJ22b4AlWIa2u5MCUZSbCky-LCTgOdgl0083uAzNwIfEJ49xTmlVl2InS3Hnx3/w640-h480/IMG_0209.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NY_Qo-Upgpw49JI2dAXhygT-RX72MvjV6XPg5MXZMdghdYgs7-738DnNEvNHNJkhJIbDAF6r_qOnXWxENLikHs_OMtwjE3Os_BXizq8dIwhhHbJchKIGuU3WAA56cSmANCyUXTnCyQpbkW9oZWN6UATfGjrAnrUvC2AnbD7G31sTQ9cyqZ2i/s1500/IMG_0213.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NY_Qo-Upgpw49JI2dAXhygT-RX72MvjV6XPg5MXZMdghdYgs7-738DnNEvNHNJkhJIbDAF6r_qOnXWxENLikHs_OMtwjE3Os_BXizq8dIwhhHbJchKIGuU3WAA56cSmANCyUXTnCyQpbkW9oZWN6UATfGjrAnrUvC2AnbD7G31sTQ9cyqZ2i/w640-h480/IMG_0213.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtttwuk25DfY2c2pyQSuIjZkDVs4MWRBEVvyFJdPaC3qh9HuBAiszhOTgXwWlyI1C7V7Z1Kfpa4Tt57qYrRRWM0vVIN3R4x-1lqYEuwyK_U5XSGt--__og3CFeUenAlrG7P58UPKT_izYo_yur6TpRZuEsEt4V9B2CLnnqIwktjZLllTYqM_z/s1500/IMG_0215.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtttwuk25DfY2c2pyQSuIjZkDVs4MWRBEVvyFJdPaC3qh9HuBAiszhOTgXwWlyI1C7V7Z1Kfpa4Tt57qYrRRWM0vVIN3R4x-1lqYEuwyK_U5XSGt--__og3CFeUenAlrG7P58UPKT_izYo_yur6TpRZuEsEt4V9B2CLnnqIwktjZLllTYqM_z/w640-h480/IMG_0215.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the Colorado</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1eY-YEcpFoptylbpPlda0x21RH366LjNHERLQilfgz3Ya0qQTaviLXEAmtTW02B3PVHmue_k6tE6AMW4fy-gdVr9rJOZuraVnuzYvQhWjZ8rZWXLqis-qcnTdgTRkKNppQcPD0QCujwMOgxWY-1o_ErXcT3-ih43G-HJ9FA-_wWtZMJpWzs4i/s1500/IMG_0216.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1eY-YEcpFoptylbpPlda0x21RH366LjNHERLQilfgz3Ya0qQTaviLXEAmtTW02B3PVHmue_k6tE6AMW4fy-gdVr9rJOZuraVnuzYvQhWjZ8rZWXLqis-qcnTdgTRkKNppQcPD0QCujwMOgxWY-1o_ErXcT3-ih43G-HJ9FA-_wWtZMJpWzs4i/w640-h480/IMG_0216.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>And off we went into a gorgeous blue sky above the Kaibab National forest. At one point we actually flew by Point Imperial on the north rim and over the road we had just traveled three days earlier.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/Qs-zi_Oyg7s?si=1JT0dSffwc-yoVZI" width="480"></iframe> </p><p>It is beyond my limited vocabulary to describe the incredible thrill of the ride and the grandeur of seeing both rims of the Grand Canyon from the air. Crossing the National Forest -- the world's second largest Ponderosa pine forest we were told -- we then plunged out over the canyon which was the first introduction to the incredible adventure and left most if not all of us breathless. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxjSlD5hCuUlL6oWHKjO6wFbLEimgibKvn3PwDxgjz-NXq_I2o20CuJIuvwo-dxbkSmsourVHmo9Co' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy9EbPBBxoX5ikBOSAtCoFS0hX_GnkMaxKTjL-QFnr-MY0nidJWCz7cFrwiqS9EWnBVFEU1AEUwfWM' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p>John was nothing short of superb in his handling of the helo and his insightful and helpful narrative was much appreciated.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Uffb_VnZsxvkgZOd7v54ZpwtMWgeLr3kM08BXQ7pEp7AZoPLS2AzcMyCE_s9vIpUZ219JEmy1_1MoxT_NRS0AFrztVVmYhx3tFrezuV2jYWhS97emQNBo0RtNvsWglRr3iwoASqDpWW3ehy25G2pxxp6qrEEFTsKrylPRIuTRkSMFPIdDaJ3/s4032/IMG_0221.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Uffb_VnZsxvkgZOd7v54ZpwtMWgeLr3kM08BXQ7pEp7AZoPLS2AzcMyCE_s9vIpUZ219JEmy1_1MoxT_NRS0AFrztVVmYhx3tFrezuV2jYWhS97emQNBo0RtNvsWglRr3iwoASqDpWW3ehy25G2pxxp6qrEEFTsKrylPRIuTRkSMFPIdDaJ3/w640-h480/IMG_0221.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Once back at the airport we gathered around John to have our pictures taken couple-by-couple. </p><p>This once-in-a-lifetime trip had been a genuine blast and was worth both the time and money.</p><p>But soon we were back on the road south to Williams where we picked up I-40 heading west. We left the interstate at Kingman, got gas and turned north on Rt 93 in the direction of Hoover Dam.</p><p>Once we reached the dam we stopped at a scenic overlook of Lake Mead but opted not to get out in 94-degree heat to walk the bridge to see the dam.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVP3mmoyoeZPkNsvPi6bmaZsLs6vzbJO8-R-c0PHhkWSRY2N572D1X6AtJrtGALEPD0Z3v6GKK9LxtSK98GSEa3kcGFrrqWWBlR7NqKtSnMRr4Ezk7ULVaXa1HasfjRv20TmEsTVBrZPEVqF9cPRgOyFqs1etw4ka8iKlaJJg0kzyLKfSe057h/s1500/IMG_0233.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="983" data-original-width="1500" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVP3mmoyoeZPkNsvPi6bmaZsLs6vzbJO8-R-c0PHhkWSRY2N572D1X6AtJrtGALEPD0Z3v6GKK9LxtSK98GSEa3kcGFrrqWWBlR7NqKtSnMRr4Ezk7ULVaXa1HasfjRv20TmEsTVBrZPEVqF9cPRgOyFqs1etw4ka8iKlaJJg0kzyLKfSe057h/w640-h420/IMG_0233.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZu_vLmjz0ZxWpy43zoLxMl862WqBG-lI_t-mqVcDHQxoxACgfFzZI6mw2EGcZE6kTaDc70RXFv8FkQhd-GKV5WJzbJgUWb0RJ-rKemkRGjy-BXLZaGlVu482X3tTy65YhlbVjHxBe6I6jEoDaYA66nnifHy6cjt5_r4Pzxw0xDB2hIO0HFGQ/s1500/IMG_0235.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="983" data-original-width="1500" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZu_vLmjz0ZxWpy43zoLxMl862WqBG-lI_t-mqVcDHQxoxACgfFzZI6mw2EGcZE6kTaDc70RXFv8FkQhd-GKV5WJzbJgUWb0RJ-rKemkRGjy-BXLZaGlVu482X3tTy65YhlbVjHxBe6I6jEoDaYA66nnifHy6cjt5_r4Pzxw0xDB2hIO0HFGQ/w640-h420/IMG_0235.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>It was a short hop back into Las Vegas and after some jockeying around a traffic snarl — thanks to Susie’s navigational skills — we made our way to our hotel, the Tropicana Hotel and Casino. I dropped Susie off with the bags and then headed off to the car rental return center near the airport. I then called an Uber to take me back to the hotel and we checked in.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvC84UIGelPTN0dHYtY410J92kOHRvZNHPL_QZAu04r7NEP9rFIXmG84OzdGV5ZOdHCxU3AvZA9baP1oYhkIO6hhsGWg8vqJqsdr_23kIaKp6LRi0wLAWENUC--19zNGWFrwYN111Mtz_vDVGTBWCUOkBWLqzQa72bNis08ksnWHCCMJM9rlU/s1500/IMG_0256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvC84UIGelPTN0dHYtY410J92kOHRvZNHPL_QZAu04r7NEP9rFIXmG84OzdGV5ZOdHCxU3AvZA9baP1oYhkIO6hhsGWg8vqJqsdr_23kIaKp6LRi0wLAWENUC--19zNGWFrwYN111Mtz_vDVGTBWCUOkBWLqzQa72bNis08ksnWHCCMJM9rlU/w640-h480/IMG_0256.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the Tropicana</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcctpGvEZ_BJ72bgKBLV_yLPiC7tVZVvwEAMHL4JbTwXrd2DJ49_zbUL0hf72XelyumbaDB1Uap1i-Lr7u56vS_kUdeIxvE1j2ZlSvsX7guh2vsk0De3JK_dwyQ3XdoCP_hhNffbQfMFSTYSvn4B7Dw8HqYL4_bx2cyltDWwOOuBKZXHJbo1V6/s1500/IMG_0257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcctpGvEZ_BJ72bgKBLV_yLPiC7tVZVvwEAMHL4JbTwXrd2DJ49_zbUL0hf72XelyumbaDB1Uap1i-Lr7u56vS_kUdeIxvE1j2ZlSvsX7guh2vsk0De3JK_dwyQ3XdoCP_hhNffbQfMFSTYSvn4B7Dw8HqYL4_bx2cyltDWwOOuBKZXHJbo1V6/w640-h480/IMG_0257.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tropicana Avenue</td></tr></tbody></table><p>That evening we decided to just chill out and had Chinese food at one of the restaurants in the hotel.</p><p>Another good day indeed.</p>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-83455119752447807922023-09-19T10:10:00.193-04:002023-09-20T15:19:28.892-04:00Grand Canyon South Rim<p>[Monday 18 September]</p><p>Our first (and only) full day at the South Rim. I got up before the sun was up and walked over to the Lodge for coffee. We relaxed in the room before heading out.</p><p>We walked a short way down to the Red route shuttle stop passing the Bright Angel Trailhead. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZRB4rRFET6l2pUO7xmKW05XgW0odX-OCc9fp823HAWI26sZZDdLcT68dBM7pigHUFBE-wXf7FigbuF7Q7jnJnPgYVN38h-xCaY7Tt5b0nmRMhBJJtlHu2ePIaS7oB66teva0wae3b4Ih-x-5__fZy1YET3CR8wzzNO_O70uMcTXwYk1fvT4l/s1500/IMG_0105.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZRB4rRFET6l2pUO7xmKW05XgW0odX-OCc9fp823HAWI26sZZDdLcT68dBM7pigHUFBE-wXf7FigbuF7Q7jnJnPgYVN38h-xCaY7Tt5b0nmRMhBJJtlHu2ePIaS7oB66teva0wae3b4Ih-x-5__fZy1YET3CR8wzzNO_O70uMcTXwYk1fvT4l/w640-h480/IMG_0105.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>The Red shuttle travels along the western portion of the south rim to Hermit’s Rest, stopping along the way at nine viewpoints; we got off at five of them.</p><p>Maricopa Point:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-QW0A8UeQWJQfG5guPsoOKFyLr2H_EES9IVxWEHnFMqnHSNWZnQk-NaAKa6x9U0jgOHZU3tTrzw0dXX_tO3V7Yl0qKDmSvy9WjmEXCqNAflJfuQeGQNsNurpL65lpfkhSNr7WSN9uOLxbAIuiMNmnxnhE0tyRYPpFVMkkFIPU2IF-MZLbGGb/s1500/IMG_0108.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-QW0A8UeQWJQfG5guPsoOKFyLr2H_EES9IVxWEHnFMqnHSNWZnQk-NaAKa6x9U0jgOHZU3tTrzw0dXX_tO3V7Yl0qKDmSvy9WjmEXCqNAflJfuQeGQNsNurpL65lpfkhSNr7WSN9uOLxbAIuiMNmnxnhE0tyRYPpFVMkkFIPU2IF-MZLbGGb/w640-h480/IMG_0108.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34XBwx6har-GQGmI1idOMbl35h_8LMztlKWjz7Fdihbh40VtOTFKKjWgVo5s7PZAgN_IDXsVl2kLUVUMc1i_jAkOK1QuO0TqBKZguYJxmo7armX8cYVuiH8Bum0--sBi6hpZYAWEXSt85jW2B6U7yPjFQaWBc79J06KbkAqO1EQQDq_VMq811/s1500/IMG_0109.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34XBwx6har-GQGmI1idOMbl35h_8LMztlKWjz7Fdihbh40VtOTFKKjWgVo5s7PZAgN_IDXsVl2kLUVUMc1i_jAkOK1QuO0TqBKZguYJxmo7armX8cYVuiH8Bum0--sBi6hpZYAWEXSt85jW2B6U7yPjFQaWBc79J06KbkAqO1EQQDq_VMq811/w640-h480/IMG_0109.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTBKztsorKod-w3agG4MbNsdgteqzHT3_ZhEEMbMQ_4AHvEVR4a3xZTyXdQMGfrT6qQBbFNLl3prVdYYtLGZM_-Nqi-kaVfbHEFEEd5Mc5RdB3FZK3Y2ArJ_mHpmE1F6XkyoGLyl9WV_B1KC6T2nymMCzhTE1lU_O4AUtZpbzdZnnJGLBEcxV/s1500/IMG_0110.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTBKztsorKod-w3agG4MbNsdgteqzHT3_ZhEEMbMQ_4AHvEVR4a3xZTyXdQMGfrT6qQBbFNLl3prVdYYtLGZM_-Nqi-kaVfbHEFEEd5Mc5RdB3FZK3Y2ArJ_mHpmE1F6XkyoGLyl9WV_B1KC6T2nymMCzhTE1lU_O4AUtZpbzdZnnJGLBEcxV/w640-h480/IMG_0110.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>From Maricopa we walked along the rim trail to Powell Point, named after <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wesley_Powell" target="_blank">John Wesley Powell</a>, fascinating character in an era of incredible personalities:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjr8p-BQfRc3ulGf5uOefunjThIKX4STxrtT9oXJCfaxRCodKR5ebNZiCVbmAE-DhazKbr-pm000G-5I7sUv7JbyNpkhQ_VD3Qvpkw0F3dxY5bc-4LHxEyh-98vPmGw_uB3kNux3DB6ICE7qT6j4RYIYdcDSnuIiMXXisJTO7_1_PqdPZAIGm/s1500/IMG_0112.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjr8p-BQfRc3ulGf5uOefunjThIKX4STxrtT9oXJCfaxRCodKR5ebNZiCVbmAE-DhazKbr-pm000G-5I7sUv7JbyNpkhQ_VD3Qvpkw0F3dxY5bc-4LHxEyh-98vPmGw_uB3kNux3DB6ICE7qT6j4RYIYdcDSnuIiMXXisJTO7_1_PqdPZAIGm/w640-h480/IMG_0112.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2hca6kXYC-Wfl5V4HwlThLy9ZuTeNxu_5-Ys6lslUYjSe1J6zo6BVixlMM0A3bKUSWlRrZBF3vVpRj-RlqkzyygS6Qvusf8Pv0uu4HWNwIRUGbz3VidSBqDgzHjkjsEwvVf3_MMChOf645ASlAg1Bj38iqmXKEvs67sEJPGgIDj1NlRJ-sFs/s1500/IMG_0113.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2hca6kXYC-Wfl5V4HwlThLy9ZuTeNxu_5-Ys6lslUYjSe1J6zo6BVixlMM0A3bKUSWlRrZBF3vVpRj-RlqkzyygS6Qvusf8Pv0uu4HWNwIRUGbz3VidSBqDgzHjkjsEwvVf3_MMChOf645ASlAg1Bj38iqmXKEvs67sEJPGgIDj1NlRJ-sFs/w640-h480/IMG_0113.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEd9I5QYqYDFJk1SwGVGn36jKuCMtyfgeU0jdq1VbCmQdJJWZ4K69YmGc1g9ysnkycgjzFI98htqwnHvJppKaJHlhn7Z33-QD6ysROfZFNnVt1lQSIsyigVriww0VbVz3wOZgNsW7IEpZI8mKhnZfSu_IuUl1dbyORndtOGxUroTx-nCDKSLb_/s1500/IMG_0114.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEd9I5QYqYDFJk1SwGVGn36jKuCMtyfgeU0jdq1VbCmQdJJWZ4K69YmGc1g9ysnkycgjzFI98htqwnHvJppKaJHlhn7Z33-QD6ysROfZFNnVt1lQSIsyigVriww0VbVz3wOZgNsW7IEpZI8mKhnZfSu_IuUl1dbyORndtOGxUroTx-nCDKSLb_/w640-h480/IMG_0114.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrt0SSI-Xx-MpSUfkbemoekZv0ov47dNfu4bATuWdgKsTi72jfM6eKmP7OW0Bps9SVJigxeZLsTSfIdElWsg9jSc7l8oQRjPBqgSnGQ1Ajy6P17bMqPbgmcq-ezf3S2yRz-p2PT0VR_IZT6Rt2zqW4dCUlzCAF8sZTl7DZFgF1KKiz6Ecu0bcf/s1500/IMG_0115.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrt0SSI-Xx-MpSUfkbemoekZv0ov47dNfu4bATuWdgKsTi72jfM6eKmP7OW0Bps9SVJigxeZLsTSfIdElWsg9jSc7l8oQRjPBqgSnGQ1Ajy6P17bMqPbgmcq-ezf3S2yRz-p2PT0VR_IZT6Rt2zqW4dCUlzCAF8sZTl7DZFgF1KKiz6Ecu0bcf/w640-h480/IMG_0115.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKFsFUv1cjpQ3RiiilHAIZtgK4ZHPaRBSYNNBYWnq-5aEpT-owyukx6waYGDAX_jjDCXHD1hymsTCaok1xh_r7zWZDK5egFbjTAZb6e5gACarB2fUnMU9xhjeHU_27phQrPSnqdvVX-FN2zI1l1kN2TrPNol8IhDw_-d0BWNa7HUtuUc9w64X/s1500/IMG_0117.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKFsFUv1cjpQ3RiiilHAIZtgK4ZHPaRBSYNNBYWnq-5aEpT-owyukx6waYGDAX_jjDCXHD1hymsTCaok1xh_r7zWZDK5egFbjTAZb6e5gACarB2fUnMU9xhjeHU_27phQrPSnqdvVX-FN2zI1l1kN2TrPNol8IhDw_-d0BWNa7HUtuUc9w64X/w640-h480/IMG_0117.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>It was a short walk along the trail to Hopi Point for another wonderful view of the Colorado River:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib52xXpZ4e8Fjzwg5AJhNWuPTcGlUdiW9HLxrhmDVwjk0SCvZz6DAW3I10v0Qy3xtPtChwbW_efSOm31diPt_TT4RN0URWDrhkDbq5zsTeQ35LcqVLfryF2Lu-MisLb4mbEf9pjH31DNzTtCrHk2U8kA2EVHcMLeX_QfBJuGeEb4z-0nfnXLq9/s1500/IMG_0120.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib52xXpZ4e8Fjzwg5AJhNWuPTcGlUdiW9HLxrhmDVwjk0SCvZz6DAW3I10v0Qy3xtPtChwbW_efSOm31diPt_TT4RN0URWDrhkDbq5zsTeQ35LcqVLfryF2Lu-MisLb4mbEf9pjH31DNzTtCrHk2U8kA2EVHcMLeX_QfBJuGeEb4z-0nfnXLq9/w640-h480/IMG_0120.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgywcPxDSKLvJT5vSQ_9HQ_6YY5C3NQh6Lsvh6s_HYSD95ImxwPbKOjMCHXG7O_4yedzFqa--4SH-qNTnPKEyPcofn1XZi_WOkfM4yhVcCC3OuXyKWio1angLUtPFeQi1abJST7vLQ8-0G7J9PjqqTetqsU5X_iaLJmCRVgcDN24rJYZBT1-S/s1500/IMG_0121.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgywcPxDSKLvJT5vSQ_9HQ_6YY5C3NQh6Lsvh6s_HYSD95ImxwPbKOjMCHXG7O_4yedzFqa--4SH-qNTnPKEyPcofn1XZi_WOkfM4yhVcCC3OuXyKWio1angLUtPFeQi1abJST7vLQ8-0G7J9PjqqTetqsU5X_iaLJmCRVgcDN24rJYZBT1-S/w640-h480/IMG_0121.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBaulPwiGN_1R-PJTqKKIrHmyk05R9yntx8WzT04hTiNqxXrD6-V-3poo-J2DdU8aRdxS-tcGtoa8h12kVeRx_ACPIK43nnJvscDmf3OdkFObj1kkJOdIzEubesZXu9rC_6SmR7sS6Vgpn8elhS1t9Th1TItnKUz-C1MMnEEm-18iJ2O8Yatb/s1500/IMG_0123.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBaulPwiGN_1R-PJTqKKIrHmyk05R9yntx8WzT04hTiNqxXrD6-V-3poo-J2DdU8aRdxS-tcGtoa8h12kVeRx_ACPIK43nnJvscDmf3OdkFObj1kkJOdIzEubesZXu9rC_6SmR7sS6Vgpn8elhS1t9Th1TItnKUz-C1MMnEEm-18iJ2O8Yatb/w640-h480/IMG_0123.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGyjmwdHeP59vopfZ4UB9cIrEsGxmHfABpMRae5ylBtucz_qNnfbVPreaBwVnJ8G66ovbQZYLBp3AFDZhDWYHm6lTq4x4c3tygfmmAJqUUgobJVod_hzIUT5JSjCBdFKpjTBoGkqOegc35iOHiwF81YOtg4-3uL9w-qecgkdRVGLJcTIMCnNS/s1500/IMG_0125.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGyjmwdHeP59vopfZ4UB9cIrEsGxmHfABpMRae5ylBtucz_qNnfbVPreaBwVnJ8G66ovbQZYLBp3AFDZhDWYHm6lTq4x4c3tygfmmAJqUUgobJVod_hzIUT5JSjCBdFKpjTBoGkqOegc35iOHiwF81YOtg4-3uL9w-qecgkdRVGLJcTIMCnNS/w640-h480/IMG_0125.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>We got back on the shuttle and got off at The Abyss where we caught sight of a young Elk feeding right up to the rim edge.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0PfMsgkHPFtS28JOgf6FOrifiDYRPMf0RwhrEGV5KhIXWblI2Hk3KyUx6V2supkHcGALlQLqjSDuIlT9Wru4ULv1c-_KN_C5EkIOd44DotxNDHxPDHN42SEaV2h8nyPlBOfm00r9hFbVSm7qy7toKktuRtMKNjFMEHnmPte5YbPD3C0PmQKB/s1500/IMG_0128.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0PfMsgkHPFtS28JOgf6FOrifiDYRPMf0RwhrEGV5KhIXWblI2Hk3KyUx6V2supkHcGALlQLqjSDuIlT9Wru4ULv1c-_KN_C5EkIOd44DotxNDHxPDHN42SEaV2h8nyPlBOfm00r9hFbVSm7qy7toKktuRtMKNjFMEHnmPte5YbPD3C0PmQKB/w640-h480/IMG_0128.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMDMaIjKQImTh45y_Ar6yP4NRGG4BV1SwaUI6o2qSPkjT6hdVkVGSW-u86pZA_ebb3ujBwzq4xC_jT8-NmkydQ1_vtdoMku3Xzp85DEmiF21jdA-m4-YiwK5iNCfnalMBeabXIdi34ZxoBSOFHjYO8jxzcZymJCbayUTDFO_lRfKoMfolPMlb/s1500/IMG_0130.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMDMaIjKQImTh45y_Ar6yP4NRGG4BV1SwaUI6o2qSPkjT6hdVkVGSW-u86pZA_ebb3ujBwzq4xC_jT8-NmkydQ1_vtdoMku3Xzp85DEmiF21jdA-m4-YiwK5iNCfnalMBeabXIdi34ZxoBSOFHjYO8jxzcZymJCbayUTDFO_lRfKoMfolPMlb/w640-h480/IMG_0130.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87T7dOVLRdePjd15SpOIGnQ7CzBjHijlGRwiCoPgqYoIih4WNbwWqiu9f_M-zSrxIf6xmfvDXPEaIj_jVZO71Qh9t-AWqSxcvP36LdXZKNu5u6uxX2oknPPdIhc3fOOj8-C7fcGuqMk7dIFmElmk8xBtuXxC-A59WOqx4RsGzkx3ojoKqYeHC/s1500/IMG_0132.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj87T7dOVLRdePjd15SpOIGnQ7CzBjHijlGRwiCoPgqYoIih4WNbwWqiu9f_M-zSrxIf6xmfvDXPEaIj_jVZO71Qh9t-AWqSxcvP36LdXZKNu5u6uxX2oknPPdIhc3fOOj8-C7fcGuqMk7dIFmElmk8xBtuXxC-A59WOqx4RsGzkx3ojoKqYeHC/w640-h480/IMG_0132.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYX9IrwIqJreYCXzH1hWGhFLata39IvEI25o8daVzdQCbrB5Toe--H3EjsTwBDNsajRWYqjhRW2JAf2vI21B3mv7zCt5gB87X3dDlueA6lLMM3KL85Ie7pvtqG6DYfR0piUJ20uPtpYaYDLrm9hpGnqN7tpIIF3T5S0FobpAHMy0jertPIq9D/s1500/IMG_0136.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYX9IrwIqJreYCXzH1hWGhFLata39IvEI25o8daVzdQCbrB5Toe--H3EjsTwBDNsajRWYqjhRW2JAf2vI21B3mv7zCt5gB87X3dDlueA6lLMM3KL85Ie7pvtqG6DYfR0piUJ20uPtpYaYDLrm9hpGnqN7tpIIF3T5S0FobpAHMy0jertPIq9D/w640-h480/IMG_0136.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Our next stop was at Pima Point and another glimpse of the Colorado.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJDhM4QTCAOiU63yu4ghvEg5tNBv6X336fnJTQ1b1lGn1004s7U42LY2wwgQwLq8uePnFvV_XBKAdESnmpmNhyPcsucckWmv-BTUa0PhSmsjCxxjWqUOEdluL3JuvATO4hHBW1JU5QJOZDQwrFQD4bc0IiRCOdpRq4udR9G9kDz60cQr3R6En/s1500/IMG_0141.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJDhM4QTCAOiU63yu4ghvEg5tNBv6X336fnJTQ1b1lGn1004s7U42LY2wwgQwLq8uePnFvV_XBKAdESnmpmNhyPcsucckWmv-BTUa0PhSmsjCxxjWqUOEdluL3JuvATO4hHBW1JU5QJOZDQwrFQD4bc0IiRCOdpRq4udR9G9kDz60cQr3R6En/w640-h480/IMG_0141.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGBTcN3eyrhDeCk3cfIFd-ENtd_zqjEgoA-LRUp6uGALLLVq6hD7ioHUkDDFqVw43rW6G3556InahJxjozIZVUTfdCTmHERezctoCxnxvkejCwTS1KQZYS4M4wOgbioSeTu3A5cL7C4MRGkgsSr554jZBo1mX6cJEvPWB4HjJp3EIbWXcMfaI/s1500/IMG_0144.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGBTcN3eyrhDeCk3cfIFd-ENtd_zqjEgoA-LRUp6uGALLLVq6hD7ioHUkDDFqVw43rW6G3556InahJxjozIZVUTfdCTmHERezctoCxnxvkejCwTS1KQZYS4M4wOgbioSeTu3A5cL7C4MRGkgsSr554jZBo1mX6cJEvPWB4HjJp3EIbWXcMfaI/w640-h480/IMG_0144.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMlqQD2y6l3GVImr6Hef_VjR-jOMvedphKkE5E-PM11HIVTT2Q53g4eXzhJk0TJdWTesVgqp5UZj6IISGxV_NftEaSctPOdcdyLuclUeG7ma02XBNaDPthb6u9ZClCyY3Zq0INj0zLy7gpxQd8sp3902rIdDvVSBZGr7kiFbeQH9zrIhBVovjx/s1500/IMG_0138.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMlqQD2y6l3GVImr6Hef_VjR-jOMvedphKkE5E-PM11HIVTT2Q53g4eXzhJk0TJdWTesVgqp5UZj6IISGxV_NftEaSctPOdcdyLuclUeG7ma02XBNaDPthb6u9ZClCyY3Zq0INj0zLy7gpxQd8sp3902rIdDvVSBZGr7kiFbeQH9zrIhBVovjx/w640-h480/IMG_0138.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbirioxiK6Tb2YDvUhOV7LAVYEJ9kkzoCYTM0pvLaJbXDHSVfQd5VAcQqrTwWs6R1HaoolstBW9W4O0YGKGPddIfZMUYYG8yhZM4CaDF3HDD5yFPgipIxBaFFYBPFnL1kPCFqW5IKswxWcgFsz7avmXbLSmNy9brQHyS2hm1HDzVY0aY815zn1/s1500/IMG_0142.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbirioxiK6Tb2YDvUhOV7LAVYEJ9kkzoCYTM0pvLaJbXDHSVfQd5VAcQqrTwWs6R1HaoolstBW9W4O0YGKGPddIfZMUYYG8yhZM4CaDF3HDD5yFPgipIxBaFFYBPFnL1kPCFqW5IKswxWcgFsz7avmXbLSmNy9brQHyS2hm1HDzVY0aY815zn1/w640-h480/IMG_0142.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nzfgGLgpKZLARimzKizBeZBt8c2L2cHaF1v0ys-Szk5xsOpufU0nCiMMRxEPfjyzhanXV1LLu4JsuRIz8WY-wJCbDVLHtFmiudcVoEfV0yn5YKD2TNz_TIs66J5uKbywyYlnXTfoXxTAI36Xz5kdRTK8rnVl60K5nwNmES0vXRx7yInmEeX7/s1500/IMG_0143.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nzfgGLgpKZLARimzKizBeZBt8c2L2cHaF1v0ys-Szk5xsOpufU0nCiMMRxEPfjyzhanXV1LLu4JsuRIz8WY-wJCbDVLHtFmiudcVoEfV0yn5YKD2TNz_TIs66J5uKbywyYlnXTfoXxTAI36Xz5kdRTK8rnVl60K5nwNmES0vXRx7yInmEeX7/w640-h480/IMG_0143.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Back on the shuttle we reached the end of the line at Hermit's Rest, a building of unique design to integrate into the environment the work of architect <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Colter" target="_blank">Mary Coulter</a>. Like so many others connected with the creation of the Canyon park a fascinating character. Today it is a gift shop, cafe (of sorts) and restrooms.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMrvIvyhd--XwbBTe3kFBZx3C0upeM0i9lIMsG1KxSOphwLclE0OViZ9eRS7TRKEi6WDR59tcXncjLaopBEUSrHsDAKT-uE3iCX3Ce-RWrKcfhcVUoLOM_yM29QvBoQ5oqazqE6McmH8PRQFvdYbbv44Xy8LTMXtOfpjxGU7hPiD3O24w1HulL/s1500/IMG_0145.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMrvIvyhd--XwbBTe3kFBZx3C0upeM0i9lIMsG1KxSOphwLclE0OViZ9eRS7TRKEi6WDR59tcXncjLaopBEUSrHsDAKT-uE3iCX3Ce-RWrKcfhcVUoLOM_yM29QvBoQ5oqazqE6McmH8PRQFvdYbbv44Xy8LTMXtOfpjxGU7hPiD3O24w1HulL/w640-h480/IMG_0145.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg9_-AKBFuqFPnBwBbIUZq0GjO7_37npKpzd6Zx-yzg1gNA91vlHslp_WqfIrWJ7O-c5a3hxvqV407mL_KmAVc_ILIi3pwgiIw3QlyPX8XJsX-aPRCcFLvqlDNf18-whbrh5zA_7aurJeZvTIzbBMa4SW4Ukxsf1RTHRGPKsBhpqTjNViXqY78/s1500/IMG_0148.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg9_-AKBFuqFPnBwBbIUZq0GjO7_37npKpzd6Zx-yzg1gNA91vlHslp_WqfIrWJ7O-c5a3hxvqV407mL_KmAVc_ILIi3pwgiIw3QlyPX8XJsX-aPRCcFLvqlDNf18-whbrh5zA_7aurJeZvTIzbBMa4SW4Ukxsf1RTHRGPKsBhpqTjNViXqY78/w640-h480/IMG_0148.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTs-y3yX42E54Y49EGWN9OUklDqtj-k8NmcYQBJjuhd11W1vKsL7aYdncb85LFFAGmHrwIOwWjBvUUDIHtZoG_9i3G2OZ84SPUE-0B7psucg9PU-bHtAm4PS20qUjiuHkzfRhXYgsQhkAJW3kmcPwi33yTXM-wRrreBPKbddvIq34RSEj1J5j4/s1500/IMG_0151.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTs-y3yX42E54Y49EGWN9OUklDqtj-k8NmcYQBJjuhd11W1vKsL7aYdncb85LFFAGmHrwIOwWjBvUUDIHtZoG_9i3G2OZ84SPUE-0B7psucg9PU-bHtAm4PS20qUjiuHkzfRhXYgsQhkAJW3kmcPwi33yTXM-wRrreBPKbddvIq34RSEj1J5j4/w640-h480/IMG_0151.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjof2zpPM3XSOybKTKCfT9VMBtKOuMKvrgJwtH4kg9hMFTDp3pzs3RKviu7320pmAcMEFJzoPweihNyKSDfmnrn7rmuw_ops3YGt5l7TLmHHnZV6GjYPPeD75SfY12-vbL5NOM3DOQV5y-PakgEahefvewkFcLDVvMmIY_-C12zsJbQcntojHcv/s1500/IMG_0153.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjof2zpPM3XSOybKTKCfT9VMBtKOuMKvrgJwtH4kg9hMFTDp3pzs3RKviu7320pmAcMEFJzoPweihNyKSDfmnrn7rmuw_ops3YGt5l7TLmHHnZV6GjYPPeD75SfY12-vbL5NOM3DOQV5y-PakgEahefvewkFcLDVvMmIY_-C12zsJbQcntojHcv/w640-h480/IMG_0153.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Once back at the lodge we rested, refreshed ourselves and in the early afternoon took the Orange route shuttle from the visitor center out to Yaki Point and the eastern side of the South Rim.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdzJvme1iWzkNTQ8eqCYpRGy-5tVcgggnEWZGG9bzrAM4Ql1M-xV7kIrFsLbYt8iiUjF4UdIw5XgXVEzOpxMtsaD8aa8OuGjVoPF9PXFkSb878WxsuSkLYFYErxQCIc-j8Z19PUatNCjfZpRMJljs-jcmmx2DHbairbHXbPd48hn5QyKg1tmY/s1500/IMG_0159.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdzJvme1iWzkNTQ8eqCYpRGy-5tVcgggnEWZGG9bzrAM4Ql1M-xV7kIrFsLbYt8iiUjF4UdIw5XgXVEzOpxMtsaD8aa8OuGjVoPF9PXFkSb878WxsuSkLYFYErxQCIc-j8Z19PUatNCjfZpRMJljs-jcmmx2DHbairbHXbPd48hn5QyKg1tmY/w640-h480/IMG_0159.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXuGErQbRCjac08gsd9dH26rEk1grwqmFDotihhvbFYwNUG4N0ZxO01yj1cs46-bhVvxva_gnY4OdByArvQDs_4DxXsUWN7sRPxRrjhJlm3gh-8YrbxkB1mqNJZLgcdcIAxy0rTxr02k4H9LTROUcRrtrgZiokXTAIc-QbZz9i7l-WC98Lp0T/s1500/IMG_0160.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXuGErQbRCjac08gsd9dH26rEk1grwqmFDotihhvbFYwNUG4N0ZxO01yj1cs46-bhVvxva_gnY4OdByArvQDs_4DxXsUWN7sRPxRrjhJlm3gh-8YrbxkB1mqNJZLgcdcIAxy0rTxr02k4H9LTROUcRrtrgZiokXTAIc-QbZz9i7l-WC98Lp0T/w640-h480/IMG_0160.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibofAfSTbHeGp_4AAz8VcfiRIcPQ0o_duodeOkxTp6dIA_IJjJkPO7I-mjnHPLQMFN-EPY7f_51qkDTiXWZ7rANqQu0xlsFQGBKCZ0_nG545QCDKwZQil8YymF_fy734FPcIifEfknIEBtjLHqGca-sAkTwLjtfvmx49kAW_XCY8Ijpynm-SIS/s1500/IMG_0161.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibofAfSTbHeGp_4AAz8VcfiRIcPQ0o_duodeOkxTp6dIA_IJjJkPO7I-mjnHPLQMFN-EPY7f_51qkDTiXWZ7rANqQu0xlsFQGBKCZ0_nG545QCDKwZQil8YymF_fy734FPcIifEfknIEBtjLHqGca-sAkTwLjtfvmx49kAW_XCY8Ijpynm-SIS/w640-h480/IMG_0161.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fFu3Ml2F2FBfr8YoWWVEyCAW19R-0Nmtbaitnr2wScRwcH_OeQ_VqtMiId2m2nLZIOEKDznz_b-xBs5NI90p21hi5RE2Ryz8E9b3QbId0G5SfiWm3CUu6ECoXM9mGt0CqUSD_B2658gH0oJBoOFdr5Aukj0qp1pn6nCuOwk4gDfPLAVW96k_/s1500/IMG_0163.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fFu3Ml2F2FBfr8YoWWVEyCAW19R-0Nmtbaitnr2wScRwcH_OeQ_VqtMiId2m2nLZIOEKDznz_b-xBs5NI90p21hi5RE2Ryz8E9b3QbId0G5SfiWm3CUu6ECoXM9mGt0CqUSD_B2658gH0oJBoOFdr5Aukj0qp1pn6nCuOwk4gDfPLAVW96k_/w640-h480/IMG_0163.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">typical of the desert scrub landscape here</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTZRsZIe8DNCkc6exeB_TK2jdrf9KbFkJwQzpxmK4-dUqBpEBz5-wfn-lKH5eZFrpTv9s5eHGNzrHRWaqz0XWUXM6Cu1sj2TO4ob7ZCYkTaVv3qocSPiSnszyGG63Fhpoh1otmtleabyDg_clj_RMaW5Y7qaeR06CgRI-iGxz2xDyEljbYQjo/s1500/IMG_0164.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTZRsZIe8DNCkc6exeB_TK2jdrf9KbFkJwQzpxmK4-dUqBpEBz5-wfn-lKH5eZFrpTv9s5eHGNzrHRWaqz0XWUXM6Cu1sj2TO4ob7ZCYkTaVv3qocSPiSnszyGG63Fhpoh1otmtleabyDg_clj_RMaW5Y7qaeR06CgRI-iGxz2xDyEljbYQjo/w640-h480/IMG_0164.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYXcWj3st-MvGB09RKb8ecJtCYptKIiszBggoqCWu0VSn4SgXui-787-T7LMov64vGMIkqt0h5hQdLvnOoyZUFas9ayE3_dmi9OujHwFGNiHBiiX1_GPUnBBbMed9g6pg9BNqOevRkQvmIg0Xl4fnPio5QEj69o7F53nQyA2cykmvD82Yi71t1/s1500/IMG_0166.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYXcWj3st-MvGB09RKb8ecJtCYptKIiszBggoqCWu0VSn4SgXui-787-T7LMov64vGMIkqt0h5hQdLvnOoyZUFas9ayE3_dmi9OujHwFGNiHBiiX1_GPUnBBbMed9g6pg9BNqOevRkQvmIg0Xl4fnPio5QEj69o7F53nQyA2cykmvD82Yi71t1/w640-h480/IMG_0166.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj450Z84Ntv9qqgiBVZV5f4-qaKdZ7R1py9y7RjrZX_p8NQmLX76gTwhWFZlwLjLy3atc0c42HL_wHg_65ItlgRqsL1wMgDdlQ3OaF1Hs1iipToAcf9F4uBMaBMjTmSxgbG-KyjadnvzjooDEFrE-lp9doe3aJXlx62W0xJeOiEq-S1bwg2sTGS/s1500/IMG_0168.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj450Z84Ntv9qqgiBVZV5f4-qaKdZ7R1py9y7RjrZX_p8NQmLX76gTwhWFZlwLjLy3atc0c42HL_wHg_65ItlgRqsL1wMgDdlQ3OaF1Hs1iipToAcf9F4uBMaBMjTmSxgbG-KyjadnvzjooDEFrE-lp9doe3aJXlx62W0xJeOiEq-S1bwg2sTGS/w640-h480/IMG_0168.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg48PYQ7UicU7aYsFM_JcsXET6rlHnRfCsRIcj4lvtMOUsKPJGtgFDM5zhe-OKWPt5DCt19_WXnosKcxX9FV2HZK5rCZPpkgdaxsa5KdmyzxvBHd-MLDVgvvT3eZ9me_7CAinuCmqbyax81CTHFJD4Z5U1EUSJcbpn0-7zVPMpOM3AKet0vaTT/s1500/IMG_0169.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg48PYQ7UicU7aYsFM_JcsXET6rlHnRfCsRIcj4lvtMOUsKPJGtgFDM5zhe-OKWPt5DCt19_WXnosKcxX9FV2HZK5rCZPpkgdaxsa5KdmyzxvBHd-MLDVgvvT3eZ9me_7CAinuCmqbyax81CTHFJD4Z5U1EUSJcbpn0-7zVPMpOM3AKet0vaTT/w640-h480/IMG_0169.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzH7is2wM0UpoydAKTle13QSvzmJmk3D0lefh7AUaG_Tbn9NHLsPWR2HXuJ-tEifOHiUILPQFa5OLNzI91dL9xJc4EoCX95ItFOx2oHKxp6v7LRcgR7Ibn4jIuVhJnQ0sPtH-MeoT-GMxyZEONXmookBpsuzXMRR_Fa1DxWLZjra5WpJ7xMrF/s1500/IMG_0170.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzH7is2wM0UpoydAKTle13QSvzmJmk3D0lefh7AUaG_Tbn9NHLsPWR2HXuJ-tEifOHiUILPQFa5OLNzI91dL9xJc4EoCX95ItFOx2oHKxp6v7LRcgR7Ibn4jIuVhJnQ0sPtH-MeoT-GMxyZEONXmookBpsuzXMRR_Fa1DxWLZjra5WpJ7xMrF/w640-h480/IMG_0170.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQzlPoOCFRbg7H6WHjK-tlchKKSvET_3GbZGXxvwQ8jwX4y51KYf_gqnexM61A0NEkHIEApmJdXmIRkGpNSK5s_HpE9IQbnRj7_YgNxmwUPBYU9Q5xskqfWgwWFVt7m3sGSEBcvFWfesgJvOKf0pUaoV_yg72-2bkYslqv29EXkjQ5paq00dW/s1500/IMG_0171.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQzlPoOCFRbg7H6WHjK-tlchKKSvET_3GbZGXxvwQ8jwX4y51KYf_gqnexM61A0NEkHIEApmJdXmIRkGpNSK5s_HpE9IQbnRj7_YgNxmwUPBYU9Q5xskqfWgwWFVt7m3sGSEBcvFWfesgJvOKf0pUaoV_yg72-2bkYslqv29EXkjQ5paq00dW/w640-h480/IMG_0171.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrS4n6_pnZ68M4FQtGJetSWjcElU4eY5HkgipPkaBktP8pHmoCKjVfNECIxl3MEMBO5BbWDWy5GRL1XlTQ0z7FHQtJADdMc4ybvEX0-LhyXOHUXBR7MyvdJhSa3xS80vdsqH5BzgVnPe42sKWpDRw0OjPq1tTOkya0EpVreeAnzjsU1uTY14r-/s1500/IMG_0172.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrS4n6_pnZ68M4FQtGJetSWjcElU4eY5HkgipPkaBktP8pHmoCKjVfNECIxl3MEMBO5BbWDWy5GRL1XlTQ0z7FHQtJADdMc4ybvEX0-LhyXOHUXBR7MyvdJhSa3xS80vdsqH5BzgVnPe42sKWpDRw0OjPq1tTOkya0EpVreeAnzjsU1uTY14r-/w640-h480/IMG_0172.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">waiting for the shuttle</td></tr></tbody></table><p>From Yaki Point we returned to the visitor center and walked five minutes to nearby Mather Point. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5204TMgFLhv4GGsZdiwkL9UJvXFfM0Lwx9dNcQ-9QeHQ75v10bk12bpTO-2WvQMDJ9DE1bwc13THUT87aGA3g0YDkl6frD5nqeNrFQ_1I3Zq6RIXSpTiKR87Uk5Yx4yB6gARvdKny4Ls_peIp7-P7TGVux_jTPw7K7VGmS8Fid8CjsVl06BDE/s1500/IMG_0174.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5204TMgFLhv4GGsZdiwkL9UJvXFfM0Lwx9dNcQ-9QeHQ75v10bk12bpTO-2WvQMDJ9DE1bwc13THUT87aGA3g0YDkl6frD5nqeNrFQ_1I3Zq6RIXSpTiKR87Uk5Yx4yB6gARvdKny4Ls_peIp7-P7TGVux_jTPw7K7VGmS8Fid8CjsVl06BDE/w640-h480/IMG_0174.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOmy9-7yE1Xmi1cREdvoToudWKD7ljmPzvlLNxcz54nnjNknR9M5e1Fb2UrrbGO68HzvjvtLM9zxfJE4xc2VSSQVrWqFV_w5OtR3HzfSbbHhImEH_W2zGrkSR7-jwPZQkxyZB8uC7SlQFTJmWRwV15Tr7N0MjEdHRPXCb3jffi7W2QW3xxGxI/s1500/IMG_0175.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisyGDqBhEh4K00tZVS2lfLgVR3oS2_zs-XrKGFzCqIjkuPrAL1J40KIdIVGByk1Ao7KxDJ_zzzZ4M_e7ITjS1LDWMtQBoSZPkBgArge8djM32k8KB9yLMDO0yRbEfMNuL6pdd0e73HYp-JsNpHbGFkpV30zaVrGmVHo0foVfBOCeuV9Vw5uVfE/s1500/IMG_0178.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisyGDqBhEh4K00tZVS2lfLgVR3oS2_zs-XrKGFzCqIjkuPrAL1J40KIdIVGByk1Ao7KxDJ_zzzZ4M_e7ITjS1LDWMtQBoSZPkBgArge8djM32k8KB9yLMDO0yRbEfMNuL6pdd0e73HYp-JsNpHbGFkpV30zaVrGmVHo0foVfBOCeuV9Vw5uVfE/w640-h480/IMG_0178.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7qlQuF10_ReCPW8TwlYK4axFHqbhXlWRtRwWlHb43wrF8B5ktowU3taoc1beMwfzPUJXNY2ouVRGXOaqPWinlmB0Peq_eo7fz3bHBdGJxzm_4DwQsYSLk9kzX4RcU4rkZ-DPAYZKMrFYix9eJ7fsQlze7i1jL8iTv4j0OzaJhKnXWLgvFBcW/s1500/IMG_0179.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7qlQuF10_ReCPW8TwlYK4axFHqbhXlWRtRwWlHb43wrF8B5ktowU3taoc1beMwfzPUJXNY2ouVRGXOaqPWinlmB0Peq_eo7fz3bHBdGJxzm_4DwQsYSLk9kzX4RcU4rkZ-DPAYZKMrFYix9eJ7fsQlze7i1jL8iTv4j0OzaJhKnXWLgvFBcW/w640-h480/IMG_0179.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYQJ0t65urFsNqsgKxjQIkFwL_uVQHo1fAh3k3CCgozLUEcWR1frQigrpFKre7JeG8mCdAGr2A7BcNLkNmW0ea7ydx8MRTtxxqWscYy6XcWWbCw2O3L2OvZe4NiUiAqwpqXumu6ShN9qliqbRweVm2ukgC9Vx-rLM6_u6wB3sVpwRuOd3UKGP/s1500/IMG_0180.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYQJ0t65urFsNqsgKxjQIkFwL_uVQHo1fAh3k3CCgozLUEcWR1frQigrpFKre7JeG8mCdAGr2A7BcNLkNmW0ea7ydx8MRTtxxqWscYy6XcWWbCw2O3L2OvZe4NiUiAqwpqXumu6ShN9qliqbRweVm2ukgC9Vx-rLM6_u6wB3sVpwRuOd3UKGP/w640-h480/IMG_0180.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUoDp1iGT1cecwVjrhbP452Ai_vqbGeISiM_IZWsEj3_cDCafZ2LtqrS_3QQG1O_Rn4DJRlbg1rXTFmfqpH6-mCarJhvIMeN-kVXUKyDM6_2hvAMYP7dd8loyqZZPSySCi2q3mFP0NxfHKij17Knqg4Doliu5hqZnJmxA5lAhlltS7XtkO-1nF/s1500/IMG_0183.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUoDp1iGT1cecwVjrhbP452Ai_vqbGeISiM_IZWsEj3_cDCafZ2LtqrS_3QQG1O_Rn4DJRlbg1rXTFmfqpH6-mCarJhvIMeN-kVXUKyDM6_2hvAMYP7dd8loyqZZPSySCi2q3mFP0NxfHKij17Knqg4Doliu5hqZnJmxA5lAhlltS7XtkO-1nF/w640-h480/IMG_0183.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglVqqa6QWP5GaD5IXGmgJSP3b_1F6BCSCyrigr6aO-yVLJZYbqSdNxHxPwU849nwdg6Lbpi7VWTMdsUwjxjACe9kYtsM9Oa7O5Kymud6uSPcUE0Y_U0AVyce4AJTa0eGDdZYYgZsPS4m_tYpMhzpAgVigqs_MhXqLRurlTb-wyFxJqpEVZjx-_/s1500/IMG_0184.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglVqqa6QWP5GaD5IXGmgJSP3b_1F6BCSCyrigr6aO-yVLJZYbqSdNxHxPwU849nwdg6Lbpi7VWTMdsUwjxjACe9kYtsM9Oa7O5Kymud6uSPcUE0Y_U0AVyce4AJTa0eGDdZYYgZsPS4m_tYpMhzpAgVigqs_MhXqLRurlTb-wyFxJqpEVZjx-_/w640-h480/IMG_0184.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">looking back </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyYppC9Xj3e-UEr7rldT7Qbe_8vKIVegdHP1G5-MymDvH7QqZiq5w6MHL8ednD7NoPn5AtAlMoexpc' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p>Back at the center we took the Blue route shuttle into the village and got off at Yavapai Lodge where we sat outside with a brace of beers and chips and salsa.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXBowXdAxpxDto9PoRDhobf5JAF9bdL9HAM9TtyOp6oyYry55YOnuvBzKrWWA1ZEVGOR4J9vDDz0s0TFSvrd5vzSHZDYZMSyXMQDGL_sWwkX8_nWVdzJKPYYTWnEWR9eWkP5ccA--L1sEdzUCJ5iFPae4BZPYCvtWoup4z3E5jwv-gWO1QJIGt/s1500/IMG_0188.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXBowXdAxpxDto9PoRDhobf5JAF9bdL9HAM9TtyOp6oyYry55YOnuvBzKrWWA1ZEVGOR4J9vDDz0s0TFSvrd5vzSHZDYZMSyXMQDGL_sWwkX8_nWVdzJKPYYTWnEWR9eWkP5ccA--L1sEdzUCJ5iFPae4BZPYCvtWoup4z3E5jwv-gWO1QJIGt/w640-h480/IMG_0188.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Eventually we returned to our room and relaxed. A little before 6:00 pm we took our glasses of wine and walked over to the rim to appreciate the fading light on the canyon. We also caught sight of the bull elk wandering around cabins.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjufLP1bhDEy2BzDe9iTvEHypXJsUZBU7iBIohImIQH9oAT0OEdZqXK9_HlMDxk9g0WBDoYu_61WZXTClUkQC_crgxOU0tfm10FnELhoNt0as5DRBl2GEa3keJJAcPtnfO0pXtF6Kx-oSJfVvNwONYwb2wi2lRv7lSX7pRQeTk3ZS1Eq9U1Of5_/s1500/IMG_0190.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjufLP1bhDEy2BzDe9iTvEHypXJsUZBU7iBIohImIQH9oAT0OEdZqXK9_HlMDxk9g0WBDoYu_61WZXTClUkQC_crgxOU0tfm10FnELhoNt0as5DRBl2GEa3keJJAcPtnfO0pXtF6Kx-oSJfVvNwONYwb2wi2lRv7lSX7pRQeTk3ZS1Eq9U1Of5_/w640-h480/IMG_0190.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiejbenuYus-r126C8JjSfaIEnB5BRNIGuURJsJLdYG-eO7oVlsdKgFi70HxqrgC1jOXjgZyo3JbKdBMAC73F7jsxLSmDfQlDFzpXYFc1nx6ARM2S-QXAr27k8-RHesclcmnhSlnzIGIPgmmlzRHppeyrDD9wqe3nDO-KI4GN6TmuyIdTx2VXv2/s1500/IMG_0191.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiejbenuYus-r126C8JjSfaIEnB5BRNIGuURJsJLdYG-eO7oVlsdKgFi70HxqrgC1jOXjgZyo3JbKdBMAC73F7jsxLSmDfQlDFzpXYFc1nx6ARM2S-QXAr27k8-RHesclcmnhSlnzIGIPgmmlzRHppeyrDD9wqe3nDO-KI4GN6TmuyIdTx2VXv2/w640-h480/IMG_0191.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sitting outside the Lookout Studio looking back toward the Lodge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DmKuVE1gHK39CqU_rR--yMdfIDCS40yj_TtfFV53hPy3j_a7zica7dxVeSbE8oqW7-e4RNHjfwCXpI_4kHYO6-NGSletxG73hBu_dvRy8dB5ITPUjSsNWWigGh8JWBA-TVZnCu0w0mIBu2z7VtBQgIJuW-Vip9wMq7VLNl4MyN6X6EqgV8S1/s1500/IMG_0192.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DmKuVE1gHK39CqU_rR--yMdfIDCS40yj_TtfFV53hPy3j_a7zica7dxVeSbE8oqW7-e4RNHjfwCXpI_4kHYO6-NGSletxG73hBu_dvRy8dB5ITPUjSsNWWigGh8JWBA-TVZnCu0w0mIBu2z7VtBQgIJuW-Vip9wMq7VLNl4MyN6X6EqgV8S1/w640-h480/IMG_0192.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">from atop Lookout Studio</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjggohPDysAbwBPHPMxsSy8GMJFWuwKDxTWgX-SSmauLebEa-QAOEE5R9qntwuCnq7xAuaJNCgpjUW3iw4iGvjqNbUCtg1coWfFfM95BDt0pEXjZF7xEROgmqi1fZT7btG19ZZ_ZX8Bn68qKC5mox29pVtrmSthT_9b0xrubTyGYCXvghWi-Q8U/s1500/IMG_0193.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjggohPDysAbwBPHPMxsSy8GMJFWuwKDxTWgX-SSmauLebEa-QAOEE5R9qntwuCnq7xAuaJNCgpjUW3iw4iGvjqNbUCtg1coWfFfM95BDt0pEXjZF7xEROgmqi1fZT7btG19ZZ_ZX8Bn68qKC5mox29pVtrmSthT_9b0xrubTyGYCXvghWi-Q8U/w640-h480/IMG_0193.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">looking toward the Lodge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEresIGrRzJt9W6L_ELLFmuIZ2C4JBPGeNEb0RakZIyxaoWbyuLvSPvuF-IQgCgtRxRxtq9-4sraO8kfPC11kfsId3yHlhX7DJE3hCQaS_Rv1H2vB_MdFeOvYODOb8Ht5PkX40kKYVdWo_EMvMtT65FuOqHZp5UnTSu0RW99f8T1BMniVOpjgd/s1500/IMG_0194.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEresIGrRzJt9W6L_ELLFmuIZ2C4JBPGeNEb0RakZIyxaoWbyuLvSPvuF-IQgCgtRxRxtq9-4sraO8kfPC11kfsId3yHlhX7DJE3hCQaS_Rv1H2vB_MdFeOvYODOb8Ht5PkX40kKYVdWo_EMvMtT65FuOqHZp5UnTSu0RW99f8T1BMniVOpjgd/w640-h480/IMG_0194.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8w4R7ynYBt9SJ8T9Fm14wEn6XZjjpO3sC5L-ix2ogW9klqTk4uISABOSzY8PP-Bndz0J2ooLDHA2hFWhg3osI5THDPvCwFnJOCdT0eYB_emPgbOlUTFQrk1_9TtuvhHxzPO8OfX_GyLzieKz-z3IfthmXIYY2PdgLHA6-iKhkuGSz97CZ3-e/s1500/IMG_0195.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8w4R7ynYBt9SJ8T9Fm14wEn6XZjjpO3sC5L-ix2ogW9klqTk4uISABOSzY8PP-Bndz0J2ooLDHA2hFWhg3osI5THDPvCwFnJOCdT0eYB_emPgbOlUTFQrk1_9TtuvhHxzPO8OfX_GyLzieKz-z3IfthmXIYY2PdgLHA6-iKhkuGSz97CZ3-e/w640-h480/IMG_0195.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the Lookout Studio</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRG7wk0k5ifw4gvL7btHNvMyh_QZC4ljXd3Rz6tZbFhYZqJcxYOU7tkIX6vRyx1nzAT3pf40GX2mwT-YnrUEvYqSu5JOMRpIeW7oyMtb0zYYXnGv_ey3n_v6dhRQUFnEnbPERz9iebHPBgrlgu7GfF61mct9KkQ70rX1z-m2BqLD2VTrofPuVi/s1500/IMG_0196.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRG7wk0k5ifw4gvL7btHNvMyh_QZC4ljXd3Rz6tZbFhYZqJcxYOU7tkIX6vRyx1nzAT3pf40GX2mwT-YnrUEvYqSu5JOMRpIeW7oyMtb0zYYXnGv_ey3n_v6dhRQUFnEnbPERz9iebHPBgrlgu7GfF61mct9KkQ70rX1z-m2BqLD2VTrofPuVi/w640-h480/IMG_0196.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXU17lC3K9N4aJjGI-DKVTqK4YsgMFKmPT7JEnibuJVmuxlL-Di9eB4AFynUdYQLeJEjuVLCD0oR8ZFwKAPdyq9K_2wHpGRymUHDgKML-54vnBHDcRKe6GUDdsKPoolYPPm-CZT-9KAz7iqrupzoDzZ9c7DSBIc6Oam8l5Pkpm_F7YoddEpK7/s1500/IMG_0198.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXU17lC3K9N4aJjGI-DKVTqK4YsgMFKmPT7JEnibuJVmuxlL-Di9eB4AFynUdYQLeJEjuVLCD0oR8ZFwKAPdyq9K_2wHpGRymUHDgKML-54vnBHDcRKe6GUDdsKPoolYPPm-CZT-9KAz7iqrupzoDzZ9c7DSBIc6Oam8l5Pkpm_F7YoddEpK7/w640-h480/IMG_0198.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2UWtjqfzGwzsD-euofXPBjSPT2FSzOP85CA50s8jyWxaN6AMDcpCL9v1-nZoYdcS3vDAl3vqk0ikjdjLn2K83MpEVtXRu97CsHE8TxB56j0kToA2E72uR4G5KWbY9JaQQ0kGso-IuPdcH8elcIVnIC0YE0yhpXjeVRLOQZ4rvPfrTkTQrFj3g/s1500/IMG_0200.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2UWtjqfzGwzsD-euofXPBjSPT2FSzOP85CA50s8jyWxaN6AMDcpCL9v1-nZoYdcS3vDAl3vqk0ikjdjLn2K83MpEVtXRu97CsHE8TxB56j0kToA2E72uR4G5KWbY9JaQQ0kGso-IuPdcH8elcIVnIC0YE0yhpXjeVRLOQZ4rvPfrTkTQrFj3g/w640-h480/IMG_0200.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>After a workmanlike meal at the Lodge cafe we walked outside into another glorious starry sky. Susan spotted both big and little dippers and we could easily make out the Milky Way. Walking along the rim in the dark — phone flashlights easing the way — we also noticed one or two dedicated hikers with headlamps on coming up the trail. Crazy we thought. </p>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-85885782078700816642023-09-18T10:05:00.160-04:002023-09-20T15:10:15.594-04:00Grand Canyon South Rim<p> [Sunday 17 September]</p><p>Another cool, crisp, sunny day greeted us this morning. We packed the car and headed off to the Lodge Saloon for morning coffee and one final visit to the North Rim. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwOrOrWmskY7ZjCxr-38LbWE3uKvZ7GNfDWTvoKTSIyNERes7ck49c8C-v6QVEGnzVks7mr2XnJEiBqu1P00DCddI1kYh-qRUdPy9uXQEWkOTCFXQ30t1hLm5YZwxsXvyTCA_LBZDnxa7V56qc2V2gxPF_4fsU_2bloHrFlSXOeRIiNTY3ZdH/s1500/IMG_0051.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwOrOrWmskY7ZjCxr-38LbWE3uKvZ7GNfDWTvoKTSIyNERes7ck49c8C-v6QVEGnzVks7mr2XnJEiBqu1P00DCddI1kYh-qRUdPy9uXQEWkOTCFXQ30t1hLm5YZwxsXvyTCA_LBZDnxa7V56qc2V2gxPF_4fsU_2bloHrFlSXOeRIiNTY3ZdH/w640-h480/IMG_0051.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JwtK4cukO7EN90V_yBxCI_cbc203KU91vUv4Jd_564lnfJ37DMP_7x8Js1m0NxOdyD02k6WtVLD3_mlKijdpNBYgpCtlTDqada1DJpWBD9fK-t6E7f-7Dli0Uemo8YFrI13MX5NtVfFmCvGWZJ6wJgD_YzyjjcGdpNUJKu7UZzqD-gdsE-A9/s1500/IMG_0052.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JwtK4cukO7EN90V_yBxCI_cbc203KU91vUv4Jd_564lnfJ37DMP_7x8Js1m0NxOdyD02k6WtVLD3_mlKijdpNBYgpCtlTDqada1DJpWBD9fK-t6E7f-7Dli0Uemo8YFrI13MX5NtVfFmCvGWZJ6wJgD_YzyjjcGdpNUJKu7UZzqD-gdsE-A9/w640-h480/IMG_0052.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The drive was uneventful and traffic light. Within the first two hours we dropped from over 8000 feet to 4000, passing through scrub desert as we scooted along the base of the Vermillion Cliffs, a wall of rock that stretched for as far as the eye could see.</p><p>We passed through the Navajo Reservation and over the Little Colorado River and then crossed the Colorado itself as we made our way to the east entrance of the park’s South Rim. </p><p>Just inside the park was our first genuine glimpse of the south rim at Desert View and what a view!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzFHdawmKE49byNahtfno2_kU-Fa6G1Zb087gp9uXlEBABAleNW4hOHFj9sA_gUrld6mNoy3MM6n800oGzshQeFHiGRbcOcIKf5zOd07tadahpPMFawH3KixYq9oFHrLulIpVDWu4j_YG8umKmsww400HrmpdiQ2qSqqGel9kkp1utexlv3Zp/s1500/IMG_0055.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1003" data-original-width="1500" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzFHdawmKE49byNahtfno2_kU-Fa6G1Zb087gp9uXlEBABAleNW4hOHFj9sA_gUrld6mNoy3MM6n800oGzshQeFHiGRbcOcIKf5zOd07tadahpPMFawH3KixYq9oFHrLulIpVDWu4j_YG8umKmsww400HrmpdiQ2qSqqGel9kkp1utexlv3Zp/w640-h428/IMG_0055.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIvrEbV4HRdBgH_Pqo3_WiGW1MMa4m15VAsTiKMO_trUolbOAKjRmewKMpEtdTi1gpKkzChUy_i8vmQE-CASBPspIxT_vfUdgUWrVnQl3wmjbLP8FKnCOKQv9kB_2VMGuB8kPFdgn25hRAD94HtUdpIyqP_5axgX5ViwQKa251J6qcaDeZF_d/s1500/IMG_0056.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIvrEbV4HRdBgH_Pqo3_WiGW1MMa4m15VAsTiKMO_trUolbOAKjRmewKMpEtdTi1gpKkzChUy_i8vmQE-CASBPspIxT_vfUdgUWrVnQl3wmjbLP8FKnCOKQv9kB_2VMGuB8kPFdgn25hRAD94HtUdpIyqP_5axgX5ViwQKa251J6qcaDeZF_d/w640-h480/IMG_0056.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BPjXTsMHYvdxNY__9rc28ScwQL6-H6M1-4GwZd8VokfQl2ZPVt0pVEYQ07QMzTynMTx_qYMNm9JU65jP2VcJDS8LmByAziLVM6JVaHYwHDndVIWg5F7eKqWgU8rIzjsnymD_b5SSeVJZ3KIeLOANMPbIm0HLkSsviTD-7P84OEmYpXF-yUzl/s1500/IMG_0057.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BPjXTsMHYvdxNY__9rc28ScwQL6-H6M1-4GwZd8VokfQl2ZPVt0pVEYQ07QMzTynMTx_qYMNm9JU65jP2VcJDS8LmByAziLVM6JVaHYwHDndVIWg5F7eKqWgU8rIzjsnymD_b5SSeVJZ3KIeLOANMPbIm0HLkSsviTD-7P84OEmYpXF-yUzl/w640-h480/IMG_0057.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vW3GMrPOd8oAmLQsLj3FrVsqqZ5czjFL_ctVmgtMOvDsw8yci-kq_lyk6qcjj4vtXWtgsSOtFWQotE4pNMrRpUY6PC-4C85VkOlukFrYW574p0oasR_GZdjYHEGBpFmOpkDqlVakQZx7eCrzwlPav1Kc-1KyvQdjJk_V3S-WactB0KtsSlfc/s1500/IMG_0058.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vW3GMrPOd8oAmLQsLj3FrVsqqZ5czjFL_ctVmgtMOvDsw8yci-kq_lyk6qcjj4vtXWtgsSOtFWQotE4pNMrRpUY6PC-4C85VkOlukFrYW574p0oasR_GZdjYHEGBpFmOpkDqlVakQZx7eCrzwlPav1Kc-1KyvQdjJk_V3S-WactB0KtsSlfc/w640-h480/IMG_0058.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5AnD4urlx7xFlL5SqzLqhKO1_Gc8ctSRYeR9JgONp1CGDjD_M0t3HiOCJHwbqX7JTFEwZIJ17nmjzn31VSGwke7dfqH-EzbV_PVDuXbJlNLZYD1GzJ4VeZmYkof6GDLrFqx0qWJRsiPNvK-J9m082sFWGHr39-WpWpxt495yyzt-fdCEWTxi/s1500/IMG_0059.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5AnD4urlx7xFlL5SqzLqhKO1_Gc8ctSRYeR9JgONp1CGDjD_M0t3HiOCJHwbqX7JTFEwZIJ17nmjzn31VSGwke7dfqH-EzbV_PVDuXbJlNLZYD1GzJ4VeZmYkof6GDLrFqx0qWJRsiPNvK-J9m082sFWGHr39-WpWpxt495yyzt-fdCEWTxi/w640-h480/IMG_0059.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcr-70l5trI-8fm9ol1qXL9lxhAmAkrdRJopkFoVDAQcZOobPfoXEVdY4KPs8ARugBT4W2_GlUXo9T5pIoTLVsfqaiwuoKGYkPKPh4yHsEqdY88Z7fhXpRn-2_7cBxPh5Zx6IgDoeuz71_IuuEK8-8hfTFhbqe2rmZdbg8EH09aeYFotqS7ZQ0/s1500/IMG_0060.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcr-70l5trI-8fm9ol1qXL9lxhAmAkrdRJopkFoVDAQcZOobPfoXEVdY4KPs8ARugBT4W2_GlUXo9T5pIoTLVsfqaiwuoKGYkPKPh4yHsEqdY88Z7fhXpRn-2_7cBxPh5Zx6IgDoeuz71_IuuEK8-8hfTFhbqe2rmZdbg8EH09aeYFotqS7ZQ0/w640-h480/IMG_0060.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZG6aOlQcjzPl7TGPhNPjZVm3v6o8LihBMqDsW6Wkj0wlY9nUmSgXfifgkZIVcIkU2r-hvVCdaP4fity3wXZuqUkmdAblrzuAHfRk4-jUNttJijkwooc_VbNsmK3redrl1urOW5h1-n6gCRaKFNrfh5wdorvi47Ui6UoKttJcimiOuA58Gbmd/s1500/IMG_0061.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZG6aOlQcjzPl7TGPhNPjZVm3v6o8LihBMqDsW6Wkj0wlY9nUmSgXfifgkZIVcIkU2r-hvVCdaP4fity3wXZuqUkmdAblrzuAHfRk4-jUNttJijkwooc_VbNsmK3redrl1urOW5h1-n6gCRaKFNrfh5wdorvi47Ui6UoKttJcimiOuA58Gbmd/w640-h480/IMG_0061.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1UTBPGDqk-pPXzOZxhwPWW2KtrH9oXJ2cnI2vLiOti9tOgD5DPZYYHF090cxbckKXRL4M3ljKPruAFPfiyobwBwc0pRu7GaFwW5dxavQq_R0lQzHsp0A9O1zVA-58TIkB-rndHwmkZsbCP92Er3Fmnv0VDLgUdmtrLZ2lVE60YlBwsA2i5Pq/s1500/IMG_0062.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1UTBPGDqk-pPXzOZxhwPWW2KtrH9oXJ2cnI2vLiOti9tOgD5DPZYYHF090cxbckKXRL4M3ljKPruAFPfiyobwBwc0pRu7GaFwW5dxavQq_R0lQzHsp0A9O1zVA-58TIkB-rndHwmkZsbCP92Er3Fmnv0VDLgUdmtrLZ2lVE60YlBwsA2i5Pq/w640-h480/IMG_0062.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the Colorado River</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBQRrQvDhGwHWzCiC1ZR7JMKooewo1ypcZfb_LgZJe38z5FAJRnIWXjbtsvYFpZBPWZ62q5H6WbWfQ9_BHsJL1g46EI5Vsrv3qfbz8Yf1wBi5QEQyNrpe3wf6THfUjQb5ZbUdQjDm8V0QJMq2bivG1KGZGQLezTJNewKwToBncTe04CgmtcVj9/s1500/IMG_0063.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBQRrQvDhGwHWzCiC1ZR7JMKooewo1ypcZfb_LgZJe38z5FAJRnIWXjbtsvYFpZBPWZ62q5H6WbWfQ9_BHsJL1g46EI5Vsrv3qfbz8Yf1wBi5QEQyNrpe3wf6THfUjQb5ZbUdQjDm8V0QJMq2bivG1KGZGQLezTJNewKwToBncTe04CgmtcVj9/w640-h480/IMG_0063.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Watchtower</td></tr></tbody></table><p>At Desert View we learned of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1956_Grand_Canyon_mid-air_collision" target="_blank">midair collision</a> of United Flight 782 and TWA Flight 2 in 1956 that sent debris scattering over the canyon on the other side of the Colorado from the Watchtower. While most of the remains along with much of the wreckage were recovered, some debris is still scattered across the lower portions of the canyon near the crash sites.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdepIR3hwQ4arnoFwA54_EENRXnEuVVR05efpV5BcBSgtBi4J6vHVUITeKgLWSvaTMSHMf9Tsh-04-r1uKIalSVmzWBGzvd8-HDOP3vtD04WqKBkP592nc3fQ-6-s2wuG5cJugWY0JzkjUxALWVpOERcRt3dMGGuKMZkcsMEPKNzAA9ZaUiz9/s1500/IMG_0065.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdepIR3hwQ4arnoFwA54_EENRXnEuVVR05efpV5BcBSgtBi4J6vHVUITeKgLWSvaTMSHMf9Tsh-04-r1uKIalSVmzWBGzvd8-HDOP3vtD04WqKBkP592nc3fQ-6-s2wuG5cJugWY0JzkjUxALWVpOERcRt3dMGGuKMZkcsMEPKNzAA9ZaUiz9/w640-h480/IMG_0065.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the crash site marker </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6A_CVvb-SLH5LovcP1TUg5iQULQf66V4LIGghyi2ifz784REfGms7I2sUat2kAh8lU_YBoQI9c9utPK41DFoR7EYYfw6COn_NlUWYf4_qlyJVilQ1-Exft0zCT-QKAniVo39JATUc6nCXx5N8FJsgiTJ7hzd7yM9WyO57I7l96CBFdHX60w6w/s1500/IMG_0067.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6A_CVvb-SLH5LovcP1TUg5iQULQf66V4LIGghyi2ifz784REfGms7I2sUat2kAh8lU_YBoQI9c9utPK41DFoR7EYYfw6COn_NlUWYf4_qlyJVilQ1-Exft0zCT-QKAniVo39JATUc6nCXx5N8FJsgiTJ7hzd7yM9WyO57I7l96CBFdHX60w6w/w640-h480/IMG_0067.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNPcOoUzJaEYG_lntnPYmBUW47prOWZSrgByeL6vEMlsrcghRSuRSeFjeHUN2PpnRZep96gsX3rvbYPYaT7fTTjiGuXfpxea45ogrkD_Sb6H6gdM0yBe5pkWltqBtUNqC-9csI-XglQzZ8IXHmrcVftKlRfoUG0FPf0oM5lPid4U1u6HIF6JXK/s1500/IMG_0068.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNPcOoUzJaEYG_lntnPYmBUW47prOWZSrgByeL6vEMlsrcghRSuRSeFjeHUN2PpnRZep96gsX3rvbYPYaT7fTTjiGuXfpxea45ogrkD_Sb6H6gdM0yBe5pkWltqBtUNqC-9csI-XglQzZ8IXHmrcVftKlRfoUG0FPf0oM5lPid4U1u6HIF6JXK/w640-h480/IMG_0068.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixtUoUg2hmkfLYTPDxMAcvm-wT578-OEEyXZcTIJPCse8G-l9mdNwbTZd1DEOWiXwprciwKy35BUOpwfjzdfhJyr116u_TT9tObiI2pqE_3-QdTRLkaBc8LuTXakNRw87kqvUFVwUUG73hBqP-WdGolzHLfIdbJd7ZcdwHdRvFwidSoQj_Ii6z/s1500/IMG_0069.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixtUoUg2hmkfLYTPDxMAcvm-wT578-OEEyXZcTIJPCse8G-l9mdNwbTZd1DEOWiXwprciwKy35BUOpwfjzdfhJyr116u_TT9tObiI2pqE_3-QdTRLkaBc8LuTXakNRw87kqvUFVwUUG73hBqP-WdGolzHLfIdbJd7ZcdwHdRvFwidSoQj_Ii6z/w640-h480/IMG_0069.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Continuing our journey west toward Grand Canyon Village and the park visitor center we stopped at Lipon Point.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8dSN81OK3mFSipBL0UQ1JICvpYok0nmDZbQSqmTUpk73kuachiLMzRgfdhQ82jr1Ze1rcH3Llime2kDp8FOLMS0XKGfZgaeIMQ11SdvaApdL4rVSQw1Q2cZ_zFvX6kans_xMiaCl2bdy969ambc1-eBVuHg0el69WjXj7YQ1VZIJfM6OOXqq/s1500/IMG_0072.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8dSN81OK3mFSipBL0UQ1JICvpYok0nmDZbQSqmTUpk73kuachiLMzRgfdhQ82jr1Ze1rcH3Llime2kDp8FOLMS0XKGfZgaeIMQ11SdvaApdL4rVSQw1Q2cZ_zFvX6kans_xMiaCl2bdy969ambc1-eBVuHg0el69WjXj7YQ1VZIJfM6OOXqq/w640-h480/IMG_0072.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPaNnXhyxcxdlZZJ5DBoOLBltOaKKZYd8ziNDWRX3qx06RMjba8-58q69yZSGStmXXBylLvTNCaqXWU3w120--dIqPqjpYr9i_0ZYNHP2ABG3DulxNmJHvcx0IiiHQ9pf39pXJIpFoou6D4Q8i9sHRn1rRzWP1lWPP4ytQON9_RuOdwuoBbmV/s1500/IMG_0073.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPaNnXhyxcxdlZZJ5DBoOLBltOaKKZYd8ziNDWRX3qx06RMjba8-58q69yZSGStmXXBylLvTNCaqXWU3w120--dIqPqjpYr9i_0ZYNHP2ABG3DulxNmJHvcx0IiiHQ9pf39pXJIpFoou6D4Q8i9sHRn1rRzWP1lWPP4ytQON9_RuOdwuoBbmV/w640-h480/IMG_0073.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnV1mZMn4hvWLEthF4uzNKJR3e5sY8pwW-rSO9Wf-hkir_DBvbV5KrmG-_b9lIpV8Ck31ynMsO4ZFPlaJoNnTkZA7qjkk5IPt8q4ANVTo0C3mNg1P2Eu9dfOrPtoWirHTwZOkD6lNe3o0oXE-gtn05gbVWLIwh_Lrjl7jETPohHkaahxMt_BH/s1500/IMG_0070.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnV1mZMn4hvWLEthF4uzNKJR3e5sY8pwW-rSO9Wf-hkir_DBvbV5KrmG-_b9lIpV8Ck31ynMsO4ZFPlaJoNnTkZA7qjkk5IPt8q4ANVTo0C3mNg1P2Eu9dfOrPtoWirHTwZOkD6lNe3o0oXE-gtn05gbVWLIwh_Lrjl7jETPohHkaahxMt_BH/w640-h480/IMG_0070.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHoCTkYz8yLnVxxCnMae8PcGvbeCzUBQATTwhIFEA4WvqjdLqWT5ist20LhQAlZL6nfmmhFH8byJQSSborqcNiS9eoL_y_Uw_RPTHnS8D1e7T4XHc8x2X-6Ny8BZwv4tmiTrNYIr6Hb2jlImnRZ5yiY06HOsA7sW3To3LCG5lf6B9DE9oMl-ZL/s1500/IMG_0071.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHoCTkYz8yLnVxxCnMae8PcGvbeCzUBQATTwhIFEA4WvqjdLqWT5ist20LhQAlZL6nfmmhFH8byJQSSborqcNiS9eoL_y_Uw_RPTHnS8D1e7T4XHc8x2X-6Ny8BZwv4tmiTrNYIr6Hb2jlImnRZ5yiY06HOsA7sW3To3LCG5lf6B9DE9oMl-ZL/w640-h480/IMG_0071.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>We then moved on to Moran Point and Grandview Point before reaching Grand Canyon Village. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrS1Po4gdp5upvaK1sqPSsQHgidi8blvjhlgZCodZ3fyfWTZL1wFgcwCe-aLA1XdSKltP-d_oLaNPUtlyz_3KuedBYrxp7exLvAZzA9RsaO0MpROWNM7mOkhfw5QvT944BpxIHDA8-1M97OORx_G0EIlxKt-jakHhReiHoIogaEJ8ZpTxV2dWR/s1500/IMG_0074.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1500" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrS1Po4gdp5upvaK1sqPSsQHgidi8blvjhlgZCodZ3fyfWTZL1wFgcwCe-aLA1XdSKltP-d_oLaNPUtlyz_3KuedBYrxp7exLvAZzA9RsaO0MpROWNM7mOkhfw5QvT944BpxIHDA8-1M97OORx_G0EIlxKt-jakHhReiHoIogaEJ8ZpTxV2dWR/w640-h454/IMG_0074.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcP65Bagt0_W7cPZ8HxrsnZuIKGW8HP3x6dWtf_VwhRalDGb6Jg0_ZySdfLEyrsHKBqoMK-3RRdOTrcKgPEXuzrZnwKiBqPJEFIjI2U3dmTXtXOfLaeuSxaCdH38ommMVahiQLw9d1YbNDO4M2DVQf0N2vuNij2MhNHgYQV3gOf0YfpTtkdQd/s1500/IMG_0075.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcP65Bagt0_W7cPZ8HxrsnZuIKGW8HP3x6dWtf_VwhRalDGb6Jg0_ZySdfLEyrsHKBqoMK-3RRdOTrcKgPEXuzrZnwKiBqPJEFIjI2U3dmTXtXOfLaeuSxaCdH38ommMVahiQLw9d1YbNDO4M2DVQf0N2vuNij2MhNHgYQV3gOf0YfpTtkdQd/w640-h480/IMG_0075.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxBv9wY8uzxakX_hPSBkq-GdK6h0SZvonjPTGEZwonv8rSUfOp9mT9wgL4APDRtp9oxlETcNU3786gqjBldRyvQYkf_e-EFTlx9wS_Ba-ct7Lw3sbAQLERqy8aVB_urFX5NEGAdrlHBIQtL_XkDNgjJy2fMfOFVCwTFjAsxeIr4EW3MuEd6Aa/s1500/IMG_0076.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxBv9wY8uzxakX_hPSBkq-GdK6h0SZvonjPTGEZwonv8rSUfOp9mT9wgL4APDRtp9oxlETcNU3786gqjBldRyvQYkf_e-EFTlx9wS_Ba-ct7Lw3sbAQLERqy8aVB_urFX5NEGAdrlHBIQtL_XkDNgjJy2fMfOFVCwTFjAsxeIr4EW3MuEd6Aa/w640-h480/IMG_0076.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEuigRz5qI4IGIs5NOEQvkgVt61WmAYzbmd_GSAuT1cqclLNtMb1TuA8dLOKl6fV2gKbjRjfpocwYHJkmbosMHW5OMqvcIzaV3ZK3ppVbtOew0zeWnD6SGyjz6v-5yQ-QEYxQrFzy-mpOUWA8bO5-_MpOxfwLnsUT0NbhxdHx6VZCUK2ijUnZ/s1500/IMG_0077.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEuigRz5qI4IGIs5NOEQvkgVt61WmAYzbmd_GSAuT1cqclLNtMb1TuA8dLOKl6fV2gKbjRjfpocwYHJkmbosMHW5OMqvcIzaV3ZK3ppVbtOew0zeWnD6SGyjz6v-5yQ-QEYxQrFzy-mpOUWA8bO5-_MpOxfwLnsUT0NbhxdHx6VZCUK2ijUnZ/w640-h480/IMG_0077.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Grandview Point, and a grand view it is!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegWEZIuZOiRBiLoDmxFTc77VkkoiurZ89RKMXWX9mBwSCz3Oh7Yf0pyRjcH9d4aoXfskMcSzkpIbf-60JiRal4evGd8Gy6yB4_r2fIrjrhVbF7vziS5aA-bpMSJIToQUPOWfQ25NzW3VvQzDNTnYiKFDT2e40BWODrfFOMljqv5mG9zMDccTO/s1500/IMG_0078.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegWEZIuZOiRBiLoDmxFTc77VkkoiurZ89RKMXWX9mBwSCz3Oh7Yf0pyRjcH9d4aoXfskMcSzkpIbf-60JiRal4evGd8Gy6yB4_r2fIrjrhVbF7vziS5aA-bpMSJIToQUPOWfQ25NzW3VvQzDNTnYiKFDT2e40BWODrfFOMljqv5mG9zMDccTO/w640-h480/IMG_0078.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxczdJL3Nkg-cD-FeFS28KTF93W6G61dMi9goP0strW1QtQk4GNCaeZ_Yg8H5MEef7Yb83sYkxgbKD7U32GAvJO2YYj8lCrndTp0ZAHM8eEk4D7laVWHqDQEwl0HbheClx20TUA7CfnyBkAX0manYA4cdK9uPk3x_mTAhTo1gw5IkTDqpaeEh/s1500/IMG_0079.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxczdJL3Nkg-cD-FeFS28KTF93W6G61dMi9goP0strW1QtQk4GNCaeZ_Yg8H5MEef7Yb83sYkxgbKD7U32GAvJO2YYj8lCrndTp0ZAHM8eEk4D7laVWHqDQEwl0HbheClx20TUA7CfnyBkAX0manYA4cdK9uPk3x_mTAhTo1gw5IkTDqpaeEh/w640-h480/IMG_0079.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-_KTWWwfs3wG6T-XnUicaIkv9UiZUX_Dah1Dk9Pq0vOeor6G-97BqrHUI8a9RKOsP3L5OFtr9IH5x8HlUHPuFWVfb3cRzxpthVk7qUe9s41kSKCVcKjbmIxu4dZGLRpHWHNrA1_lgyy1ln0W0Pw4MDWMVQ7-Av3X--AOe5B5qqriCJMwuvCu/s1500/IMG_0080.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-_KTWWwfs3wG6T-XnUicaIkv9UiZUX_Dah1Dk9Pq0vOeor6G-97BqrHUI8a9RKOsP3L5OFtr9IH5x8HlUHPuFWVfb3cRzxpthVk7qUe9s41kSKCVcKjbmIxu4dZGLRpHWHNrA1_lgyy1ln0W0Pw4MDWMVQ7-Av3X--AOe5B5qqriCJMwuvCu/w640-h480/IMG_0080.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78PshRx_g5tilxW3cbsOGoZuY0ahX88G3IipDslSUFNOgF987yKLQP3b2rh3BHJ4titRv2qevtubEM2naGHMYC_XmgmRfODiQ4H-CBmmTQMcyQ6zoVaSEyJWH_Km5wJ0D5jGzRVs7DjT5YQxJqRfvCJh9LkJgbJuyvLs6SGLUNijdz3949Oyx/s1500/IMG_0081.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78PshRx_g5tilxW3cbsOGoZuY0ahX88G3IipDslSUFNOgF987yKLQP3b2rh3BHJ4titRv2qevtubEM2naGHMYC_XmgmRfODiQ4H-CBmmTQMcyQ6zoVaSEyJWH_Km5wJ0D5jGzRVs7DjT5YQxJqRfvCJh9LkJgbJuyvLs6SGLUNijdz3949Oyx/w640-h480/IMG_0081.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Fo0w46QWNSnVOgokVV3knu2MwoWU0w7_PnmlTRi4d88LTOig-VPu2FbV9337gHMvv7zHIMNYzOzMQzuleGwoRTOpfF-nbVfkMGaizJjpOqgYxc4C0mcnp81YFMGEv3X2RoQKbI9fwP8H7LTkaAN0MLw8vWEiy5HMCaMSTpiDMtFyPE3NrPYY/s1500/IMG_0082.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Fo0w46QWNSnVOgokVV3knu2MwoWU0w7_PnmlTRi4d88LTOig-VPu2FbV9337gHMvv7zHIMNYzOzMQzuleGwoRTOpfF-nbVfkMGaizJjpOqgYxc4C0mcnp81YFMGEv3X2RoQKbI9fwP8H7LTkaAN0MLw8vWEiy5HMCaMSTpiDMtFyPE3NrPYY/w640-h480/IMG_0082.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT9Dy7z3KehvPWYRkoSFTDHLfZR-e65hf68HsZgrxfOa3vlHLNHNjop3exf50SOIR8tdD7ImFqw9IAyRe5R9KOzJg6dIgaVLcSnBaQNGgmwR6JF3Rn_glti-IhyF_APW2ffpecbaz1DRBMwMrElCeXou5LfMuaAa8GDTYjcAVEalPgyiPsD8hJ/s1500/IMG_0083.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT9Dy7z3KehvPWYRkoSFTDHLfZR-e65hf68HsZgrxfOa3vlHLNHNjop3exf50SOIR8tdD7ImFqw9IAyRe5R9KOzJg6dIgaVLcSnBaQNGgmwR6JF3Rn_glti-IhyF_APW2ffpecbaz1DRBMwMrElCeXou5LfMuaAa8GDTYjcAVEalPgyiPsD8hJ/w640-h480/IMG_0083.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Once inside the village we made our way to the Bright Angel Lodge. As we approached the lodge, traffic was stalled because a bull elk was standing the roadway. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIjnmqd-PmMUI8ciBa_4Er1e3-B6H5DixJmtkoXV0J6BR-b5FSh2glD0ixg8ETUHCl7R6ZzGqODKGbAAm39QQTasUsyQUzfl97oSzjxd3mkIQyQgDlhqqVJxmRZwOkqWKfezxR_F8ox9qAuQ8ItHp9PilvfUa4NcNWfGnwdM0XLVDo9vX8WJE/s2016/IMG_4820.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIjnmqd-PmMUI8ciBa_4Er1e3-B6H5DixJmtkoXV0J6BR-b5FSh2glD0ixg8ETUHCl7R6ZzGqODKGbAAm39QQTasUsyQUzfl97oSzjxd3mkIQyQgDlhqqVJxmRZwOkqWKfezxR_F8ox9qAuQ8ItHp9PilvfUa4NcNWfGnwdM0XLVDo9vX8WJE/w640-h480/IMG_4820.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Just off to the right beneath a few trees was a female with her young just hanging out next to one of the nearby hotel buildings.</p><p>Traffic finally scooted around the animal and we were soon at Bright Angel Lodge and checked in.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8NO9GDG6H2GbLK3UDK6-J5NcXCItjMyGs9DqlSug2kyTDtpL8rHrAk4odpqgHXzTfUe6RD3itF_4QUJZ-oo338QvqprMXU2p6lN8-GviqXg0d93knbPN4N9D6sruQvspPXPYJD9MWIg893cOzncmd0trc_-0YvZ7WNmZ4_bK4IC9Ve5DrjtB/s1512/bright-angel.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1512" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8NO9GDG6H2GbLK3UDK6-J5NcXCItjMyGs9DqlSug2kyTDtpL8rHrAk4odpqgHXzTfUe6RD3itF_4QUJZ-oo338QvqprMXU2p6lN8-GviqXg0d93knbPN4N9D6sruQvspPXPYJD9MWIg893cOzncmd0trc_-0YvZ7WNmZ4_bK4IC9Ve5DrjtB/w640-h458/bright-angel.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo courtesy of Audley Travel<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTjLZkNRTecn9pAAhimpRsoTccWtluC6ooWRCxVOjE-m1g49UyyKwxX1u7Zzr3-u3zKiDRtkAWpHTVSwmBLQv5ggTezBV4jEYFov1EGcA3v7pF3yPQtBxp1YxusSo8_1IdwlEARbqbjB0D5XOAYJyh2LzDdpiTkqBHLoFBP6PuQcgTPRNskdt/s1500/IMG_0096.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTjLZkNRTecn9pAAhimpRsoTccWtluC6ooWRCxVOjE-m1g49UyyKwxX1u7Zzr3-u3zKiDRtkAWpHTVSwmBLQv5ggTezBV4jEYFov1EGcA3v7pF3yPQtBxp1YxusSo8_1IdwlEARbqbjB0D5XOAYJyh2LzDdpiTkqBHLoFBP6PuQcgTPRNskdt/w640-h480/IMG_0096.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">rear of the lodge facing the rim</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Once in our cabin just 100 feet or so from the rim, we learned that due to a disruption in the water supplies to the South Rim, there was water rationing in place: short showers, minimal flushing for guests, greatly reduced dishwashing for hotels and businesses in general. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWrxCXMPTik7-WI5vLJcDNRb9iBcaYB3KH_7_MLvkWR6uvNuST3IUHtcHvhPvgEXivBJuDBi69F4YedtmXNbiU7FjTlQqiH3NmREP-u8oOROVygxjNIZ3Fdi5vtf6kFeeyc2VYfsl6CvWbhRuTD3KeE4G5CrdPhf_yF8lqIBz4Pyd_SSFYn7v/s1500/IMG_0091.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1207" data-original-width="1500" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWrxCXMPTik7-WI5vLJcDNRb9iBcaYB3KH_7_MLvkWR6uvNuST3IUHtcHvhPvgEXivBJuDBi69F4YedtmXNbiU7FjTlQqiH3NmREP-u8oOROVygxjNIZ3Fdi5vtf6kFeeyc2VYfsl6CvWbhRuTD3KeE4G5CrdPhf_yF8lqIBz4Pyd_SSFYn7v/w640-h514/IMG_0091.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>After settling in we explored the neighborhood. Next up was to learn the free canyon shuttle system, a stop at the visitor center and the market, so off we went to the nearest shuttle stop. </p><p>Getting off at the visitor center we were struck by the fact it was closed today due to staffing shortages — we plan to return tomorrow, Monday. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-erngMf38usFF_-_w6yutTlDRWxAPXdaThOoSr_9euqC21zOCsalIceCusWzbDRSjvdnmJM8kY66KGZyKqe0lpY5dhpmUHtOpdGGfskkk-Cs_tzeDS9dR3Acn8NprDQ2tFOfNbYe0RjiBeDY-Cb4KcwQu6q7BSLwOjeHYMkmgW1UHsKvgBSLX/s1500/IMG_0087.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-erngMf38usFF_-_w6yutTlDRWxAPXdaThOoSr_9euqC21zOCsalIceCusWzbDRSjvdnmJM8kY66KGZyKqe0lpY5dhpmUHtOpdGGfskkk-Cs_tzeDS9dR3Acn8NprDQ2tFOfNbYe0RjiBeDY-Cb4KcwQu6q7BSLwOjeHYMkmgW1UHsKvgBSLX/w640-h480/IMG_0087.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFrDAvuYf83tdvIs3Tc_uYrd8bdhroXsdVAlQZGpqPyHai37FSMN-b_MvoJ8LnS-iMwd5nyfZPi-0oxLA848ZX20iOlwr6I2-hSno52N4d3_ZDTm-oaCDiXo8h1afnC0LuGdn8ahKElV85MIZBTZIt_1ZfvbvUijlejka6vUa9JG0pwuBQauJk/s1500/IMG_0085.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1097" data-original-width="1500" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFrDAvuYf83tdvIs3Tc_uYrd8bdhroXsdVAlQZGpqPyHai37FSMN-b_MvoJ8LnS-iMwd5nyfZPi-0oxLA848ZX20iOlwr6I2-hSno52N4d3_ZDTm-oaCDiXo8h1afnC0LuGdn8ahKElV85MIZBTZIt_1ZfvbvUijlejka6vUa9JG0pwuBQauJk/w640-h468/IMG_0085.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSCWxY6j8KbZUoqhrV3EpsdkCNEig9kbqc4wyTIukd6ffXZGotVIN6F039MD0QwcSK0wtF-rxA2KL42a1HNK1RfQ6aEq5l1F-h8B05x9jxROt5c8UQ6fWVQPa8O_7koIUSoyEO4Fgo8FNUuxu4UE-7DvR0AE_lh8L4QAXCgQGoZOObEgz1DWiD/s1500/IMG_0090.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSCWxY6j8KbZUoqhrV3EpsdkCNEig9kbqc4wyTIukd6ffXZGotVIN6F039MD0QwcSK0wtF-rxA2KL42a1HNK1RfQ6aEq5l1F-h8B05x9jxROt5c8UQ6fWVQPa8O_7koIUSoyEO4Fgo8FNUuxu4UE-7DvR0AE_lh8L4QAXCgQGoZOObEgz1DWiD/w640-h480/IMG_0090.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Back to the shuttle we got off at the market, picked up a few groceries, and then back to the lodge. </p><p>That evening we opted to eat at the Fred Harvey Lounge in the Lodge. Unremarkable food but the wine wasn’t bad and the staff very good.</p><p>That evening we stood in awe as the fading light made the canyon truly come alive.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGOhjijvk5uVFJsH1l5epn5-bIywUIb-LVxSFiKifYKrXMTXxZx0cVDkwU_YBQZP0fYjVVItyS61PNwRwWAeWj3Yyg9coKwxvfolBqxNoLS0uwCW3adyPX7QpWf-vdcgVAoUKbAiANPfq4h8jB2WR9U8F_m4G_Hc6Ge9qSf9AQd70QjzxK9XB/s1500/IMG_0092.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1076" data-original-width="1500" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGOhjijvk5uVFJsH1l5epn5-bIywUIb-LVxSFiKifYKrXMTXxZx0cVDkwU_YBQZP0fYjVVItyS61PNwRwWAeWj3Yyg9coKwxvfolBqxNoLS0uwCW3adyPX7QpWf-vdcgVAoUKbAiANPfq4h8jB2WR9U8F_m4G_Hc6Ge9qSf9AQd70QjzxK9XB/w640-h460/IMG_0092.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowvL9MOPXYiA2MNKcSV3aTpV8AapwS9JXipIrHl45CfsqGtdcNrHOe1xSv5gLe3E8FVVEkRGQZiG5H9dxAG7go7B4VH7LfWu_Me6lKMkTupyTlYxuHs6ERM2QXQ5soVTSoeZ5naZmsBUJTrw9x_fbwWFkwogi2pLTcESLZ9wnPyle5bKKoi9s/s1500/IMG_0093.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowvL9MOPXYiA2MNKcSV3aTpV8AapwS9JXipIrHl45CfsqGtdcNrHOe1xSv5gLe3E8FVVEkRGQZiG5H9dxAG7go7B4VH7LfWu_Me6lKMkTupyTlYxuHs6ERM2QXQ5soVTSoeZ5naZmsBUJTrw9x_fbwWFkwogi2pLTcESLZ9wnPyle5bKKoi9s/w640-h480/IMG_0093.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbYFsrlyJmCR3549XYAJgJ4z-18RBOHbZR-d8BB-HlXs8NhBQDgTnbmIApbi0Wpy3127bI5IR-5qw-Ho48MXZ9Za1Nn-b2Byq0O1EX5tG5pWllrdcJPdGj7q0pbPYmFPKdtIcnHPDd0rTd8ycqenNN-W_6gSUT2OHhS_fSgaX0JRJppcDIXdjW/s1500/IMG_0094.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbYFsrlyJmCR3549XYAJgJ4z-18RBOHbZR-d8BB-HlXs8NhBQDgTnbmIApbi0Wpy3127bI5IR-5qw-Ho48MXZ9Za1Nn-b2Byq0O1EX5tG5pWllrdcJPdGj7q0pbPYmFPKdtIcnHPDd0rTd8ycqenNN-W_6gSUT2OHhS_fSgaX0JRJppcDIXdjW/w640-h480/IMG_0094.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTF-7tIF1imMZZJruLRSWGHD_2HTw74tDDy_LHRqeBqNsXPUaDwFVimXBIZTIgZvBgQUl31kknE44KICgdH0jeZiykzNoXiLdFp1-l56PByxsXr8RiUTzM5HtIxs85LkpoZqUpXNNFc5c4WUqoVh8poeBbj4frcq2SDJjz6ulm4-s7nDO4d8q/s1500/IMG_0098.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1098" data-original-width="1500" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTF-7tIF1imMZZJruLRSWGHD_2HTw74tDDy_LHRqeBqNsXPUaDwFVimXBIZTIgZvBgQUl31kknE44KICgdH0jeZiykzNoXiLdFp1-l56PByxsXr8RiUTzM5HtIxs85LkpoZqUpXNNFc5c4WUqoVh8poeBbj4frcq2SDJjz6ulm4-s7nDO4d8q/w640-h468/IMG_0098.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCFlCrHuT5Vu1-3t5g2wL8m7RqEI-KOXXyODLf-3TEAeIB6zgv6th0EEq0Mv9BlG59HGA2YdXYEYMdngMuFiKD6tPnkNKTTBPgan_uHUzNsPw65OJIgKz8xQvNwuZPkw-eV9iB1--04EneCYGYGYcJ5AkrUvKIr08mVKQ6OtVs9IzvOGdvw5_-/s1500/IMG_0101.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCFlCrHuT5Vu1-3t5g2wL8m7RqEI-KOXXyODLf-3TEAeIB6zgv6th0EEq0Mv9BlG59HGA2YdXYEYMdngMuFiKD6tPnkNKTTBPgan_uHUzNsPw65OJIgKz8xQvNwuZPkw-eV9iB1--04EneCYGYGYcJ5AkrUvKIr08mVKQ6OtVs9IzvOGdvw5_-/w640-h480/IMG_0101.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3RqsnjtYPeqcyc6aeY7kYvsFl1Mjn3cbFbpSOval36FQvNxJs1sRHeQAavIV0j4QXDRUEd9AevG1awPb54j_Aex8qURvEJlYK5-4Uzd_hlmn1BvkuUNGpCZi6kjsonB8mzeyygLHhzvrSvR4Mf3FgiD9jPW0Gkco0BWJueQmRfgDhowSZRT3y/s1500/IMG_0102.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3RqsnjtYPeqcyc6aeY7kYvsFl1Mjn3cbFbpSOval36FQvNxJs1sRHeQAavIV0j4QXDRUEd9AevG1awPb54j_Aex8qURvEJlYK5-4Uzd_hlmn1BvkuUNGpCZi6kjsonB8mzeyygLHhzvrSvR4Mf3FgiD9jPW0Gkco0BWJueQmRfgDhowSZRT3y/w640-h480/IMG_0102.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p></p>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-19069347345418103302023-09-17T10:04:00.095-04:002023-09-20T15:04:09.406-04:00Grand Canyon North Rim<p>[Saturday 16 September]</p><p>Today began cool with clear skies. After getting showered and dressed we headed off to the Saloon for coffee followed by a light breakfast for Susie in the room. (The only other option for breakfast was a full buffet in the lodge restaurant.) Our first objective for the morning was a drive to Point Imperial, the highest point in the park (8877 feet thank you). After a quick stop at the general store to see if they had any bananas (no) Susie checked out the nearby laundromat facilities (also no thank you). </p><p>We headed back north for about 3 miles where we turned off Rt 67. It was an 8-mile drive to the Point through gorgeous wooded slopes, passing through another large burn area before we reached the stop. </p><p>To describe the views of Point Imperial as stunning would be an understatement. From the point we spied five or six helicopters touring the canyons, one followed right after another. Three days from now we’ll be in one of those ourselves. . . </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8isEir703psjsHmOIlrn22GDvMHM8eEWFo9WjQqx1UfZgEdutZjcYvaSDowAwK-RXvoN6a2jpeqAncz4UfJJzJ6tMjN2ZLtaFc_DUe1znL25r77vm6-rA_qEVZy5ZcVe2Hj4UdSqIrZDmQ4hUXNZh7KPeIOs39z9Gi9HDVOUCY5_jBELAhj8/s1500/IMG_9996.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8isEir703psjsHmOIlrn22GDvMHM8eEWFo9WjQqx1UfZgEdutZjcYvaSDowAwK-RXvoN6a2jpeqAncz4UfJJzJ6tMjN2ZLtaFc_DUe1znL25r77vm6-rA_qEVZy5ZcVe2Hj4UdSqIrZDmQ4hUXNZh7KPeIOs39z9Gi9HDVOUCY5_jBELAhj8/w640-h480/IMG_9996.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyb-TGPsdUEjyvkdthb7cFJT2_4RUmil1G948bI1N_cFZ31Uy3KrDc2uKD0Ejo40MUDz0QBQqVgWeMKEfxNlFP-u3KYOPVDD_j954SZ0c2YUNAlo9Gznc7vLtsdYS9SKBQddMxcTN_1wtYLnvPoVdoJfttRpo5qGp33EWcLuRYNLqgiBVmYpy4/s1500/IMG_9991.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyb-TGPsdUEjyvkdthb7cFJT2_4RUmil1G948bI1N_cFZ31Uy3KrDc2uKD0Ejo40MUDz0QBQqVgWeMKEfxNlFP-u3KYOPVDD_j954SZ0c2YUNAlo9Gznc7vLtsdYS9SKBQddMxcTN_1wtYLnvPoVdoJfttRpo5qGp33EWcLuRYNLqgiBVmYpy4/w640-h480/IMG_9991.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRrdF7bFj615hMSj0ThXN0lU3j0RhK7kg34dthg4mY_NiZ5BmIIxgeVcQV7qabIEeZX74PgNGpTUm3z_EgnQ3acI_NivTAJJ-5GKhdDcjtZGwzzHwMZhvvjY4y7AESk0IEVK6sOpvelGPVBqZ-wUa6FG-S51v5pMAg-lduOJvI3r8wGsXcHuEB/s1500/IMG_9992.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRrdF7bFj615hMSj0ThXN0lU3j0RhK7kg34dthg4mY_NiZ5BmIIxgeVcQV7qabIEeZX74PgNGpTUm3z_EgnQ3acI_NivTAJJ-5GKhdDcjtZGwzzHwMZhvvjY4y7AESk0IEVK6sOpvelGPVBqZ-wUa6FG-S51v5pMAg-lduOJvI3r8wGsXcHuEB/w640-h480/IMG_9992.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSw9bowrxEiThjl-rUKG3r_z-cVluq-DfRGnZFpVXaEjBKBuxl9SBwWQ5rvywT-StPaFaN0o2UJLFTFMcAeBStn2pRWL9gcuN1UohLrbhkgYfMVxFUUHQQovZBl_G9Z99fqm_hh9PAzf3YQJ7xgsF6vY_H61imfgKqcIiXRGp-ou7WaQJJ7eXn/s1500/IMG_9993.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1500" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSw9bowrxEiThjl-rUKG3r_z-cVluq-DfRGnZFpVXaEjBKBuxl9SBwWQ5rvywT-StPaFaN0o2UJLFTFMcAeBStn2pRWL9gcuN1UohLrbhkgYfMVxFUUHQQovZBl_G9Z99fqm_hh9PAzf3YQJ7xgsF6vY_H61imfgKqcIiXRGp-ou7WaQJJ7eXn/w640-h448/IMG_9993.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheh8t9Vt3X1Fqhi0YIiAPgs_L7mRk0q6S9hryV0GXuvjgdaBkeG_Q4eUOj9B5Wb2PTKXK29j0mlAFs7d9ejOFIWoP-vC7YzTb3_KqYyoosHUzg2ObasfGek_ieJiCdetjGB_5Rg-dYbXY-fehCedun7SZsXAxic_vGoB5T-yttd3AnTh2HE0kz/s1500/IMG_0001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheh8t9Vt3X1Fqhi0YIiAPgs_L7mRk0q6S9hryV0GXuvjgdaBkeG_Q4eUOj9B5Wb2PTKXK29j0mlAFs7d9ejOFIWoP-vC7YzTb3_KqYyoosHUzg2ObasfGek_ieJiCdetjGB_5Rg-dYbXY-fehCedun7SZsXAxic_vGoB5T-yttd3AnTh2HE0kz/w640-h480/IMG_0001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Once back at the lodge grounds we headed for Bright Angel’s Point and strolled a ways down before becoming somewhat overwhelmed by the narrowness of the path juxtaposed with the sheerness of the drops. Let’s not forget that we are at over 8000 feet of elevation and our systems aren’t used to this altitude. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFD_A2NWOT5zrPUtwbwu-qe7HhkvKTHjAmdibBwf7geANLkjWyiYA48ppQEebv2qFbrNl-pO0Mc4piR16QZYr5LGvg7Mrg6Bq-IFmDSDfPrk_it9Z4QCTrZhUxRTE0q2Kkj9QZ1dCeXbwEt2yA7wShKq960EZmHNq1aBlvy15vDFME0Kz_PxiR/s1500/IMG_0011.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFD_A2NWOT5zrPUtwbwu-qe7HhkvKTHjAmdibBwf7geANLkjWyiYA48ppQEebv2qFbrNl-pO0Mc4piR16QZYr5LGvg7Mrg6Bq-IFmDSDfPrk_it9Z4QCTrZhUxRTE0q2Kkj9QZ1dCeXbwEt2yA7wShKq960EZmHNq1aBlvy15vDFME0Kz_PxiR/w640-h480/IMG_0011.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLSq6eNZN6cMaA9txJbWExBPrYWCtcv2nivJ_5Bra8c2lhx1DDSdqL-836Ql4IYLQtc1y53kjd6wW5qqVSxk6Xy2sq5s4z4sK-t8uxkFNLSa9aaoh5Vd-d7njrWRCMBIwN4pmCKGliMIqo12d_ebqbdYrCwClkhB5qugSx8gZJh-TRmFwuWCD/s1500/IMG_0007.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1500" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLSq6eNZN6cMaA9txJbWExBPrYWCtcv2nivJ_5Bra8c2lhx1DDSdqL-836Ql4IYLQtc1y53kjd6wW5qqVSxk6Xy2sq5s4z4sK-t8uxkFNLSa9aaoh5Vd-d7njrWRCMBIwN4pmCKGliMIqo12d_ebqbdYrCwClkhB5qugSx8gZJh-TRmFwuWCD/w640-h456/IMG_0007.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguTu8s6JtklGGHUBASTRmiAN4WNx6g-NXQKAKZFkUST7E8VL3rGxZpy6spmO2J3lRMFXiD1XWLKy2VQxdqS8CFiwuK0vIfWG-o24GePOu3UVppFRQmdnok_UWZ14956fuQ7m0BeJ_8RtO912gtIACSVfKXt9FAMXh5794wCz-IGwrjX2O7Ubzl/s1500/IMG_0009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1075" data-original-width="1500" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguTu8s6JtklGGHUBASTRmiAN4WNx6g-NXQKAKZFkUST7E8VL3rGxZpy6spmO2J3lRMFXiD1XWLKy2VQxdqS8CFiwuK0vIfWG-o24GePOu3UVppFRQmdnok_UWZ14956fuQ7m0BeJ_8RtO912gtIACSVfKXt9FAMXh5794wCz-IGwrjX2O7Ubzl/w640-h458/IMG_0009.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLTnNDXc8K5B0InYBohkSJf6QWDM4UIDy2ife6QIRKq8mm-UjiC9SbUplTribpmB0Udc5oLnFxtiHsZCDPQQLFblmzSnHfZNaQkdiqoKwhV6IdIxY9BvAlmjdcC6h-SFvsXmAK-4vPFaR3AxUeZbNqkeAjgZ1t144KJA2fqdgxotAm0mw-oVpw/s1500/IMG_0013.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1046" data-original-width="1500" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLTnNDXc8K5B0InYBohkSJf6QWDM4UIDy2ife6QIRKq8mm-UjiC9SbUplTribpmB0Udc5oLnFxtiHsZCDPQQLFblmzSnHfZNaQkdiqoKwhV6IdIxY9BvAlmjdcC6h-SFvsXmAK-4vPFaR3AxUeZbNqkeAjgZ1t144KJA2fqdgxotAm0mw-oVpw/w640-h446/IMG_0013.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>In addition to Bright Angel's point there are several other overlooks near the lodge.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHo4jwwgZkhntaXIaP3V1LVMaZ_l9yjeXtukDvdWvA4y7JU0gIdBNoL8VN-BETCIfeK0Q5lcV7B54ReTVnC2Rr5JqN3COQPiBJu6yC5akWuzFm2bNPLbkEep7It6TJNlLT3UIRhDeda0ZcReclFAjZdRZZZijdePkTU9kfKBd3dJSG1CaFIYGy/s1500/IMG_0015.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHo4jwwgZkhntaXIaP3V1LVMaZ_l9yjeXtukDvdWvA4y7JU0gIdBNoL8VN-BETCIfeK0Q5lcV7B54ReTVnC2Rr5JqN3COQPiBJu6yC5akWuzFm2bNPLbkEep7It6TJNlLT3UIRhDeda0ZcReclFAjZdRZZZijdePkTU9kfKBd3dJSG1CaFIYGy/w640-h480/IMG_0015.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6epr9AUdoHMUWdAp5XRFjeGiCRxQgjpUJ5T74x3hAWbYSc0aCDNHXH1VJP9KGTvfL6RXL5nYVCsuNCf4gxbY7VjgMGsOJX63_ONssF20Gs_h7KtEmuu_9To-TMWrH4Zujg_LN9_Hxy0Ap798st0eNxMp8z0_VcMfFOWIwDtLG3knjEBZ-Tlxn/s1500/IMG_0044.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6epr9AUdoHMUWdAp5XRFjeGiCRxQgjpUJ5T74x3hAWbYSc0aCDNHXH1VJP9KGTvfL6RXL5nYVCsuNCf4gxbY7VjgMGsOJX63_ONssF20Gs_h7KtEmuu_9To-TMWrH4Zujg_LN9_Hxy0Ap798st0eNxMp8z0_VcMfFOWIwDtLG3knjEBZ-Tlxn/w640-h480/IMG_0044.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxjx3i3V1tHd7nqV26a4fPv5Om0ox6D50YzZmfNPQm0Di9guJGQLjJBE2qQeaAmYqdLgCCobZLgyX_3u1NMCzHDjTG9HEZ223NDlP862GbtBgxDiaZdZtVJjzpYKRcCfaTDN4qa7iL8RNrQbSfzT4nJQiDwG2n3dytORtK9kgn9GKmyvN8Azz/s1500/IMG_0046.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxjx3i3V1tHd7nqV26a4fPv5Om0ox6D50YzZmfNPQm0Di9guJGQLjJBE2qQeaAmYqdLgCCobZLgyX_3u1NMCzHDjTG9HEZ223NDlP862GbtBgxDiaZdZtVJjzpYKRcCfaTDN4qa7iL8RNrQbSfzT4nJQiDwG2n3dytORtK9kgn9GKmyvN8Azz/w640-h480/IMG_0046.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Returning to the room we changed clothes (long pants into shorts for me) and then walked over to the 11:30 Ranger program near the visitor center. The talk of the morning was about Bison in the park and our ranger presenter was engaging, funny, informative and a real pleasure to spend a half hour or so with. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN88GwhgAEzssw2AqQ6_GOkvwKZDSENNyIAglf6yEjVBCvlSCRL9gDFfoM0IxPmxKJkUba2_MMuUntEqMKJytT8Z24V3kNKfDMr95VJCslDKSkN7W9BZ6bkYS1-vCvfIMzPbRkZIudlYj5zmBzzCEfPs_-lACSqYG-eLyHVX8c9uS6Ax0Rel0w/s1500/IMG_0023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN88GwhgAEzssw2AqQ6_GOkvwKZDSENNyIAglf6yEjVBCvlSCRL9gDFfoM0IxPmxKJkUba2_MMuUntEqMKJytT8Z24V3kNKfDMr95VJCslDKSkN7W9BZ6bkYS1-vCvfIMzPbRkZIudlYj5zmBzzCEfPs_-lACSqYG-eLyHVX8c9uS6Ax0Rel0w/w640-h480/IMG_0023.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWc-SYQIsA4_toatCzFEiNYpU3Uk-Eavhhsp4WnNuQFbW5U6z_Abxz3Tt9A6yJpV4ouHajg5PmCcbyDLga2qtJsnOfI1H_IUpq7QNLeWvE8jdvym7QIF4nrYD02eNgY6c1GOxbh-SkrH74j1y4a90Pqec09M2Uy4tHM3-f3uKhEJiPBoVufWVw/s1500/IMG_0024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWc-SYQIsA4_toatCzFEiNYpU3Uk-Eavhhsp4WnNuQFbW5U6z_Abxz3Tt9A6yJpV4ouHajg5PmCcbyDLga2qtJsnOfI1H_IUpq7QNLeWvE8jdvym7QIF4nrYD02eNgY6c1GOxbh-SkrH74j1y4a90Pqec09M2Uy4tHM3-f3uKhEJiPBoVufWVw/w640-h480/IMG_0024.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>After the program we had a not-so-light lunch of pizza and beer, followed by a return to the room for a nap (Susie too!).</p><p>For the rest of the afternoon we relaxed in the main lodge’s sunroom, reading, puzzling and me working on this blog note.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0yK4Lu2iNwgg4XbnPgV-08iuo0JJEyJCUilWQC8dqtdO8kUcxI33tVsAkwBMcaIGpG92brCk9rJs7eX-9DYwlN6vllrWj2lhUFee0SAnz3UTJ-WxV5E25IArUIpJ3jGqCuGDUhzjOVH3QrxPKGjB7pk_LkBg1cwZX62cmFBPmf1uT6q6-LoZT/s1500/IMG_0005.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0yK4Lu2iNwgg4XbnPgV-08iuo0JJEyJCUilWQC8dqtdO8kUcxI33tVsAkwBMcaIGpG92brCk9rJs7eX-9DYwlN6vllrWj2lhUFee0SAnz3UTJ-WxV5E25IArUIpJ3jGqCuGDUhzjOVH3QrxPKGjB7pk_LkBg1cwZX62cmFBPmf1uT6q6-LoZT/w640-h480/IMG_0005.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sunroom overlook on the left<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NtLZh3sAg2zc5-7YnTH89M5-rly5GPQ6mrJwBxhOVubfoENk0085qeST3RiY68yYOwZbEf2GM2nCg-IryD3YbjnCcPM-t2_gmZs-H85ALM03qCY8tv11aB0vRxTnVuasz3rq10MGkUBSa7lxRAVNeeCjtwESE8mebbX2KZH_bB23C_2DNIkd/s1500/IMG_9985.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1103" data-original-width="1500" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NtLZh3sAg2zc5-7YnTH89M5-rly5GPQ6mrJwBxhOVubfoENk0085qeST3RiY68yYOwZbEf2GM2nCg-IryD3YbjnCcPM-t2_gmZs-H85ALM03qCY8tv11aB0vRxTnVuasz3rq10MGkUBSa7lxRAVNeeCjtwESE8mebbX2KZH_bB23C_2DNIkd/w640-h470/IMG_9985.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Since we had plenty of time to kill before our 9:30pm dinner reservation with beer in hand we we joined the crowd outside on the lodge terraces for the sunset. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-NEUSePwFHeQyx7U5Pw4KzxSVwL9GAVzr2gGOLmlRFJwmoAJvYRVVlXBuYqIxLP4I95HYtBp3SlnZnacBnsWdVKd--qAn77hZu5pJhEj_YqGDhZO0fEv-8ezwg_L2d_-X72_Uskte7XlhKGKh9YK134nK-MMClnnXQWuveeaUS6UvgHc2Dlg/s1500/IMG_0026.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-NEUSePwFHeQyx7U5Pw4KzxSVwL9GAVzr2gGOLmlRFJwmoAJvYRVVlXBuYqIxLP4I95HYtBp3SlnZnacBnsWdVKd--qAn77hZu5pJhEj_YqGDhZO0fEv-8ezwg_L2d_-X72_Uskte7XlhKGKh9YK134nK-MMClnnXQWuveeaUS6UvgHc2Dlg/w640-h480/IMG_0026.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJm5INkDJsbDT7wqqZFVdtaflBDSa6rrzaj_NgkJ-6cSX4fmMbHH1PD5qWyTm-zPeDKw8d4oUe7CmuqQhXiYb-_seFkTYGdAiA9BzkYsdZoLcANxqQURcd5No-YYRRhUeJkpoBeC6CwxTbJMVRJowBo6fQjY90pe3RjaQZIspCSYP1HE9xTqoJ/s1500/IMG_0028.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJm5INkDJsbDT7wqqZFVdtaflBDSa6rrzaj_NgkJ-6cSX4fmMbHH1PD5qWyTm-zPeDKw8d4oUe7CmuqQhXiYb-_seFkTYGdAiA9BzkYsdZoLcANxqQURcd5No-YYRRhUeJkpoBeC6CwxTbJMVRJowBo6fQjY90pe3RjaQZIspCSYP1HE9xTqoJ/w640-h480/IMG_0028.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBH2mUIbNz1Q_iBeoffuOyGZMS_a_geLXXtxvPC3DisM_o66PEN9C_kZDxZhoV_UMN7j--l5itSI-C1zbIPD_L_KzofcO-eO8JfT-fjTvYSetoUwM4uC6WplLpDNzcMNSx5m3hYN0OUZJMxlHfQxq4Eoi_JipSbKnFAkxWVLeZWCnrVoQLd9o/s1500/IMG_0029.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBH2mUIbNz1Q_iBeoffuOyGZMS_a_geLXXtxvPC3DisM_o66PEN9C_kZDxZhoV_UMN7j--l5itSI-C1zbIPD_L_KzofcO-eO8JfT-fjTvYSetoUwM4uC6WplLpDNzcMNSx5m3hYN0OUZJMxlHfQxq4Eoi_JipSbKnFAkxWVLeZWCnrVoQLd9o/w640-h480/IMG_0029.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4gxlSApzlqmz-sH7NfL-VQAm9dyaYYYGmCy43SoqP7RmL-cVjY2roQT3yBIUzFPMCtJWXx03Cdd8tJEPCWY_ifZhj53MhJEB1P1MHCdOug-C65_qtUlbFGFyHJKThqs5K66JmeAkNdocb-Xc0Z1b8RsARKKFjhoNo9JywkFUXhbIEPDRSA2Vg/s1500/IMG_0030.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4gxlSApzlqmz-sH7NfL-VQAm9dyaYYYGmCy43SoqP7RmL-cVjY2roQT3yBIUzFPMCtJWXx03Cdd8tJEPCWY_ifZhj53MhJEB1P1MHCdOug-C65_qtUlbFGFyHJKThqs5K66JmeAkNdocb-Xc0Z1b8RsARKKFjhoNo9JywkFUXhbIEPDRSA2Vg/w640-h480/IMG_0030.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>After the sun went down we headed into the Lodge auditorium for the evening Ranger program. The title of the presentation by Ranger Doug was Grand Canyon Special Places Special Faces. </p><p>It opened with a half hour or so of the audience, accompanied by Doug on his guitar, singing variations of songs by the Beatles, Creedence Clearwater, Jackson Browne and more, with the lyrics revised by Ranger Doug to focus on the Grand Canyon. One of the interesting ones was a very funny take on Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” for the serious canyon hikers out there. </p><p>The group was enthusiastic to say the least and the entire sing-along was a blast. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwSEjYf5jEYC9dHqZHTQeWdeNnuiBTuwaZ_1YqlLJg6X5SuknPac0u6DqrfjZU_HZlU7-aUWYIJkIk' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p>At one point we discovered the couple, Sonia and Paul, sitting in front of us was from Santa Rosa, CA. We asked if they knew Pam Van Halsema Mulder and Sonia said “Why yes, we go to the same church”! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1m2ljq7W7eTbol6fcZPAaes5mzLo3I4uhVuU3ZPFltjhwLthyj-ky8etFn3FwupusoDK7lhbwrqPYjjsZXkLK5XXhYV8dMA_w9iHFZmGiJASOoFio_wXO2BB0TJEFRVCgDOa3E9GXQAAELA2ShiVgF-RL_tW6UvOJtstM7FqyHwFj4v-Zg9fy/s2016/image0.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1m2ljq7W7eTbol6fcZPAaes5mzLo3I4uhVuU3ZPFltjhwLthyj-ky8etFn3FwupusoDK7lhbwrqPYjjsZXkLK5XXhYV8dMA_w9iHFZmGiJASOoFio_wXO2BB0TJEFRVCgDOa3E9GXQAAELA2ShiVgF-RL_tW6UvOJtstM7FqyHwFj4v-Zg9fy/w640-h480/image0.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">me, Susie, and Sonia</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The program ended a little before 9:00 pm when we moved outside with Ranger Doug to check out the night sky. The North Rim is a designated dark sky location, and, being a very clear night, the stars were plentiful with the Milky Way a huge, ethereal swath intermingling with the likes of Saturn.</p><p>After a very nice dinner in the lodge dining room we walked back in the cool, quiet of the night and to bed.</p><p>Tomorrow it’s off to the South Rim!</p>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-1441146426814396032023-09-16T10:03:00.110-04:002023-09-20T14:58:48.351-04:00Bryce Canyon to the North Rim<p>[Friday 15 September]</p><p>Leaving Zion felt like leaving a little bit of our soul. We have so thoroughly enjoyed our stay in the canyon, the peace and quiet, the nearness to nature that so often escapes me. We will certainly miss the “straight-up land.”</p><p>But leave we must. Packed up, checked out we were on the road heading down canyon one last time. We turned east on Rt 9 heading up to Mt. Carmel Tunnel where, for reasons which never became clear, the park service had closed one lane, causing traffic backups in both directions. Fortunately traffic wasn’t heavy and we had to wait only about 7 minutes before it was our turn to slide through the darkness. While there were no installed lights in the tunnel, our headlights picked up the many reflectors along the way, providing just the right amount of light for travel. There were also several openings cut into the canyon side of the tunnel, allowing for air flow and ventilation. Let’s not forget, this thing was built back in 1930.</p><p>Once through the tunnel, we were on our way east headed for Bryce Canyon. The one thing that immediately struck both of us was the dramatic change in topography, a phenomenon that would confront us throughout the day’s travel. </p><p>We soon reached Rt 89 at Mt. Carmel, and turned north for 40 miles or so, leaving the highway to Bryce at Rt 12 which took us through the stunning Red Canyon.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMvw9Mza5Uo59iaXWZCz51sNiA7tAxmbjxD06rSZSGdIDhA74CuWpYkLr7yAbRw6aZZiOj14tjjaJA-AIZmWirLF5UCCjjkzMu_1UUJ7bocsn2XaBXFzP_r2Lw0Hqij3w5VD3UjDH_Ns8kY3O0y7A-0dvukw7AxDzXwIx_7Gv7LB0X45C3hzWV/s1500/IMG_9925.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMvw9Mza5Uo59iaXWZCz51sNiA7tAxmbjxD06rSZSGdIDhA74CuWpYkLr7yAbRw6aZZiOj14tjjaJA-AIZmWirLF5UCCjjkzMu_1UUJ7bocsn2XaBXFzP_r2Lw0Hqij3w5VD3UjDH_Ns8kY3O0y7A-0dvukw7AxDzXwIx_7Gv7LB0X45C3hzWV/w640-h480/IMG_9925.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF44621hRvXbvkid3j0pHMAZEfwZIiwSqk11UHHXvAyphLyUb8fXfJhRHbSpakAo-hxalgtnUVnOo9hHNMbg2NHXOVr0LUo1Cez8c7GKUdO7XfcsitSMTQw37vQGOQQjqNr5sSAluslTd5XfHQhOq8mxkT3E5WCTP6f7rq5uWbHBF49j8z8C3d/s1500/IMG_9969.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF44621hRvXbvkid3j0pHMAZEfwZIiwSqk11UHHXvAyphLyUb8fXfJhRHbSpakAo-hxalgtnUVnOo9hHNMbg2NHXOVr0LUo1Cez8c7GKUdO7XfcsitSMTQw37vQGOQQjqNr5sSAluslTd5XfHQhOq8mxkT3E5WCTP6f7rq5uWbHBF49j8z8C3d/w640-h480/IMG_9969.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjar6B_nMypd86FlBJA-vr6aTWtknYjy5eTg89sUwvvUKDtWFT-yZIO5YlZ2-3sFi0P_xFZy3V57REy-ubp1i53cMSaYsTmY6oL4hlhfmzxcPmfqguw2OBLCYi3acxS2qrlQpApUBsQdbw5mpmk4ZrLzezUwhnw_idiYDk4w4I4zw0He7-vrYn9/s1500/IMG_9924.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjar6B_nMypd86FlBJA-vr6aTWtknYjy5eTg89sUwvvUKDtWFT-yZIO5YlZ2-3sFi0P_xFZy3V57REy-ubp1i53cMSaYsTmY6oL4hlhfmzxcPmfqguw2OBLCYi3acxS2qrlQpApUBsQdbw5mpmk4ZrLzezUwhnw_idiYDk4w4I4zw0He7-vrYn9/w640-h480/IMG_9924.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>It wasn’t long before we turned onto Rt 63 which took us into Bryce Canyon City. We left our car just outside the national park in the free shuttle lot, showed our passes to the shuttle driver and were soon off to the park. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg373ty73lklu54n_bkEQ7-nhkS2ZgM1vN373i8u7MW8qRCcBnBe6uM7HglYFnbnFcLQRDdG8cWMU7Q5zEnsmohv0Sacla0sj4uo6SEpGY-1FtYIWyAx1eHDw4w1hKW5-2AYqkOcCY4FkP2NBi5FLGRcGAWjFMdMovy3zERi5iXDlxx34L-4iaT/s1500/IMG_9926.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg373ty73lklu54n_bkEQ7-nhkS2ZgM1vN373i8u7MW8qRCcBnBe6uM7HglYFnbnFcLQRDdG8cWMU7Q5zEnsmohv0Sacla0sj4uo6SEpGY-1FtYIWyAx1eHDw4w1hKW5-2AYqkOcCY4FkP2NBi5FLGRcGAWjFMdMovy3zERi5iXDlxx34L-4iaT/w640-h480/IMG_9926.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">shuttle station</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJyWE1DTs-tZzpIG-ouD_1JtkC98ejP8bYU1E_4oNkPQnP1jnuKp5D5ySNu7UjE96lXwQXV5Wgt0FoRN5IwxYTo79J6zNGq4WnEuTAeVC3V54kWrZp1gNhKP72V5Pf2P2rMReIWoDughWz4K0Yp9S57yFVRRwTinp5pQS3NLy6XstP8CLb9S9K/s1500/IMG_9927.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJyWE1DTs-tZzpIG-ouD_1JtkC98ejP8bYU1E_4oNkPQnP1jnuKp5D5ySNu7UjE96lXwQXV5Wgt0FoRN5IwxYTo79J6zNGq4WnEuTAeVC3V54kWrZp1gNhKP72V5Pf2P2rMReIWoDughWz4K0Yp9S57yFVRRwTinp5pQS3NLy6XstP8CLb9S9K/w640-h480/IMG_9927.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The first shuttle stop was at Bryce Point for our first gorgeous view of the Bryce Amphitheater. Hoodoos all around with striations of reds, yellows and whites.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisi7l2QaCEBuFxwE2l5HThk7AWWy7ZjvABXkNBsfbkF74V1cBf-5KWs_4IBQVW9V3myPgu05RFOry6yq2lUfP7oYscyX4Z428JljlcjIt2Rd4eBzcAaisF_3ZWO4X1Z3nuk7p6bQn6pQNaZcqkT1DHycaDs3riXt_NYG6-8vGclfham74rWeIj/s1500/IMG_9938.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisi7l2QaCEBuFxwE2l5HThk7AWWy7ZjvABXkNBsfbkF74V1cBf-5KWs_4IBQVW9V3myPgu05RFOry6yq2lUfP7oYscyX4Z428JljlcjIt2Rd4eBzcAaisF_3ZWO4X1Z3nuk7p6bQn6pQNaZcqkT1DHycaDs3riXt_NYG6-8vGclfham74rWeIj/w640-h480/IMG_9938.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMHzTIQ7BncM_eF61_XnMvPJ8xQp7s-oVzJrUrfPl_xar1piQJpVH8J5iye2z24nbeAQpcnsyoU7kdZeu064EHkwq4S3EyvGz2gV-wOZ4xjCZW-sdOdF0JmCeWDEqTbRp9DQdon_aYdeMZzOcM7iOptb8qLiD6vlTgfi4qa1c0O_UuncFh6pN/s1500/IMG_9940.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMHzTIQ7BncM_eF61_XnMvPJ8xQp7s-oVzJrUrfPl_xar1piQJpVH8J5iye2z24nbeAQpcnsyoU7kdZeu064EHkwq4S3EyvGz2gV-wOZ4xjCZW-sdOdF0JmCeWDEqTbRp9DQdon_aYdeMZzOcM7iOptb8qLiD6vlTgfi4qa1c0O_UuncFh6pN/w640-h480/IMG_9940.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ONVtETOuAFkk7OhfTJNEq9W9nK3yyceA-mmIMZ5g_WyDMLTOCjoT5j4rTl2CypRLm6CHpSEqSW8ZVX7AnKpco_t6rwgTXjbsJc_jLbd6u7J6ZznEW3YQWbSGHqIm8GEVOJDZnCXKOlmWrCWSpy1fTFWQBmiKd4B3wsxNuWX7jIjISpjd2Y9w/s1500/IMG_9943.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ONVtETOuAFkk7OhfTJNEq9W9nK3yyceA-mmIMZ5g_WyDMLTOCjoT5j4rTl2CypRLm6CHpSEqSW8ZVX7AnKpco_t6rwgTXjbsJc_jLbd6u7J6ZznEW3YQWbSGHqIm8GEVOJDZnCXKOlmWrCWSpy1fTFWQBmiKd4B3wsxNuWX7jIjISpjd2Y9w/w640-h480/IMG_9943.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCe6mY7_2opaL50aEm-vhDtbyt1FhzlzbaNSlFeJduTRapS6ekTNOIFrKyIiwrI80Xca39vpLO170WZ-54iRFUjDpAnjgUoZI6x-xTFoo48566WYtQUti6N7mYb88z3AUrrizQOy74bcDmQJqgj5Tna8MittZeN3M-x1C5yr3hW0H3C4uYv7KI/s1500/IMG_9929.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCe6mY7_2opaL50aEm-vhDtbyt1FhzlzbaNSlFeJduTRapS6ekTNOIFrKyIiwrI80Xca39vpLO170WZ-54iRFUjDpAnjgUoZI6x-xTFoo48566WYtQUti6N7mYb88z3AUrrizQOy74bcDmQJqgj5Tna8MittZeN3M-x1C5yr3hW0H3C4uYv7KI/w640-h480/IMG_9929.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieX3jrEWRxAArwY3oUTmuCIqOfrUROchweJiljp7fNRNGYwvHE2LfIvrusyEBKWL_SB_Zy_dFTcnR91iu9MuH4SRRsUxiGYKq2xyCS3K40h0Jjc0Ky9JPRgd7CKaLB6m4RLGhcwsWCvcWWGcbfpYFq_o173S4ndveK9riHGZT1WohiTO1ZP66f/s1500/IMG_9931.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieX3jrEWRxAArwY3oUTmuCIqOfrUROchweJiljp7fNRNGYwvHE2LfIvrusyEBKWL_SB_Zy_dFTcnR91iu9MuH4SRRsUxiGYKq2xyCS3K40h0Jjc0Ky9JPRgd7CKaLB6m4RLGhcwsWCvcWWGcbfpYFq_o173S4ndveK9riHGZT1WohiTO1ZP66f/w640-h480/IMG_9931.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnbiyrC4yYzHZDB3D_02Rhc1iOXJpxouGRV8p4v3wHGOzDvRhHYbXa2RcU989yTjUJf5m-OakFmwupOw_p4PLNL9Z27eA8EvJasUB_sIvRefwqyIE1InzG9iE40W5XXbYmHx3NNCftL5G76aO0hgYOVhXhxAIOg572T2rwJOJsD__vy-xObHB/s1500/IMG_9933.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnbiyrC4yYzHZDB3D_02Rhc1iOXJpxouGRV8p4v3wHGOzDvRhHYbXa2RcU989yTjUJf5m-OakFmwupOw_p4PLNL9Z27eA8EvJasUB_sIvRefwqyIE1InzG9iE40W5XXbYmHx3NNCftL5G76aO0hgYOVhXhxAIOg572T2rwJOJsD__vy-xObHB/w640-h480/IMG_9933.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> view of Inspiration Point</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4aGuBJdoSAGUHBLA0WyuIjla7SPdW6mUmdkWSepyUlwIcBPOlhR1CN32XVlJApvZ4RBtW4aTJozZDEC8ZMJK7Y6OoGGGIJbrwaxFTHcNmgqPOgNHZjHXE9NzhW2jW41ifUfApUMfESCuBhR9QllYlkxzjoYm2IQKHpwZVvs-ET-j3JnWjpmdu/s1500/IMG_9934.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4aGuBJdoSAGUHBLA0WyuIjla7SPdW6mUmdkWSepyUlwIcBPOlhR1CN32XVlJApvZ4RBtW4aTJozZDEC8ZMJK7Y6OoGGGIJbrwaxFTHcNmgqPOgNHZjHXE9NzhW2jW41ifUfApUMfESCuBhR9QllYlkxzjoYm2IQKHpwZVvs-ET-j3JnWjpmdu/w640-h480/IMG_9934.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtV7gJfDBG7dhn2U0EYJ2zVvbaVb7LG5pUafyez8gNrSVgCVEcCF9c-k5fY4rKB6vuvH3zc2be12weKsXWEBEQwRT8BTTqo0VnySwyKSoACvsrvKcZEFXXorCd7DsH0dLLUnOoSbeu22a3IfI9b75OFWp5sntvcpy2v3m6nkFPhoZMoDKvmZdN/s1500/IMG_9935.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtV7gJfDBG7dhn2U0EYJ2zVvbaVb7LG5pUafyez8gNrSVgCVEcCF9c-k5fY4rKB6vuvH3zc2be12weKsXWEBEQwRT8BTTqo0VnySwyKSoACvsrvKcZEFXXorCd7DsH0dLLUnOoSbeu22a3IfI9b75OFWp5sntvcpy2v3m6nkFPhoZMoDKvmZdN/w640-h480/IMG_9935.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNm__BDxKVjBxE2yXGqCEAk-6SfzvJyOIbpJ6kY4gbGyW8iazbgobg7zsYk5XgEIUfaVDQE8o7I2lgKvLZcBVssvEq99u3deST49mfz2cMXdNcQ1bWo1vpyJiKWBO6dVwmxbukCi8yA9YvPG0Dymarz_BG3A4D_heJfXrgJ-_yR0UUFFF_OZkC/s1500/IMG_9939.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNm__BDxKVjBxE2yXGqCEAk-6SfzvJyOIbpJ6kY4gbGyW8iazbgobg7zsYk5XgEIUfaVDQE8o7I2lgKvLZcBVssvEq99u3deST49mfz2cMXdNcQ1bWo1vpyJiKWBO6dVwmxbukCi8yA9YvPG0Dymarz_BG3A4D_heJfXrgJ-_yR0UUFFF_OZkC/w640-h480/IMG_9939.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizM1SthZx1gAUtrQPyKOMDAVY86MLajzACj07ObMYqdBwyxpe8WcZUak93EraJHHulMifxqaeWAAodvFiAouVaV1Y3xQtuQQeWPh33edbE3QmK_CXCYvXXKoZNEbItlzp4VkTs-md2Q7Ad2cn1MTioORniNAm5iXbKAzuFkIpRxcjlIYxu3JNB/s1500/IMG_9944.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizM1SthZx1gAUtrQPyKOMDAVY86MLajzACj07ObMYqdBwyxpe8WcZUak93EraJHHulMifxqaeWAAodvFiAouVaV1Y3xQtuQQeWPh33edbE3QmK_CXCYvXXKoZNEbItlzp4VkTs-md2Q7Ad2cn1MTioORniNAm5iXbKAzuFkIpRxcjlIYxu3JNB/w640-h480/IMG_9944.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDjY7xDEeGAoGq4eJ-QmqhXjgBBfKsM4mtPblDSLLW07bPvZsffRh-GssStLyMI8YptegvrXv-zkxLTisa-kow6P-7D-jOak1Dj7GFqKB5WNmnUTlnHdHBzqQY1WdjSyZGMjyBCM_qba7-hexwOP_kTjtA4c-P46kenvxELV9OfkE1cakcsOh/s1500/IMG_9948.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDjY7xDEeGAoGq4eJ-QmqhXjgBBfKsM4mtPblDSLLW07bPvZsffRh-GssStLyMI8YptegvrXv-zkxLTisa-kow6P-7D-jOak1Dj7GFqKB5WNmnUTlnHdHBzqQY1WdjSyZGMjyBCM_qba7-hexwOP_kTjtA4c-P46kenvxELV9OfkE1cakcsOh/w640-h480/IMG_9948.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stellar or western Jay</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Once we re-boarded the shuttle, our next stops included Inspiration Point, Sunset Point (where we saw people hiking down into the canyon and from which we took a short walk to check out the Bryce Canyon Lodge), and finally Sunrise Point.</p><p>Inspiration Point (elevation 8100 feet):</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8UAM504hdYWp3uUavgPAs5beHXy_Gozo2zDsuD5BUO_Pm6RTPEFsQgwuVnCQLxWfspIu5sN-l7W0zINTuV-xirOTHKlgFKVbookXlCiSmZL2nLqmW-JmsVzqqOnktr7ZybN-lkcy-lWV16CLm2Jh36Gr4vdmcFqyUENvZJcxrBNNi1wSkGqqc/s1500/IMG_9950.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8UAM504hdYWp3uUavgPAs5beHXy_Gozo2zDsuD5BUO_Pm6RTPEFsQgwuVnCQLxWfspIu5sN-l7W0zINTuV-xirOTHKlgFKVbookXlCiSmZL2nLqmW-JmsVzqqOnktr7ZybN-lkcy-lWV16CLm2Jh36Gr4vdmcFqyUENvZJcxrBNNi1wSkGqqc/w640-h480/IMG_9950.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-yMYactHm9KfniW2dWdMr6hV5ee6RNQnoko7oN11exBVPlg4FuV21GYWiRSafHmEyCXRFxx6citrGsGbeTDxMcMhFNkHPJAyNzt3LV0MhhFrfAbCFNm-ZX5xG7P-ty5qiOp8mHR0TutZFZwDqkA0ezdLQRGKddQg-dc7KuIg2EZLEVUf69UOH/s1500/IMG_9951.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-yMYactHm9KfniW2dWdMr6hV5ee6RNQnoko7oN11exBVPlg4FuV21GYWiRSafHmEyCXRFxx6citrGsGbeTDxMcMhFNkHPJAyNzt3LV0MhhFrfAbCFNm-ZX5xG7P-ty5qiOp8mHR0TutZFZwDqkA0ezdLQRGKddQg-dc7KuIg2EZLEVUf69UOH/w640-h480/IMG_9951.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvw9lHiAfVsne7TYfl2buXHELmQg20hyRcXlrYNGmVY_6x_DGmF-7p1RXyB7DDioLD45hQgl5PbTTvB5_n_Lg1WXvAW0T2cUDJShXhLkYlX04CG7GFRkMuIPorjNxygxkEFBkHluY1G17CWNKFrLHXngYq5saJkZxbKOdsneltCy2-EQdZVT0Q/s1500/IMG_9952.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvw9lHiAfVsne7TYfl2buXHELmQg20hyRcXlrYNGmVY_6x_DGmF-7p1RXyB7DDioLD45hQgl5PbTTvB5_n_Lg1WXvAW0T2cUDJShXhLkYlX04CG7GFRkMuIPorjNxygxkEFBkHluY1G17CWNKFrLHXngYq5saJkZxbKOdsneltCy2-EQdZVT0Q/w640-h480/IMG_9952.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Sunset Point:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhh7i9AcQXuhMsgmJXuvxtGLfNSTi3FBCK32u_aZoyWEEUZv8VzwGu3nLh1dAr1kOfTrhYmkfoQzpquQk3Wp-9Pi_Y86xfzxdRdqWNEkfEFwwit6AWs7mLvjZdYJue-VwvQHxyouaDjxQoBIGN3I1qV6gn85gXluzBNfgnFiRPKH-A9utFBEO/s1500/IMG_9954.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhh7i9AcQXuhMsgmJXuvxtGLfNSTi3FBCK32u_aZoyWEEUZv8VzwGu3nLh1dAr1kOfTrhYmkfoQzpquQk3Wp-9Pi_Y86xfzxdRdqWNEkfEFwwit6AWs7mLvjZdYJue-VwvQHxyouaDjxQoBIGN3I1qV6gn85gXluzBNfgnFiRPKH-A9utFBEO/w640-h480/IMG_9954.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBhDAVTPOZv9j6CAZk2X_V7IFpJkpEUxyFqnF0E_4xHb_ih0GdHsp-51_FybdXB1Z-afjtdKl-B3K5Lh8fbMAj-WAVSgyC0jqRcdprq7kOTYzmv1PWtl5lGAalbCWZPKVN32DkfgpufMz-2-riTsV6opWwK6-Jtk7Uu1FLYYm2k1_r0f7Ucj_/s1500/IMG_9956.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjBhDAVTPOZv9j6CAZk2X_V7IFpJkpEUxyFqnF0E_4xHb_ih0GdHsp-51_FybdXB1Z-afjtdKl-B3K5Lh8fbMAj-WAVSgyC0jqRcdprq7kOTYzmv1PWtl5lGAalbCWZPKVN32DkfgpufMz-2-riTsV6opWwK6-Jtk7Uu1FLYYm2k1_r0f7Ucj_/w640-h480/IMG_9956.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">note the hikers on the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHG4bfLb8cHd0iw0vuWgAkGl2SuNvokXx7I4yPyafUZ1z0yd6XWlIl-4F9iyuhNtOAe1eZWdcEDyUVe0V8nGgE1YkP07HHw6hTFs2ee0EwhBY94yr2FTKel-6vUl12WyXOYRuB9xDzE8tSmIrptxMU9mhlQY4vBA5z3D85Eww-MwkzuCgAqNy/s1500/IMG_9957.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHG4bfLb8cHd0iw0vuWgAkGl2SuNvokXx7I4yPyafUZ1z0yd6XWlIl-4F9iyuhNtOAe1eZWdcEDyUVe0V8nGgE1YkP07HHw6hTFs2ee0EwhBY94yr2FTKel-6vUl12WyXOYRuB9xDzE8tSmIrptxMU9mhlQY4vBA5z3D85Eww-MwkzuCgAqNy/w640-h480/IMG_9957.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdoyv8nzStngizLLO4j416378RkCdnR4LtFLLVudqv-5uZi9WK9pc2F684Wd3AkEPzhPOmKr4amDhUU2XWQntHB7aSAg41fvhh-L4gKf_B0HmrZACONy6TXCGUUC0w-rIqskMDjRF31ibar_0jOGxldhIpWIhBq4zexV3L59D17SgnCrXbf6V/s1500/IMG_9958.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdoyv8nzStngizLLO4j416378RkCdnR4LtFLLVudqv-5uZi9WK9pc2F684Wd3AkEPzhPOmKr4amDhUU2XWQntHB7aSAg41fvhh-L4gKf_B0HmrZACONy6TXCGUUC0w-rIqskMDjRF31ibar_0jOGxldhIpWIhBq4zexV3L59D17SgnCrXbf6V/w640-h480/IMG_9958.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WXlzOMWwgSDTb2M4xfOOw6r4DV7DL8rZUp4Otcnpwz597NTmSePKSPyRSlztTXfswCjUL-xUxL16Gd6WNuCBYhHKGaAbjh5wGunBAt-bK9nF_Tbhh4ktMlm0MiFGHXevt0wPKtFBZY9jgsjALYZtbCe14woGWNQ8FnvdHO4zZXFkZLKKWXj1/s1500/IMG_9959.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WXlzOMWwgSDTb2M4xfOOw6r4DV7DL8rZUp4Otcnpwz597NTmSePKSPyRSlztTXfswCjUL-xUxL16Gd6WNuCBYhHKGaAbjh5wGunBAt-bK9nF_Tbhh4ktMlm0MiFGHXevt0wPKtFBZY9jgsjALYZtbCe14woGWNQ8FnvdHO4zZXFkZLKKWXj1/w640-h480/IMG_9959.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lodge</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Sunrise Point:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZI7_F7CnVxcb6_a3t9d0T2QLZq3ywACtrhpQBfBNoS5LqKmxDguEbLLla0-4Gu23RygpYDe-WIm719OBEEeQN2xFUAP-z6-_QgOdPiJwbzHxe1tLX65FI-h0D9x2D4ke7tXg80ytMApjt8sC2cx7MuGfD_EIrsWHPerg_k8xIzuv1ZB1CqCho/s1500/IMG_9961.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZI7_F7CnVxcb6_a3t9d0T2QLZq3ywACtrhpQBfBNoS5LqKmxDguEbLLla0-4Gu23RygpYDe-WIm719OBEEeQN2xFUAP-z6-_QgOdPiJwbzHxe1tLX65FI-h0D9x2D4ke7tXg80ytMApjt8sC2cx7MuGfD_EIrsWHPerg_k8xIzuv1ZB1CqCho/w640-h480/IMG_9961.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjswbo2HaOFnNJ-LSgatpOBVq9fQhm9_leeshtn9dg8dCid2rppvFNWtgJW9hEcYUYmP1UZWPNrtXUNK5y1t-b_dHVlIptABehteDQKjMYrzrWR_YWYPdaK0ABQUQyfkwHfAad_NSISu0k1GBZZfHJEhfQaDtnXtPVsplbzyAvbv5ZLn017z-Jg/s1500/IMG_9965.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjswbo2HaOFnNJ-LSgatpOBVq9fQhm9_leeshtn9dg8dCid2rppvFNWtgJW9hEcYUYmP1UZWPNrtXUNK5y1t-b_dHVlIptABehteDQKjMYrzrWR_YWYPdaK0ABQUQyfkwHfAad_NSISu0k1GBZZfHJEhfQaDtnXtPVsplbzyAvbv5ZLn017z-Jg/w640-h480/IMG_9965.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpoNEt4dA0cL4VrD7jXGxcmOmqEiR1bL9RR7T-gz2q7Uu6VXEzZbg2X5NuIYTOr41Ijj0RvbqjVEf9XPAnP3HKeJEHIK5Xn-pOAMSXgPWsUUuTZYW4mx3ZsdiiGO3WTGY7J_NOYH3cbIvnco8rzff5O2Q6t8k01ji8wUcQj7Ioggz3cUxrALz/s2000/IMG_9966.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpoNEt4dA0cL4VrD7jXGxcmOmqEiR1bL9RR7T-gz2q7Uu6VXEzZbg2X5NuIYTOr41Ijj0RvbqjVEf9XPAnP3HKeJEHIK5Xn-pOAMSXgPWsUUuTZYW4mx3ZsdiiGO3WTGY7J_NOYH3cbIvnco8rzff5O2Q6t8k01ji8wUcQj7Ioggz3cUxrALz/w480-h640/IMG_9966.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>While there is more to see and experience in Bryce Canyon, we opted to head back to the shuttle parking area for our next leg. We returned to our car just in time to avoid one of those passing mountain/canyon rain showers which seem to pop up out of nowhere. We sat it out while we had a light lunch of cheese and crackers before heading off to the Grand Canyon North Rim.</p><p>The drive was about 160 miles, taking us down highway 89 through Kanab and Fredonia where we turned onto 89Alt. The roads were generally in good shape except on the drive south of Fredonia where we experienced our one and only poor roadway. Fortunately that soon turned to a brand-new road surface once we began our climb out of the valley.</p><p>At Jacob Lake we left 89Alt and turned onto Rt 67, the only road into the park. For the next 40 or so miles there was nothing but gorgeous landscapes of mountain meadows, forests of Aspen and one or two enormous burn fields. </p><p>We eventually arrived at the park entrance, showed our passes, and scooted on through. It was another 11 miles of woods, meadows and pretty much nothing else until we caught spectacular views of the canyons parallel to the road. Once we arrived at the visitors center, we parked and headed to the lodge itself.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLcw6LmNUMEZttnpJclqLu4zWpqq5hPhKH2npt7ye4VkILZWIDkb5Jrjk5EKqUAp2hlGJKowsOyRSz2oUVuX2o_Lq67Ba9ILCGoGNMVI0GBMKPgXN0XTDdsLTyHW-EAjgAf2TjBbkuSEA_0JbWzDn3_pmFCYMm10hP3lJ6qYWr5Dv12Oy-5sr/s1500/IMG_0021.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1500" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLcw6LmNUMEZttnpJclqLu4zWpqq5hPhKH2npt7ye4VkILZWIDkb5Jrjk5EKqUAp2hlGJKowsOyRSz2oUVuX2o_Lq67Ba9ILCGoGNMVI0GBMKPgXN0XTDdsLTyHW-EAjgAf2TjBbkuSEA_0JbWzDn3_pmFCYMm10hP3lJ6qYWr5Dv12Oy-5sr/w640-h454/IMG_0021.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Our excitement soon dulled however as we made our way to check in for our two night stay. There was a queue, perhaps not surprisingly since it was Friday after all, but even with three clerks working the desk, it took us the better part of 50 minutes to get checked in! Having just experienced the 2-minute check-in process at the Zion Lodge (managed/owned by the same company), we were dumbfounded as to the problem. (We never did learn what it was.) </p><p>But that was just the beginning. </p><p>While waiting in the queue we learned that the dining room was fully booked for the evening; we did manage to snag a reservation for the next evening for 9:30 pm. The only food option was a dodgy “deli” serving sandwiches and pizza slices. There was also a general store a mile or so away. We soon discovered they offered very little, and virtually no fresh fruit.</p><p>We made our way to our room located at the edge of the complex in a separate building, the furthest one from the lodge proper. I was able to park our car closer to our room later in the day, once the day trippers had vacated the premises. While most the lodge's accommodations are cabins, our building, one of two referred to as the motel, looked new-ish and from the outside appeared well designed and well-built. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJNLPRMKB1wjR-RPOGAi4YfPbmqkTV07XeUIR3j0DQ0i-wkagMEjLKVCszUGqJIBYakZXKl07nGxYTRWhQp4zLDy_Yd_a9GGgo4grPwGEcLShzt-hONFAKkmh8wlegFZVLhe1dQF3bmEjf0dtNkH2KBUqdLLBzxa7nImOCmpPh-MMWtkzBYB5W/s1500/IMG_9989.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJNLPRMKB1wjR-RPOGAi4YfPbmqkTV07XeUIR3j0DQ0i-wkagMEjLKVCszUGqJIBYakZXKl07nGxYTRWhQp4zLDy_Yd_a9GGgo4grPwGEcLShzt-hONFAKkmh8wlegFZVLhe1dQF3bmEjf0dtNkH2KBUqdLLBzxa7nImOCmpPh-MMWtkzBYB5W/w640-h480/IMG_9989.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhfyzTaxak-JDQNBUZR4tXBYjX1rOOfPNmqXmxvWVtm2GDE9dpIazMfA6xR2g3xdVzLdsAIi2E_j84UtdTQ6FDc95Y7COj4A9iIHB70R5NLpDtzg-470BJ-x2zG1JXk-HFCH5LnC31PHZSVnCpwOJ7VzXpN7OGQ0j0sPlIXLbIv6LdwX6ngig/s1500/IMG_0019.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhfyzTaxak-JDQNBUZR4tXBYjX1rOOfPNmqXmxvWVtm2GDE9dpIazMfA6xR2g3xdVzLdsAIi2E_j84UtdTQ6FDc95Y7COj4A9iIHB70R5NLpDtzg-470BJ-x2zG1JXk-HFCH5LnC31PHZSVnCpwOJ7VzXpN7OGQ0j0sPlIXLbIv6LdwX6ngig/w640-h480/IMG_0019.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKn4QSFMiINjHirO2sqZZmPRHVmh-cvXDE2Lbdx305ak1httMYav8R7OqaLqjp_PGqdoxqx2xvMuEdnXmH7vATTJLIMmHnt4rRZ0EPLgMSSZpp8t4A0ZIRlwklWY1sJIEr-oEbJvqLMvd7_eI4smzVgnHhb-bhc6BcqpmYa17by9pkohM-X1o/s1500/IMG_9988.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKn4QSFMiINjHirO2sqZZmPRHVmh-cvXDE2Lbdx305ak1httMYav8R7OqaLqjp_PGqdoxqx2xvMuEdnXmH7vATTJLIMmHnt4rRZ0EPLgMSSZpp8t4A0ZIRlwklWY1sJIEr-oEbJvqLMvd7_eI4smzVgnHhb-bhc6BcqpmYa17by9pkohM-X1o/w640-h480/IMG_9988.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>But we no sooner opened the door than we were greeted by some rather disturbing elements. The room was small — picture those views of cabins on board the standard class of cruise ships -- and the bathroom was squeezed in almost as an afterthought. The place looked tired, dingy and generally as if the management had simply bought an old rundown motel and moved the interiors inside this new building. We thought it odd.</p><p>And then things started to fall apart. When Susan tried to open the only window it simply came out of the track and was certainly not about to stay open. We headed off to the front desk but along the way passed a maintenance guy who came to our aid. He was back in a flash to our room and fixed the window <i>tout de suite</i>. Oh, and when we tried to plug in our chargers to one of the few accessible wall outlets, the prongs simply fell right out of the outlet.</p><p>In searching for another outlet, we found one behind the bed, but when attempting to move the bed to reach the outlet, the headboard fell off the wall (it was never affixed to the bed but somehow glued to the wall as a decoration). But we must say the management was quick to repair it.</p><p>The sunset was gorgeous that night and we considered ourselves fortunate to be in such a beautiful spot. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpqEK1gqivL0TTerno-mqzV4aBoB8Yk60M1fWoJPjUELZpaL8OsDVtlARkf8_FGFh2vUsaE8m05Y7GKANJOsvUrO5aP8IGN-liFFPEe6jErdx6ROPTmVo_K468_YzgXesU7f9anKa0CwCfFsw2UG6Pmp1nCCw5b_NJO_ER5w35acu_pdWtQqz1/s1500/IMG_9970.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1500" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpqEK1gqivL0TTerno-mqzV4aBoB8Yk60M1fWoJPjUELZpaL8OsDVtlARkf8_FGFh2vUsaE8m05Y7GKANJOsvUrO5aP8IGN-liFFPEe6jErdx6ROPTmVo_K468_YzgXesU7f9anKa0CwCfFsw2UG6Pmp1nCCw5b_NJO_ER5w35acu_pdWtQqz1/w640-h454/IMG_9970.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw975jGAyXpQ3SC6cCetSHsMquLbdg3qC5OWsjiFJy4ElkZ3-Sl8NKgv5waxNaroqaXdcXMzyKo9PElAt34TLE1Bunc2p7Q4AA6Laeu2eY9W2YHCwwSSOyQSC5Cw7T8ELaB6DeV2anPPQZTzZ0GF7RuqYiLG8oTmtddxRIK5bN9RCM7HtZl5bv/s1500/IMG_9971.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1082" data-original-width="1500" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw975jGAyXpQ3SC6cCetSHsMquLbdg3qC5OWsjiFJy4ElkZ3-Sl8NKgv5waxNaroqaXdcXMzyKo9PElAt34TLE1Bunc2p7Q4AA6Laeu2eY9W2YHCwwSSOyQSC5Cw7T8ELaB6DeV2anPPQZTzZ0GF7RuqYiLG8oTmtddxRIK5bN9RCM7HtZl5bv/w640-h462/IMG_9971.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaznsmP_AdCja7X3kHi04neCzWumMSMvbB3PHP5tNTahN3-Dpt4kCryln3MWFNaShb7e9orQHGk5JK2N6BJrqWrQopsERDEy-cXCDErnXi-KmEBmDSKhpE2tTHHjv62bPlRFodel7Qm4tvH86uWDHpaByeOB0Q4Cb_ODd42MqYpmV8iCUhcc8A/s1500/IMG_9973.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaznsmP_AdCja7X3kHi04neCzWumMSMvbB3PHP5tNTahN3-Dpt4kCryln3MWFNaShb7e9orQHGk5JK2N6BJrqWrQopsERDEy-cXCDErnXi-KmEBmDSKhpE2tTHHjv62bPlRFodel7Qm4tvH86uWDHpaByeOB0Q4Cb_ODd42MqYpmV8iCUhcc8A/w640-h480/IMG_9973.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The scenery and grandeur of the canyons can’t be beat, but, as Susan remarked, a place that is visited by folks from all over the world and considers itself a premier destination deserves more than what the Grand Canyon Lodge has to offer. Far too many people and far too few amenities.</p>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-83675263491378070472023-09-14T20:10:00.000-04:002023-09-14T20:10:53.467-04:00Zion Canyon Day Three<p>[Thursday 14 September] </p><p>Morning began overcast and cool, a perfect day for a hike. After breakfast we packed up and headed off for the shuttle. We went just one stop (The Grotto) and walked across the street and over the bridge spanning the very muddy Virgin River. And thus we began our ascent up the Kayenta Trail to the Emerald Pools. </p><p>There are three pools, connected basins of water coming from the top of the canyon, one upper, one middle and one lower. The walk was occasionally rocky and the ground uneven, a few sets of stone steps and the first portion uphill. Eventually the elevation leveled off, aside from an occasional uphill climb, and we were treated to some truly spectacular views of the canyon, even spotting the lodge down below. </p><p>Once we reached the middle pool we decided to forgo the upper portion but Susie wanted to see the lower pool so I bravely let her go on her own while I waited. </p><p>The return trip was mostly downhill, which was nice, but the traffic coming up had picked up since we started and there were quite a few hikers jockeying for a limited amount of space along the trail. But everyone was so nice, courteous and friendly. Hiking is indeed a great social leveler.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKuJwmP5X0Ydm4iQDZCkcIj_wkR9VwmO5--ZIN5MiTClTOM-rSgheVs4rBDxfYU5M89TXz93NoLYpMHdFldNdK9ApeLFWms4v5CqvJ16RJwcz-W0Qyb6N4Bg4ocostImJeadOk9rRpbEVRmE008dHCAihdr74yRx4LS4OKEeijDo6UgUOrdAdT/s1500/IMG_9894.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKuJwmP5X0Ydm4iQDZCkcIj_wkR9VwmO5--ZIN5MiTClTOM-rSgheVs4rBDxfYU5M89TXz93NoLYpMHdFldNdK9ApeLFWms4v5CqvJ16RJwcz-W0Qyb6N4Bg4ocostImJeadOk9rRpbEVRmE008dHCAihdr74yRx4LS4OKEeijDo6UgUOrdAdT/w640-h480/IMG_9894.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">beginning of the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtc93dmPXykNQoLuHCZennouiXi4N0rayi9xIf1uewOp6_v7xcyiAhUBcjnlIzXlPkTxM0ZLMyfaTjkHMKyS-U4KUcv2DtTJdGX9CR1vnDuVlH_O0QWPTgG0B0CqYl79Q9VxAg57ItOZIl4msZDKHWV1rdaZcu2n8Q4MfATdiSx5svM8vq-YUS/s1500/IMG_9895.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtc93dmPXykNQoLuHCZennouiXi4N0rayi9xIf1uewOp6_v7xcyiAhUBcjnlIzXlPkTxM0ZLMyfaTjkHMKyS-U4KUcv2DtTJdGX9CR1vnDuVlH_O0QWPTgG0B0CqYl79Q9VxAg57ItOZIl4msZDKHWV1rdaZcu2n8Q4MfATdiSx5svM8vq-YUS/w640-h480/IMG_9895.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">looking down canyon toward the lodge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLR43OiEBiIh_iwuhDUyrzlZjFqlEcSlNSKUuhSZ9ZwjSBdGuU21hpfbda1FRv-WMg2f0WczExDZljYMvQ7bZtLR2NexbF-M-ocyeZ0ZLT8ZjuyrIi2EhYwBuUoZBjBLQcwExo89JpD6MQhbSIP3B0GnukGPpL5KVgBQI9--NVd4Cs1LvNS1ut/s1500/IMG_9896.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLR43OiEBiIh_iwuhDUyrzlZjFqlEcSlNSKUuhSZ9ZwjSBdGuU21hpfbda1FRv-WMg2f0WczExDZljYMvQ7bZtLR2NexbF-M-ocyeZ0ZLT8ZjuyrIi2EhYwBuUoZBjBLQcwExo89JpD6MQhbSIP3B0GnukGPpL5KVgBQI9--NVd4Cs1LvNS1ut/w640-h480/IMG_9896.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">looking back to where we began the trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLjMhIm4Nm9vY6Op0oghgotLh1M6VqzSCUqdDqUeNw0Qrt9F7uiMcCgVHiPemfaXoCKqW5g0WLexUrjCHyrL_h0QkwRCnnLZPFDD7IQzM3t9WLy5tjdCXGY7oTH0XHlzbNqH1YGOzfBTswhl36x0DQRkKI4sMS2xGKbCYKm0YZP0291Ha19sW/s1500/IMG_9897.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLjMhIm4Nm9vY6Op0oghgotLh1M6VqzSCUqdDqUeNw0Qrt9F7uiMcCgVHiPemfaXoCKqW5g0WLexUrjCHyrL_h0QkwRCnnLZPFDD7IQzM3t9WLy5tjdCXGY7oTH0XHlzbNqH1YGOzfBTswhl36x0DQRkKI4sMS2xGKbCYKm0YZP0291Ha19sW/w640-h480/IMG_9897.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">more views down canyon</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFXmZ4TRQjB4t4cbFeiDosdoJr7-e1uBZgwVbMC5rQhMmQV2_YyKYJCJzar-0N3f2az48SLPrlSia9ktoY8K1GzjgiQfobkpa4-4m2QtsKSoZq7FADms_QBVEKvc5F8ilcXZYhb2h3XrF0f-OmvO5eGcBnFWuKjRAqeNVh3LoYO_dyGv6-yH1/s1500/IMG_9898.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFXmZ4TRQjB4t4cbFeiDosdoJr7-e1uBZgwVbMC5rQhMmQV2_YyKYJCJzar-0N3f2az48SLPrlSia9ktoY8K1GzjgiQfobkpa4-4m2QtsKSoZq7FADms_QBVEKvc5F8ilcXZYhb2h3XrF0f-OmvO5eGcBnFWuKjRAqeNVh3LoYO_dyGv6-yH1/w640-h480/IMG_9898.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the trail on the far right</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwycYnEEq7Ohw1eNxYVbaBeuV-ox57-bU5eo9F9n0EtoKLFGzVBcupQmFEX5D8qAtMrjhCGVjCPHQz1D_D-CUYs_5KR4bpdnrBvLvStpcHaPBu6d18m-e7XwRqPp0rZuCiAe6kSKwdanvMdGzK4-vSFRCbQ08-D1JvsxFslbdKT2RQ_toCBArs/s1500/IMG_9900.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwycYnEEq7Ohw1eNxYVbaBeuV-ox57-bU5eo9F9n0EtoKLFGzVBcupQmFEX5D8qAtMrjhCGVjCPHQz1D_D-CUYs_5KR4bpdnrBvLvStpcHaPBu6d18m-e7XwRqPp0rZuCiAe6kSKwdanvMdGzK4-vSFRCbQ08-D1JvsxFslbdKT2RQ_toCBArs/w640-h480/IMG_9900.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDtRMub3QoC5FcofGWsmGry_zdPLKCRnfUcUSzeN7nrZtTzZQlTvGEuRTJzXXFvkc6fuZlhri-Tgru3YWJRCDeMRssn9sI51X-bWhMdrSVV5KO6muKI74KeLztjskr_zWxOu7-AUv7DjP_k5RQbOJwEPlU3tv-PJH6t6vrM3bNDMOdPIt7BSXx/s1500/IMG_9901.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDtRMub3QoC5FcofGWsmGry_zdPLKCRnfUcUSzeN7nrZtTzZQlTvGEuRTJzXXFvkc6fuZlhri-Tgru3YWJRCDeMRssn9sI51X-bWhMdrSVV5KO6muKI74KeLztjskr_zWxOu7-AUv7DjP_k5RQbOJwEPlU3tv-PJH6t6vrM3bNDMOdPIt7BSXx/w640-h480/IMG_9901.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnuffJjbUN6gfipR0Ho1no-HZ9q6XdwOS4GMYz4EzX4EyR561zyB9g75vJ0EJ4YUPhVKmgB61Wkxq4pR0prePoIAZwjHeYSQUwiQavofq7xDjSb4m19saS4OC7NlG-X3nvfNMTphq4bhJjz0R6D97Wp-em8IBDVS2i-lnUWQiwz306HvZvU9yf/s1500/IMG_9902.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnuffJjbUN6gfipR0Ho1no-HZ9q6XdwOS4GMYz4EzX4EyR561zyB9g75vJ0EJ4YUPhVKmgB61Wkxq4pR0prePoIAZwjHeYSQUwiQavofq7xDjSb4m19saS4OC7NlG-X3nvfNMTphq4bhJjz0R6D97Wp-em8IBDVS2i-lnUWQiwz306HvZvU9yf/w640-h480/IMG_9902.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the lodge is dead center</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrk5GcoezZRmeD594OHDftam6j1u2KKuH7YxeDGLVKU9vxnopQX_5MZ-XhesQZlsHkU0EcmTBflchUPWueWCm4WaHkAZmVNOvX0XNRG-ZQeKqBGaPy2Wlc7yNNSJx-W-of2ioX0J5kc6hIXqAw5NeYB57Pg96GrSOMwHvjlRybvGpRGZ6jJhc/s1500/IMG_9903.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrk5GcoezZRmeD594OHDftam6j1u2KKuH7YxeDGLVKU9vxnopQX_5MZ-XhesQZlsHkU0EcmTBflchUPWueWCm4WaHkAZmVNOvX0XNRG-ZQeKqBGaPy2Wlc7yNNSJx-W-of2ioX0J5kc6hIXqAw5NeYB57Pg96GrSOMwHvjlRybvGpRGZ6jJhc/w640-h480/IMG_9903.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lhR6dQXp1-Jmg_tu6A8XfkEle4YaBQ4rn5ATlXMLND_AdMuCspqTpYmg0T-tvm6RgnAGQpZjLrm6_feuHGhQqJn1Ff-a8kuml8-MyPdtTfVHUQOFHR-g3b7h_I90Er2tCeixU8odWpRQ2U3oujO0aF-v7oVaZzdCSEBc-eUoAVoOrCIOcp3C/s1500/IMG_9904.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lhR6dQXp1-Jmg_tu6A8XfkEle4YaBQ4rn5ATlXMLND_AdMuCspqTpYmg0T-tvm6RgnAGQpZjLrm6_feuHGhQqJn1Ff-a8kuml8-MyPdtTfVHUQOFHR-g3b7h_I90Er2tCeixU8odWpRQ2U3oujO0aF-v7oVaZzdCSEBc-eUoAVoOrCIOcp3C/w640-h480/IMG_9904.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifeNyTY2mTIzmWi0qcoSFHSvblYvzEwC7X-i8eGwO3IxgccvGt8Ngd4NzwvteoBUq6cpJWG_EUFhh8sMD50Uhp5L79KBhncoTnr9JC1rwLal5DJhuZ0fdZLArHnEew2Hth56PPL8Laa7GqbbEfdSyFnHJR1-TGgtNaqiWTDkGseDN-l5DRh6YQ/s1500/IMG_9905.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifeNyTY2mTIzmWi0qcoSFHSvblYvzEwC7X-i8eGwO3IxgccvGt8Ngd4NzwvteoBUq6cpJWG_EUFhh8sMD50Uhp5L79KBhncoTnr9JC1rwLal5DJhuZ0fdZLArHnEew2Hth56PPL8Laa7GqbbEfdSyFnHJR1-TGgtNaqiWTDkGseDN-l5DRh6YQ/w640-h480/IMG_9905.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">junction of lower and middle pool portions</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlA4B0LNsU-L8fjPDxEV--FVXpqD34IEfNHiTD2q4UoUuuhEK-4cF4oo6VO_VybMnLhK0l2uPdRwPQpvk-K2X3UC3CNhHnT0hsMSEa258NEEeF-krcZ_2tiepr3C8HUXHuYEC_ZaX0FwsUEf4dGYhC-EORKeFU9X0FG6vunzvG_1JCcPT8gmo/s1500/IMG_9906.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlA4B0LNsU-L8fjPDxEV--FVXpqD34IEfNHiTD2q4UoUuuhEK-4cF4oo6VO_VybMnLhK0l2uPdRwPQpvk-K2X3UC3CNhHnT0hsMSEa258NEEeF-krcZ_2tiepr3C8HUXHuYEC_ZaX0FwsUEf4dGYhC-EORKeFU9X0FG6vunzvG_1JCcPT8gmo/w640-h480/IMG_9906.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">middle pool, the water drop-off is straight ahead</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQrTrugB10UnNyMYjSpvkEegIQjHPPiMennfc6rCjhHsHwJv0W5z5pK4YPnV9eiwW-VVvafx5g1WjFlYrxs9N8LSOw5vYq44ww-36XSHCHjcA2-8dO0euKjELaGyRMAF1ywHgvCHgQ24WhauSU6LAe6KDnGAL-gpDwbu0cWc7YdoDPVJctlsGL/s1500/IMG_9908.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQrTrugB10UnNyMYjSpvkEegIQjHPPiMennfc6rCjhHsHwJv0W5z5pK4YPnV9eiwW-VVvafx5g1WjFlYrxs9N8LSOw5vYq44ww-36XSHCHjcA2-8dO0euKjELaGyRMAF1ywHgvCHgQ24WhauSU6LAe6KDnGAL-gpDwbu0cWc7YdoDPVJctlsGL/w640-h480/IMG_9908.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihhhpq_2M5J0jJLagdZF0XckDftg-8kldLvnhN3hj-miWwDRkGn1x5HYxR8ge12T66nm00wKY5eeTFIK_Wswf1dUjer8-KX95VPc36yWb-SL9nnyeOVVAGi8gniU9BocnirpZPOZmHuhmExjfi_b6Z1EEOeP-ldvb_FDVT0TqzvXa3UfjbnW8J/s1500/IMG_9910.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihhhpq_2M5J0jJLagdZF0XckDftg-8kldLvnhN3hj-miWwDRkGn1x5HYxR8ge12T66nm00wKY5eeTFIK_Wswf1dUjer8-KX95VPc36yWb-SL9nnyeOVVAGi8gniU9BocnirpZPOZmHuhmExjfi_b6Z1EEOeP-ldvb_FDVT0TqzvXa3UfjbnW8J/w640-h480/IMG_9910.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">not a lot of water today</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZYSTFv-Vf_3L_rwzcVyKURM6RN8DqNIUqBamt5ikPTD0Yn6RuLCV6GLmehGIdochfqPENqTP2cOKg3aSRikS8lOlb_xAQqRCBz-O41MNWSRex2xUCIvSvjRTnS6NVP6k6UhYaZlQ5UArVVhB5GgaJ8blYM3l-ET_l7-rZpNFA-2kT2Yyd5WE/s1500/IMG_9910b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZYSTFv-Vf_3L_rwzcVyKURM6RN8DqNIUqBamt5ikPTD0Yn6RuLCV6GLmehGIdochfqPENqTP2cOKg3aSRikS8lOlb_xAQqRCBz-O41MNWSRex2xUCIvSvjRTnS6NVP6k6UhYaZlQ5UArVVhB5GgaJ8blYM3l-ET_l7-rZpNFA-2kT2Yyd5WE/w640-h480/IMG_9910b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBEsyV0_QJwTD0TVDn6v6JDS-pLQmBnG2utIqItULD8UM_SVALYpGzf6PucNFXt4D2X4VHB2lnBSNjfFLtaG5qqfK6GTfPOD6t_0xWkp4bEpKMP4CeA8laoZoloKvlwQUSYkP1FNJB2OcPCFv26a8s3wt1_YXcWthFSv6ustOLmfqoiDbJHyvt/s1500/IMG_9910c.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBEsyV0_QJwTD0TVDn6v6JDS-pLQmBnG2utIqItULD8UM_SVALYpGzf6PucNFXt4D2X4VHB2lnBSNjfFLtaG5qqfK6GTfPOD6t_0xWkp4bEpKMP4CeA8laoZoloKvlwQUSYkP1FNJB2OcPCFv26a8s3wt1_YXcWthFSv6ustOLmfqoiDbJHyvt/w640-h480/IMG_9910c.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Susie's photo of the lower pool, not much to see but dramatic nonetheless</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2oiOeAZhOp9MDkL4l1zF306qKXFbx7riylZWVULY17jIJtLqN3uqtsjp0U9fZKeDX6uY5Sh57Q2_OSSbnErpc4aIktjqh6gczTvrasQP8EV7pNoYUqoVy_TlJHqMFFHHNt6qBtwSGeaYGNZEerA0YYoKw-5GVlCBFea3pIdOMsWaFX7V9guXS/s1500/IMG_9910d.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2oiOeAZhOp9MDkL4l1zF306qKXFbx7riylZWVULY17jIJtLqN3uqtsjp0U9fZKeDX6uY5Sh57Q2_OSSbnErpc4aIktjqh6gczTvrasQP8EV7pNoYUqoVy_TlJHqMFFHHNt6qBtwSGeaYGNZEerA0YYoKw-5GVlCBFea3pIdOMsWaFX7V9guXS/w640-h480/IMG_9910d.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyN1RpVOedJH5HCy9o6gL4xZimq4OdgENYuyaiW6nvpGWZBrMJMl5Xk-DQEpaL0H8Ixdp2YiSUYp6vNf0NT8MrWKtWZru9Jqul1g4OMkakizYQSMkqFWJCg1VewyaeyBqHxsVMlqNqZk-gKlorrM9GIJpB_8nAr16Xu6-qahZLyYKOArWtFvhO/s1500/IMG_9912.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyN1RpVOedJH5HCy9o6gL4xZimq4OdgENYuyaiW6nvpGWZBrMJMl5Xk-DQEpaL0H8Ixdp2YiSUYp6vNf0NT8MrWKtWZru9Jqul1g4OMkakizYQSMkqFWJCg1VewyaeyBqHxsVMlqNqZk-gKlorrM9GIJpB_8nAr16Xu6-qahZLyYKOArWtFvhO/w640-h480/IMG_9912.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">back to the trailhead</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpTPmM2IVhqrQrR8CsJcgG8czzd4_ZeLNmd95Rc6LXBC_2FyLEr6WLLmQea_A5kzmXCYbXOLQGekQEjRDuvkCdowa_2FGzSaFbx7Zu2Qzv3hFE8uhYg_qtbQUKCkJjZD-y8TiYCX_2TP87qJSQtlXLm3KIxlc_z_NJy29NWan8wk946PZzhArv/s1500/IMG_9913.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpTPmM2IVhqrQrR8CsJcgG8czzd4_ZeLNmd95Rc6LXBC_2FyLEr6WLLmQea_A5kzmXCYbXOLQGekQEjRDuvkCdowa_2FGzSaFbx7Zu2Qzv3hFE8uhYg_qtbQUKCkJjZD-y8TiYCX_2TP87qJSQtlXLm3KIxlc_z_NJy29NWan8wk946PZzhArv/w640-h480/IMG_9913.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">you can see the trail sloping down on the left and you can just make out the bridge we crossed where the river disappears</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Once we returned to the shuttle stop Susie and I parted company. She took the short half-mile Grotto trail back to the lodge while I opted for the bus. Once back on the room we rested, and had a bite of lunch before heading back out one more time.</p><p>Once again on the shuttle down canyon, getting off at stop 4, the short but oh so sweet walk up to the Court of the Patriarchs. We were told these three peaks were named by a Methodist minister for the three Biblical patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I wonder what the Paiutes called them?</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8y04OW_9gUFIM1mCnxyeYlqIAK-yiW0Rpqh2DIbJgeAG68ynNo43HEcStnZQsA2unUKhzZzhqQC1hUg7Ulfpe7o98ETlJgegjVfoz7VDXGBVl437ceajYFqqTI75NgzsAhZRkauZ7E-SwBhdVGVaQIugECJs9ZcsJIBI_Jrz9ImNYMpIBd2D/s1500/IMG_9918.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8y04OW_9gUFIM1mCnxyeYlqIAK-yiW0Rpqh2DIbJgeAG68ynNo43HEcStnZQsA2unUKhzZzhqQC1hUg7Ulfpe7o98ETlJgegjVfoz7VDXGBVl437ceajYFqqTI75NgzsAhZRkauZ7E-SwBhdVGVaQIugECJs9ZcsJIBI_Jrz9ImNYMpIBd2D/w640-h480/IMG_9918.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">trail head next to the shuttle stop</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5reirAjQiUcDT5PDA6xPFS-q2T2usS0CTYTbRzc7jv3vGLJoNb_vmh5VjXIIYIBXzSPMIkYblhpTomkKff6kHaeOHRlCGqwnv1F6HxMqWafowil363IGzVWFy0noASBQefWTbOv85LNtTvrUWqYixAZ-7j78fliGf9A6SSgnzjL1cVLAqJHyJ/s1500/IMG_9915.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5reirAjQiUcDT5PDA6xPFS-q2T2usS0CTYTbRzc7jv3vGLJoNb_vmh5VjXIIYIBXzSPMIkYblhpTomkKff6kHaeOHRlCGqwnv1F6HxMqWafowil363IGzVWFy0noASBQefWTbOv85LNtTvrUWqYixAZ-7j78fliGf9A6SSgnzjL1cVLAqJHyJ/w640-h480/IMG_9915.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xwKwiNdKJgMDi4jV-wG_JLGGy_4RyFbCFownY2GDiarI27btnSKNYPO0aLqP86P93wiVK1xkQZ5KLzf9YNq26S1gP9PM_DsQCAs11TZXYMZ12qKFtbCVa-pMf4EwG_xV15PaRhNaKiyv_YWP246qpg2vzYjT_MHfFSaT36CmW1TU2PahDLg3/s1500/IMG_9916.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xwKwiNdKJgMDi4jV-wG_JLGGy_4RyFbCFownY2GDiarI27btnSKNYPO0aLqP86P93wiVK1xkQZ5KLzf9YNq26S1gP9PM_DsQCAs11TZXYMZ12qKFtbCVa-pMf4EwG_xV15PaRhNaKiyv_YWP246qpg2vzYjT_MHfFSaT36CmW1TU2PahDLg3/w640-h480/IMG_9916.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the view from the 150-foot climb</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JfnQ1G8TuRZBrWmWl3zj62wj6IjSFtn5NjYNBKKbXyNhQQJqTHi3cvEAmLZm5onkQAR3DQn7VQnItZU83EmNsywYDz-SAnqcIxUxupsF43WTlc01hHnUM9cyLCDc96hQ4svuN-nItTKBqOblCc9HeXi3PukrnJ1JlfvHVG_-EP3vQteRKiPZ/s1500/IMG_9917.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JfnQ1G8TuRZBrWmWl3zj62wj6IjSFtn5NjYNBKKbXyNhQQJqTHi3cvEAmLZm5onkQAR3DQn7VQnItZU83EmNsywYDz-SAnqcIxUxupsF43WTlc01hHnUM9cyLCDc96hQ4svuN-nItTKBqOblCc9HeXi3PukrnJ1JlfvHVG_-EP3vQteRKiPZ/w640-h480/IMG_9917.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and back down</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Back at the shuttle stop we boarded the next bus, jam-packed with hikers coming down canyon. . . No matter, we were soon at the visitor center where we caught our breath before heading off for the Springdale shuttle into town. Our goal was simple: a couple of bottles of wine for the next legs of the trip. We strolled a bit of town, and as you can see, there isn't much here but lots of restaurants and places to stay. But that's to be expected I suppose, given the popularity of the park.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3BqUC1xl1zMt-553Vs6KrbwWspi63VIKdmty2L4_YwgBhqsWqZVTivjW08Sjrt4xLL9NchQcF7BA7A1fnz-eAzvlQB3NJiFRMY_SPrdtRohnSwKW78kxMhqLQb0jcFCgI0yKIXikoUMp8PBnvo1M0Zc_Mxlq3_JYg92oOWQ62aKacIYOfJRGA/s1500/IMG_9922.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3BqUC1xl1zMt-553Vs6KrbwWspi63VIKdmty2L4_YwgBhqsWqZVTivjW08Sjrt4xLL9NchQcF7BA7A1fnz-eAzvlQB3NJiFRMY_SPrdtRohnSwKW78kxMhqLQb0jcFCgI0yKIXikoUMp8PBnvo1M0Zc_Mxlq3_JYg92oOWQ62aKacIYOfJRGA/w640-h480/IMG_9922.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">A snippet of Springdale's main street</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>With wines in hand we returned to the park just in time for a brief thunderstorm and shower, probably enough to make some folks up at the Narrows nervous I imagine.</p><p>We settled back home in our room for the rest of the day, cooling our heels at the lodge where we will eat our final meal this evening.</p><p>Tomorrow it's off to Bryce Canyon ending at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.</p><p><br /></p>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-56676080466261815562023-09-14T10:08:00.237-04:002023-09-14T10:43:42.971-04:00Zion Canyon Day Two<p>[Wednesday 13 September] </p><p>Another gorgeous day in the park. And another morning of profound quiet. After breakfast in our room we dressed and headed for the shuttle. We got off at the visitor center in plenty of time for our 10:15 meetup for Ride with a Ranger. After our Ranger took roll call, we walked over to the special bus that would take the 25 of us back up into the canyon. </p><p>We made three stops during the tour, stops not part of the routine shuttle service. At each stop Steven would herd us off the bus and we would gather round while he gave his little talk: stop 1 focussed on geology, stop 2 on the human history, and stop 3 on what I'm not sure. </p><p>While the tour was another wonderful opportunity to appreciate the awe-inspiring grandeur of this place, unfortunately our Ranger wasn't up to the task of making us more aware of the park's nuances. His presentations were uneven to the point of being annoying as he fumbled through his so-called cheat sheets, indeed didn't seem to know a great deal about the park and its history, failed to repeat questions for the others in the group, and generally lacked enthusiasm. He was, in a word, uninteresting.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LW0nPxcATR2IrrT1NNwOq8ygJTysxx2hTNdMcwdEopEGa0vQh3yKaMa1w_Fbr9-HPxkuQYk0Li6IoERVj7NPtFbJTwlPsKOpVULFInTxnQ_bmDV2lgGpqOcHfpXCOY6YQz803GVmav8ISzUfVK7cwbVEQ78Wj3iQg7t_etlDzGtuEEWa77tM/s1500/IMG_9855.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LW0nPxcATR2IrrT1NNwOq8ygJTysxx2hTNdMcwdEopEGa0vQh3yKaMa1w_Fbr9-HPxkuQYk0Li6IoERVj7NPtFbJTwlPsKOpVULFInTxnQ_bmDV2lgGpqOcHfpXCOY6YQz803GVmav8ISzUfVK7cwbVEQ78Wj3iQg7t_etlDzGtuEEWa77tM/w640-h480/IMG_9855.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">taking the shuttle from the lodge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBsCubxa402EjLtpSZEAbLSivmE1UdUoS-l4iDHO5-MhmztFPx_J7EWFVTAUa8oIUFKNv9MN8BdwR2IvFFM5AwrxCikL1PxpqnvC66y31zKqhUWFQD1sxL5uOM3wsX9KxXkBrqDH3P4fwVnjl-ueUTIfMxZRahYMbOUziFtgT2bQggJJvVZlMT/s1500/IMG_9858.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBsCubxa402EjLtpSZEAbLSivmE1UdUoS-l4iDHO5-MhmztFPx_J7EWFVTAUa8oIUFKNv9MN8BdwR2IvFFM5AwrxCikL1PxpqnvC66y31zKqhUWFQD1sxL5uOM3wsX9KxXkBrqDH3P4fwVnjl-ueUTIfMxZRahYMbOUziFtgT2bQggJJvVZlMT/w640-h480/IMG_9858.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">meeting our ranger</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03ZMXhy-Iga2lCiJXNNurcy9dVEWcyyXDgBbNF4AkOs5Zm9z5jlypv1ux5xeEYMp15GgfKgVkmIjUTQiZCL48I5OcMSofl1krq-5BQh7bLaIkKC8pgmbjRgkKZFppoNP6iCLbtUF42Fmd_OoC97t412DTRnvrXgmkXhbB598Up9uNhF_m-f9w/s1500/IMG_9859.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03ZMXhy-Iga2lCiJXNNurcy9dVEWcyyXDgBbNF4AkOs5Zm9z5jlypv1ux5xeEYMp15GgfKgVkmIjUTQiZCL48I5OcMSofl1krq-5BQh7bLaIkKC8pgmbjRgkKZFppoNP6iCLbtUF42Fmd_OoC97t412DTRnvrXgmkXhbB598Up9uNhF_m-f9w/w640-h480/IMG_9859.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">stop 1</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglu1WQ_YB-nLH2a6lXULytQ-Ad874rZiRDXPdnjakq54kpbPMIEnwchcjZncJAWz2cRQbqziR7TedZbhJV8lNQ-t52GAoYb8o1-gAGV_8e3XVPlFDpbBO7yJFMVKSRwbAVfovgk1PtfMsLMbVucAWg9O9jLFJxZU4iytqSboY0QUXSY8hNiP8_/s1500/IMG_9860.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglu1WQ_YB-nLH2a6lXULytQ-Ad874rZiRDXPdnjakq54kpbPMIEnwchcjZncJAWz2cRQbqziR7TedZbhJV8lNQ-t52GAoYb8o1-gAGV_8e3XVPlFDpbBO7yJFMVKSRwbAVfovgk1PtfMsLMbVucAWg9O9jLFJxZU4iytqSboY0QUXSY8hNiP8_/w640-h480/IMG_9860.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">not too exciting</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAFxsiwReczwI2Uv5w-uVRB8pcwuA2qnuFDJa6QB6cqy9YR4DHJUR0TMRgYiZ-bNK1rCOitp5vs5fwhcxMiO-dxB-GJ6oSFXztfFrdzMTspzH_ZZTHtBZxjuKK9dh7idCswmi1oz6-0Mhdv26trfbah91ySYpm0F_ZWFmCu_GAOFkXqCsjvNK/s1500/IMG_9865.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAFxsiwReczwI2Uv5w-uVRB8pcwuA2qnuFDJa6QB6cqy9YR4DHJUR0TMRgYiZ-bNK1rCOitp5vs5fwhcxMiO-dxB-GJ6oSFXztfFrdzMTspzH_ZZTHtBZxjuKK9dh7idCswmi1oz6-0Mhdv26trfbah91ySYpm0F_ZWFmCu_GAOFkXqCsjvNK/w640-h480/IMG_9865.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">stop 3 Big Bend</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM7XNOt-wuncjkuwfekpzKPcsZoszZJUJHxZMJM3WrJRzEwP2iZdkhOjJZASke0hdwfD0fWTD5_teGjeIeJG2z62Snbw8aOnPF4AIhhsr2Z0rnGjlfelRjl3kCpGWB73-fhw0mstdLhN6nXXIMvEjhprwKu3hYjoZl0nAYeo0MOguMViSgQrZJ/s1500/IMG_9866.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM7XNOt-wuncjkuwfekpzKPcsZoszZJUJHxZMJM3WrJRzEwP2iZdkhOjJZASke0hdwfD0fWTD5_teGjeIeJG2z62Snbw8aOnPF4AIhhsr2Z0rnGjlfelRjl3kCpGWB73-fhw0mstdLhN6nXXIMvEjhprwKu3hYjoZl0nAYeo0MOguMViSgQrZJ/w640-h480/IMG_9866.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9J4ZVQsUacK6aomDQkpE_j8hSg-ndZBevG8690HnTx3AvDL5dXNJWXMCvavQzgwIuFFEA-wz7ljOLZUKAnfN0Y_71Or39FeiifHEIpVTrETQ3n6PJoiItCtK6-6dAPkDZMC2rZd6ej25_pbroIP-Bxbnmz6EYhVZFulAIN37Ao8tszqOxn8H/s1500/IMG_9867.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9J4ZVQsUacK6aomDQkpE_j8hSg-ndZBevG8690HnTx3AvDL5dXNJWXMCvavQzgwIuFFEA-wz7ljOLZUKAnfN0Y_71Or39FeiifHEIpVTrETQ3n6PJoiItCtK6-6dAPkDZMC2rZd6ej25_pbroIP-Bxbnmz6EYhVZFulAIN37Ao8tszqOxn8H/w640-h480/IMG_9867.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the Organ</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The tour ended at stop 9 where we left the bus and hopped onto the next down-canyon shuttle back to the lodge. Back in our room we refreshed ourselves, grabbed our sun hats and set off down canyon once again. We got off at stop 2, the Museum of Human History, where we were able to access The Pa'Rus Trail.</p><p>We explored this small museum, nicely laid out but with few exhibitions. They are mostly known for providing a 22-minute film about the park and their Ranger talks on the back patio. The patio has wonderful shaded seating with stunning views of the West Temple and Tower of the Virgin. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO90LhFWfpm1fQhgSajXlbi5cdDvNJN8idV7ah656BX5u4uIYvqxVzPXpFarKUnohXShcG-RJTO8kmrrspOeQCahbmtNJxggrSDOPNq7S7NTyt7GRMvc3FyqtQTAToi7hUFmMPkLMoNnh5enABnSXPxFew5KxKgJCqMSGjJLPZ6IeSam-T9RJb/s1500/IMG_9870.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO90LhFWfpm1fQhgSajXlbi5cdDvNJN8idV7ah656BX5u4uIYvqxVzPXpFarKUnohXShcG-RJTO8kmrrspOeQCahbmtNJxggrSDOPNq7S7NTyt7GRMvc3FyqtQTAToi7hUFmMPkLMoNnh5enABnSXPxFew5KxKgJCqMSGjJLPZ6IeSam-T9RJb/w640-h480/IMG_9870.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8ys3NF_45Tnc3WuJAwqNX297O3kg2_YV-D-AX48JuOOJdVTt1g94ajsDeRAT28cCx-C0rMrcyD67HrSn0UCjRkoudPlSy51VAdCe02M-wjB0-6TvUZ8is4QFGR-Vmvhw3PPi8L7jRs0qn9ikT3R0o_N98q0ee9SnMvFpPtVYyPR1RpSJ3_F_/s1500/IMG_9868.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8ys3NF_45Tnc3WuJAwqNX297O3kg2_YV-D-AX48JuOOJdVTt1g94ajsDeRAT28cCx-C0rMrcyD67HrSn0UCjRkoudPlSy51VAdCe02M-wjB0-6TvUZ8is4QFGR-Vmvhw3PPi8L7jRs0qn9ikT3R0o_N98q0ee9SnMvFpPtVYyPR1RpSJ3_F_/w640-h480/IMG_9868.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6oUJxnUBPMDS-NjshaWlJ9uHOem9HAu6w0dEWKyTBNYK-Gcgwc1A3cLF-pMSW-gvvhNYAotv4mp8yZkTmH4jOmRarxaZh0vcOn8YGDOcbnOmZG9a7CfYc8IVQJWl6dekGHTxJak78RYKEZRxJ4-g3FNMhJ8C7pX2ia1eaeO3LLFwGszX94e11/s1500/IMG_9872.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6oUJxnUBPMDS-NjshaWlJ9uHOem9HAu6w0dEWKyTBNYK-Gcgwc1A3cLF-pMSW-gvvhNYAotv4mp8yZkTmH4jOmRarxaZh0vcOn8YGDOcbnOmZG9a7CfYc8IVQJWl6dekGHTxJak78RYKEZRxJ4-g3FNMhJ8C7pX2ia1eaeO3LLFwGszX94e11/w640-h480/IMG_9872.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lots of prickly pear</td></tr></tbody></table><br />From the museum we made our way over to the Pa'Rus Trail in the direction of the visitor center. The trail was flat, and generally coursed along the Virgin River; it was also open to the sun so sun hats and sunscreen today were absolutely essential.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9R2QCf4oMkAdYYhu7ASmKf6VDHuZNRgJUtUagBs3BIINPAQmiBPN4L_Krbzv7VqaUVgI3QAr-BwiN3a09b6lzzLhjcc1MoUWzDyBHle6SQiBq2TmGUJsPa4FJFUtFdNAdrDYw5VlHc3tOstHKH7bwei6cdKH4LMPaJgRxGMEDZ2CkY_ENyzz0/s1500/IMG_4780crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="1500" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9R2QCf4oMkAdYYhu7ASmKf6VDHuZNRgJUtUagBs3BIINPAQmiBPN4L_Krbzv7VqaUVgI3QAr-BwiN3a09b6lzzLhjcc1MoUWzDyBHle6SQiBq2TmGUJsPa4FJFUtFdNAdrDYw5VlHc3tOstHKH7bwei6cdKH4LMPaJgRxGMEDZ2CkY_ENyzz0/w640-h490/IMG_4780crop.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pUavoJBr95numVa4khqMTpbD9RcsPEQrsY3uzmFbR7qlQU5UVQEgfeltIgpHydgVIvTR1agN-te4WIO9-vQ_r9IJY_M6pjrTzcnKiDcCAuSAuzrYU4fxRYuSRWdxE3P_LZw1GclY1fFwWlQDPY4vzNPpfW--d91-q4nzhwSr2xtZiVAtgKJl/s1500/IMG_9873.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pUavoJBr95numVa4khqMTpbD9RcsPEQrsY3uzmFbR7qlQU5UVQEgfeltIgpHydgVIvTR1agN-te4WIO9-vQ_r9IJY_M6pjrTzcnKiDcCAuSAuzrYU4fxRYuSRWdxE3P_LZw1GclY1fFwWlQDPY4vzNPpfW--d91-q4nzhwSr2xtZiVAtgKJl/w640-h480/IMG_9873.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16Ndo_WHDX1wLV9aa5yjCHyaoPYXRIdecnEfzTJha2SpTwzh4q6_WpykofZlMq9wBtn5wrIqAnWqUjfAxKjWwUwsSHEleDGEGa9dUV3S2_av9UW3QWsKDGO84fcb7O1gnSalxljJZSWheEeIwwXZxAakOsbcgnZHeg0PjeVvixzeFES6R9WuJ/s1500/IMG_9874.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16Ndo_WHDX1wLV9aa5yjCHyaoPYXRIdecnEfzTJha2SpTwzh4q6_WpykofZlMq9wBtn5wrIqAnWqUjfAxKjWwUwsSHEleDGEGa9dUV3S2_av9UW3QWsKDGO84fcb7O1gnSalxljJZSWheEeIwwXZxAakOsbcgnZHeg0PjeVvixzeFES6R9WuJ/w640-h480/IMG_9874.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLL6bv8DjI62kJ4wtmtcBlfbKs4KdefDR6XBhHKIV_jfLy3zWLamldADQU4pg53Pn08MJTkn6L3GC9VpXcovYcR5iGqvMKUlkaxZDQIrvYtQb1UPgrhz9HoUGfCCd8WCy4hV3sOLOBTXiwoM5vfq_1snMbZj7x_y6FrPA11g19xjf1WxGJ9OlG/s1500/IMG_9875.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLL6bv8DjI62kJ4wtmtcBlfbKs4KdefDR6XBhHKIV_jfLy3zWLamldADQU4pg53Pn08MJTkn6L3GC9VpXcovYcR5iGqvMKUlkaxZDQIrvYtQb1UPgrhz9HoUGfCCd8WCy4hV3sOLOBTXiwoM5vfq_1snMbZj7x_y6FrPA11g19xjf1WxGJ9OlG/w640-h480/IMG_9875.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceeaLIhsgqRsizQUT_sdXGSCSyUQ-mX9I6reBdHuBvy5fKPalGhqimkRs7iMMyGraTh0t3WJiQu5nz9LObpfz22irtrZbLyEijVjNwAjtFCoL-6XMrNsLNWN1tkJFbf8TwBz25zbVM7Djq_me6BJeZDqvRQWFXpR-rRqOTJ17EzNCDBvM4vmn/s1500/IMG_9876.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceeaLIhsgqRsizQUT_sdXGSCSyUQ-mX9I6reBdHuBvy5fKPalGhqimkRs7iMMyGraTh0t3WJiQu5nz9LObpfz22irtrZbLyEijVjNwAjtFCoL-6XMrNsLNWN1tkJFbf8TwBz25zbVM7Djq_me6BJeZDqvRQWFXpR-rRqOTJ17EzNCDBvM4vmn/w640-h480/IMG_9876.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>As we neared the visitor center the trail got closer to the river and also scooted along several of the large campgrounds as well. </p><p>Once back at the visitor center we left the park and walked over into Zion Canyon Village, a cluster of businesses in Spring dale that hug the park entrance. We stopped at the Perks for an afternoon HB (hot beverage), and just relaxed in the shade. Impressed by the coffee shop's menu we ordered a couple of sandwiches to go; they would serve as our supper. </p><p>We then made our way back to the park -- I cannot say enough about the Senior Pass! - and stopped into the park store. I picked up a couple of adjustable walking sticks and Susie opted for a t-shirt. We still had a lot of park to see.</p><p>After stopping back at the lodge to drop off our sun hats and gather our wits, we headed back out but this time up canyon to shuttle stop 7, the Weeping Rock Trail. Just a half-mile round-trip, this walk was all uphill to a grotto nestled high above the roadway. There we would see the weeping rocks, points in the rock where water, no longer able to move downward due to the impermeable rock, is forced laterally out of the rock. This results in a constant light rain and some impressive hanging gardens. </p><p>The walk also provided some lovely views of the canyon as well. And I'm glad to have splurged on the walking sticks!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WrnYHZusJR-IcSglgjzBr3nWdA9blkZKAs9ZszLSKDwjJ5Q7IpSVMqto9ShQZ7I_haL6oC0SdhV2d2q6lfppIKDX_J0ZHKt812DS9q50hqFRITUCzndujCQ8Tl0H4V6-G9NwEspXLTER7RQuNYGhpFj6kfpBXjWvvxX2P7p_JB05zYFIp3PW/s1500/IMG_9878.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WrnYHZusJR-IcSglgjzBr3nWdA9blkZKAs9ZszLSKDwjJ5Q7IpSVMqto9ShQZ7I_haL6oC0SdhV2d2q6lfppIKDX_J0ZHKt812DS9q50hqFRITUCzndujCQ8Tl0H4V6-G9NwEspXLTER7RQuNYGhpFj6kfpBXjWvvxX2P7p_JB05zYFIp3PW/w640-h480/IMG_9878.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXY5DDoOWtRCI_NkC8B93LbWxxZnMFNyTrY8AsP8nYlPUpPVA-bA2e4GcaMM5Xfrau-Ga171uwaowkhgafNSy_05qIso_EGYGiUmkXhHs2fXCtiNpkLL6PLCx7JjwjXq6wsO75_fMvXO-cnCmZmqN8nM83dluDRH4Po__OpURBCXUIS2feVjL/s1500/IMG_9880.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXY5DDoOWtRCI_NkC8B93LbWxxZnMFNyTrY8AsP8nYlPUpPVA-bA2e4GcaMM5Xfrau-Ga171uwaowkhgafNSy_05qIso_EGYGiUmkXhHs2fXCtiNpkLL6PLCx7JjwjXq6wsO75_fMvXO-cnCmZmqN8nM83dluDRH4Po__OpURBCXUIS2feVjL/w640-h480/IMG_9880.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIISP6MDtKY5HO9Hsq0c-BOBB5peMrjBMgfxxlWFX20TGm0S69gYlO2aRsUmCoB14j8hr0dJguP-BmUZm6xtb-VQedbmMtXDUcDNf_i6V4TvSVIHITXUv37WObBfTYmrRutvu8_tEO9bR0SBTrUxITB0ZRoN5Iarxnm7NwDCTa0U_eficz7rZ/s1500/IMG_9882.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIISP6MDtKY5HO9Hsq0c-BOBB5peMrjBMgfxxlWFX20TGm0S69gYlO2aRsUmCoB14j8hr0dJguP-BmUZm6xtb-VQedbmMtXDUcDNf_i6V4TvSVIHITXUv37WObBfTYmrRutvu8_tEO9bR0SBTrUxITB0ZRoN5Iarxnm7NwDCTa0U_eficz7rZ/w640-h480/IMG_9882.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgog5Nr6kfh7d8j2JciIXoYTrZO8hUo1kySdJoIDBvg6Cy9pA_IYgPMezfCewZSWb488-IuN2eZ8v71kYMKjAwfd41um1_F7-4jOu1R_SkZkuvLJqUmEFDEqaYIYYmtdXRLJQtmKRAMzoTJ8IdoGm5KO20U-aaJUIPyDmN0jq1i03Gfmjs628/s1500/IMG_9886.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgog5Nr6kfh7d8j2JciIXoYTrZO8hUo1kySdJoIDBvg6Cy9pA_IYgPMezfCewZSWb488-IuN2eZ8v71kYMKjAwfd41um1_F7-4jOu1R_SkZkuvLJqUmEFDEqaYIYYmtdXRLJQtmKRAMzoTJ8IdoGm5KO20U-aaJUIPyDmN0jq1i03Gfmjs628/w640-h480/IMG_9886.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">stairs are very slippery so the chain handrails were helpful</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9gWJn2rNjDs7cRSpg7-LWytIJoVAk5jcClLbEcPJJgXPzbG-gdTo4hLKA_ZOfrxvkL48CUkiq-2DnePHggOkZZ2huJb716QC0L9XtOCy-8jhnWD1tcHGdfbc5d5sjin7SXfohx8mic8z9CcZPF1gdJ4BpdFzl7jYKU_Aj3VKnrDP1MGH2gah/s1500/IMG_9890.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9gWJn2rNjDs7cRSpg7-LWytIJoVAk5jcClLbEcPJJgXPzbG-gdTo4hLKA_ZOfrxvkL48CUkiq-2DnePHggOkZZ2huJb716QC0L9XtOCy-8jhnWD1tcHGdfbc5d5sjin7SXfohx8mic8z9CcZPF1gdJ4BpdFzl7jYKU_Aj3VKnrDP1MGH2gah/w640-h480/IMG_9890.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Back down to the shuttle stop and to the lodge. We noted that by late afternoon many hikers who had gone up to the Riverside Walk and the Narrows earlier in the day were now heading back down canyon so the busses were full, including the extra busses put on the down canyon run as well.</p><p>Fortunately we were not on the bus long and soon hopped off at the lodge. Once back in the room we showered, put on fresh clothes and sat out on our terrace with a glass of wine enjoying just being HERE. </p></div></div>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-73536670062990346532023-09-13T10:02:00.163-04:002023-09-13T20:23:28.696-04:00Zion Canyon Day One<p>[Tuesday 12 September]</p><p>Our first full day in Zion Canyon and we cannot stop being in awe of this place. The sheer weight of the canyon walls surrounding us is daunting but at the same time engages our imagination. The names of the various stops along the park’s scenic drive, accessible only by the shuttle bus, help to stoke those feelings: Courtyard of the Patriarchs, Weeping Rock, Temple of Sinawava (according to the Paiutes, one of the two gods of creation). This is a place that warrants the use of the word awesome.</p><p>It was overcast when we first awoke. Breakfast in our room was simple: coffee for both of us and a muffin for Susie and a bagel for me from the lodge cafe. Prepackaged and easy to hand out the food was as unremarkable as our supper the evening before. Still, we are HERE and our space is lovely, with incredible views off our terrace.</p><p>After showering and getting dressed — two things one should always strive to accomplish while traveling — we made our way to the shuttle bus stop. Our first goal for the morning was to make our way to the park visitor center next to the village of Springdale. It started to rain by the time we got to the bus but had abated somewhat by the time we reached the visitor center.</p><p>It should be pointed out right here that the shuttle system both in the park and in Springdale are free, easy to use and with numerous stops that make spending your time a breeze.</p><p>Anyway, we made our way to the ranger information desk and reserved two spaces for the Ride with a Ranger tour for tomorrow (Wednesday) at 10:30. A ranger takes a group of no more than 25 people in a special bus and tours the various major points in the park, stopping along the way to explain the history, flora, fauna and much more about the park.</p><p>That done, we planned to pop into town and pick up a few food necessities at a grocery store just outside the park proper: decent breakfast food, some milk, wine, bananas, that sort of thing. Well, I had failed to bring my Senior Pass with me — the pass that gets us free entry into all national parks including this one of course — so it was back on the shuttle to the lodge to grab said pass. Whew! Now we could leave and enter the park as we pleased.</p><p>Leaving the park shuttle system, we made our way to the Springdale shuttle, offering many stops along the main drag of the town. I should say how wonderfully signed everything in the park is and how easy it is to get from one place to another without having to use your car. </p><p>Once we had identified the Happy Camper grocery right outside the park entrance as our food shopping spot, we hopped on the Springdale shuttle to stop 5 to have lunch at Oscar's (recommended by park staff as a favorite). Lunch was very good, a salad for Susie and turkey sandwich for me, leaving quite a bit of both to take home for supper. Another goal achieved.</p><p>Our next objective, the state liquor store, was a bit more of a puzzle. Whether on purpose or simple oversight, the store was buried inside a gift store that was itself somehow squeezed into the complex that we thought mainly a restaurant, neither of which were marked. But we picked up a couple of bottles of red wine and headed back to the shuttle stop close by. </p><p>Once we had stopped at the Happy Camper for our breakfast supplies, we headed back through the park entrance waving our Senior Pass like an old hand.</p><p>We unloaded our groceries and made our way back to the lodge cafe for an afternoon “hot beverage,” in this case two cups of basic brewed coffee since the espresso machine was broken. Sitting in a pair of rockers in front of the lodge (like a couple of old fogeys), we enjoyed watching the flow of humanity across the lodge grounds. </p><p>After a short respite it was back to the shuttle stop -- but this time we were headed up canyon all the way to the last shuttle stop, the Temple of Sinawava and the riverside walk to the Narrows. </p><p>A mile of paved path along the north fork of the Virgin River, the river that pretty much cuts through Zion Canyon, ends at a fording space which itself leads into the Narrows. This canyon trek is not for the faint of heart and is perhaps the most famous attraction in the park. Note that it is often closed to the public due to flash flooding, which was the case today. (In fact the Narrows has been closed off and on quite a bit in recent days). </p><p>We had neither the proper gear or shoe wear to go traipsing in the river and opted to leave it to the truly die-hard trekkers.</p><p>But the riverside walk was one of never-ending dramatic features that soared over our heads, truly a “place of tall land.”</p><p>Back at the lodge we showered to get the sunscreen off and sat outside on our terrace that evening with a glass of wine enjoying the occasional flock (herd, gaggle, passel?) of turkeys walking right by us soon joined by a small group of mule deer that could apparently care less we were there.</p><p>What an incredible experience this is turning out to be. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMax-ImmnC-ODb4ZgZZiZIKkpa6JqFXySn97SL-qBDckHLI2tMq6GnuuWMP-iRA07TQmnQe545aC-nmaVyIBfiNXRDPS6taX8TSw2DmfTcjoMhZy6yJeMFdKfN9dHNv0TURzKp35uvP5KScfuYk9kyiuasb1oApOK5R-kCS6pa4xPnSBocE3H/s1500/IMG_9815.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMax-ImmnC-ODb4ZgZZiZIKkpa6JqFXySn97SL-qBDckHLI2tMq6GnuuWMP-iRA07TQmnQe545aC-nmaVyIBfiNXRDPS6taX8TSw2DmfTcjoMhZy6yJeMFdKfN9dHNv0TURzKp35uvP5KScfuYk9kyiuasb1oApOK5R-kCS6pa4xPnSBocE3H/w640-h480/IMG_9815.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">park visitor center</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIRlRJXidodD-l74kXq3_pb2MzDgiad_48CNYosdiAxvnjoJ4WxETQ9v4WUJWkaTVX5KHF9s9uwF5Y19Wk4cqFgtcZPkJCZeGUTYW11ynexvKaMfy8ORFFDkaoizGv2SzEDceYvqnVWt_70aLs8JjOxKMm0iPK1ue1yl3j9c93sh-HKJ1AuHv/s1500/IMG_9816.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIRlRJXidodD-l74kXq3_pb2MzDgiad_48CNYosdiAxvnjoJ4WxETQ9v4WUJWkaTVX5KHF9s9uwF5Y19Wk4cqFgtcZPkJCZeGUTYW11ynexvKaMfy8ORFFDkaoizGv2SzEDceYvqnVWt_70aLs8JjOxKMm0iPK1ue1yl3j9c93sh-HKJ1AuHv/w640-h480/IMG_9816.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGS4qDAId2qKxPkP1cVDIKdD2YUiRoJcg6QAj_GSL4I9XHdNdTWt1TpWU9gqJQ5e8fYAONMjDXDBZmRWBf89DoHOpPXYA7Smih13zkJfL3BWDA-5qejO_KIphx2LJ-okeMVteWi4ssUIG0LcpOKO4Dxu_gA-TfbJKCDRrCZKl5K9ErJ6_yJSt/s1500/IMG_9817.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGS4qDAId2qKxPkP1cVDIKdD2YUiRoJcg6QAj_GSL4I9XHdNdTWt1TpWU9gqJQ5e8fYAONMjDXDBZmRWBf89DoHOpPXYA7Smih13zkJfL3BWDA-5qejO_KIphx2LJ-okeMVteWi4ssUIG0LcpOKO4Dxu_gA-TfbJKCDRrCZKl5K9ErJ6_yJSt/w640-h480/IMG_9817.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Springdale shuttle </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZqvWDlx8Sf3TaTzu4BJb1ahN8lmN6lU1oMBLl2Fbv2aFDmrXsB3CqO-fpXSWrs6qncLjzyOWzyrMlZIVSaI6aWQHwxUfiRDQInLW6EIDlKX-9df2hylmUQyYUcM0l7lRzUjleRt1OZwDOK-rENW4UZseVUs3FOKazKikP0KxRhsa446JFw2R/s1500/IMG_9820.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZqvWDlx8Sf3TaTzu4BJb1ahN8lmN6lU1oMBLl2Fbv2aFDmrXsB3CqO-fpXSWrs6qncLjzyOWzyrMlZIVSaI6aWQHwxUfiRDQInLW6EIDlKX-9df2hylmUQyYUcM0l7lRzUjleRt1OZwDOK-rENW4UZseVUs3FOKazKikP0KxRhsa446JFw2R/w640-h480/IMG_9820.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">you can never have enough (good) information</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EKSUBiiiXtQks5lv13Zw7lREJfWlY5vnVI2FTEBGU56G0XPQtcoHWshc6J5eFBygEEHceu5cbLJp-pFUt-MczDS2PBXMQHgxtBmMOgyNg7tqT5tvIczEoPZRS-HGT6YuOFCqBB4swEf-uRp3GgOLQjx8sUjbTi78VMhjKrBrpSxoZR69TU5-/s1500/IMG_9823.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EKSUBiiiXtQks5lv13Zw7lREJfWlY5vnVI2FTEBGU56G0XPQtcoHWshc6J5eFBygEEHceu5cbLJp-pFUt-MczDS2PBXMQHgxtBmMOgyNg7tqT5tvIczEoPZRS-HGT6YuOFCqBB4swEf-uRp3GgOLQjx8sUjbTi78VMhjKrBrpSxoZR69TU5-/w640-h480/IMG_9823.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lunch at Oscar's</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5BWkKj2wZNohRbMc_1N4ubwqsKSYn7J1tzJ462urf32NfxEf3650aNm4JncfXUj_9FaR_C-_vwbRbKK3hMpjUIu_qkRltWbDTQ7tjzNnMBpU1eagtIX7rUAQJkC4KlCkvtoIGn4d0AuoZT2tnwGyb67RZfkmMm-dh1LwL3gdbrc8mn1ax1Hi/s1500/IMG_9824.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5BWkKj2wZNohRbMc_1N4ubwqsKSYn7J1tzJ462urf32NfxEf3650aNm4JncfXUj_9FaR_C-_vwbRbKK3hMpjUIu_qkRltWbDTQ7tjzNnMBpU1eagtIX7rUAQJkC4KlCkvtoIGn4d0AuoZT2tnwGyb67RZfkmMm-dh1LwL3gdbrc8mn1ax1Hi/w640-h480/IMG_9824.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LIoJAGFlvdvDQLEtbYlyjdQAmhKIowbY_K2wyKzM2zjMm1_vz5hkiSFyRhu6OAYcxn3cPHzRrE7rm0Z4H-4fOiVq6L6xEtUZqSxnABU1KxFStyrIE5rsjOALgeDV_pcSsiq2ujL0Yf7T3TGoREdhVLGEOQFGvPKkC7lif7-uFmc287_VdBMe/s1500/IMG_9825.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LIoJAGFlvdvDQLEtbYlyjdQAmhKIowbY_K2wyKzM2zjMm1_vz5hkiSFyRhu6OAYcxn3cPHzRrE7rm0Z4H-4fOiVq6L6xEtUZqSxnABU1KxFStyrIE5rsjOALgeDV_pcSsiq2ujL0Yf7T3TGoREdhVLGEOQFGvPKkC7lif7-uFmc287_VdBMe/w640-h480/IMG_9825.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lodge grounds</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6Q31eRtXve8QMfsWQig0DeaYu6CyJ6Uy0_1M8nBPu6tdtCTI2sQPUE8lCCpe8phjjCc8wfUuHRXthaEnJt4Uem72VFGV5ToGEDrRCdSj2QibfEpN8Wm9xbJydNNFeTZaj9iILUCG-BGq8o1XpTRET_7qlZ1opxmGFxO13xWfkwjNx80DT--5/s1500/IMG_9826.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6Q31eRtXve8QMfsWQig0DeaYu6CyJ6Uy0_1M8nBPu6tdtCTI2sQPUE8lCCpe8phjjCc8wfUuHRXthaEnJt4Uem72VFGV5ToGEDrRCdSj2QibfEpN8Wm9xbJydNNFeTZaj9iILUCG-BGq8o1XpTRET_7qlZ1opxmGFxO13xWfkwjNx80DT--5/w640-h480/IMG_9826.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqU9r66yBokQD5yHLWLhg7o28rEMb4JX7xafq-XTnyAKY1t2X5Bv9Jrbbr_Zk4wTkFoSgpRr6hC-mR8t3eOF1VSBHdiJ0iVftuA2Mc-GJqSTWMf8eVKM4d7XhB2-K6A_OtXmstR1AXRzwwV62ucPKyIxOitJqvdIcgqzZJlEODrTV995jku0Ci/s1500/IMG_9827.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqU9r66yBokQD5yHLWLhg7o28rEMb4JX7xafq-XTnyAKY1t2X5Bv9Jrbbr_Zk4wTkFoSgpRr6hC-mR8t3eOF1VSBHdiJ0iVftuA2Mc-GJqSTWMf8eVKM4d7XhB2-K6A_OtXmstR1AXRzwwV62ucPKyIxOitJqvdIcgqzZJlEODrTV995jku0Ci/w640-h480/IMG_9827.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">trailhead for the Riverside Walk</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih10w3zZkiwlxFOBN9ZYHE9A7brPGgly0H9pkfpQJE1327vn3OPNyzm2L5uyXwKZPiUwEK9y91UKC3mniYLzvBS4D2uzVbhI-xdseaFAAv0ZWrVYQOSeZJ59O9LLUo5_PH7B6adCfuF-ljd7c6DEdMZPnBVKd8IfZMltrWneDeTnvDretLcwKr/s1500/IMG_9828.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih10w3zZkiwlxFOBN9ZYHE9A7brPGgly0H9pkfpQJE1327vn3OPNyzm2L5uyXwKZPiUwEK9y91UKC3mniYLzvBS4D2uzVbhI-xdseaFAAv0ZWrVYQOSeZJ59O9LLUo5_PH7B6adCfuF-ljd7c6DEdMZPnBVKd8IfZMltrWneDeTnvDretLcwKr/w640-h480/IMG_9828.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZrjDIsTqrh-W5oFrmv4H4XC2kz6JZsWylGv6N3y4dIdOmvmHy0AqTYXhJpDc_ICSSqfA_4Q7nv3m34daDHtcFZfuHGnrZuYw9VPi6ED6GlLmBtdQN1SpgaAuH-h66DaH7FyvUOM2rkk8wx9_kKSPqcnM8m2QnSZUj44OuJkNNmlTdlwh8rTbe/s1500/IMG_9829.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZrjDIsTqrh-W5oFrmv4H4XC2kz6JZsWylGv6N3y4dIdOmvmHy0AqTYXhJpDc_ICSSqfA_4Q7nv3m34daDHtcFZfuHGnrZuYw9VPi6ED6GlLmBtdQN1SpgaAuH-h66DaH7FyvUOM2rkk8wx9_kKSPqcnM8m2QnSZUj44OuJkNNmlTdlwh8rTbe/w640-h480/IMG_9829.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCCZjGc29Zme7SvF0aoZ6eN0woJKCQkv4gJ_GPoWjOpw-N6D8DSKTdHt_LxcL5ZH4usFsh9iOuKamDUC0Ur2RTDcB8-TJ7UuimKv5jpCQ_sAFHREKFosmHSSvYjWMKGHoUwGEobwfQlqVOf0XJHhY1OAkdkCcEYcmrwHfs2wuhQ8I2cnmZs5I/s1500/IMG_9830.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCCZjGc29Zme7SvF0aoZ6eN0woJKCQkv4gJ_GPoWjOpw-N6D8DSKTdHt_LxcL5ZH4usFsh9iOuKamDUC0Ur2RTDcB8-TJ7UuimKv5jpCQ_sAFHREKFosmHSSvYjWMKGHoUwGEobwfQlqVOf0XJHhY1OAkdkCcEYcmrwHfs2wuhQ8I2cnmZs5I/w640-h480/IMG_9830.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2P3Br6lcdS9hLvg2jhWhHW9HZDYXKst7Aw5KzLuc_tBU6FQ_3sS2FiMS39tZwZG64Us3KRuJJbvDj5Qzu0xn1eb9cT9y5ORlol9t_v-7jVT7yVCpN20v4eQSw9-H3PqypBIaoX38ucguRj8drJWqE5LopPcj1FSx0JMwN-nlidz-VY8abPDmc/s1500/IMG_9831.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2P3Br6lcdS9hLvg2jhWhHW9HZDYXKst7Aw5KzLuc_tBU6FQ_3sS2FiMS39tZwZG64Us3KRuJJbvDj5Qzu0xn1eb9cT9y5ORlol9t_v-7jVT7yVCpN20v4eQSw9-H3PqypBIaoX38ucguRj8drJWqE5LopPcj1FSx0JMwN-nlidz-VY8abPDmc/w640-h480/IMG_9831.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXCex-7kC5kSxwC3xmzMAyobjKvsGPh9sNFoXXJ4u-8tr7d9S2CtygyEirOfmlcL8eAuT7EqbpDFVrI5L01ecMf62jFdygAhi24YErMZ3F9Db20UXTKiXx8AhKuvU6pLONlm3RtGVXKIYsWv8dN2UGpZOE7yZE-nL1kEXNMOLhrt-znyk43vD/s1500/IMG_9832.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXCex-7kC5kSxwC3xmzMAyobjKvsGPh9sNFoXXJ4u-8tr7d9S2CtygyEirOfmlcL8eAuT7EqbpDFVrI5L01ecMf62jFdygAhi24YErMZ3F9Db20UXTKiXx8AhKuvU6pLONlm3RtGVXKIYsWv8dN2UGpZOE7yZE-nL1kEXNMOLhrt-znyk43vD/w640-h480/IMG_9832.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomMT3MZfZpYK01dHX7NdVt4f9qql0NjidQqYI7vkjJzabSYfkYaCrGjt8EGO3wqLz1wkpeYoj49CsBX1rfxbV2BRZRr6qDy1ihiZKdDqosFSYNbQ2R5vn8LGpN1gB4PcgZFjpY77ZjcmxufsZfPrrLd3bqJvxtFxHcu-rKrTZU-Q4vsg9QJ4l/s1500/IMG_9833.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomMT3MZfZpYK01dHX7NdVt4f9qql0NjidQqYI7vkjJzabSYfkYaCrGjt8EGO3wqLz1wkpeYoj49CsBX1rfxbV2BRZRr6qDy1ihiZKdDqosFSYNbQ2R5vn8LGpN1gB4PcgZFjpY77ZjcmxufsZfPrrLd3bqJvxtFxHcu-rKrTZU-Q4vsg9QJ4l/w640-h480/IMG_9833.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBB8OOLEzE5DhbpMs27YgYMFsL5607vDjlWCLnqssqLPU_1VJxOEBqVrFNdZygSuhNAdsMM6VFpVkD99DSqN0bfBn-7VJ0AZJyX9mDVLw6wlSapMsAX7AFJYJuSqHA78ZIFaNgD0Lg9eY6gbXy9UaKSiSMIkwCl5yKwkvRjKg_OAkbKyueYFA/s1500/IMG_9835.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBB8OOLEzE5DhbpMs27YgYMFsL5607vDjlWCLnqssqLPU_1VJxOEBqVrFNdZygSuhNAdsMM6VFpVkD99DSqN0bfBn-7VJ0AZJyX9mDVLw6wlSapMsAX7AFJYJuSqHA78ZIFaNgD0Lg9eY6gbXy9UaKSiSMIkwCl5yKwkvRjKg_OAkbKyueYFA/w640-h480/IMG_9835.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgoodm05Z4kwHgRvFdYh78DR7rWL5-zQdrmPaTT6W4_T4wlgpDep9IOk_RmQH8eecTZK7cWbhD1-k5wmUgE1UAYgW63OOTcJlorfeQCUgX-ZaP_cYSenW4Fno61Lr6fIjkjxqTjgcwhEfBneEfumXT8LuqdKJ46t3QGxIEtmLgdda3aHklrqj/s1500/IMG_9837.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgoodm05Z4kwHgRvFdYh78DR7rWL5-zQdrmPaTT6W4_T4wlgpDep9IOk_RmQH8eecTZK7cWbhD1-k5wmUgE1UAYgW63OOTcJlorfeQCUgX-ZaP_cYSenW4Fno61Lr6fIjkjxqTjgcwhEfBneEfumXT8LuqdKJ46t3QGxIEtmLgdda3aHklrqj/w640-h480/IMG_9837.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEhUM1MAt10R0KgEjusZRdmWV7lmeK3B7IO68IGNnrSbm0P14LyXq0rNERRdWjLKb8AVumlVanQfwmRVIcXYrL4tSbMgHxOR66gtm8_O3AUsv-Zj_5zj_ppAwD-I-iE_Ko3M00-HVnPkqkX8cn_DJFN9ibYuQs743xvWqZjNlQ3EScSuLc2xEf/s1500/IMG_9839.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEhUM1MAt10R0KgEjusZRdmWV7lmeK3B7IO68IGNnrSbm0P14LyXq0rNERRdWjLKb8AVumlVanQfwmRVIcXYrL4tSbMgHxOR66gtm8_O3AUsv-Zj_5zj_ppAwD-I-iE_Ko3M00-HVnPkqkX8cn_DJFN9ibYuQs743xvWqZjNlQ3EScSuLc2xEf/w640-h480/IMG_9839.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgivt49kLfuE59idq1eKx3b2PuK6WXN3XTEQ1MtWJz_OMj4JH-9BvnMpx8XmXL_cf8SHvfK6B-fxHnIoBXuZEvaG8W5bz2t_OV6dzR86nb7x2Mic6-va7r6HcY8A2YTun6MERe8fFz4nCE_7BGYUZ7hhl1T86nDQa5YHxsIMt7xCT3RrDRkGVmR/s1500/IMG_9840.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgivt49kLfuE59idq1eKx3b2PuK6WXN3XTEQ1MtWJz_OMj4JH-9BvnMpx8XmXL_cf8SHvfK6B-fxHnIoBXuZEvaG8W5bz2t_OV6dzR86nb7x2Mic6-va7r6HcY8A2YTun6MERe8fFz4nCE_7BGYUZ7hhl1T86nDQa5YHxsIMt7xCT3RrDRkGVmR/w640-h480/IMG_9840.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the Riverside Walk sort of ends here -- although one could ford the river and enter the Narrows just a few hundred meters beyond.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1EZwCLnGCcu-0OEn143UCFMCK8Ixc31j2tWFHk94lxkePY_4mfW_Q-JOFonRpatNHGmU5B147Sl7J6D-LxAjyY9LYwBgiZZ6SEiQP8ZNrfRuihE56KkiH6nPHau-2TBVhx0mxrxRtDqPQQbjcYZ9108dPpz-RUU7nAK17O3I8ufCDM705qyBm/s1500/IMG_9841.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1EZwCLnGCcu-0OEn143UCFMCK8Ixc31j2tWFHk94lxkePY_4mfW_Q-JOFonRpatNHGmU5B147Sl7J6D-LxAjyY9LYwBgiZZ6SEiQP8ZNrfRuihE56KkiH6nPHau-2TBVhx0mxrxRtDqPQQbjcYZ9108dPpz-RUU7nAK17O3I8ufCDM705qyBm/w640-h480/IMG_9841.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjb6rb15bslmA0iTXSrK_9laIV_xju9F3arUhqsyr3JdmJwECRA-6d6-wzvUNShv1r4YgdwfgRJTYhjWabSOa48a6l4_IfVV881rqPKjw6qSF54nxGxaVM2G6DYmCvYsSRHfXR992lwrWf-yjvo3kdvp5phtZb9zpTg9xljTFP82WwAhhIly2-/s1500/IMG_9847a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1271" data-original-width="1500" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjb6rb15bslmA0iTXSrK_9laIV_xju9F3arUhqsyr3JdmJwECRA-6d6-wzvUNShv1r4YgdwfgRJTYhjWabSOa48a6l4_IfVV881rqPKjw6qSF54nxGxaVM2G6DYmCvYsSRHfXR992lwrWf-yjvo3kdvp5phtZb9zpTg9xljTFP82WwAhhIly2-/w640-h542/IMG_9847a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5rQiyGjQthQtetTNarfVK3l5_EV25T79mbJO3-XhIcv8wXfu_wORBunuAcy9UmuoCD49kmsXZnVyPKhYRveLdiBXt0-5zVyeXBTzoC2tMIe5TC62aTpkLPNxeQDhFNO4zf_2NrtRtfQJSKSLrTe-H7oSDfx_0GSerT4Pv2vlItY4asZR5kic/s1500/IMG_9849.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5rQiyGjQthQtetTNarfVK3l5_EV25T79mbJO3-XhIcv8wXfu_wORBunuAcy9UmuoCD49kmsXZnVyPKhYRveLdiBXt0-5zVyeXBTzoC2tMIe5TC62aTpkLPNxeQDhFNO4zf_2NrtRtfQJSKSLrTe-H7oSDfx_0GSerT4Pv2vlItY4asZR5kic/w640-h480/IMG_9849.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">back to the shuttle stop</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWOWcAHOJuYUMprqlfKXhajJFUI35JG4StbllkTY3MnQIgN5wfJcksWMKafMhSKuY-fFuwFwlo8F8EmLXMs_vXax2m4nJi2XHJB7UaAcyiUhdWTqeTWj4sWWliaqycg1IWiMfYXOyeuC4WgBs7rDCvm7aowcArK4qBM_mPrTNx0CND-yXkS1x8/s1500/IMG_9852.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWOWcAHOJuYUMprqlfKXhajJFUI35JG4StbllkTY3MnQIgN5wfJcksWMKafMhSKuY-fFuwFwlo8F8EmLXMs_vXax2m4nJi2XHJB7UaAcyiUhdWTqeTWj4sWWliaqycg1IWiMfYXOyeuC4WgBs7rDCvm7aowcArK4qBM_mPrTNx0CND-yXkS1x8/w640-h480/IMG_9852.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGPE-Zo7W6Fq1k8freuGkEgRZPr3kdtyLeksXtPX6wKMyozItbbg5ucnJ_jiLkLtR8JjcqFBC5nRZAHuN_Eqi4rp5X1OE3RfkIoBPpTM8oG632v1UaPrmcdQrRbK9PNieBN6C3jjvfRK-wYOzMyhwJ-bP36xSgE8eJ1ZuLeG57jtlR22KWN78/s1500/IMG_9853.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGPE-Zo7W6Fq1k8freuGkEgRZPr3kdtyLeksXtPX6wKMyozItbbg5ucnJ_jiLkLtR8JjcqFBC5nRZAHuN_Eqi4rp5X1OE3RfkIoBPpTM8oG632v1UaPrmcdQrRbK9PNieBN6C3jjvfRK-wYOzMyhwJ-bP36xSgE8eJ1ZuLeG57jtlR22KWN78/w640-h480/IMG_9853.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-88112655667154697642023-09-12T10:03:00.212-04:002023-09-12T21:46:16.718-04:00Las Vegas to Zion Canyon<p>[Monday 11 September]</p><p>We were packed and ready to go by the time our next-door neighbor Sandy pulled her car out of the garage. Although we had to slog through Monday morning school traffic we made it to the airport in plenty of time to check our bags and breeze through security. </p><p>After grabbing a coffee we settled in to await the boarding call for our non-stop flight to Las Vegas. We did stop at the Hudson's to pick up a couple of books for the trip and we amazed at the selection -- and it was laid out just like a small but tasteful bookshop. Add that to it also being a center for the Michigan Wine Collaborative where you can tap and taste, we thought the space quite impressive.</p><p>Boarding went smoothly and before long we were airborne, rain notwithstanding. The four-hour trip was uneventful and, contrary to the pilot warning us to expect some light chop over the Rockies, quite smooth. </p><p>Leaving the jetway into the terminal we were immediately greeted by banks of garish slot machines, the first of many we would encounter through the airport.</p><p>And the chaos. The airport was akin to a twisted indoor mall, replete with stores, food stops and seemingly endless banks of huge video monitors advertising the latest shows and what-not available in Las Vegas. </p><p>And the heat. When we landed the local weather claimed 99 degrees F. Oh, but as so many are fond of saying, "It's a dry heat." Yeah, right.</p><p>We soon had our bags in hand, but before we made our way to the car rental shuttle, we took a break to sit and enjoy the sandwiches I had prepared earlier that morning. Once lunch was over we walked out of the terminal to the shuttle bus for the car rental location near the airport. A very well-organized system, the shuttle was for all the rental companies, which were themselves housed in a large garage complex near the Strip. </p><p>We had a bit of a wait to check in for our car -- frankly I should have used the online system -- but we were soon in line to be taken to our car, a Honda Odyssey. After getting turned around just once leaving the garage we found I-15 north to Salt Lake City and were off through the bleak Nevada desert into Arizona and up through the twists and turns of the dramatic Virgin River Gorge on into Utah. </p><p>Hoping to use the bathroom, pick up some information and maybe fill our water bottle, we stopped at the Utah Welcome Center at St. George. Although well-signed, it was not easy to reach the Center. It was housed inside the a wildlife museum all nestled in the Dixie Center, apparently some sort of convention venue. We were the only travelers there and, while they didn't have a designated water bottle filling station, they did provide us with a couple of handy maps -- and the bathrooms were free, of course.</p><p>We returned to I-15 and after just a few miles exited onto Rte 9 east into the Hurricane Valley. Our expectations that we would find ourselves in the midst of open land and wilderness were immediately dashed. Hurricane Valley was a seemingly endless strip of development. But we eventually found ourselves in the vicinity of Zion Canyon and the lovely town of Springdale next to the park entrance.</p><p>Using our Senior Pass we passed through the park entrance and made our way to the pull-off to the lodge. To access the drive into the park and the lodge we used the digital code provided us when I made the reservations -- otherwise the only way to get around the park is by shuttle bus, a handy and efficient system. </p><p>It was a quick drive to the lodge. At check-in, it was suggested we make reservations for dinner at the lodge that evening, which we did. We then made our way to our room and unpacked. After strolling the grounds of the lodge and walking up the short, nearby Grotto Trail we returned to the lodge for dinner outside on the patio overlooking the grounds. Stunning views all around and even a few deer strolling on the lawn, oblivious to us humans! </p><p>Tomorrow we hope to take the shuttle to the Visitors Center to sign up for a Ride with a Ranger, then perhaps go into Springdale and pick up a few groceries. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymwmg0AWJOzgOnyxUO1FucD6FpkgSV10oPy-5QNvk8gGjOL_u2sRX6tuKADJj1jH3LF36u7lA-ML5wDLXiVi9jEbG0toMQbPN_WUn3bB1UlnbcxPGKGTVZa65zPFM-50-tAPRP6nC8ZCZ_DKYghy8HA27NQCpn6RdjG_kOo2Ohi4mgVVwP7M6/s1500/IMG_9787.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1091" data-original-width="1500" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymwmg0AWJOzgOnyxUO1FucD6FpkgSV10oPy-5QNvk8gGjOL_u2sRX6tuKADJj1jH3LF36u7lA-ML5wDLXiVi9jEbG0toMQbPN_WUn3bB1UlnbcxPGKGTVZa65zPFM-50-tAPRP6nC8ZCZ_DKYghy8HA27NQCpn6RdjG_kOo2Ohi4mgVVwP7M6/w640-h466/IMG_9787.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bookshop at the GR airport</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHfwSnnlszkYnuez0p4nHCVpw-StnBrONXv6JicmknffG93BK5mK3lZaRitLBIKYEJ2KkqMxg1Ek7bp1Zmws68i16wAPa4JdFo3ZShqHKSp1_meSIUCxICCN05NX2icPP38OyhYAirfJqPgpJ3hRDcl5BR8xs-iVOx_uol-ugMAcgfNzKYyR0/s1500/IMG_9788.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1500" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHfwSnnlszkYnuez0p4nHCVpw-StnBrONXv6JicmknffG93BK5mK3lZaRitLBIKYEJ2KkqMxg1Ek7bp1Zmws68i16wAPa4JdFo3ZShqHKSp1_meSIUCxICCN05NX2icPP38OyhYAirfJqPgpJ3hRDcl5BR8xs-iVOx_uol-ugMAcgfNzKYyR0/w640-h452/IMG_9788.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVXVNzWEHbzRd25wo1gaXaiplD6xTmbnEXU8QaJYeQ9GvVLpQCBfZhg1TaT_wPBIzCcL3VthMGeaYJYsqDu_LvDpoLTeeQRroxdcRfKSEG8c-AuIYwaY-z2GLyFaL-Dy05ic7oSnMbyrrgIX2pNuJQeZzuYPafXhwfwjGkqjQwjydww7MJvBw/s1500/IMG_9790.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="1500" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVXVNzWEHbzRd25wo1gaXaiplD6xTmbnEXU8QaJYeQ9GvVLpQCBfZhg1TaT_wPBIzCcL3VthMGeaYJYsqDu_LvDpoLTeeQRroxdcRfKSEG8c-AuIYwaY-z2GLyFaL-Dy05ic7oSnMbyrrgIX2pNuJQeZzuYPafXhwfwjGkqjQwjydww7MJvBw/w640-h472/IMG_9790.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPih03iWFY1IgOyuGAPUI5l8BSv7ADmvftE9pXf_a_8yCOwCz1ISqinAaiVoGMkO6M0H-5EzSI5KzVP1Hqf_PAbDsWA2Y3YnXSz4xrTvF8q1fuzSA-uk6eNoHlJoUrDz8LOF6QVIOKS7eLy55gibN4LGQFvlY5B3z-r2SxdGir8kQf0Ifwfn5/s1500/IMG_9791.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPih03iWFY1IgOyuGAPUI5l8BSv7ADmvftE9pXf_a_8yCOwCz1ISqinAaiVoGMkO6M0H-5EzSI5KzVP1Hqf_PAbDsWA2Y3YnXSz4xrTvF8q1fuzSA-uk6eNoHlJoUrDz8LOF6QVIOKS7eLy55gibN4LGQFvlY5B3z-r2SxdGir8kQf0Ifwfn5/w640-h480/IMG_9791.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">welcome to Las Vegas</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyXQzib-fvjoOK8LtpST6HXlTGFSnuWcRc2l39PHoU74bgC6wtlt4KDlhbfCyA1JuEXwrNyI7Vqow_OGZOHH1ZUGXHvrEbzDyyeiiCOSN6RY9yQYdEKFOwxUuhvvxGcV3-pXvyyYCV18d31L6QFVGE1RTEdBG9UbzpLA2B8q3vwfiEzaQkp_B/s1500/IMG_9793.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="1500" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyXQzib-fvjoOK8LtpST6HXlTGFSnuWcRc2l39PHoU74bgC6wtlt4KDlhbfCyA1JuEXwrNyI7Vqow_OGZOHH1ZUGXHvrEbzDyyeiiCOSN6RY9yQYdEKFOwxUuhvvxGcV3-pXvyyYCV18d31L6QFVGE1RTEdBG9UbzpLA2B8q3vwfiEzaQkp_B/w640-h344/IMG_9793.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Utah Welcome Center, the small space on the far left</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqAVBbjS5t59Iapsm6gFbZrNTGMW2OpOI9tZYIAqosu_8-580GLmdLZzpaRE8Vv9_cI-CS3t38-DYFqBuL0AprRgXWfFh-zkjQeBrtJTy8JsV6mMNtHff7pEbI3YD5qgmi0W1QdZyPBHvbjt3IiXOfVeumv94jh-YxPba6kYLtvVxn1rcAkJI/s1500/IMG_9798.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqAVBbjS5t59Iapsm6gFbZrNTGMW2OpOI9tZYIAqosu_8-580GLmdLZzpaRE8Vv9_cI-CS3t38-DYFqBuL0AprRgXWfFh-zkjQeBrtJTy8JsV6mMNtHff7pEbI3YD5qgmi0W1QdZyPBHvbjt3IiXOfVeumv94jh-YxPba6kYLtvVxn1rcAkJI/w640-h480/IMG_9798.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view from our room</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi7Jm1JF--2qWm0GidFRfLmrBFRshfggOqxPQgKAoSN0iQ12qNLCSwgjeJV88ngaJHd7KBdco9LruZsMReZb1djpF6I3hKVEMb5yYDofe28Nornw2WxDbnqD0w47Z-3JYQ5yiSB51nRUHiUd4glVJ9Txepg0UFgZE3ZpvpFTCdLtUdIQSRRvtq/s1500/IMG_9799.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi7Jm1JF--2qWm0GidFRfLmrBFRshfggOqxPQgKAoSN0iQ12qNLCSwgjeJV88ngaJHd7KBdco9LruZsMReZb1djpF6I3hKVEMb5yYDofe28Nornw2WxDbnqD0w47Z-3JYQ5yiSB51nRUHiUd4glVJ9Txepg0UFgZE3ZpvpFTCdLtUdIQSRRvtq/w640-h480/IMG_9799.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lodge grounds</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgnYi4hO_FFZ8P-KNJ_Cr3Y59oyKm6iigab-uVe7the-HdJrqci-I7F3qRA97gGb8VIM28i1xkjfzdQvVRnd2tzzQhy50C7fwD78ARQQdxGr9wE8sSplAG_6PZvfiqGs6V-U7AJNCkbj2nyuxvdH5ZdyiZQJI4ESK9nLcqBJzOix0RSlh-ZXG/s1500/IMG_9801.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgnYi4hO_FFZ8P-KNJ_Cr3Y59oyKm6iigab-uVe7the-HdJrqci-I7F3qRA97gGb8VIM28i1xkjfzdQvVRnd2tzzQhy50C7fwD78ARQQdxGr9wE8sSplAG_6PZvfiqGs6V-U7AJNCkbj2nyuxvdH5ZdyiZQJI4ESK9nLcqBJzOix0RSlh-ZXG/w640-h480/IMG_9801.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our building</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_LUoAzDkg8usMiwJEw1yb9kXTg2gJWKh05Il_Byoaic5jdqp275ofJa7sUB6on9gukMPk_yll7_kNnWFBFBHnXquO_fmDww9j4l0k79r6rm1iVapcO-bN2MCQ7cN3lMdq0x1fxpHHh45CuIpraHigTYJkLrekqkYDm5I_WG_k0LnjbgDyH2a/s1500/IMG_9802.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_LUoAzDkg8usMiwJEw1yb9kXTg2gJWKh05Il_Byoaic5jdqp275ofJa7sUB6on9gukMPk_yll7_kNnWFBFBHnXquO_fmDww9j4l0k79r6rm1iVapcO-bN2MCQ7cN3lMdq0x1fxpHHh45CuIpraHigTYJkLrekqkYDm5I_WG_k0LnjbgDyH2a/w640-h480/IMG_9802.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">views from the grounds</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUihdK6EJ37SdZCbr-uy3rsxy6TMvCSJBNLo_q5uUMtrSGOBfsqy85rvbcEOIXQe-qiN9DDOITw4cD_Q5qe4F7pNk9vjz2D_uAeaLMY6G8Z-SnrGRDzTR1XDuaN2Fe9vBSEzwLLcqPHRn_RwUlntET_j368r55n5pdbcVTVBc6WFYsC_PS8kh/s1500/IMG_9805.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1046" data-original-width="1500" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUihdK6EJ37SdZCbr-uy3rsxy6TMvCSJBNLo_q5uUMtrSGOBfsqy85rvbcEOIXQe-qiN9DDOITw4cD_Q5qe4F7pNk9vjz2D_uAeaLMY6G8Z-SnrGRDzTR1XDuaN2Fe9vBSEzwLLcqPHRn_RwUlntET_j368r55n5pdbcVTVBc6WFYsC_PS8kh/w640-h446/IMG_9805.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-aSyqGCsbgtbd33QYn0wLcqKvFnjRgIFHQXnecYPDOsLV42xdegsy3OMaCbyOfN1FnTt01x4r3KmE7sprdoCVR5PSNgwgisp3k7xi8zAtQcRPhdxCxo9iS8D4Kdsp1AJTk0vKxCDaAQd_d4DkYaWyCd2YV5apy3Ows20zfdepuyKu1SNXmUC/s1500/IMG_9806.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-aSyqGCsbgtbd33QYn0wLcqKvFnjRgIFHQXnecYPDOsLV42xdegsy3OMaCbyOfN1FnTt01x4r3KmE7sprdoCVR5PSNgwgisp3k7xi8zAtQcRPhdxCxo9iS8D4Kdsp1AJTk0vKxCDaAQd_d4DkYaWyCd2YV5apy3Ows20zfdepuyKu1SNXmUC/w640-h480/IMG_9806.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_WFWBsLdKIJx1PLBoL6nDHncNeC4GLWWaB57UOGbXbGS-GkN6kS6a8mrUwDL766CdPGEblieTPCW2CzCl2OW2_5vjfn_BZggeRGPwe2QO0wlpZGJcCbmoOG7zPlpwDebOvdIe7jO42O1_WhI-l57Bs5nOVFnG8eIDzmi6rXvgFAoPnXoxAOz/s1500/IMG_9807.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1012" data-original-width="1500" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_WFWBsLdKIJx1PLBoL6nDHncNeC4GLWWaB57UOGbXbGS-GkN6kS6a8mrUwDL766CdPGEblieTPCW2CzCl2OW2_5vjfn_BZggeRGPwe2QO0wlpZGJcCbmoOG7zPlpwDebOvdIe7jO42O1_WhI-l57Bs5nOVFnG8eIDzmi6rXvgFAoPnXoxAOz/w640-h432/IMG_9807.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TVBYhVzRxnRwQmLN8m0RAuTuBBeNJyCGzGZBVdn-42c1taTs1zuqXVS4gC43qzP_MVqeXInVd_ATrTVNyzmvRbzJjBK-q7wzw_WtFURB2jroGavJmGNf0TBPBmgPbZxYf3uzpM6yq64ABvk_Lz-VyEa8cq2J569g6JAhxga_oWFwA64znXah/s1500/IMG_9808.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TVBYhVzRxnRwQmLN8m0RAuTuBBeNJyCGzGZBVdn-42c1taTs1zuqXVS4gC43qzP_MVqeXInVd_ATrTVNyzmvRbzJjBK-q7wzw_WtFURB2jroGavJmGNf0TBPBmgPbZxYf3uzpM6yq64ABvk_Lz-VyEa8cq2J569g6JAhxga_oWFwA64znXah/w640-h480/IMG_9808.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view down canyon from off the Grotto Trail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJroGV1WaE9BQ9AI5Q7IJHW5kRaNLiV-4RgQ5BRFHZqwEnO-UaN4Ax5durZ0bEuw14pOv-ES7xqKzFy2DslreG178o5nuwI9WKW7K3CL4TKWmdFl0RQAM6hVUm76Wi-41b7fE5v6xDwLTHLckw3CUPHr7DQdsjYYY0ZFCvSV0fFclGm1hpy5d/s1500/IMG_9809.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJroGV1WaE9BQ9AI5Q7IJHW5kRaNLiV-4RgQ5BRFHZqwEnO-UaN4Ax5durZ0bEuw14pOv-ES7xqKzFy2DslreG178o5nuwI9WKW7K3CL4TKWmdFl0RQAM6hVUm76Wi-41b7fE5v6xDwLTHLckw3CUPHr7DQdsjYYY0ZFCvSV0fFclGm1hpy5d/w640-h480/IMG_9809.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and up canyon</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkw3UGmPpdvECajK-EZPiURIN_2piEUTsGBNSbOl53q1SpWFoVv9r3CsX06oSluiZSSNOAZ2pQlm5dEonQKPHsTdpIdnNhIv1AjVF4JV1xuKkgCq76PpvKFO3XOcSMIvMso_-WYCutrROIucNx5neDTAxHth6rdlCqs7WzOJnvno3R6P97Fn0y/s1500/IMG_9812.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkw3UGmPpdvECajK-EZPiURIN_2piEUTsGBNSbOl53q1SpWFoVv9r3CsX06oSluiZSSNOAZ2pQlm5dEonQKPHsTdpIdnNhIv1AjVF4JV1xuKkgCq76PpvKFO3XOcSMIvMso_-WYCutrROIucNx5neDTAxHth6rdlCqs7WzOJnvno3R6P97Fn0y/w640-h480/IMG_9812.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">deer feeding on the lodge grounds while people were playing frisbee</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE5koR1Z9at2JrxAoqH6VwmHQxkyOv_JJKEb__3wuCfv5jt3FxZwuy3KdW_EnuOzDELXJ83SdUbDKzlumR0o2peWFKOu2Y0JlFYs8mSw-Pn0f-D9sNUXy1vPInMfXIaoCBW3BQnxSIU0RVjTq5zxDajT_y6vYhuu02ap27qtoYBJW5Cco9WcA2/s1500/IMG_9813.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE5koR1Z9at2JrxAoqH6VwmHQxkyOv_JJKEb__3wuCfv5jt3FxZwuy3KdW_EnuOzDELXJ83SdUbDKzlumR0o2peWFKOu2Y0JlFYs8mSw-Pn0f-D9sNUXy1vPInMfXIaoCBW3BQnxSIU0RVjTq5zxDajT_y6vYhuu02ap27qtoYBJW5Cco9WcA2/w640-h480/IMG_9813.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAK21atznufGTaweTU7Sps-rR5BRLbkullgBrDC_cZcI4_i0DFina-HJA2hl6nRe9_8rK0tBPvKBUgGKlgmc_CM5R-6te-nM4AiHmWL5hrm-_kmIKQ9XNgIZYH9N1d2iRqU0t9ePvJ5R8jIhEIe8gUJhd6Nude5vdOQ02yPpXo-fcLVCwTo-O/s1500/IMG_9814.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAK21atznufGTaweTU7Sps-rR5BRLbkullgBrDC_cZcI4_i0DFina-HJA2hl6nRe9_8rK0tBPvKBUgGKlgmc_CM5R-6te-nM4AiHmWL5hrm-_kmIKQ9XNgIZYH9N1d2iRqU0t9ePvJ5R8jIhEIe8gUJhd6Nude5vdOQ02yPpXo-fcLVCwTo-O/w640-h480/IMG_9814.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a rather unremarkable meal but sitting outside was wonderful</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-21879417016320566272023-09-10T19:30:00.001-04:002023-09-10T19:30:00.148-04:00Canyons of the American Southwest<p>It was nearly three years ago that Susie and I were scheduled to fly from Grand Rapids to Phoenix, and then head north to Flagstaff. That would have been the kickoff for visiting several of the country's most famous national parks: Zion, Bryce and the Grand Canyon. </p><p>But the best laid plans of mice and men, eh? </p><p>As we are all so painfully aware of now. that trip, like those of so many others, was cancelled due to a global pandemic. But we were so very fortunate to have pretty much escaped Covid unscathed, unlike the several millions of others who were not so lucky. A cancelled trip was small potatoes as they say.</p><p>So we're going to try this trip again. </p><p>Tomorrow, Monday, a neighbor will drive us to the airport and we fly non-stop to Las Vegas to begin our ten-day trip to the American Southwest. </p><p>After picking up our rental car we drive to Zion Canyon National Park where we will check in to the lodge within the park proper. (In fact, we will be staying at the park lodges at the North and South Rims of the Grand Canyo.) </p><p>We then heading back to Las Vegas for two nights of quiet debauchery before returning home. Aside from some hiking and hopefully taking a Ride with a Ranger excursion (at least at Zion) we have reserved two seats on a helicopter tour in the Grand Canyon. A once-in-a-lifetime experience we have been told . . . Stay tuned!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Ox7NZUc1Ka4dLLSgaLUTfaRJJiT8KDFZdiwOqkifH6fNuRhznOfHfvBS0fQWVE0e19V9g44q34Jnpy8GJWsIV6u6koWRWF9u7P-Qxta0m8F952i5kazDL6vPJo3pNYzLhN8DYRZXk4y0DsOZplHYrVT7oNEXSmWoDmIzNV3RkPNlNLMhXhpg/s1290/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-13%20at%2012.09.05.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1290" height="527" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Ox7NZUc1Ka4dLLSgaLUTfaRJJiT8KDFZdiwOqkifH6fNuRhznOfHfvBS0fQWVE0e19V9g44q34Jnpy8GJWsIV6u6koWRWF9u7P-Qxta0m8F952i5kazDL6vPJo3pNYzLhN8DYRZXk4y0DsOZplHYrVT7oNEXSmWoDmIzNV3RkPNlNLMhXhpg/w640-h527/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-13%20at%2012.09.05.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-15701768641918385052023-08-26T16:58:00.004-04:002023-08-27T07:47:26.730-04:00Update from Grand Rapids<p>This week brought an unusual confluence of events. </p><p>First up was a fast-moving storm that came through late Thursday night; high winds and a tornado warning mixed with the emergency siren going off had lots of us scrambling into our basements. Fortunately, no tornado was actually sighted but the ferocity of the 60 or so seconds of incredible winds left lots of us in this part of Michigan without power. </p><p>That evening we joined several of our neighbors outside to review local damage damage and we were amazed at how many large branches had been ripped down. One tree at the entrance to Eaglecrest Drive actually ripped up and fell over on the power line but the line itself remained intact.</p><p>While we were pretty unscathed a trip around nearby neighborhoods -- in search of a charging station -- revealed the extent of the storm's damaging winds. Several houses had trees down on the, power lines torn down, and as seemingly endless variety of detritus littering streets, laws and even rooftops.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfarEzZbWHg5J7RKTCl2AyQo2RzmvzSljTegoRKR1t2W7ksD0kJZaipcRAhelM0Xm15rVWOBpBM-CEbqo_F5uwcLI8PYRDAdLUhHG37cirG9x7gY1Znx_reW5cZwojTpGfWnmIAOik0Ef_45wgvwn9Uq1j-FiDXLSsdyy3YBlKoU7lAQpxsL4/s1500/IMG_9730.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfarEzZbWHg5J7RKTCl2AyQo2RzmvzSljTegoRKR1t2W7ksD0kJZaipcRAhelM0Xm15rVWOBpBM-CEbqo_F5uwcLI8PYRDAdLUhHG37cirG9x7gY1Znx_reW5cZwojTpGfWnmIAOik0Ef_45wgvwn9Uq1j-FiDXLSsdyy3YBlKoU7lAQpxsL4/w640-h480/IMG_9730.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCDoJ4z1oieB0aOPN1eGvfp1FTaKrcUMpyKBxzD0mSEAwSX0G8ovxb7E12eL5SqxWZZKNrdAYoon5zN2oFAY_9GMLEtxPn0HPft9yxz4jNO01JcJGKZQ4w-x_NccWnXTEOB-7P8-2zZRmSgRbiJZYIu_al0OAxx3YIZ1hHrF4xsf6FfVCXCiU/s2000/IMG_9776.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCDoJ4z1oieB0aOPN1eGvfp1FTaKrcUMpyKBxzD0mSEAwSX0G8ovxb7E12eL5SqxWZZKNrdAYoon5zN2oFAY_9GMLEtxPn0HPft9yxz4jNO01JcJGKZQ4w-x_NccWnXTEOB-7P8-2zZRmSgRbiJZYIu_al0OAxx3YIZ1hHrF4xsf6FfVCXCiU/w480-h640/IMG_9776.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>The power finally came back on at little after 1pm Saturday.</p><p>The second and by far more pleasing event was a Van Halsema cousin get together out at the old Overview house, now the Great Lakes House, on Lake Michigan. Susie and I picked up her mom about 3pm and met up with cousins Laurie and Jen and the five of us drove out to the get together. </p><p>The drive took only about an hour or so. For me, an only child (more or less) it was grand to see so many cousins renewing their bonds of family relationships, recalling with obvious fondness times spent growing up together and visits to Overview, all the while catching up on the details of all their various extended families.</p><p>One person was responsible for setting all this motion, Dick Van Halsema. It was his idea and he spent no small amount of time coordinating the arrangements and providing drinks and food, with some assistance from a few cousins. </p><p>And to top it all off the day, 25 August, happened to be the 50th wedding anniversary of Jack and Wilma DeKorne. And Bernice got to see and catch up with so many of her nieces and nephews, most of whom she had not seen for far too many years. </p><p>It was a truly special day. . . Plans were laid to repeat the event on August 24, 2024.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsEv0nJywMl7ZFIYmIQC7fxAFtLznvBAcGQPYgjYoqQzcfy1V9sD2YgLIbqgE5DAF3TsmrbYgTdsy5JoGY5w_N37HllVm4PLdmWiQvmRieycWSicCxxJxRifs7Aqq5PFY3X0LtHArJLEvYLVxfc9P9muz0H_c-CTEDQmSFQAEEpJNOa5z_Og9w/s1500/IMG_9735.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsEv0nJywMl7ZFIYmIQC7fxAFtLznvBAcGQPYgjYoqQzcfy1V9sD2YgLIbqgE5DAF3TsmrbYgTdsy5JoGY5w_N37HllVm4PLdmWiQvmRieycWSicCxxJxRifs7Aqq5PFY3X0LtHArJLEvYLVxfc9P9muz0H_c-CTEDQmSFQAEEpJNOa5z_Og9w/w640-h480/IMG_9735.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">l-r: Helen Sterk, Laurie Ten Have Chapman, Dick Van Halsema, Dave DeKorne</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHEvsQwz90kBsNrFs8LlaNn5TfyuHxkPhYR5oxg8nOsyzhZrji4hgUwmUjFWmdfZKrpGQuy8NLEK6wVbQ9dp9z79qKd5qycYIDoEfLpZ2Q58oDe7Eq1K41xbxMfgGECtb8b03Kfwj4QPfBucPm-4uk8aJAfflAts5s172u9XNuj-tcxzdXBrtt/s1500/IMG_9736.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1313" data-original-width="1500" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHEvsQwz90kBsNrFs8LlaNn5TfyuHxkPhYR5oxg8nOsyzhZrji4hgUwmUjFWmdfZKrpGQuy8NLEK6wVbQ9dp9z79qKd5qycYIDoEfLpZ2Q58oDe7Eq1K41xbxMfgGECtb8b03Kfwj4QPfBucPm-4uk8aJAfflAts5s172u9XNuj-tcxzdXBrtt/w640-h560/IMG_9736.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack and Wilma</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH6iSzCBWYZw_7gnnTxGZvDWDtLs5kzE2YLF6F1oKKbAUcU7eRdnlO0ru7zW1KjoHHHP_0kpmF6nDYl_v1wqLzlfyMDV3nVojmIrMQDeVa6iho3PTJMKIKWN6Ky4rpocAj2M4lwIcLaGmZMvGNO7dcBRc8UR_hhwEeD_bVeOJNdtEyd_4vymoK/s1500/IMG_9737.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH6iSzCBWYZw_7gnnTxGZvDWDtLs5kzE2YLF6F1oKKbAUcU7eRdnlO0ru7zW1KjoHHHP_0kpmF6nDYl_v1wqLzlfyMDV3nVojmIrMQDeVa6iho3PTJMKIKWN6Ky4rpocAj2M4lwIcLaGmZMvGNO7dcBRc8UR_hhwEeD_bVeOJNdtEyd_4vymoK/w640-h480/IMG_9737.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barbara Jean DeKorne</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9R6I3qvWGI7TOeU_bbl5aa6trsMJwwUVw-Ojj3K--IF2nTUyiDwxQzkba0f0hLOSheEPk8pbsYpnVbR9s_SuKMYmeAK2ueX3_VZyuY3DrmEcw1eshHmGOranZJijyikzAH6Rsk2XL5jYe6hLTmepNiTZahY2hjDCwjCvVORCi-fwB7qKTkgg9/s1500/IMG_9739.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9R6I3qvWGI7TOeU_bbl5aa6trsMJwwUVw-Ojj3K--IF2nTUyiDwxQzkba0f0hLOSheEPk8pbsYpnVbR9s_SuKMYmeAK2ueX3_VZyuY3DrmEcw1eshHmGOranZJijyikzAH6Rsk2XL5jYe6hLTmepNiTZahY2hjDCwjCvVORCi-fwB7qKTkgg9/w640-h480/IMG_9739.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laurie Dick, Dave Clark Van Halsema, Jen Galloway</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz98EbYFc5MxCtns2EHSHOmtR4ZyeQIdGxpCz-OU03geZd5W86XoNK7E8CYKDcCllco3BomrTX5DumVZVOKpeHdTdM-b6eIp4WgHSKLCInykZurMI_UVcbGDhZxleK_q3z48uBJlpM4Ue23Nkr7dOr29_T3m7pO-hyQov5pJu7P6Gcs88a7E-G/s1500/IMG_9741.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz98EbYFc5MxCtns2EHSHOmtR4ZyeQIdGxpCz-OU03geZd5W86XoNK7E8CYKDcCllco3BomrTX5DumVZVOKpeHdTdM-b6eIp4WgHSKLCInykZurMI_UVcbGDhZxleK_q3z48uBJlpM4Ue23Nkr7dOr29_T3m7pO-hyQov5pJu7P6Gcs88a7E-G/w640-h480/IMG_9741.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tess Lindholm, her daughter-in-law Laurel, Susie</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2IRjUZrc6oq7-PTUW5gjpDyQr_Az773qN0HxgorDjI4ylhrkUbB8hSmS8jVdcF8ip8ot0tFRWjp9zgs-dedxP-kbONGdhIh0WQnaZqN_Dvp7t2zjXdwsgUA8W-ELtgnTs_9uDoAhyGfV49LAUhk6tma6v66ZYmJV86PVDOU_TnLO_XWHg__ea/s1500/IMG_9743.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2IRjUZrc6oq7-PTUW5gjpDyQr_Az773qN0HxgorDjI4ylhrkUbB8hSmS8jVdcF8ip8ot0tFRWjp9zgs-dedxP-kbONGdhIh0WQnaZqN_Dvp7t2zjXdwsgUA8W-ELtgnTs_9uDoAhyGfV49LAUhk6tma6v66ZYmJV86PVDOU_TnLO_XWHg__ea/w640-h480/IMG_9743.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ruins of the original Overview cottage</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYPeBFJcVh4lhp1cEtTsEfO15bB4lzAWjfKcTj7CMf89xNoVKC-ezcqlzI9W8lcVS4VcHRQ22VJLWjzzykKCL37ywC-R-meP0miKgugY7-stgzN79u3ziHPaavA6TZNwDTz4k_lHD8ZR1xdJtdZRZmCw93fEq0JyGSTbXh_-3Bh8F_QV2uiBG4/s1500/IMG_9744.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYPeBFJcVh4lhp1cEtTsEfO15bB4lzAWjfKcTj7CMf89xNoVKC-ezcqlzI9W8lcVS4VcHRQ22VJLWjzzykKCL37ywC-R-meP0miKgugY7-stgzN79u3ziHPaavA6TZNwDTz4k_lHD8ZR1xdJtdZRZmCw93fEq0JyGSTbXh_-3Bh8F_QV2uiBG4/w640-h480/IMG_9744.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Xcyic4OfpXACjF02k_dJVTsCUaAzpkgANHkFvcAO3CVaO_9hieft5Ha_fbEBKns0vI9BrlKFcHIsdiGQddJpXw7gF2EPqB8801QD1uZUqjRBl_Yvei8UkdGX1fR_dh3wOR7-S2dy9IBS00GsWpxiftyU2MVg4zcNS51Uf7VQg7z1bT2u2IFW/s1500/IMG_9745.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Xcyic4OfpXACjF02k_dJVTsCUaAzpkgANHkFvcAO3CVaO_9hieft5Ha_fbEBKns0vI9BrlKFcHIsdiGQddJpXw7gF2EPqB8801QD1uZUqjRBl_Yvei8UkdGX1fR_dh3wOR7-S2dy9IBS00GsWpxiftyU2MVg4zcNS51Uf7VQg7z1bT2u2IFW/w640-h480/IMG_9745.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">113 steps to the beach</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6r1HS8-8MGdeKUd0lSfKosvoEyPy4yXCwHrDodEhGQnDtMUbTuYUgu34FSyjju8mUpROmUuMirXK--0Ctw303d-kaTtqt4rGgvPIordN1w9VV6he6WaZIZvkpbOjzXukl1fW1YuFUuqfjOLpueqncG0c-w5HZnkhrUkwWK367BVRcyGMr5_b/s1500/IMG_9746.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6r1HS8-8MGdeKUd0lSfKosvoEyPy4yXCwHrDodEhGQnDtMUbTuYUgu34FSyjju8mUpROmUuMirXK--0Ctw303d-kaTtqt4rGgvPIordN1w9VV6he6WaZIZvkpbOjzXukl1fW1YuFUuqfjOLpueqncG0c-w5HZnkhrUkwWK367BVRcyGMr5_b/w640-h480/IMG_9746.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEXf9lxsp6_G0tRquW1ooErINnJC2S0F-VPuzP41VtL4ZDsrZOIqL-W6lSh3cPm7ckUjVkA8_ANCWqAaZYEeE2NWDeP43f8XT0ebYBE8ePYpgV4h_55ZbVBSAzxJEIAU2UKembOLNnC6y_CF-y5v5tuZ3jokaklf1YWPbzqzA9BiPiNJeRIjT/s1500/IMG_9747.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEXf9lxsp6_G0tRquW1ooErINnJC2S0F-VPuzP41VtL4ZDsrZOIqL-W6lSh3cPm7ckUjVkA8_ANCWqAaZYEeE2NWDeP43f8XT0ebYBE8ePYpgV4h_55ZbVBSAzxJEIAU2UKembOLNnC6y_CF-y5v5tuZ3jokaklf1YWPbzqzA9BiPiNJeRIjT/w640-h480/IMG_9747.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGYflSyoIaPzns3nMVlOqW0jLNOW3jJhQDy3hdMdmElXv3tKjMATpTftQRw8J9LV23XX08Xrl-xqMSj3FWYtODcRYLttdBSW0B18TX2NMkFPKY69Td9Y1Qj9fVHuz3ewVh7qTkgueqJrjbXf-Xdc5iOJYm2aVsxuUtK59OzQTeSaRXUBym0GC/s1500/IMG_9751.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGYflSyoIaPzns3nMVlOqW0jLNOW3jJhQDy3hdMdmElXv3tKjMATpTftQRw8J9LV23XX08Xrl-xqMSj3FWYtODcRYLttdBSW0B18TX2NMkFPKY69Td9Y1Qj9fVHuz3ewVh7qTkgueqJrjbXf-Xdc5iOJYm2aVsxuUtK59OzQTeSaRXUBym0GC/w640-h480/IMG_9751.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave and Jen</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7HWG8ObzexQuzsIaCxe9tjdo9Yv08lXsQmcfFq9ZfHeoYYGTy5W6pCvngTofCyrOVCoeZsMqWju2RchEVjsdN93biidmeXl5hdGvSJNmOqenXKTlJ1H8SmbRMkzLgAwES_FmZRQlYdosxRtDnrI_ZZdvbpQkhw4TR8DB1ExpVt5fzQ9KajBOT/s1500/IMG_9755.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7HWG8ObzexQuzsIaCxe9tjdo9Yv08lXsQmcfFq9ZfHeoYYGTy5W6pCvngTofCyrOVCoeZsMqWju2RchEVjsdN93biidmeXl5hdGvSJNmOqenXKTlJ1H8SmbRMkzLgAwES_FmZRQlYdosxRtDnrI_ZZdvbpQkhw4TR8DB1ExpVt5fzQ9KajBOT/w640-h480/IMG_9755.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jen and Susie</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0a_cxX8gFmrvp6Lk6KUkuItrBXxGBCSx0KT62o5tex2oKXi9Vpy-zuY2lVYBwS_AOYx65DDqTiDEREQHTI4uR19Jw8fJg6B9dgEXNfxJVUEBJvjxzLPkbNYRzPi9lQcW9B9kBIrtf-rBC-omJ3TmNMIzfqTaKl4XfDfwU4SnQnumeSkYcbKE/s1504/IMG_9770crop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1504" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0a_cxX8gFmrvp6Lk6KUkuItrBXxGBCSx0KT62o5tex2oKXi9Vpy-zuY2lVYBwS_AOYx65DDqTiDEREQHTI4uR19Jw8fJg6B9dgEXNfxJVUEBJvjxzLPkbNYRzPi9lQcW9B9kBIrtf-rBC-omJ3TmNMIzfqTaKl4XfDfwU4SnQnumeSkYcbKE/w638-h640/IMG_9770crop.jpg" width="638" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Aw4UijJX5vigeGS8rPyvA2ya3ouT-vJ_sEVXmthaIfxzXVt8UGrRY0Nwwo8RHasBCCmQm5OU1rfbKyt3_EJQ3ab_yWLl6e7aXDm6bw2uPFuTYA4oJxcOZLGJ1XlnlB8w66XhHdTbFNRYXgv7Gis1vesASk_c-gkfx9T7NueqbrCn9Uev_8zW/s1730/IMG_9771crop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1730" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Aw4UijJX5vigeGS8rPyvA2ya3ouT-vJ_sEVXmthaIfxzXVt8UGrRY0Nwwo8RHasBCCmQm5OU1rfbKyt3_EJQ3ab_yWLl6e7aXDm6bw2uPFuTYA4oJxcOZLGJ1XlnlB8w66XhHdTbFNRYXgv7Gis1vesASk_c-gkfx9T7NueqbrCn9Uev_8zW/w554-h640/IMG_9771crop.jpg" width="554" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-79731532522107818492023-08-09T20:00:00.060-04:002023-08-13T08:25:07.543-04:00Bernice is 96 years old today<p>Dick and Dorothy flew in from Massachusetts and Joyce and Avery drove from Maine -- all to help Bernice celebrate her 96th birthday. It was a beautiful late afternoon when we all gathered out at Clear Bottom Lake at the Galloway-Ten Have compound, Jennifer, Scott and Claire were there and so was Laurie Ten Have-Chapman; Claire's friend Stephen came late to the party but better late than not at all, eh?</p><p>I made Sloppy Joe sandwiches, and with a lovely salad and chips we rounded the birthday meal out with a scrumptious dessert prepared by the French Tarte herself: pound cake with fresh local peaches and an incredible blueberry sauce! It was not only what the doctor ordered, it was what the doctor made to boot.</p><p>It was a lovely evening full of stories, jokes, and everyone just enjoying each other's company. You should have been there. . . </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8uE5NrI_naZoqbk2YLHJ0m3YV8SON0cioJfc6N7_AINPmGlxL-C1TEAjakJay-BOuC1ON_Oqv95xgdfYRayadYk9ysz5aUZd_ohspKVTD_Ax1_dANPfFVFwknEYst7WWnd3X1FvQJ2JZTMFGZAPIcQhb9FUM7Hlac1XOJ765j95UJD2Kxvx09/s1500/IMG_9697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8uE5NrI_naZoqbk2YLHJ0m3YV8SON0cioJfc6N7_AINPmGlxL-C1TEAjakJay-BOuC1ON_Oqv95xgdfYRayadYk9ysz5aUZd_ohspKVTD_Ax1_dANPfFVFwknEYst7WWnd3X1FvQJ2JZTMFGZAPIcQhb9FUM7Hlac1XOJ765j95UJD2Kxvx09/w640-h480/IMG_9697.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fhzCHqLURESo5lSNY5EE3WSihID7gRTgAQ0NlK-2tSjhvYDj0NZSPL3RofGDchNNreuT4RscLf49CaXkqBfZnGEPtQwN3RBlv2Zpq3KQaxWnv0Q013NsVUpVkQ9cpibI1NgrYkcFwITIv6y3JwnnW7xeBUgOYEAqNVngR1Cbqx3cQ6aivqF1/s1500/IMG_9701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fhzCHqLURESo5lSNY5EE3WSihID7gRTgAQ0NlK-2tSjhvYDj0NZSPL3RofGDchNNreuT4RscLf49CaXkqBfZnGEPtQwN3RBlv2Zpq3KQaxWnv0Q013NsVUpVkQ9cpibI1NgrYkcFwITIv6y3JwnnW7xeBUgOYEAqNVngR1Cbqx3cQ6aivqF1/w640-h480/IMG_9701.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jen</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYX4FMYO7f1fhvMAlXkcJ7WT2SYnczWczRgE2DR5-Sav1PcBuK6fz0Y3wX_uh_z0vHT-MfnLzKh11XHQL5TcvNJxjb3fv34SuhIR9uIW2oreFrQ2We1PNaKua2S0jrBJJSmLnry3Hu4mSSnB-mghlsYDIGRWLhxLqqExtFFEXhnXigy8X7_wB9/s1500/IMG_9702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYX4FMYO7f1fhvMAlXkcJ7WT2SYnczWczRgE2DR5-Sav1PcBuK6fz0Y3wX_uh_z0vHT-MfnLzKh11XHQL5TcvNJxjb3fv34SuhIR9uIW2oreFrQ2We1PNaKua2S0jrBJJSmLnry3Hu4mSSnB-mghlsYDIGRWLhxLqqExtFFEXhnXigy8X7_wB9/w640-h480/IMG_9702.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avery</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMwbGBSqzggOYlw8k2WPLgvRivKB1q6Vme9sLvbxGluGgYHEh8vpwNAT_1jUX7Um0KhDV0YMEHKLKXQ5rD7cJNc0LBtRsccTZvYT_R1X0ODrgH_8NqqcVPCLpJpbNKwXyx3cW5rvLTkHp0k8kuWgInIHgAmTSs6kcdUR6C_mv_DTm0zli5FNE/s1500/IMG_9705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMwbGBSqzggOYlw8k2WPLgvRivKB1q6Vme9sLvbxGluGgYHEh8vpwNAT_1jUX7Um0KhDV0YMEHKLKXQ5rD7cJNc0LBtRsccTZvYT_R1X0ODrgH_8NqqcVPCLpJpbNKwXyx3cW5rvLTkHp0k8kuWgInIHgAmTSs6kcdUR6C_mv_DTm0zli5FNE/w640-h480/IMG_9705.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joyce</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-p8-XJlveEcMO2-CRJ2Fsyh4THE5Sk2exQ-V0pUNbd830xY5-_K6-f9JClVv1QNOsSBZXc9yo25c7LTh-HA3o3TXCQG5UIvO-zolQQfnS4yJgIKMGloEd8ZMO6h1CYpnXlS3-5pyc4bmPzz4PT9xbN64MG3fs9725VURN8BHMHD_6r4wzMrc/s1500/IMG_9706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-p8-XJlveEcMO2-CRJ2Fsyh4THE5Sk2exQ-V0pUNbd830xY5-_K6-f9JClVv1QNOsSBZXc9yo25c7LTh-HA3o3TXCQG5UIvO-zolQQfnS4yJgIKMGloEd8ZMO6h1CYpnXlS3-5pyc4bmPzz4PT9xbN64MG3fs9725VURN8BHMHD_6r4wzMrc/w640-h480/IMG_9706.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_9mdSWOAoBqTgyQCdecu3l8sy-NsjuMHN5l_RM_gsAqIdpZNcBqcLS3tt_4TDk_KaeZzqEOFsahITllMcyVeaonTML3umIild56Kpgi7TAfhYpGpj8UUYs3bhg3LCUcL22sBEbLtRg3dClqgujiFFWzL7H5ibzl4qFVTY2Z8fkgapuWwJ_Gr/s1500/IMG_9707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_9mdSWOAoBqTgyQCdecu3l8sy-NsjuMHN5l_RM_gsAqIdpZNcBqcLS3tt_4TDk_KaeZzqEOFsahITllMcyVeaonTML3umIild56Kpgi7TAfhYpGpj8UUYs3bhg3LCUcL22sBEbLtRg3dClqgujiFFWzL7H5ibzl4qFVTY2Z8fkgapuWwJ_Gr/w640-h480/IMG_9707.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfgMbnh-R2NdN_gb7gTYcAyU05FIybV_gnTs8aomptSOva5luYfLDy3ce6_m3Prch-6FlUFS1ZDdCxbjUhdM-Cl5iCoTg9ZKLCbzf5oe6RPW_wSfvdHonFzuRlQKExwr_ptce3F6vUKjIyf1KVZBiotSvJh4ORBxdb7zvC7KHnPSw3CT5YcNN/s1500/IMG_9708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfgMbnh-R2NdN_gb7gTYcAyU05FIybV_gnTs8aomptSOva5luYfLDy3ce6_m3Prch-6FlUFS1ZDdCxbjUhdM-Cl5iCoTg9ZKLCbzf5oe6RPW_wSfvdHonFzuRlQKExwr_ptce3F6vUKjIyf1KVZBiotSvJh4ORBxdb7zvC7KHnPSw3CT5YcNN/w640-h480/IMG_9708.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Claire, Laurie and Stephen</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgRSsyM8_T2yJkkYyVs9aIxlIrE0aBR7A_zO85szy0KDuXu3j_vXwwVq-PS73W2atvYdeyD4U07EtEl5bEtSAyV8IhgZUeW4lEJ-M8HRaZ6eANHoSX0EBakLrHSK6sMtLYXd1cSwOsflvEOubD1DTf2M9gAtepIWejvAthi_aD4WBeSR8QFd1/s1500/IMG_9712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgRSsyM8_T2yJkkYyVs9aIxlIrE0aBR7A_zO85szy0KDuXu3j_vXwwVq-PS73W2atvYdeyD4U07EtEl5bEtSAyV8IhgZUeW4lEJ-M8HRaZ6eANHoSX0EBakLrHSK6sMtLYXd1cSwOsflvEOubD1DTf2M9gAtepIWejvAthi_aD4WBeSR8QFd1/w640-h480/IMG_9712.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dick, Bern, Susie and Joyce</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-53015689116343570392023-08-08T08:56:00.002-04:002023-08-14T16:34:44.374-04:00Agawa Canyon Train Tour<p>Susie and I decided to spend our 40th wedding anniversary doing something we've never done before: take a long trip requiring multiple stops for charging our electric car followed by spending a full day on a train in the wilds of Ontario, Canada, watching several million trees pass by.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWaYQtXru97GoEgcna5FyP_AkFji4EJSMqf99g49rS4Vy0Tnf_QdCpZ4gB1pqR1coP6V9_hN75IO7v2AwJPFx-ZzPJQbkyMJpGc8_6NdQpKd75sqXAXj-oUzjhO7_rr07QRGvQHkd9moMFXMgoon6T-4yffqNTf9d6bvxMc3QfYA2Ix0YgS3Y7/s1426/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-13%20at%2008.42.04.png"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1426" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWaYQtXru97GoEgcna5FyP_AkFji4EJSMqf99g49rS4Vy0Tnf_QdCpZ4gB1pqR1coP6V9_hN75IO7v2AwJPFx-ZzPJQbkyMJpGc8_6NdQpKd75sqXAXj-oUzjhO7_rr07QRGvQHkd9moMFXMgoon6T-4yffqNTf9d6bvxMc3QfYA2Ix0YgS3Y7/w640-h404/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-13%20at%2008.42.04.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>We left Grand Rapids Saturday morning and after stopping in Cadillac and Gaylord Michigan to charge our car (both times at a Meijer grocery store) we arrived at the Mackinac Bridge. Unfortunately there was a Mini Cooper Rally underway and apparently one lane of the bridge was closed for that event. </p><p>Although we never did see any lane closure it took us -- wait for it -- an hour and thirty minutes to cross some 5 miles of the bridge complex. But we were given the chance to pay a toll for such a profoundly moving experience. . . </p><p>Once in St. Ignace it was a short ride across the eastern end of the Upper Peninsula and we had virtually no wait at the Canadian border. Although a small city, Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, proved a challenge to navigate and for once we had to use the car's GPS system to locate our hotel, the Water Tower Inn. </p><p>Even though it was after 5pm I learned our room wasn't ready yet so we decided to charge our car at a nearby Ivy charging station while we waited -- a process that was made much easier by the kindness of a young couple who were quite familiar with this particular charging company. It should be noted that they along with their three little girls were on an adventure of their own: driving their all-electric Kia all the way to British Columbia! It also gave us a chance to sit at the hotel bar and have a cold glass of beer while we waited both for the room and the charging to finish.</p><p>That evening we had an unremarkable meal at the hotel's restaurant.</p><p>The following day we made our way downtown to the train station located in the shadow of the International Bridge to the USA. Boarding began at 7:30am and by 8:00 we were under way north out of the city threading our way past an enormous steel mill complex and then several dozen (?) lakes and small camps and cabins through innumerable forests until we arrived at the Canyon park at about 12:30pm.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwesKSkAxRbry34QGbJAbf3SIgEI7t5Qqu7hF7c0nKr7_J427g0v325_3LowBof2lbiFOBFHp0nzRxFq8bnJ3NCbdEdhy3IBU422_b-rnyQ1oe4a0LP887Optnhcf62UT3FqH_hnFssvEKQtBFTgQ9P7cnrsZZHPvrQL9iTFmkLyI7ymQtBaAr/s1000/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-13%20at%2008.50.30.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1000" height="578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwesKSkAxRbry34QGbJAbf3SIgEI7t5Qqu7hF7c0nKr7_J427g0v325_3LowBof2lbiFOBFHp0nzRxFq8bnJ3NCbdEdhy3IBU422_b-rnyQ1oe4a0LP887Optnhcf62UT3FqH_hnFssvEKQtBFTgQ9P7cnrsZZHPvrQL9iTFmkLyI7ymQtBaAr/w640-h578/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-13%20at%2008.50.30.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Susie and I found a place to enjoy our box lunch (prepared by the less-than-stellar culinary minions at our hotel) and strolled along the Agawa River taking in the quiet.</p><p>Back aboard the train, which had moved the locomotives from front to back for the return trip, we spent the next 4.5 hours enjoying the same scenery but in reverse. Riveting. </p><p>While the day had been gorgeous, the weather fine and the train not too crowded, this is not something either of us would recommend. </p><p>It is, in a word, boring. Mind you this would have been an incredible train ride had it followed Rte 17 along the eastern shore of Lake Superior instead of wending its way some miles inland through the never-ending forest.</p><p>The dining car is long gone replaced by a snack bar where the food was prepackaged and none of it looked terribly appealing. There were multiple TV monitors in each car which allowed the passengers to watch the locomotive camera which was rather fascinating but that only worked on the outbound leg of the trip; and in our car nearly half the monitors were missing, The bathrooms were very basic with an emphasis on very and there didn't appear to be any consideration for those travelers in need of disability facilities. </p><p>After arriving back at the station we walked across the parking lot to the old paper mill complex, part of which has been repurposed into an event venue along with an eatery or two. We chose the Mill Steakhouse but contrary to the name Susie and I each had fish 'n chips; or rather she had the chips and I had onion rings (in memory of my dad who loved to make them almost as much as he loved to eat them). The food was quite good, the beer cold and the service friendly, professional and at least as good as the food.</p><p>The next morning we packed up, grabbed a coffee at the Starbucks in the hotel and returned to United States. Crossing the border took only a few minutes and there was no wait at the Mackinac Bridge. We replayed our outbound charging legs, stopping again at Gaylord and then Cadillac to use the Electrify America stations. Each time we stopped to charge we met the nicest people. A couple of times we needed assistance and there was always someone also charging willing and able to help us work out our issue. And once Susie ended up helping a woman from Wisconsin get herself set up for charging her VW! One wonders if this was what it was like in the early days of the internal combustion engines, people helping each other so they can get back on the road. Pretty cool.</p><p>The silver lining in all this -- and it came to us as we were chugging along-- is we could sit back and do nothing, think nothing, worry about nothing. Not a bad way to spend the day after all, eh?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufYs17JV1jhLsvEJc0lHE20d07fHZl0okUDCB5mcgF7HN6XScBD55v7tS4ZirMGuO8PHEZKvH_2u7bq7U7wSgWb0CMRzIKkepb8YVrflFHXBlz02ccPJ-SuAJyQ5TsmMRVdi_jt5l36ti2jVsAbSYZToB4A6ksnPN9-kv07YFxMhcU1qVAUBS/s1500/IMG_9633.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufYs17JV1jhLsvEJc0lHE20d07fHZl0okUDCB5mcgF7HN6XScBD55v7tS4ZirMGuO8PHEZKvH_2u7bq7U7wSgWb0CMRzIKkepb8YVrflFHXBlz02ccPJ-SuAJyQ5TsmMRVdi_jt5l36ti2jVsAbSYZToB4A6ksnPN9-kv07YFxMhcU1qVAUBS/w640-h480/IMG_9633.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpN46jthjyGXowffnZKpi-41u_fmjqA8prAt-K4f-wq9KsvGO6oG2oB27v2I3a6JO5Z0RLEyYV_kAFqwiX8NADB-ByBlQGifx8AS6eAqiSmNTqK7tKMFDv849lN9iWt-MWqEKbZHE6Uq-BnXq0HAdYLT876ABNEiSqkLUKyOaRQdDzDjTEQFie/s1500/IMG_9634.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpN46jthjyGXowffnZKpi-41u_fmjqA8prAt-K4f-wq9KsvGO6oG2oB27v2I3a6JO5Z0RLEyYV_kAFqwiX8NADB-ByBlQGifx8AS6eAqiSmNTqK7tKMFDv849lN9iWt-MWqEKbZHE6Uq-BnXq0HAdYLT876ABNEiSqkLUKyOaRQdDzDjTEQFie/w640-h480/IMG_9634.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">waiting to board</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEznQm3pKYL2iM5UFkSG72ZzXYsHk_pv9PTHioO6qAm5EaB1A0RzpO5R26_5jItDpVMDa1h5d2_jzVWFhimMsv5k4Q3ZB2VmW5SPwmoSXEpjKAr5CYoMOFehOq68F_O3tD2I4XKFXigGD5_tHfpttTYvLQfBILaK13jSXvCF7aXSs3JL4kZvZx/s1500/IMG_9635.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEznQm3pKYL2iM5UFkSG72ZzXYsHk_pv9PTHioO6qAm5EaB1A0RzpO5R26_5jItDpVMDa1h5d2_jzVWFhimMsv5k4Q3ZB2VmW5SPwmoSXEpjKAr5CYoMOFehOq68F_O3tD2I4XKFXigGD5_tHfpttTYvLQfBILaK13jSXvCF7aXSs3JL4kZvZx/w640-h480/IMG_9635.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFRgrI1jfjHoSmH9NbJNvaV5TKqVmKMTVmhjwqmV0OeftNa5KBWHJWVSv7Icd-SwQYxYusR4eydEmxjC_raoJ3BYAJUg2BhoE3KFPJ7xv09W7QhdBb9pqDThsI-9RSMeUyM0UkBcCN1wc2rm4p5IYCAtkijJ2kUXX8fAPx8UoMdLHKuoWYMM_A/s1500/IMG_9637.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFRgrI1jfjHoSmH9NbJNvaV5TKqVmKMTVmhjwqmV0OeftNa5KBWHJWVSv7Icd-SwQYxYusR4eydEmxjC_raoJ3BYAJUg2BhoE3KFPJ7xv09W7QhdBb9pqDThsI-9RSMeUyM0UkBcCN1wc2rm4p5IYCAtkijJ2kUXX8fAPx8UoMdLHKuoWYMM_A/w640-h480/IMG_9637.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLpZs88bepv91c34F_06n6pwUXBjD8B50KglrxlWwH176ZqLlqd5TSHyHMFCMBAiiT3jVo9bhd2n9tfU-6_q7_kKiorHTTpnMtolLO0VjgRx6JogrsMod1x_4bVbpT4rSTzRRRHqGIC5JONweUpF7DpylYS8p1JvZfoXbBuuIaMpc6UBB5rs7/s1500/IMG_9644.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLpZs88bepv91c34F_06n6pwUXBjD8B50KglrxlWwH176ZqLlqd5TSHyHMFCMBAiiT3jVo9bhd2n9tfU-6_q7_kKiorHTTpnMtolLO0VjgRx6JogrsMod1x_4bVbpT4rSTzRRRHqGIC5JONweUpF7DpylYS8p1JvZfoXbBuuIaMpc6UBB5rs7/w640-h480/IMG_9644.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBUF9IwFk9cAr2o5FojrgTl8kl3mne5nK9gRQmAe0vjV0teIcRDUhi1gdL6H1oat3iQHkr3FgI9b1mj-UEjfchx1UDQGvfFh3b-XPKdgxS_2J1Q-7-FYYsPR3hgBeNppOWyuAsj-nLGFGZ6coi10n6F9txmX3MMwwPvuHOx11oSuAWA7Dragi/s1500/IMG_9646.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBUF9IwFk9cAr2o5FojrgTl8kl3mne5nK9gRQmAe0vjV0teIcRDUhi1gdL6H1oat3iQHkr3FgI9b1mj-UEjfchx1UDQGvfFh3b-XPKdgxS_2J1Q-7-FYYsPR3hgBeNppOWyuAsj-nLGFGZ6coi10n6F9txmX3MMwwPvuHOx11oSuAWA7Dragi/w640-h480/IMG_9646.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIyz-4WfoCQ-AjaqjQ8194z-pNPtiFgm2t4AFDYF8umPYgVG_5JGlB8Kici0IICX4wmhr9cw3J7PZyQM-cyTKpL6wWvPowPJfOuKSSJMbtPkgiBkRfE8dP8NVKYoBKpYYJWrYhkXbuhHeD_HZtU5by__qf6xwmmpDPU3sOqSWlLF_C7oRXBe0Y/s1500/IMG_9649.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIyz-4WfoCQ-AjaqjQ8194z-pNPtiFgm2t4AFDYF8umPYgVG_5JGlB8Kici0IICX4wmhr9cw3J7PZyQM-cyTKpL6wWvPowPJfOuKSSJMbtPkgiBkRfE8dP8NVKYoBKpYYJWrYhkXbuhHeD_HZtU5by__qf6xwmmpDPU3sOqSWlLF_C7oRXBe0Y/w640-h480/IMG_9649.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2pF7r0zVe7_GCUegLLZvB1zD3LbczMdN5VZuyyy4OfVmZABuiL0HbIxLoOPxEp3v5gHKpsRG1QRYaM_-n8Gy4EM8guE4rSa9UzWUL518VzCYaMfaTHJJkv4FvCMNQXClngojWkusQk_quMY8cOdwOgOBfO84VD3-QA9c9ZdZBpAsukYOpWHe/s1500/IMG_9652.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2pF7r0zVe7_GCUegLLZvB1zD3LbczMdN5VZuyyy4OfVmZABuiL0HbIxLoOPxEp3v5gHKpsRG1QRYaM_-n8Gy4EM8guE4rSa9UzWUL518VzCYaMfaTHJJkv4FvCMNQXClngojWkusQk_quMY8cOdwOgOBfO84VD3-QA9c9ZdZBpAsukYOpWHe/w640-h480/IMG_9652.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOgqvQ2WW8gxwZ59xGgF5ZZ1rHZ2m-ymL52nUSihTACqzq44iysAI9Vj7swbpGFX_nJfPcQBw720SzUFMi0JK4xq5HrVP1UHIrZZjenrUDn955A_abIHyxdWiZaBI5EwPrwr8L6hbVPVCCvLLmgYNqrGPttmV2kcNigPN0q_8HWbtCuZFWwUVi/s1500/IMG_9653.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOgqvQ2WW8gxwZ59xGgF5ZZ1rHZ2m-ymL52nUSihTACqzq44iysAI9Vj7swbpGFX_nJfPcQBw720SzUFMi0JK4xq5HrVP1UHIrZZjenrUDn955A_abIHyxdWiZaBI5EwPrwr8L6hbVPVCCvLLmgYNqrGPttmV2kcNigPN0q_8HWbtCuZFWwUVi/w640-h480/IMG_9653.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">time to picnic!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_-Khw0wkha8mDiV9vDvJZy0KWKpYfl-iQK19rScuHHuIVvy3dClIaYY7rYgKsU3kGqtUzbrWNCPDysf558wTeMYUdANcXknESdsCA6WC4C7_v8GozDEpWR-jgBdLgGP3zs2dxET9U-t7s358DoHNYqaiZt5sanSXUcxP1t1AA4mE4pE7DopH/s1500/IMG_9654.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_-Khw0wkha8mDiV9vDvJZy0KWKpYfl-iQK19rScuHHuIVvy3dClIaYY7rYgKsU3kGqtUzbrWNCPDysf558wTeMYUdANcXknESdsCA6WC4C7_v8GozDEpWR-jgBdLgGP3zs2dxET9U-t7s358DoHNYqaiZt5sanSXUcxP1t1AA4mE4pE7DopH/w640-h480/IMG_9654.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-U0ORJNqFp-WmemqjfhhC5W6XuLzOlt45UAJgbT49x8bwHuaER68HD1ocqZEv_C3flMROEPTKlogjTFsTfkbh6FCx6p8BopAFJqzEyBvqt6RaauzzhPjSvyR-RgF6VC8_LiZIdTBi46a6hBx_pWMAZbHfqYr2gWKHE6Bb1tGfYJgyrF88XsIO/s1500/IMG_9655.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-U0ORJNqFp-WmemqjfhhC5W6XuLzOlt45UAJgbT49x8bwHuaER68HD1ocqZEv_C3flMROEPTKlogjTFsTfkbh6FCx6p8BopAFJqzEyBvqt6RaauzzhPjSvyR-RgF6VC8_LiZIdTBi46a6hBx_pWMAZbHfqYr2gWKHE6Bb1tGfYJgyrF88XsIO/w640-h480/IMG_9655.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Agawa River</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFhZyBzNjYH0x9sxWWxQT_Letw8LTgh-epTpLKSHtRW8ajZuU2d8QDc0M5d98D1r2DN8t9nyCX2dkLZHbw48o91QE8nqiBg8JpEwku9PbyFj-R3V3Ry6u1030LzHlslJz1El5EbrwIlveuT6nuTrvXaQeY-fa54Iluz62YtIUcuoG4Ar9wu3y/s1500/IMG_9656.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFhZyBzNjYH0x9sxWWxQT_Letw8LTgh-epTpLKSHtRW8ajZuU2d8QDc0M5d98D1r2DN8t9nyCX2dkLZHbw48o91QE8nqiBg8JpEwku9PbyFj-R3V3Ry6u1030LzHlslJz1El5EbrwIlveuT6nuTrvXaQeY-fa54Iluz62YtIUcuoG4Ar9wu3y/w640-h480/IMG_9656.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"what the. . . "</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSoDZFo5SQqTeqrmQqC_wMDyJUpwtruZoWZGsOmQQl5iP1gZmeENoxQf1B-o3r2F_dT71ItBUgrFyeQhAeTZUFuhbUv9J-N6RaDOioXhpg4UrqWNZ16g7_jYHBjKQW4yz_rV3cAhLeVR_8TOvYQsNGw4d9FwlSoSsgXi9Jty6HNhXCn73dLRQh/s1500/IMG_9657.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSoDZFo5SQqTeqrmQqC_wMDyJUpwtruZoWZGsOmQQl5iP1gZmeENoxQf1B-o3r2F_dT71ItBUgrFyeQhAeTZUFuhbUv9J-N6RaDOioXhpg4UrqWNZ16g7_jYHBjKQW4yz_rV3cAhLeVR_8TOvYQsNGw4d9FwlSoSsgXi9Jty6HNhXCn73dLRQh/w640-h480/IMG_9657.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhD-_oH-h4ZiAceQcypnOez094XZn9ymbh2nBsJ1h4omd4tCMNZ4hyGTZ_DxYN-jkhJjzXHs1wO-2buWRoPgW13HF-K-__-EKg6SOAbJQYfj_JKqFy6XX21HFTQEKjHeR1IT0se7lrKijQ-oNyvlDg9KAEPV2VCYNELDzU1wLrpYdyPlSaruY/s2000/IMG_9661.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhD-_oH-h4ZiAceQcypnOez094XZn9ymbh2nBsJ1h4omd4tCMNZ4hyGTZ_DxYN-jkhJjzXHs1wO-2buWRoPgW13HF-K-__-EKg6SOAbJQYfj_JKqFy6XX21HFTQEKjHeR1IT0se7lrKijQ-oNyvlDg9KAEPV2VCYNELDzU1wLrpYdyPlSaruY/w480-h640/IMG_9661.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNcJdrzo1vvEXWuriNUg39nZsd0EBJFQcv1EiCYgck5dxb6E_qL3B6XkzIzJTNQKSAkEE3rsFEltJlp9b5oEDicl38VSzgIURl5-45JOaOqUny2lJo5_qb_3m3mdBPCaK_zKRCkERXfwR2Ps0rfYnPQEc13GrNUXpQl2LyR-8PfR-YNvMZv02/s1500/IMG_9663.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNcJdrzo1vvEXWuriNUg39nZsd0EBJFQcv1EiCYgck5dxb6E_qL3B6XkzIzJTNQKSAkEE3rsFEltJlp9b5oEDicl38VSzgIURl5-45JOaOqUny2lJo5_qb_3m3mdBPCaK_zKRCkERXfwR2Ps0rfYnPQEc13GrNUXpQl2LyR-8PfR-YNvMZv02/w640-h480/IMG_9663.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuw_7hmyUvc-4r_xBw6oF_Fp04g1IC7REBEuLjqDj2FMPsiv14Byos0Dj8XMj5OQCf2VyjiklVkNc3_jt5jJy9Ik1uy6oajsH2o-yAlFwoXuhfc9nrlWRQx4Y7dxUmt3OaKWuWqNpuLCNV_Sw8Tp9pZHmP8-RXpj9uR9xbr-rJUFTwjb_1jM2T/s1500/IMG_9668.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuw_7hmyUvc-4r_xBw6oF_Fp04g1IC7REBEuLjqDj2FMPsiv14Byos0Dj8XMj5OQCf2VyjiklVkNc3_jt5jJy9Ik1uy6oajsH2o-yAlFwoXuhfc9nrlWRQx4Y7dxUmt3OaKWuWqNpuLCNV_Sw8Tp9pZHmP8-RXpj9uR9xbr-rJUFTwjb_1jM2T/w640-h480/IMG_9668.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWiQhR8Cb6ebtMjza1n71KpiY_4N5Tht-jc_kA2_FUi8OpEhdjjeTWvgXcXPcYUILUM1xHfPu-Aq0hoHCGvQtQ_CfFjQCXEOLcUTmyzy5bm-ulE5_0b4eweE4kFxnIGHY_jcuV2BWLi9mnjIM8s7d-wfUQpjbW5BIMUkxNCUhM-UoKeaQwmyhU/s1500/IMG_9669.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWiQhR8Cb6ebtMjza1n71KpiY_4N5Tht-jc_kA2_FUi8OpEhdjjeTWvgXcXPcYUILUM1xHfPu-Aq0hoHCGvQtQ_CfFjQCXEOLcUTmyzy5bm-ulE5_0b4eweE4kFxnIGHY_jcuV2BWLi9mnjIM8s7d-wfUQpjbW5BIMUkxNCUhM-UoKeaQwmyhU/w640-h480/IMG_9669.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7eEiTPHtQE3WnyOoO2E5bCCElQP_IjyFUe8mo0k736UbGSTUPiwNsO1J6rRi0jQMUCn6YkNVdg3uWgB6UockkRieGu1pu1-QdBzDerx_APSCJSv7PvH-XA1stGXg0V8pljuZYwn4vSUo_mFoO1qxMy8FI7ZofgX6t-uADkQ5qeNyB-grlFTP9/s1500/IMG_9670.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7eEiTPHtQE3WnyOoO2E5bCCElQP_IjyFUe8mo0k736UbGSTUPiwNsO1J6rRi0jQMUCn6YkNVdg3uWgB6UockkRieGu1pu1-QdBzDerx_APSCJSv7PvH-XA1stGXg0V8pljuZYwn4vSUo_mFoO1qxMy8FI7ZofgX6t-uADkQ5qeNyB-grlFTP9/w640-h480/IMG_9670.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNiqCHnd8UuRvUBc0VQ0NDdf1kIAEYfmesJwOmek4azis6iKmLxMP2K86KxGfee8I_KBU4SLX4RsS4s0LvC6TLX2UPkJHm5g_zAKyMy3ytHX7eRuPSEthzHHcl0u9gbvV-ew12V46H7O1-4JlrPScqUPrMq33TfVPRt1IdB9PZR5M_biJnFzj/s1500/IMG_9671.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNiqCHnd8UuRvUBc0VQ0NDdf1kIAEYfmesJwOmek4azis6iKmLxMP2K86KxGfee8I_KBU4SLX4RsS4s0LvC6TLX2UPkJHm5g_zAKyMy3ytHX7eRuPSEthzHHcl0u9gbvV-ew12V46H7O1-4JlrPScqUPrMq33TfVPRt1IdB9PZR5M_biJnFzj/w640-h480/IMG_9671.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we were not sure why this old car was here</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJj9jdfXuLEMTUXMoNpxsziCVvPdmlXCQh7Uk_vsxdwhlE3piXpRScbJ3bZ8_tmozc0fSOLSICutkWWCKIXf2Ue20CR9gh9WdBtpx-hEbgECe59vXqsDK9p-nx1W8bV9a7nBBAXjEAnUkznYY_4Zt_75EmmYO6_9iH-oIZLnuBjUij4axbjcb/s1500/IMG_9673.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJj9jdfXuLEMTUXMoNpxsziCVvPdmlXCQh7Uk_vsxdwhlE3piXpRScbJ3bZ8_tmozc0fSOLSICutkWWCKIXf2Ue20CR9gh9WdBtpx-hEbgECe59vXqsDK9p-nx1W8bV9a7nBBAXjEAnUkznYY_4Zt_75EmmYO6_9iH-oIZLnuBjUij4axbjcb/w640-h480/IMG_9673.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSwznqCh4gXovojMkU3PDCeU784oh3wwD-Xzmx0F2kFXKQA1N0-udr02wQc1gwBYSOZI9kcXd4ME9NqJjJogE9-sKXEt_wDRiZKhm3lR1HKlo4PXzDrUs512KAESRelrmc2c2VJHjo0paHuO2sq8DfknRJI7QYiWGWv58T88dSDF67V4qrYw39/s1500/IMG_9675.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSwznqCh4gXovojMkU3PDCeU784oh3wwD-Xzmx0F2kFXKQA1N0-udr02wQc1gwBYSOZI9kcXd4ME9NqJjJogE9-sKXEt_wDRiZKhm3lR1HKlo4PXzDrUs512KAESRelrmc2c2VJHjo0paHuO2sq8DfknRJI7QYiWGWv58T88dSDF67V4qrYw39/w640-h480/IMG_9675.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQUj44vhdxdrby5_xncHKsRdN4WrQFtYyqKLTFZSAVEXAwQ5CgMfy26hZjQsoisVR9c2lm5fYr0eIH937whuVt0sVZe01GAl8NAEocqRJwOcs01cJx60SuV3wu_zXYAwautnb9qR38a6peSbOqDuIr9f658t16wtmH_Os-zKZz3fSc-JojSEox/s1500/IMG_9676.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQUj44vhdxdrby5_xncHKsRdN4WrQFtYyqKLTFZSAVEXAwQ5CgMfy26hZjQsoisVR9c2lm5fYr0eIH937whuVt0sVZe01GAl8NAEocqRJwOcs01cJx60SuV3wu_zXYAwautnb9qR38a6peSbOqDuIr9f658t16wtmH_Os-zKZz3fSc-JojSEox/w640-h480/IMG_9676.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxXuExyhv2xmufeUtnHDA1u2uCZ_ua3YPFJwqswdS3DQfIambBLDJOwCRIum1HQvtRAAL3ZJj7109UMTKfFP6VBwk26QE7HQ9o0aX6GJUp3ZoGGZU703uPXIjnvAy0_gsr-V6Ai5owq5gcsh689QAfjjiY254p2NXwJtx6zTcK7rT1Vvac8WF/s1500/IMG_9679.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxXuExyhv2xmufeUtnHDA1u2uCZ_ua3YPFJwqswdS3DQfIambBLDJOwCRIum1HQvtRAAL3ZJj7109UMTKfFP6VBwk26QE7HQ9o0aX6GJUp3ZoGGZU703uPXIjnvAy0_gsr-V6Ai5owq5gcsh689QAfjjiY254p2NXwJtx6zTcK7rT1Vvac8WF/w640-h480/IMG_9679.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the seriously long train trestle and dam</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHo49jCZn8hEUkIuAzwf2ZGdQDjAJtvvfrRrS-_7i_uijPcVpxHVFfXeBxcKBdyiew5qwNN2AOhVtxp4hRgu0KugleSMdMPculq4qv1SioFTK0wNqvGe6Xex5lORaMNvtXqWipM5Z1Sxnwb2FmOI1F89hwwjW-RYYZFhooxLXXTNkd-u7IPR1G/s1500/IMG_9681.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHo49jCZn8hEUkIuAzwf2ZGdQDjAJtvvfrRrS-_7i_uijPcVpxHVFfXeBxcKBdyiew5qwNN2AOhVtxp4hRgu0KugleSMdMPculq4qv1SioFTK0wNqvGe6Xex5lORaMNvtXqWipM5Z1Sxnwb2FmOI1F89hwwjW-RYYZFhooxLXXTNkd-u7IPR1G/w640-h480/IMG_9681.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">campers</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnk-2ptH_9ieM3VlwV_jeIl0Y2tF4bVXfozC7_HK0mklA__VWfztPcTYDWsDTW84Mv2dUrk5z90s9_N0h9BTnFPPsgdsIaLi_YRzJT1tYGt4gVpIYod8_pxTLdqmpnLJimyn7ZkPYOWcxyqsTZUCQRBgw3HcxqR5ZBXo3_94vQEYLGastnpya0/s1500/IMG_9682.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnk-2ptH_9ieM3VlwV_jeIl0Y2tF4bVXfozC7_HK0mklA__VWfztPcTYDWsDTW84Mv2dUrk5z90s9_N0h9BTnFPPsgdsIaLi_YRzJT1tYGt4gVpIYod8_pxTLdqmpnLJimyn7ZkPYOWcxyqsTZUCQRBgw3HcxqR5ZBXo3_94vQEYLGastnpya0/w640-h480/IMG_9682.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Pb_jdeZB7p5-bxHX9a6SqHnc175h8k76KINmP4ifDFI3AQO_h_viBR3t7dasss3OX65Fst_TD5YtO5u-CxJmwzaeZ5neDSSvymq1O6syBEAjIicQswwCFTmfA1oDrIFxKJtSfE8Z8mqLzXKHtURTThud8ykT1TjMJ8uOukt7-aeyi7i7CQFp/s1500/IMG_9684.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Pb_jdeZB7p5-bxHX9a6SqHnc175h8k76KINmP4ifDFI3AQO_h_viBR3t7dasss3OX65Fst_TD5YtO5u-CxJmwzaeZ5neDSSvymq1O6syBEAjIicQswwCFTmfA1oDrIFxKJtSfE8Z8mqLzXKHtURTThud8ykT1TjMJ8uOukt7-aeyi7i7CQFp/w640-h480/IMG_9684.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmohZJnCoDiX84sWzmYKlGAyAlr0oh-gSsEiJZFksrY8yWcYmking1y__Gc8QmWDaJR7oIUyeaegoQ8_1lXmc-3AwwC7c1-_bE1C_23xkQfm9X6iLwwb25SlWc642fUQp61jbqg8bJdrQuy0CGRDNmuvjfsCYiTN5W85lkBTyX-LZu8NhMSQb_/s1500/IMG_9685.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmohZJnCoDiX84sWzmYKlGAyAlr0oh-gSsEiJZFksrY8yWcYmking1y__Gc8QmWDaJR7oIUyeaegoQ8_1lXmc-3AwwC7c1-_bE1C_23xkQfm9X6iLwwb25SlWc642fUQp61jbqg8bJdrQuy0CGRDNmuvjfsCYiTN5W85lkBTyX-LZu8NhMSQb_/w640-h480/IMG_9685.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3j5QoebutDqkh0z0dLLufkaeR-fsfiOaz3DFMV5-sg85eEsvVzLmi2OzRS6FwlbbYMikIPo2wdwg6pycQ9V8tWESvNPB57B53LKHuwRNiIRrN9CTuSCzMiNLLK_Uv4VSv1420a_UZsBPjyu1LSCZ--FelZ25fOrxFX8B9ormLE_gJLzEXIwB8/s1500/IMG_9687.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3j5QoebutDqkh0z0dLLufkaeR-fsfiOaz3DFMV5-sg85eEsvVzLmi2OzRS6FwlbbYMikIPo2wdwg6pycQ9V8tWESvNPB57B53LKHuwRNiIRrN9CTuSCzMiNLLK_Uv4VSv1420a_UZsBPjyu1LSCZ--FelZ25fOrxFX8B9ormLE_gJLzEXIwB8/w640-h480/IMG_9687.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-58575032951269821892023-08-02T01:00:00.003-04:002023-08-02T09:47:44.055-04:00Happy Birthday Susie Nell!!<div>Susie's brother held her at the beginning of her life and she held him at the end of his. . . Her big brother Bill (William J) and Susan sometime in late 1952 or early 1953.</div><div><div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUuRdqsmG9Bdzkmw_K7ErnTh8b7mMDjPySviFaJuCDOCmNSJPOVj2B89iLixj8ddUeE9rR_KBGw7MqQeCIzhw7BdKMrpSiUh3WyerTQlZBAzTa-kciD_Ey_U4H295oP5jXgJrjroPOkFO-1VM_LjRYt3B5VHi2JaVPho-9u0X86j9t4h-LH6m/s1824/1952_3mos_susan_billy23mos02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1572" data-original-width="1824" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUuRdqsmG9Bdzkmw_K7ErnTh8b7mMDjPySviFaJuCDOCmNSJPOVj2B89iLixj8ddUeE9rR_KBGw7MqQeCIzhw7BdKMrpSiUh3WyerTQlZBAzTa-kciD_Ey_U4H295oP5jXgJrjroPOkFO-1VM_LjRYt3B5VHi2JaVPho-9u0X86j9t4h-LH6m/w640-h552/1952_3mos_susan_billy23mos02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p></div></div>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-35027019807604764092023-07-30T14:58:00.001-04:002023-07-30T14:58:38.654-04:00We've gone electric<p>Aside from the outrageous cost involved, buying a car is no big deal. But for us buying an electric car is a big deal, one that will certainly change how we travel.</p><p>Ever since we could drive it has been the gasoline-powered engine that has driven us where we wanted to go and gas stations were frequently a place of refuge from the weather if not a place of comfort knowing that having found one you would not run out of gas or a bathroom.</p><p>Electricity has changed all that. </p><p>We now fuel our car regularly right from our garage -- and while the local power company has given us a generous incentive to go electric it remains to be seen whether we will indeed save money in the long run. </p><p>We are faced with a genuinely challenging paradigm shift in our traveling lifestyle: planning and researching is now mandatory for the simplest of trips if you want to go long distance. . . But that also makes it rather exciting. And knowing that we are not emitting more garbage into the air is a good feeling, a fleeting one perhaps, but right now good nonetheless.</p><p>You can find out more about our ongoing experience with the VW ID.4 <a href="https://myvwid4.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">right here</a>. Or click on the link in the right sidebar.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIcXemdqUiU48JGc435kw5pjLjVhrXBt9ehQaliEiJMSQuHpYUiLQ3OkvCgE0sUD3MBS2aEsWmH4bHh3IsgTxUuTjiXWMLBZaIFSpS_EG8zZU5SVG1ZlpbJKJBv-4EqbOiDVYABOQSJN48xq0veIe73lXNCO6g2H5w_YSqHkgKBpupaOgSftI/s4032/IMG_9579.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIcXemdqUiU48JGc435kw5pjLjVhrXBt9ehQaliEiJMSQuHpYUiLQ3OkvCgE0sUD3MBS2aEsWmH4bHh3IsgTxUuTjiXWMLBZaIFSpS_EG8zZU5SVG1ZlpbJKJBv-4EqbOiDVYABOQSJN48xq0veIe73lXNCO6g2H5w_YSqHkgKBpupaOgSftI/w640-h480/IMG_9579.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-11123161178445851432023-06-05T20:38:00.000-04:002023-06-05T20:38:05.958-04:00Nova Scotia to Maine<p>Cold and rainy (again) this Monday morning. We met up with Richard and Pauline in the hotel restaurant and said our good-byes; they had an airport shuttle to catch and we had many more miles to go on our way home to Michigan. We'll miss Pauline's quick wit and gentle sense of humor and Richard's canny ability to put the world in its proper context. Good friends are hard to come by these days and good traveling companions even more so. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFC6jMo4_m83A0lSyd9hxXXyjtRQKRhEhSB7tSqOon6bVyfklfAhj3qFkq3VDkgsDQshWRWsFu5PdmkcevVxi3FgWszt0aKi3iecuGh4KpzYwGzO5Xpg7YwqQCc25Nxlqw4vN_CPp_s5YP8dJCEsQYQw0-bBMAtsXY73GlDPdHaIYqmI613w/s4032/IMG_9531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFC6jMo4_m83A0lSyd9hxXXyjtRQKRhEhSB7tSqOon6bVyfklfAhj3qFkq3VDkgsDQshWRWsFu5PdmkcevVxi3FgWszt0aKi3iecuGh4KpzYwGzO5Xpg7YwqQCc25Nxlqw4vN_CPp_s5YP8dJCEsQYQw0-bBMAtsXY73GlDPdHaIYqmI613w/w640-h480/IMG_9531.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>We were on the road by a little before 10am heading north to Moncton, New Brunswick where we switched to Rte 1 west to Saint John and on to the US border at Calais, Maine. The 4-lane roads were excellent and traffic was light -- indeed there were times we were the only car on the road -- but the persistent rain along with several quick stops slowed us by perhaps a half hour or so. </p><p>Once across the border the road dropped to 2 lanes but we still sped along to Bangor, arriving at our hotel about 4pm (local time, 5pm Nova Scotia time). Susie texted her sister Joyce and we planned to meet for dinner at Mason's Brewery just across the Penobscot River in Brewer, ME. (We had probably come very near to the place on our way into greater Bangor.)</p><p>Susie and I arrived a bit early and grabbed a table, Joyce and Avery arriving a few minutes later. The meal was very good -- starters of crispy cauliflower and crunchy Brussel sprouts followed by a round of sandwiches and a salad for Susie. The conversation was warm and afterwards we drove to their house to pick up a few items we left there a week ago. It's hard to imagine it has only been a week and we have seen so many new and wonderful things; but then travel should be that way, don't you think?</p><p>Tomorrow will take us along very familiar territory: south on I-95 to I-495 to I-290 and to I-90 and the Mass Pike, ending in Albany for the night. Then it will be a long day's drive straight through to Grand Rapids.</p>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-56184104326451990142023-06-04T20:00:00.012-04:002023-06-05T20:15:17.890-04:00 The long way home<p>After some 2,300 miles we began our long return back to Michigan. Sunday morning was cold with a promise of rain (a promised not kept fortunately). After breakfast and tidying up we packed the car; fortunately Pauline had taken a photo of our success in packing the cargo space when we left Halifax so we spent little time fussing with the bags. </p><p>But before leaving Baddeck, we had one final stop to make: the Alexander Graham Bell national historic site. </p><p>While his home and family cemetery is located north of town and is not accessible to the public -- the family still owns it -- the exhibition halls showing his work in helping the deaf to speak as well as his work in early aviation among numerous other inventions, made this a most illuminating and worthwhile stop.</p><p>Once we left Baddeck we returned to the 105 and drove south to the Canso Causeway and off Cape Breton Island onto Rte 104 in the direction of Truro. </p><p>It wasn't long before we found ourselves back in Antigonish, where we stopped for lunch at Justamere, right off the highway (and I had a scrumptious fish burger). An hour later we were back on the highway and soon afterwards switched to the 102 south to Halifax arriving at the Halifax airport about 4:30pm. </p><p>That evening the four of us ensconced ourselves into easy chairs in the lobby and sipped wine chatting away the time until we walked across the hall for dinner (which was quite good).</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOAQL3AVkE3_a0og5zWuRQnRssNExrZPAS2hwy9Wglm8hG1PpAbyRvQyxtbdRqNZrZKewEz3wAelZLCdZoxEcTT0s0xP_jt2Yo0laV6SIuLMpaS2LjijGsWutE4WeZJupfn0cZOfYJMh3TH69XJKYqkxg7Y89SWDRzs_42LY74zFc8az7SA/s1500/IMG_9525.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOAQL3AVkE3_a0og5zWuRQnRssNExrZPAS2hwy9Wglm8hG1PpAbyRvQyxtbdRqNZrZKewEz3wAelZLCdZoxEcTT0s0xP_jt2Yo0laV6SIuLMpaS2LjijGsWutE4WeZJupfn0cZOfYJMh3TH69XJKYqkxg7Y89SWDRzs_42LY74zFc8az7SA/w640-h480/IMG_9525.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">backside of the entrance to the exhibition halls</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvqo5FsxKwhfMsBfLF0W8ZZJE4_NQwXcfxdiBmxCDeSfJuPqnE6ha62lNXNciVurzykvBeYVMs3ow-tEOvyOWX9GSeLvFZDk8kxFx1Klcd9IveHVg46m2nS4jHighZ4XA7iwrfhqHxGBk8uDard1GP0EMVUf7B-nmM5-66bkV9nQq3-T-Nw/s1500/IMG_9526.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvqo5FsxKwhfMsBfLF0W8ZZJE4_NQwXcfxdiBmxCDeSfJuPqnE6ha62lNXNciVurzykvBeYVMs3ow-tEOvyOWX9GSeLvFZDk8kxFx1Klcd9IveHVg46m2nS4jHighZ4XA7iwrfhqHxGBk8uDard1GP0EMVUf7B-nmM5-66bkV9nQq3-T-Nw/w640-h480/IMG_9526.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">beginning of the exhibition</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWl4TggClTwp48frJcg_yGcSXXeQxMOtKNFOP9PfVROg-eGiuEGdiWyX-2YC7AkGBGdi6iOs_OQxvssskVRckWEN3c6sPsMx1G33jEFKzgpkfxHa_9tt2qQzdVznV5zcb2R1R2hEKb0pHDKDzLT5TRrCSmhcUoolWVwBlbiVB7FVRaAulAOg/s1500/IMG_9528.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWl4TggClTwp48frJcg_yGcSXXeQxMOtKNFOP9PfVROg-eGiuEGdiWyX-2YC7AkGBGdi6iOs_OQxvssskVRckWEN3c6sPsMx1G33jEFKzgpkfxHa_9tt2qQzdVznV5zcb2R1R2hEKb0pHDKDzLT5TRrCSmhcUoolWVwBlbiVB7FVRaAulAOg/w640-h480/IMG_9528.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">comfortable couches were everywhere </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRUOl0sqr2l1Xd-Z9g-0fUu5-G14FAABAf8WQxTly8YuoYN9upZ7teXRBtiDuxHNWMajpTh9Tgp4sWC6tdfnLgUI2eB0Za_ze0CjQa8HPM2AUGpLcMQFPyHTx8wYpI5AiF9t_0h0LAgrIecGRm9UK8J8j-NJXERjHu5TDuP8jPdAhKQf9Kw/s1500/IMG_9529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRUOl0sqr2l1Xd-Z9g-0fUu5-G14FAABAf8WQxTly8YuoYN9upZ7teXRBtiDuxHNWMajpTh9Tgp4sWC6tdfnLgUI2eB0Za_ze0CjQa8HPM2AUGpLcMQFPyHTx8wYpI5AiF9t_0h0LAgrIecGRm9UK8J8j-NJXERjHu5TDuP8jPdAhKQf9Kw/w640-h480/IMG_9529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">my lovely fish burger</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-6217618595716080622023-06-03T20:00:00.250-04:002023-06-04T08:03:57.943-04:00Fortress Louisbourg on a rainy day<p>The rain began last evening while we were at dinner and continued on and off through much of the night. It was predicted to be our constant friend throughout today Sunday with the addition of a temperature. And add to the precipitation the temperature fell some 30 degrees (F) since yesterday!</p><p>Not to be deterred by such nuisances, after a leisurely breakfast we packed ourselves into the car and headed off to Fortress Louisbourg, on the far eastern shore of Cape Breton. </p><p>The drive took us across another (free) car ferry at Little Narrows and through the Ekasoni First Nation Mi'kmaq community located along the East Bay of Bras d'Or Lake. </p><p>The rain continued as we made our way back in the vicinity of Sydney where we turned southeast on Rte 22 to Louisbourg and the 18th fortress, one of Canada's National Historic Site.</p><p>As we drove along the singular main street of the modern town of Louisbourg the four of us were struck by how utterly deserted it seemed -- businesses closed or indeed out of business. . . But on the far side of town we came across a bustling cafe, the North Star, and pulled into the parking lot for lunch.</p><p>Once inside we could smell the food and hear the banter of guests, some of them locals apparently. The food was very good and it turned out to be just the respite we needed from the rain, the cold, and the roadway.</p><p>It turned out this cafe was a "training" ground so to speak for their very large restaurant which was located directly behind the cafe and close to their lovely hotel overlooking the bay. We asked one of the owners what he did during the winer -- they were just getting ready to open their entire operation for this season -- and he replied that he goes to Grand Cayman and then home to Glasgow!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbFqoKNUZkVvBWPaghOYYV-jM1ps7KWSJDhop-vkBnJJ8hVpx08NCXzBbShGW3QQKaZRwrEveNyYSTn-TAoT9-0BrvCU0PuDuftcZtrhP0t_uy_kDC4YIsF0mhp4tGltNpcEjuuRepIDEFdZYmZAfascJ8MTvqyMv8PWQJP4S3WXJOHZI1jg/s1500/IMG_9489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbFqoKNUZkVvBWPaghOYYV-jM1ps7KWSJDhop-vkBnJJ8hVpx08NCXzBbShGW3QQKaZRwrEveNyYSTn-TAoT9-0BrvCU0PuDuftcZtrhP0t_uy_kDC4YIsF0mhp4tGltNpcEjuuRepIDEFdZYmZAfascJ8MTvqyMv8PWQJP4S3WXJOHZI1jg/w640-h480/IMG_9489.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ferry at Little Narrows</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VFntGre8wELfExhJl2YR8UGZcdCdA0JDH9LVZToqH660-hgtBchN3Ht4Bt8uDEsnVQSENqil6eovJySzKQWKZug7iGECj-4Zw99eB4_g1z5l9ROGyD2PemJHJlwm0Bzjh5v6d_hz0ioh2McIbeCrHs9vhvdehuL1n-RtB425NqY2xcUS0Q/s1500/IMG_9491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VFntGre8wELfExhJl2YR8UGZcdCdA0JDH9LVZToqH660-hgtBchN3Ht4Bt8uDEsnVQSENqil6eovJySzKQWKZug7iGECj-4Zw99eB4_g1z5l9ROGyD2PemJHJlwm0Bzjh5v6d_hz0ioh2McIbeCrHs9vhvdehuL1n-RtB425NqY2xcUS0Q/w640-h480/IMG_9491.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>From the North Star it was a 5-minute drive to the fortress. Located on a large spit of open land, this is one of Canada's premier historic sites. The reproduction 18th century fortified village provides a glimpse into the life of what life was like during the wars between France and England. <div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately, many of the interpretive parts of the village were closed (shoulder season don't you know), there were no signs describing the buildings anywhere and no maps were provided -- in fact we were instructed to use our phones to take a picture of the one map at the information center! But they were still happy to take our money to wander the grounds anyway. </div><div><br /></div><div>Plus it was damn cold and the wind coming in off the Atlantic would bite right through you jacket.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibr7JF4qlQcAyBKFFpO_e2AEAFdNSfK_aRvr2DZi8k6LIh6JrmLpX0tUy0XsMxmg0FWcVVAVut12JVvnkAJEnMA9Quq61hwh4EmyUydB9aK8pNNCl88y9vs6gu8cZgCODKSGD6bqSkzSsLLbct7g6SQDNNWQnwCyNou43QHwuSarBdBaBX5w/s1500/IMG_9494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibr7JF4qlQcAyBKFFpO_e2AEAFdNSfK_aRvr2DZi8k6LIh6JrmLpX0tUy0XsMxmg0FWcVVAVut12JVvnkAJEnMA9Quq61hwh4EmyUydB9aK8pNNCl88y9vs6gu8cZgCODKSGD6bqSkzSsLLbct7g6SQDNNWQnwCyNou43QHwuSarBdBaBX5w/w640-h480/IMG_9494.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVtFisoPOX2uTi-kDBBy9XMDHvFJBNu37PxmK0_l5WIlgtdfds7V0zFwU_MMCNrVTE1IpSnFShwx0uyGg7pmQZh6zRvuuhTMt6OFqdc320RfOVvxvNZGRDe9f6MEIPv7NN-0K0DBwByD65z3gU61rS0moPyhRXBIbhVNgLhAwu5gvAA9TmEA/s1500/IMG_9496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVtFisoPOX2uTi-kDBBy9XMDHvFJBNu37PxmK0_l5WIlgtdfds7V0zFwU_MMCNrVTE1IpSnFShwx0uyGg7pmQZh6zRvuuhTMt6OFqdc320RfOVvxvNZGRDe9f6MEIPv7NN-0K0DBwByD65z3gU61rS0moPyhRXBIbhVNgLhAwu5gvAA9TmEA/w640-h480/IMG_9496.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTc1dWSttXGJplwofOjYDi2fEcph1TySQo1qPD5vOB6YVX_r5qt48X5tUQFBoJYaArJNz0Bo9UQ03CSiAc2N55_Jf8YCnghTdjTbVpqRiUs04EhfWPkY2-SelJDqKwDsv0V0GskRwOxAjIqpgP_L-Wqd-upBeKDWKThFPpaHhaKymhvRHJA/s1500/IMG_9497.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTc1dWSttXGJplwofOjYDi2fEcph1TySQo1qPD5vOB6YVX_r5qt48X5tUQFBoJYaArJNz0Bo9UQ03CSiAc2N55_Jf8YCnghTdjTbVpqRiUs04EhfWPkY2-SelJDqKwDsv0V0GskRwOxAjIqpgP_L-Wqd-upBeKDWKThFPpaHhaKymhvRHJA/w640-h480/IMG_9497.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzbCXClD0cqpJKUzW3GnbJTGN-8f8GMKuUI6NGaWJLWsCfktAAAQGWcS8wn8zN26Jj5MT60q44yTBVJ7rskcI4c7AocqbORyUlaQYSSS0Bvv_y2JbTG0uljEZvGNKBLQwN2Gob3Zcmz1inUiAoV3_BYD-H9GmAJjPGyIavHgkhJ_BshqiYA/s1500/IMG_9500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzbCXClD0cqpJKUzW3GnbJTGN-8f8GMKuUI6NGaWJLWsCfktAAAQGWcS8wn8zN26Jj5MT60q44yTBVJ7rskcI4c7AocqbORyUlaQYSSS0Bvv_y2JbTG0uljEZvGNKBLQwN2Gob3Zcmz1inUiAoV3_BYD-H9GmAJjPGyIavHgkhJ_BshqiYA/w640-h480/IMG_9500.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllsUG2xkI1oH5IzjxxgXLWpgk4nqNEJV9U1VuVplxIbq2nryzrcHptjm1vP50IEPRtKLabBV5la7Y4Il5C7EU-cH02jCgq1RdFYrDgP-HPZrwZ1phJ2L_P3bOV0Nc5nE8waCcpIITLiJkjsZXLO9MM7a6U_u1eZSdoa0eBNto44Of7iGf8A/s1500/IMG_9501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllsUG2xkI1oH5IzjxxgXLWpgk4nqNEJV9U1VuVplxIbq2nryzrcHptjm1vP50IEPRtKLabBV5la7Y4Il5C7EU-cH02jCgq1RdFYrDgP-HPZrwZ1phJ2L_P3bOV0Nc5nE8waCcpIITLiJkjsZXLO9MM7a6U_u1eZSdoa0eBNto44Of7iGf8A/w640-h480/IMG_9501.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>While we were quite disappointed in the village, the King's Bastion or central fortress itself was impressive. Although the original structure and walls are long gone or at best in ruins, the reproduction was amazing. Here we came across several interpretive guides located in key parts of the structure who provided insight into 18th century life inside the fortress. The military chapel as well as the barracks and governor's apartments were fascinating.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcC4pqHXCcjcWgyBr6-EpguS4sip_64h7TNhrSlizze4_de0crIL_2L1-x4ofw8vLiyxBMeEEIhASAECOj4sSG3YUPqon0QL26LjnwD2qYGbvmQmslPc0zB1W-SgrQNjz9FnXlLlDimKwlnvENU6WT_LiqWbWfkoa_jW6ER2j1cpN4d5Rokg/s1500/IMG_9503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcC4pqHXCcjcWgyBr6-EpguS4sip_64h7TNhrSlizze4_de0crIL_2L1-x4ofw8vLiyxBMeEEIhASAECOj4sSG3YUPqon0QL26LjnwD2qYGbvmQmslPc0zB1W-SgrQNjz9FnXlLlDimKwlnvENU6WT_LiqWbWfkoa_jW6ER2j1cpN4d5Rokg/w640-h480/IMG_9503.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">entrance to the King's Bastion</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qHtGQ8oqEd4k2bNKFn38BH2FrjIvh07IihY8ErX_czsRZ23oFSPLC-G8UDm7LUjpnkP8I11o29017c4CLyQpau7q3noOzdC4KV4S8XO4TqCJQZDUnYvlJ2COQyIdVuOHCFvzsUNw9Coo2b7oL7QoRI2keTdBJNbF0rk6JR22Gv4Kaz5b8g/s1500/IMG_9505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qHtGQ8oqEd4k2bNKFn38BH2FrjIvh07IihY8ErX_czsRZ23oFSPLC-G8UDm7LUjpnkP8I11o29017c4CLyQpau7q3noOzdC4KV4S8XO4TqCJQZDUnYvlJ2COQyIdVuOHCFvzsUNw9Coo2b7oL7QoRI2keTdBJNbF0rk6JR22Gv4Kaz5b8g/w640-h480/IMG_9505.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">interpretive guide inside the military chapel</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIscQsc6cTzReGPiMU9qDDQauwTfcnbYsl6RJHLYH-MOBzpW-iA2ttBdKAnCd3U3KnrqyMZgSLCfU2mQwh8RzL6-DSyKluZpnmrkNSfPJWJiYpfTOo42EiH-iLziyzBrmGJ_vVoB9-hSprVUSmFmJWxmLsFxuk7lo6tNS7-qVzxbgmwahKEw/s1500/IMG_9509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIscQsc6cTzReGPiMU9qDDQauwTfcnbYsl6RJHLYH-MOBzpW-iA2ttBdKAnCd3U3KnrqyMZgSLCfU2mQwh8RzL6-DSyKluZpnmrkNSfPJWJiYpfTOo42EiH-iLziyzBrmGJ_vVoB9-hSprVUSmFmJWxmLsFxuk7lo6tNS7-qVzxbgmwahKEw/w640-h480/IMG_9509.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">interior grounds of the bastion</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiAuNcXrFsgXn4Z0f5ielSSIVcg4GjijCwPu6joAcvM6jCUXJ4i25Al_Kl50WmPmi6ocN-GNRsGm0glGdldRXGAjliFn8fJxWoY11missc0CdNU_xZwKZNFsAaohxRxvJzlCsK75PQ8qHB5eBVIJRJwLFkhbwkaqL5Je9SIk1kNo2SMWCkA/s1500/IMG_9510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiAuNcXrFsgXn4Z0f5ielSSIVcg4GjijCwPu6joAcvM6jCUXJ4i25Al_Kl50WmPmi6ocN-GNRsGm0glGdldRXGAjliFn8fJxWoY11missc0CdNU_xZwKZNFsAaohxRxvJzlCsK75PQ8qHB5eBVIJRJwLFkhbwkaqL5Je9SIk1kNo2SMWCkA/w640-h480/IMG_9510.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnic77qCagK2D9acr9c38H0bEwZuqZVR4wpOaezKh08ulhcjgQbr6Cu1Xiwzh4StDDOX7wRKaHEfUfstOk4z8ws-c4q77W76wEU0FgYNUO5yPd7Pda0aoxUqvK1EeFwCvmGIlkKwUaluf-0sbssPwIEs9wDHnKv3X6WpZ7i50r4p5w4LJ7OQ/s1500/IMG_9511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnic77qCagK2D9acr9c38H0bEwZuqZVR4wpOaezKh08ulhcjgQbr6Cu1Xiwzh4StDDOX7wRKaHEfUfstOk4z8ws-c4q77W76wEU0FgYNUO5yPd7Pda0aoxUqvK1EeFwCvmGIlkKwUaluf-0sbssPwIEs9wDHnKv3X6WpZ7i50r4p5w4LJ7OQ/w640-h480/IMG_9511.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Richard just happy to be here!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4kpSF-QtsleuiPV8XU0Zgnzva0EGZT8HEjnuKWaEzZiatuTOVuSn9pn08h4UR__mIsGYbpXrW7lGs-248EIcNqSw6s-rl7AcbqIvPkTZexHwov9vr6qawoyDqyb2ijRD8DRNeIa3Bau4NnWKalpVD8dIw-aJeC9EJPvck01jUC2I3Pd7daQ/s1500/IMG_9513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4kpSF-QtsleuiPV8XU0Zgnzva0EGZT8HEjnuKWaEzZiatuTOVuSn9pn08h4UR__mIsGYbpXrW7lGs-248EIcNqSw6s-rl7AcbqIvPkTZexHwov9vr6qawoyDqyb2ijRD8DRNeIa3Bau4NnWKalpVD8dIw-aJeC9EJPvck01jUC2I3Pd7daQ/w640-h480/IMG_9513.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">view of the grounds from the bastion walls</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQXiIQfRnp-t4FJh1l2cHI_dZpvawBEJIXdCm-ZQBZ1E6YK_mY5nmeds49Kjad8rxl-bDzFdZ2vDiSruv4L2BdebNVci4e4lCKuRpYj0eV9m7M-o00ikd4YPkrFxkGrHv3NaHv8QW7YCAbDW4i1XWau6On4dEkNf2j-NhadWU_6syxOl2bw/s1500/IMG_9514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQXiIQfRnp-t4FJh1l2cHI_dZpvawBEJIXdCm-ZQBZ1E6YK_mY5nmeds49Kjad8rxl-bDzFdZ2vDiSruv4L2BdebNVci4e4lCKuRpYj0eV9m7M-o00ikd4YPkrFxkGrHv3NaHv8QW7YCAbDW4i1XWau6On4dEkNf2j-NhadWU_6syxOl2bw/w640-h480/IMG_9514.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiF4_PSwtBqDtYxXXtvFAPOU_U3mlW8hPA_5o_vy_Fi5xzBS2nRaQuZ5FbNr_Q6zW-XrAWiEyU-x58VI6WslWlwSz5SAqjgR6LJ_c70UWtpWid6v5MWeMkZVZudWXXclWJ3aLml-eP8aHN0t5nfBnPH931yhkvjODorOIYtK-7oVjiKfCb2A/s1500/IMG_9520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiF4_PSwtBqDtYxXXtvFAPOU_U3mlW8hPA_5o_vy_Fi5xzBS2nRaQuZ5FbNr_Q6zW-XrAWiEyU-x58VI6WslWlwSz5SAqjgR6LJ_c70UWtpWid6v5MWeMkZVZudWXXclWJ3aLml-eP8aHN0t5nfBnPH931yhkvjODorOIYtK-7oVjiKfCb2A/w640-h480/IMG_9520.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Leaving the fortress we pushed homeward having achieved our goal for the day. </p><p>That evening we decided to have supper at McCurdy's in the nearby Silver Dart Inn. </p><p>(Silver Dart was the name of Alexander Graham Bell's airplane and J.A.D. McCurdy was the principal designer and pilot who flew the craft right off the frozen lake at Baddeck in 1909. A fascinating story, you can <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/silver-dart" target="_blank">read more here</a>.) </p><p>The food was very good and creative we thought and the view of the bay lovely even in the rain. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj447YubQtSg8yi0cYi7Hv19u2OrgEygAIXgQ3NSv9blL80txAwFaIcWu25ANhTTzkiE2-VfZE0nY36DFt48Q8spMECPPTO0MgMxfU9eL3EJUV083h7T9aLcnEyIquEeWtxU1ii_Sx6WUhfxArw4WMSHw_vk92WHSs0Pj7IFgJ2PCuy6a24rQ/s1500/IMG_9521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="877" data-original-width="1500" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj447YubQtSg8yi0cYi7Hv19u2OrgEygAIXgQ3NSv9blL80txAwFaIcWu25ANhTTzkiE2-VfZE0nY36DFt48Q8spMECPPTO0MgMxfU9eL3EJUV083h7T9aLcnEyIquEeWtxU1ii_Sx6WUhfxArw4WMSHw_vk92WHSs0Pj7IFgJ2PCuy6a24rQ/w640-h374/IMG_9521.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>The service, as has so often been the case on Cape Breton, was superb. </p><p>Our server, Emma, grew up in Baddeck and went to large one-building school right across the street overlooking the water. (She was one of 22 in her graduating class two years ago.) She is in her second year at St. Xavier University in Antigonish and was amazed when she heard we had stopped for lunch at the Tall and Small on our way north -- according to her it is the most popular coffee shop in town. </p><p>Tomorrow we begin our long return home, stopping first just north of Halifax near the airport where we will say goodbye to Richard and Pauline on Monday (they continue their trip to the far west of Canada). Susie and I will then drive to Bangor Monday night and on to Albany Tuesday night and finally home on Wednesday.</p></div>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-8292638985731270862023-06-02T20:00:00.002-04:002023-06-03T09:12:07.711-04:00The spectacular Cabot Trail followed by a dreary Sydney<p>Rain was promised for our first full day on Cape Breton and the sky was indeed overcast with hints of precipitation when we left Baddecck.</p><p>After a leisurely breakfast and setting down something resembling an itinerary for the day we packed ourselves into the car and drove north on Rte 105 out of town. Not far from Baddeck the Cabot Trail branched off to the left while the 105 continued on toward Sydney.</p><p>Once on the trail the road became that oh-so familiar meandering series of constant twists and turns but the upside was we pretty much had it all to ourselves. Mile after mile of birch tree stands occasionally broken by views of open water as we headed north to Ingonish where we would decide how to play out the rest of the day.</p><p>Every now and then the scenery would be accompanied by a sign, usually small and often hand-written, advertising an artist's studio or shop selling bric-a-brac. But the one that caught our eye was the Clucking Hen in North Shore claiming homemade pastries and a bathroom to boot! So naturally we stopped.</p><p>The view of the ocean and St. Anne's Bay was gorgeous and three of us sprung for the butter tarts which was proclaimed very good indeed.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPzgitPbLu3aRelHuid-UtrPuqayb3iJQX47ieZvUBBuPTkWmPaIBMuRZ2-TM6CHhinsN5zxlPi-CwL4qnznZVAMgOXQ4VuV1mx-r5229XMr77p3v7Ww-e4pRpq_S7vzLvQ4trXzte6_9ajWV_ZfzqVnIvPaG_3vZUDwMVr3wfEBUIR10Ytg/s1500/IMG_9460.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPzgitPbLu3aRelHuid-UtrPuqayb3iJQX47ieZvUBBuPTkWmPaIBMuRZ2-TM6CHhinsN5zxlPi-CwL4qnznZVAMgOXQ4VuV1mx-r5229XMr77p3v7Ww-e4pRpq_S7vzLvQ4trXzte6_9ajWV_ZfzqVnIvPaG_3vZUDwMVr3wfEBUIR10Ytg/w640-h480/IMG_9460.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo5Kf9pZd6quX472MntztaMTnMER4jJdwLfZZjf2L8Pyv5ECKcZG9FBCNSj6msJrMixSwm2NcvAabH5JxFcJVgsC_2Fk4-9ctDqcl38JkEF9WPb342UYIY6-If9s6ENqDNRnDTuEf-M0d1jgNn-Sfy1R_KHPbkwphv_-cJS-xtXQAxiByQRA/s1500/IMG_9462.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo5Kf9pZd6quX472MntztaMTnMER4jJdwLfZZjf2L8Pyv5ECKcZG9FBCNSj6msJrMixSwm2NcvAabH5JxFcJVgsC_2Fk4-9ctDqcl38JkEF9WPb342UYIY6-If9s6ENqDNRnDTuEf-M0d1jgNn-Sfy1R_KHPbkwphv_-cJS-xtXQAxiByQRA/w640-h480/IMG_9462.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHRZpJZBWpp2mg8FzuiKjJlZ24RjTHhajrJqqY4V2twWacBc_i0k7C7AmaAX8K5wOJOTs4nYlXRpR2ivKTjUd5_dat7ZAEJqc7PU2w7qhx3_3lpfBR3WTq_mDPh5GvxqIbE9YdpjVQxuud42_m1bk7nWrx6kpJmM-XX6xgDQsu2La9g3-1sw/s1500/IMG_9463.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHRZpJZBWpp2mg8FzuiKjJlZ24RjTHhajrJqqY4V2twWacBc_i0k7C7AmaAX8K5wOJOTs4nYlXRpR2ivKTjUd5_dat7ZAEJqc7PU2w7qhx3_3lpfBR3WTq_mDPh5GvxqIbE9YdpjVQxuud42_m1bk7nWrx6kpJmM-XX6xgDQsu2La9g3-1sw/w640-h480/IMG_9463.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEmEzG-NpRd7HuBMWHNZN7q6_J6ZS5XNamx_7BUka4vlPbPFQQgEPw4FyqB0vIypzg8fwK_PN2y2Fwp9BX3n5w2vYiN0TLvaURzAB7mVLKYNY_bqZl6dXDgBHTrThSnZNbsEenAczt-YGYIZKC136_Fd57PJU18siYXbIx-4MzNGBIUWldA/s1500/IMG_9464.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEmEzG-NpRd7HuBMWHNZN7q6_J6ZS5XNamx_7BUka4vlPbPFQQgEPw4FyqB0vIypzg8fwK_PN2y2Fwp9BX3n5w2vYiN0TLvaURzAB7mVLKYNY_bqZl6dXDgBHTrThSnZNbsEenAczt-YGYIZKC136_Fd57PJU18siYXbIx-4MzNGBIUWldA/w640-h480/IMG_9464.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp7Cdo9GMyu9YMuAQnsx4CDPhaQtbd-hjXF4ZzeKJtsI0fRc4f9VB08A9wbksKXMkD6irXgwxP-vo1hsG1jB--hN5wM8Oz62D9YsmQk_od1Kw7VfZtM80BODeUc1OkiEh-Y97_NmN48HGb6mZAFocpudA-1IaEO1VIFYGQG4yv3HTVRO2ijw/s1500/IMG_9469-crop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1139" data-original-width="1500" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp7Cdo9GMyu9YMuAQnsx4CDPhaQtbd-hjXF4ZzeKJtsI0fRc4f9VB08A9wbksKXMkD6irXgwxP-vo1hsG1jB--hN5wM8Oz62D9YsmQk_od1Kw7VfZtM80BODeUc1OkiEh-Y97_NmN48HGb6mZAFocpudA-1IaEO1VIFYGQG4yv3HTVRO2ijw/w640-h486/IMG_9469-crop.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0NswVZxxdl4MHd373RbNdDH66plSIAr9uTlz4_HEeqlNRXDiuDXFLKZmLfUg1eUcFLG9_aKveVn8ukyya6U2gVr3KTpma9GA_i1FLBF-4VTRbxDjKVRUQ_hIaI7Cioxh3gSmPvTKLsxoRe6HwBRyB6l2chQ3yGJ_A_GfNXty2BiI7eArGA/s1500/IMG_9469.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1178" data-original-width="1500" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0NswVZxxdl4MHd373RbNdDH66plSIAr9uTlz4_HEeqlNRXDiuDXFLKZmLfUg1eUcFLG9_aKveVn8ukyya6U2gVr3KTpma9GA_i1FLBF-4VTRbxDjKVRUQ_hIaI7Cioxh3gSmPvTKLsxoRe6HwBRyB6l2chQ3yGJ_A_GfNXty2BiI7eArGA/w640-h502/IMG_9469.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYq3G8aTJ-tkSjfUWEoayZLZHhiHKsSpeTADy9COAlDfxcdaLoHJ1GKO7VedBqCqXQ3InFiy36fXGI4SSOCJER6tLzch9e33pnB6Fvex0YfW0gILm0ac_eAVhxrsVseuVQAdLsv6KfKOEwBmoaa6sIZqPevLDoiLor_Il_2vQae9hxCwIuw/s1500/IMG_9470.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYq3G8aTJ-tkSjfUWEoayZLZHhiHKsSpeTADy9COAlDfxcdaLoHJ1GKO7VedBqCqXQ3InFiy36fXGI4SSOCJER6tLzch9e33pnB6Fvex0YfW0gILm0ac_eAVhxrsVseuVQAdLsv6KfKOEwBmoaa6sIZqPevLDoiLor_Il_2vQae9hxCwIuw/w640-h480/IMG_9470.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>After our brief but pleasant interlude we were back on the Trail to Ingonish. At one point the Trail climbed precipitously giving us a stunning southern views with several lobster boats checking traps:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gLXjLs4uC263siY_01s7z08SzBVFGpUTG26uK64uRbpkHsQiIkcpxednhMc52MuFPXybxf9vzzw7J6t42hx4t1DxsP2w3dNbbV7SHjmoFQC_mjJm_doKEP0N3KrScUMo9_YXoGf9ZwVGB63Gbgfkgz5k_kiO3Wp5A3YQ-Ej04HOW_7g_pw/s1500/P9630580.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gLXjLs4uC263siY_01s7z08SzBVFGpUTG26uK64uRbpkHsQiIkcpxednhMc52MuFPXybxf9vzzw7J6t42hx4t1DxsP2w3dNbbV7SHjmoFQC_mjJm_doKEP0N3KrScUMo9_YXoGf9ZwVGB63Gbgfkgz5k_kiO3Wp5A3YQ-Ej04HOW_7g_pw/w640-h480/P9630580.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSI8h3eBplC99y-KmnS6HIgc41v1zPfwcSyxaPF-vYBqKE-ekdV21-YlrcZja8yjR_-r6Da6mVDkaebphsMWg5j4oExGCZSWj1n41b-MewB8lIY4XVviFRyMm3hCh0apXu9dMHbvs9jY6iiWNZnk4f-pLy3yrCY7kmv5G9T89OI_0uqyK3kA/s1500/P9630583.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSI8h3eBplC99y-KmnS6HIgc41v1zPfwcSyxaPF-vYBqKE-ekdV21-YlrcZja8yjR_-r6Da6mVDkaebphsMWg5j4oExGCZSWj1n41b-MewB8lIY4XVviFRyMm3hCh0apXu9dMHbvs9jY6iiWNZnk4f-pLy3yrCY7kmv5G9T89OI_0uqyK3kA/w640-h480/P9630583.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>We stopped at the Cape Breton Highlands National Park center -- a small part of the park is located here --and decided we would probably <i>not</i> push farther north. It was about time for lunch and there few dining options or stops along the Cabot Trail on this side of the island so we opted to find somewhere in Ingonish. </p><p>Returning to our generally reliable Moon Guidebook of the Atlantic Maritimes, one recommendation was the Arduaine nestled among the buildings of the Keltic Lodge all located on a small peninsula. We made our way there and found ourselves inside a rather cavernous room overlooking the North Bay Ingonish Bay. As it turned out we were the only ones there (for lunch at any rate). Just another example of our being on Cape Breton right at the beginning of the tourists season.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVm56pqNzS46_ngFPu0A9ZptWCUeDD4JNd8dEsZDJ84eWjhTE64hB1IlqNZTppdyQPiS_CYasvjx7_QB-eTF_FUiDL3Y9BpgId2awkmSEM3MHmg77fGxcF846Wr35CbHtqjL9kZmmfax4q9BaCn3ZfxKg0x3cpf5eamYmdM5F_skPxIMjI2w/s1500/IMG_9472.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVm56pqNzS46_ngFPu0A9ZptWCUeDD4JNd8dEsZDJ84eWjhTE64hB1IlqNZTppdyQPiS_CYasvjx7_QB-eTF_FUiDL3Y9BpgId2awkmSEM3MHmg77fGxcF846Wr35CbHtqjL9kZmmfax4q9BaCn3ZfxKg0x3cpf5eamYmdM5F_skPxIMjI2w/w640-h480/IMG_9472.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4k3wQYOJmokHLAOpsX6IORnqd5NprDzuMn4vr9tqiYYPoR2TNod3yeR0vaG8gVQXfFZEhn5KSnXHKRnkzwe2Nhe34MwZq_JDJ9BSeOkMtWMkLDEBBBfdNjh9D5dOfQpdSkunCMhKTErWVqhyLRwEroWrn16lz_FV-im7NQAqoleCn21zbCg/s1500/IMG_9476.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4k3wQYOJmokHLAOpsX6IORnqd5NprDzuMn4vr9tqiYYPoR2TNod3yeR0vaG8gVQXfFZEhn5KSnXHKRnkzwe2Nhe34MwZq_JDJ9BSeOkMtWMkLDEBBBfdNjh9D5dOfQpdSkunCMhKTErWVqhyLRwEroWrn16lz_FV-im7NQAqoleCn21zbCg/w640-h480/IMG_9476.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUMqbDcuwlOGkGFsT0SE8pqC_YYpkHcCoi5hhiRdC4SFFxCjOFiRu3kMUtGZ2IpLF-lbWmo95AQ7ocSU69gWGPO4Ji7dDjVopKQynAnSzn5qOXnvV9KGZjsUTHP9pLbze7h2UhtBnKcquNvYRRek21klyeD2kXiOVVQi2FhSWM4xgqMmE6g/s1500/IMG_9479.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUMqbDcuwlOGkGFsT0SE8pqC_YYpkHcCoi5hhiRdC4SFFxCjOFiRu3kMUtGZ2IpLF-lbWmo95AQ7ocSU69gWGPO4Ji7dDjVopKQynAnSzn5qOXnvV9KGZjsUTHP9pLbze7h2UhtBnKcquNvYRRek21klyeD2kXiOVVQi2FhSWM4xgqMmE6g/w640-h480/IMG_9479.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgajs8IYHHeJ3727qxPYvxhDzSWf2fvVfuJUXbbADnWZXxscia2IsXc7xYn_8MmIvKv7TZ_tIj-96KHp4WRs4Akv5UXiWVqX-BmEwCBEqlAg3F0EudBqiX7nwZJ4iE2JcZJTQsFtK7xKs9Hqyfq68YVOf4Aw6s3LrQ-lRY2H2iyiMrmrXA6zA/s1500/IMG_9480.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgajs8IYHHeJ3727qxPYvxhDzSWf2fvVfuJUXbbADnWZXxscia2IsXc7xYn_8MmIvKv7TZ_tIj-96KHp4WRs4Akv5UXiWVqX-BmEwCBEqlAg3F0EudBqiX7nwZJ4iE2JcZJTQsFtK7xKs9Hqyfq68YVOf4Aw6s3LrQ-lRY2H2iyiMrmrXA6zA/w640-h480/IMG_9480.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>But the food was good and the server, clearly new at his job but certainly trying his best, getting much-needed experience without any serious mistakes.</p><p>From Ingonish we retraced our steps but got off the Trail on Rte 312 and took the Englishtown Ferry and back on to the 105. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsbM4x6auK60KJ8E5zpIDk2OW3or9Ixpy1sSeRdS3t4IeoN87d-pUxx0X7eetlFY_ZtzvZz2N1QqUg5-a3yCx-UtqJpCn9swqRFx_72cZWt6bhhKi2nijCVVpGYIFbmvDCFejzbKPuemdVeFxD_wtljy9qRXNkPGwM5kglt1TJSDb4a5XVg/s1500/IMG_9482.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsbM4x6auK60KJ8E5zpIDk2OW3or9Ixpy1sSeRdS3t4IeoN87d-pUxx0X7eetlFY_ZtzvZz2N1QqUg5-a3yCx-UtqJpCn9swqRFx_72cZWt6bhhKi2nijCVVpGYIFbmvDCFejzbKPuemdVeFxD_wtljy9qRXNkPGwM5kglt1TJSDb4a5XVg/w640-h480/IMG_9482.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">waiting for the ferry</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweF0xtACX7Vzjy3QBWwBBjyozEe9PsAAbGTF_ZEGasZA3oYmcJOrvAR3kvGwW9McJwXn4tQwZe7bf7sRG82FrKrdZMTtXVEHkPxY7rZEWCCnV9JKnBcH50MZIbqAB_oUQNz2DKY3_3RIpP9htI3Zq52yVYvUUQLojwwnXM3CetwZB1UXDLw/s1500/IMG_9481.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweF0xtACX7Vzjy3QBWwBBjyozEe9PsAAbGTF_ZEGasZA3oYmcJOrvAR3kvGwW9McJwXn4tQwZe7bf7sRG82FrKrdZMTtXVEHkPxY7rZEWCCnV9JKnBcH50MZIbqAB_oUQNz2DKY3_3RIpP9htI3Zq52yVYvUUQLojwwnXM3CetwZB1UXDLw/w640-h480/IMG_9481.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">looking back down the causeway</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3S9ytT3lfY7NyLP01f6opX67dX3CiCSqYSNB_kOfLiWt3zOXLeuWqo-oWx80WyqY2YXZVLXWZJGlZtXUfO7DXljuk_2BNruT_HX_A3Oju89x2H0C7DwP47ZRinKHI_i1Ruytfbs_GlnMYYcrnU53EYHO5FBfq04W47_yDcurlb7yEmdP2ww/s1500/IMG_9485.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3S9ytT3lfY7NyLP01f6opX67dX3CiCSqYSNB_kOfLiWt3zOXLeuWqo-oWx80WyqY2YXZVLXWZJGlZtXUfO7DXljuk_2BNruT_HX_A3Oju89x2H0C7DwP47ZRinKHI_i1Ruytfbs_GlnMYYcrnU53EYHO5FBfq04W47_yDcurlb7yEmdP2ww/w640-h480/IMG_9485.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDPkLOsDDTgNaSjvXl2p7HXK6YQy1qpssqlnTcW7R-miM18LP1KUn0fMIyOs7adDfamfHG6bPjzwPD-migdKs5QQe_fVYdo0l5tXjb_tc4O2swEoCD5t5JjTrKRI9y8VGQs702qIyIZ17AnldfqtW72DXWiNlhRcMeYO1IkRiwgK81MkgPVA/s1500/IMG_9484.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDPkLOsDDTgNaSjvXl2p7HXK6YQy1qpssqlnTcW7R-miM18LP1KUn0fMIyOs7adDfamfHG6bPjzwPD-migdKs5QQe_fVYdo0l5tXjb_tc4O2swEoCD5t5JjTrKRI9y8VGQs702qIyIZ17AnldfqtW72DXWiNlhRcMeYO1IkRiwgK81MkgPVA/w640-h480/IMG_9484.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Leaving the ferry we made our way back onto the 105. A few minutes later we came across a wonderful overlook, a view back to where we had just been, allowing us to see the Causeway and ferry landing. <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltETH11WnLbundRmDXrI_Edj2-eUUo54la70TpTkdNQ7EhaFZjZ35IH7mdgmMtMguHLZuffWJDMWEHo0LCQutbWLGQGcPtgeRwTy8Lwzuaj_GWEiF4dc2YK6fLZfTWlWPWIN5H4B2fYVhzwsQb3e3P9lybbtPyxQt2slIWomNim5c4LxROA/s1500/P9630585.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltETH11WnLbundRmDXrI_Edj2-eUUo54la70TpTkdNQ7EhaFZjZ35IH7mdgmMtMguHLZuffWJDMWEHo0LCQutbWLGQGcPtgeRwTy8Lwzuaj_GWEiF4dc2YK6fLZfTWlWPWIN5H4B2fYVhzwsQb3e3P9lybbtPyxQt2slIWomNim5c4LxROA/w640-h480/P9630585.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>As we neared North Sydney we switched to the 305 on into downtown Sydney. </p><p>We were in search a car park near the city center (Sydney is reportedly the only other "city" on Nova Scotia, after Halifax). Inching our way through sluggish traffic patterns and messy roadways we did indeed find the downtown but we could find no place to park nor did anything about the downtown seem accommodating or frankly of any interest to any of us. The buildings were tired, worn and had seen better days, much like many of the folk around there I suspect. </p><div>I'm sure I'm being entirely unfair but the city seemed just so <i>dreary</i>. Having stopped at the waterfront Holiday Inn to use the bathrooms and to ask if there was anything we should try to see (little help there sad to say), Susie directed us to the best way out of the city, a process that took us quite some time due to an accident at one of the major intersections of highways and shopping strips.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Once back in Baddeck we drove to the nearby Inverary Resort and the Narrows Cafe and Bar (their restaurant had not yet opened for the season). Our supper of haddock bites and fries was tasty but the live music performed by one woman with an electric guitar became quite annoying so we took our leave and went home.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another day in Cape Breton, with wonderful people and gorgeous views mixed with a dreary ride through a worn city. Sleep beckoned and so we surrendered.</div><div><br /></div>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-1461079369296837382023-06-01T20:00:00.095-04:002023-06-03T09:15:53.782-04:00To Cape Breton and Baddeck<p> After checking out we walked our bags across the street to the parking lot and loaded up for the trip north, stopping briefly at the nearby Citadel before leaving the city.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-JLWqhgq_r2DQvSFWySZfYJeA08lQraD6Nd2-ja2PafwNDsrWmyUOzip27o81h5i2axFOL8KGInEX8oHIuq2jZkYAAOw9KfXu1NkOv41Y4XyMer-Ek0BvUECr4nO7zSV8JljbeeOPJdgcDpDtz6UW0kDx3t9iSvsa4vwPYe40CMO7w-F3w/s1500/image0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-JLWqhgq_r2DQvSFWySZfYJeA08lQraD6Nd2-ja2PafwNDsrWmyUOzip27o81h5i2axFOL8KGInEX8oHIuq2jZkYAAOw9KfXu1NkOv41Y4XyMer-Ek0BvUECr4nO7zSV8JljbeeOPJdgcDpDtz6UW0kDx3t9iSvsa4vwPYe40CMO7w-F3w/w640-h480/image0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>From Halifax we retraced our route across the MacDonald Bridge through the streets of Dartmouth and on in the direction of the airport our goal being Antigonish where we would stop for lunch. From the greater Halifax area we took the 103 until Truro where we switched to the 105, also known as the Trans-Canadian Highway. <div><br /></div><div>Once we reached Antigonish (no connection apparently with the Sophocles' heroine) we made our way past St. Francis Xavier University into downtown and found our lunch stop, The Tall and Small. The shop was packed with young people bustling about and the sandwiches of fresh ingredients and home-baked breads were scrumptious.</div><div><br /></div><div>Leaving Antigonish we returned to the 105 and before long crossed the Canso Causeway onto Cape Breton Island at Port Hastings. we quickly made our way up to our final stop for the next three days: Baddeck.</div><div><br /></div><div>Due to my occasional bout of incompetence it took me several minutes to figure out how to get into the house. But once in we dropped our bags and walked to the (only) grocery store for essentials. Once back home we then drove to the nearby NSLC (Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation) store and stocked up on wines.</div><div><br /></div><div>After groceries were put away and we were unpacked the wine was opened and the four of us sat out on the deck enjoying the view of the water in the distance. </div><div><br /></div><div>A little over 330kms in about 5 hours and we were on Cape Breton at long last.</div><div><br /></div><div>That evening we walked down to the waterfront for dinner at the Freight Shed. recommended by our host Sherry we sat outside waiting for a table inside which, thank the gods, was not long in coming since the cold wind was a bit unpleasant although the view was lovely. Three of us had the seafood chowder while Richard went for beetroot salad.</div><div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6aDoiX1AY97Dlqp1Ccrr5D68j54c-bfYOQpn0H4asyupZuHrSFPKxd6JCIUskqWInWth7Kdm4sM3wQqcTzwdZNH0KNvphKol3kOy_xczNXMW_Mv_sQZa9ZR-0ibZFpKf_XAsiakPz4CGe2pmaKTc1lqbOzCvMOHkBUwiF6OOCjAWdnujw9w/s1500/IMG_9452.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6aDoiX1AY97Dlqp1Ccrr5D68j54c-bfYOQpn0H4asyupZuHrSFPKxd6JCIUskqWInWth7Kdm4sM3wQqcTzwdZNH0KNvphKol3kOy_xczNXMW_Mv_sQZa9ZR-0ibZFpKf_XAsiakPz4CGe2pmaKTc1lqbOzCvMOHkBUwiF6OOCjAWdnujw9w/w640-h480/IMG_9452.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">our home for the next three days</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ29SbcVcHpJYkpzeD2Nju4dnaPuPxw6hJHXXNvqHKT3kx5Xr5OWo3J8LFL8JZK0iTRNdvTTYUDUrrFFPO5fDpSE6xZWGbCEPXoa3RsJMPMaK4wvLlJecy4f0S-TyAUTiWYTmb4_bF4hjZcKK6G5csQIe0XdmRoPrp-6BIj0WSHEyZLqWcxA/s1500/IMG_9453.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ29SbcVcHpJYkpzeD2Nju4dnaPuPxw6hJHXXNvqHKT3kx5Xr5OWo3J8LFL8JZK0iTRNdvTTYUDUrrFFPO5fDpSE6xZWGbCEPXoa3RsJMPMaK4wvLlJecy4f0S-TyAUTiWYTmb4_bF4hjZcKK6G5csQIe0XdmRoPrp-6BIj0WSHEyZLqWcxA/w640-h480/IMG_9453.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the Freight Shed</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2oUxaS-ACe64w6ZNWS526tz0ugh2tD2HIHUV1eWZj8US4s_s1Hh7CnQx_0vDyp1YgGv9l3NeXqFYSM4-LaKZx74bnunZELPXJNz-iWc-v84zJO33lKL2dRDr2WHO_kAtpLUbDO_zJi_JkdY6QWxA-Oa8MpA_2Cj8QWpaV9qdlqKrkuPGV5A/s1500/IMG_9454.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1085" data-original-width="1500" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2oUxaS-ACe64w6ZNWS526tz0ugh2tD2HIHUV1eWZj8US4s_s1Hh7CnQx_0vDyp1YgGv9l3NeXqFYSM4-LaKZx74bnunZELPXJNz-iWc-v84zJO33lKL2dRDr2WHO_kAtpLUbDO_zJi_JkdY6QWxA-Oa8MpA_2Cj8QWpaV9qdlqKrkuPGV5A/w640-h462/IMG_9454.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">view from our (first) table</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cjhdTMkbSufXiI37qZTIntGv3fp7vLBI90dW8dAoPPKdeSvjvR99GiaLHGl01gCF72sSZPM7kLQlK5ZaCQgNdRuLtBfgtvinwNBqowDt9TPA0aUULL-6UUh92s87l6jczCiaKqIotRyr4mvBIAe9P4cBDvvGi_dkUiYQsFjuyPhteV-40w/s1500/IMG_9457.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cjhdTMkbSufXiI37qZTIntGv3fp7vLBI90dW8dAoPPKdeSvjvR99GiaLHGl01gCF72sSZPM7kLQlK5ZaCQgNdRuLtBfgtvinwNBqowDt9TPA0aUULL-6UUh92s87l6jczCiaKqIotRyr4mvBIAe9P4cBDvvGi_dkUiYQsFjuyPhteV-40w/w640-h480/IMG_9457.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">up Chebucto (the main) Street. . .</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Dvol4hEAykqW0FFFHqu4mS2sBVIwlMwh1hSv4Gt__1BUDbR0yCAW3ZrUEp5CzdXKzHy5E-ilXZEqoMPTovcqU71hHylD374h2GAPM-cpCXU2vLdvOYBVUUTKmKbRa_vaWaqcoTZMHuLhvHCWN7IWn01Tn_y1UWZ61-wszvm5kbSD3nI2iQ/s1500/IMG_9458.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Dvol4hEAykqW0FFFHqu4mS2sBVIwlMwh1hSv4Gt__1BUDbR0yCAW3ZrUEp5CzdXKzHy5E-ilXZEqoMPTovcqU71hHylD374h2GAPM-cpCXU2vLdvOYBVUUTKmKbRa_vaWaqcoTZMHuLhvHCWN7IWn01Tn_y1UWZ61-wszvm5kbSD3nI2iQ/w640-h480/IMG_9458.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">.<span style="font-size: medium;"> . . and down</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p></div></div>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032493.post-21717489969754976182023-05-31T21:00:00.002-04:002023-06-03T09:19:38.898-04:00Nova Scotia's southern shore<p>After breakfast at the hotel -- free of charge since the air conditioning is still on the fritz -- we walked to the car and headed off to Peggy's Cove. We had been getting mixed signals about whether the roads farther west from Peggy's Cove were closed due to wildfires but once at the Cove we confirmed with the tourist information folks that indeed they were open! So from Peggy's Cove it was on to Lunenberg via Mahone Bay with a stop for lunch in Hubbards.</p><p>Once outside of Halifax we wended our way to Rte 333 and meandered past one small village after another, most of them perched on or close to the water. We soon found Peggy's Cove and pulled into the spacious parking area overlooking the ocean. (You can find information about the origin of the name more details about this gorgeous bit of rock and its old fishing village <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peggy%27s_Cove,_Nova_Scotia" target="_blank">right here</a>.)</p><p>When we arrived the sun was bright in a clear blue sky but the wind was rather fierce as we strolled across the village to the lighthouse and back.</p><p>Once can see right off why this place is so famous among artists and photographers -- it just begs to be painted or photographed. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7NsJ98nSk-zqI-3qFoKErXYFQ5952oBSUqC2DKJl4Ec_FRluHerAY_L6gVpz12v4RzSIOWZj1xNHOL6BIThL6i57rKyqwwDn8HZ9H8Me54-AgaCHDwNV1YICQYI4iwDqRCRj3pcz6h89rGhnJN7AGAW-7WroPy_MjeB6pFiAoexnEyXDDA/s1500/20230531_002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7NsJ98nSk-zqI-3qFoKErXYFQ5952oBSUqC2DKJl4Ec_FRluHerAY_L6gVpz12v4RzSIOWZj1xNHOL6BIThL6i57rKyqwwDn8HZ9H8Me54-AgaCHDwNV1YICQYI4iwDqRCRj3pcz6h89rGhnJN7AGAW-7WroPy_MjeB6pFiAoexnEyXDDA/w640-h480/20230531_002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEhWL9J7j7tGiS3eb0azIWfBQus5RXP1OfKhrbEaYwwMhwKc3tCp9zS3UolRTsgYYaqS3BMBFVnpKF7nQVteqCTlRN5Srk1JD8NX1CLGiA4Rf34w4DCSuZv_8P5-6AJa7765RwIOo3rX0io_5eBBN1s8phYUAUy7EcmoBoRSBUlexNARUMsQ/s1500/20230531_003.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEhWL9J7j7tGiS3eb0azIWfBQus5RXP1OfKhrbEaYwwMhwKc3tCp9zS3UolRTsgYYaqS3BMBFVnpKF7nQVteqCTlRN5Srk1JD8NX1CLGiA4Rf34w4DCSuZv_8P5-6AJa7765RwIOo3rX0io_5eBBN1s8phYUAUy7EcmoBoRSBUlexNARUMsQ/w640-h480/20230531_003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8oOmVbOGm3kRrFEPhwAjizTggTQpXn2oeyhzxm4vHCxrflGv96xDPcbZRegdudLlxx1dOaDMLw2qnPpx3qcTQr-A3eY3ekjRsPvn2J4LTrO40HQcoQneSQ7Vd_p2k8TeEy6grSYcK1zGuRwmtCfcf6NCYddnPQbP_IiPmR_fn9JeniqpGVQ/s1500/20230531_004.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8oOmVbOGm3kRrFEPhwAjizTggTQpXn2oeyhzxm4vHCxrflGv96xDPcbZRegdudLlxx1dOaDMLw2qnPpx3qcTQr-A3eY3ekjRsPvn2J4LTrO40HQcoQneSQ7Vd_p2k8TeEy6grSYcK1zGuRwmtCfcf6NCYddnPQbP_IiPmR_fn9JeniqpGVQ/w640-h480/20230531_004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgz8j7NW7wKSpU32xS4nF26q4E1SOhr4kkgUeCj2eGqZrVscIecyT6z_RImNOHFR5cIFkJoLZTuGYrH8V6bpdgDIJZBwcvZLWwffefka9OwOk-qrGIx_2Y6dJHXWeFQr_AoQAqOSnPjNx9XTMm8aKxXRTBH4xKXZUQCE0alG-LuhQ86wrs7A/s1500/20230531_005.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgz8j7NW7wKSpU32xS4nF26q4E1SOhr4kkgUeCj2eGqZrVscIecyT6z_RImNOHFR5cIFkJoLZTuGYrH8V6bpdgDIJZBwcvZLWwffefka9OwOk-qrGIx_2Y6dJHXWeFQr_AoQAqOSnPjNx9XTMm8aKxXRTBH4xKXZUQCE0alG-LuhQ86wrs7A/w640-h480/20230531_005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ALlvofjacIRhtWN5u9AOMootYnLEKHUph77klf3PgPXTgmhGN0N4cOOFp4sSlE6_-j2n3ZEiFzVCOKTVg--Z45noK5gUFsdxLbWwej35cniBUSv4SjHKw6z0r0XU1t9DS6XriObw9-nBiyjdJyi0JvJbor2FuMLxiuimvZPt5XV-mGhOrg/s1500/20230531_006.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ALlvofjacIRhtWN5u9AOMootYnLEKHUph77klf3PgPXTgmhGN0N4cOOFp4sSlE6_-j2n3ZEiFzVCOKTVg--Z45noK5gUFsdxLbWwej35cniBUSv4SjHKw6z0r0XU1t9DS6XriObw9-nBiyjdJyi0JvJbor2FuMLxiuimvZPt5XV-mGhOrg/w640-h480/20230531_006.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPyZtPbpCN5iafwiT0DIFIINhS0NS5BQGNf7DH30TTL1wcHA-x-7ph4jG-PtBBjm50YYYsbIPDpBG0fypzdBiMfVxWrGu_04369cQGKcF1t-cT8IfspuNMwrDJG7t33l9IweoxUQG1xf7cD0ChuUEOPNZiLtU0BJEEX2P-aYTMn3-AQt3uSg/s1500/20230531_007.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPyZtPbpCN5iafwiT0DIFIINhS0NS5BQGNf7DH30TTL1wcHA-x-7ph4jG-PtBBjm50YYYsbIPDpBG0fypzdBiMfVxWrGu_04369cQGKcF1t-cT8IfspuNMwrDJG7t33l9IweoxUQG1xf7cD0ChuUEOPNZiLtU0BJEEX2P-aYTMn3-AQt3uSg/w640-h480/20230531_007.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaOspOHhM96Kh4w8NgDlmmvBagkH99LwFrMRJvxpDnwY6f6NnLDizKLJNNt7abV_PiyyZWCK_kVR_A_OzR9xjO6Kjygy_gKenHHlhzYrRIirS29GZw2vfWNao1p1DiO2JSn8qK4F-yMy3cXm7SSvpFDMvE9wQGn_EP6N2_fDk7SbUNe-20w/s1500/20230531_008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaOspOHhM96Kh4w8NgDlmmvBagkH99LwFrMRJvxpDnwY6f6NnLDizKLJNNt7abV_PiyyZWCK_kVR_A_OzR9xjO6Kjygy_gKenHHlhzYrRIirS29GZw2vfWNao1p1DiO2JSn8qK4F-yMy3cXm7SSvpFDMvE9wQGn_EP6N2_fDk7SbUNe-20w/w640-h480/20230531_008.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">looking farther southwest down the coast</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPESN56uQJbusYiwf3U1AgKTPSVsYKQwOff9f-ginEwS_1wbybl7Y2KQ174fouFggqUJI_EJHaN0eovQywm1FjmtHojkJ1hwEW8cFhoPpGVQhykXtdvhkclUh9TLakCvpYb-c8TheQLAIr1W50QSE9C7g5N2HyuOtJi-0Xk2vFoOdV3eRwA/s1500/20230531_009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPESN56uQJbusYiwf3U1AgKTPSVsYKQwOff9f-ginEwS_1wbybl7Y2KQ174fouFggqUJI_EJHaN0eovQywm1FjmtHojkJ1hwEW8cFhoPpGVQhykXtdvhkclUh9TLakCvpYb-c8TheQLAIr1W50QSE9C7g5N2HyuOtJi-0Xk2vFoOdV3eRwA/w640-h480/20230531_009.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLGoYMH7iS1NOVbQqCRzvL5oKt4jXKag-t26xlzZHHNQT5oeDOe5tgegjVZKDoyKwvGFIZikELlsQshlxlOUblBfSaJ4gZekI7xdnMxq0Jx0Pm_eP8R7cja0Zy30ykryTw228w7LuGz3Bsj8-8OOH1SfR668jhUCGi1moD0NlIBMIcUc4QA/s1500/20230531_010.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLGoYMH7iS1NOVbQqCRzvL5oKt4jXKag-t26xlzZHHNQT5oeDOe5tgegjVZKDoyKwvGFIZikELlsQshlxlOUblBfSaJ4gZekI7xdnMxq0Jx0Pm_eP8R7cja0Zy30ykryTw228w7LuGz3Bsj8-8OOH1SfR668jhUCGi1moD0NlIBMIcUc4QA/w640-h480/20230531_010.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1IrmvCWUqVjlCSdgv9vQFsvHDavxUhAZmhjBG9TkK-7roIvj1QLSk4fPc1FcdQl9_Jr3OJpMEfo76aN9fbifATl-ivgJQ5DMbX4yTSO9f71z2fCNp8bH5USOdAn9f4erCAmMsoqJ61jUdk97-1PyzLPTAdHv20P7XCwRatzjQ-5xNNtNgIw/s1500/20230531_011.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1IrmvCWUqVjlCSdgv9vQFsvHDavxUhAZmhjBG9TkK-7roIvj1QLSk4fPc1FcdQl9_Jr3OJpMEfo76aN9fbifATl-ivgJQ5DMbX4yTSO9f71z2fCNp8bH5USOdAn9f4erCAmMsoqJ61jUdk97-1PyzLPTAdHv20P7XCwRatzjQ-5xNNtNgIw/w640-h480/20230531_011.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiEHLOnXVMS7Z6zQbhcnJzqs2hNAmxde-mgGJfYuq2asXVZnUrBehT2TgE6sCBaXbt7UHWAZ70WIyhk-gEcTD0VNzHdqDjLt3uGcmcGEpTkxjrTemX8gdOh2t1tMHP8W7nckBO9J8n-ryozAECqXUmJS3pZGQUBz2kCFFE1vsQhr5bEcWC0w/s1500/20230531_012.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiEHLOnXVMS7Z6zQbhcnJzqs2hNAmxde-mgGJfYuq2asXVZnUrBehT2TgE6sCBaXbt7UHWAZ70WIyhk-gEcTD0VNzHdqDjLt3uGcmcGEpTkxjrTemX8gdOh2t1tMHP8W7nckBO9J8n-ryozAECqXUmJS3pZGQUBz2kCFFE1vsQhr5bEcWC0w/w640-h480/20230531_012.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9360PlqASKyUrpnF1Kyeufre0FxEPdRTOE-ps8nnw3YLfPZa93kgHcFPt_wcfy2_T_zD8K6BwBmc_CDnzZ-aowzqCKK_Rucj9ll4gl_jXoeKeUJEJyQaRkgI9ZB-ZvPu32vPVb6z7Jw6eAo5-ImTXYfdn0vrfbqZf63TUkM80kL3gxOfPaw/s1500/20230531_013.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9360PlqASKyUrpnF1Kyeufre0FxEPdRTOE-ps8nnw3YLfPZa93kgHcFPt_wcfy2_T_zD8K6BwBmc_CDnzZ-aowzqCKK_Rucj9ll4gl_jXoeKeUJEJyQaRkgI9ZB-ZvPu32vPVb6z7Jw6eAo5-ImTXYfdn0vrfbqZf63TUkM80kL3gxOfPaw/w640-h480/20230531_013.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMKELaAtM4UIMv4lfIe68VLCQW6hvdvjERMoczGdESz8p34QBWFiGI8_TiFRoXy4i_7mVvb1tzbSim2lB1Tt4CEenw7CK4uVfnBjtn_bRbiILTYMJJqLGeHJ3wHBDuUvf3hRn0XL0RENW2ZydQ_v6DRPNAWgKYBBHz8X-5xH_bJnExXWIKzQ/s1500/20230531_014.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMKELaAtM4UIMv4lfIe68VLCQW6hvdvjERMoczGdESz8p34QBWFiGI8_TiFRoXy4i_7mVvb1tzbSim2lB1Tt4CEenw7CK4uVfnBjtn_bRbiILTYMJJqLGeHJ3wHBDuUvf3hRn0XL0RENW2ZydQ_v6DRPNAWgKYBBHz8X-5xH_bJnExXWIKzQ/w640-h480/20230531_014.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Richard just happy to be here!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rQYH43tiJHbPfHzI8tryyjj8t_tazLZ8LPIptxck81VXE6ZLbSBRLVfNwhLdYamCUIZKuKEkKPWTf_ebPU_XSJ7G7-hWur9HMAt1ySlqvhUdid_deF6ITf6lQYYeq3ngvQnQ4NyACxS0WD8kYjcwo9cyTHwDXYIpaFUj8r93ysSk1ULJnw/s1500/20230531_015.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rQYH43tiJHbPfHzI8tryyjj8t_tazLZ8LPIptxck81VXE6ZLbSBRLVfNwhLdYamCUIZKuKEkKPWTf_ebPU_XSJ7G7-hWur9HMAt1ySlqvhUdid_deF6ITf6lQYYeq3ngvQnQ4NyACxS0WD8kYjcwo9cyTHwDXYIpaFUj8r93ysSk1ULJnw/w640-h480/20230531_015.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBmI0lhNX6rzeoktokXI-0jEAw1gV4neGJupVHUFIQUQvAd1ovBQiD8udJjOpFxQaFFIP_7S18WO4Hq7bZmIHO9dse_CH58QJVnu47gwiGUAvwwxKyiH8COb194SGbUqc9mjG3xK8J3toGjlFSaLJXjQGItL0acYKSow1FJIpP-qXUZd0lg/s1500/20230531_016.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBmI0lhNX6rzeoktokXI-0jEAw1gV4neGJupVHUFIQUQvAd1ovBQiD8udJjOpFxQaFFIP_7S18WO4Hq7bZmIHO9dse_CH58QJVnu47gwiGUAvwwxKyiH8COb194SGbUqc9mjG3xK8J3toGjlFSaLJXjQGItL0acYKSow1FJIpP-qXUZd0lg/w640-h480/20230531_016.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">looking back to the observation deck from the lighthouse</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_C_8xnEKpNwekoon7DJcgpc_LUyDAKvgIpZgNOxHPDCdIqx-MiWjQgnXFfi8to-xGVvaXwaLI1qfWxvhm5T1U__P9ZGJw-0SjTaoLrmICcGSNNGLTZYfWSl5fmxH15XAconL3Rg4QzQz_y9kBghcDGLh0moaM94Sixnz7-soHuP_AhtDmRw/s1500/20230531_017.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_C_8xnEKpNwekoon7DJcgpc_LUyDAKvgIpZgNOxHPDCdIqx-MiWjQgnXFfi8to-xGVvaXwaLI1qfWxvhm5T1U__P9ZGJw-0SjTaoLrmICcGSNNGLTZYfWSl5fmxH15XAconL3Rg4QzQz_y9kBghcDGLh0moaM94Sixnz7-soHuP_AhtDmRw/w640-h480/20230531_017.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>From Peggy's Cove we returned to our shoreline meandering back west-southwest until we reached the tiny village of Hubbards where we stopped for a delicious lunch at the funky Trellis Cafe. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ1ROCPl9Waq9OG0qd-5vOTV7qBigx9waL4IQE9219KnV-3c69UEEGWr3TfFPRaJmen0WekpwRFwEdGLAsiUDvT4lSEqOXkC6qDkUdHDf0-RHpvsdL_OFbUwbjW8MGLww_UHYkt9AWLkIOU9wZ-FCgvt0fgor_pl5KphM6TwNSGh_ziggIbw/s1500/IMG_4607.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="956" data-original-width="1500" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ1ROCPl9Waq9OG0qd-5vOTV7qBigx9waL4IQE9219KnV-3c69UEEGWr3TfFPRaJmen0WekpwRFwEdGLAsiUDvT4lSEqOXkC6qDkUdHDf0-RHpvsdL_OFbUwbjW8MGLww_UHYkt9AWLkIOU9wZ-FCgvt0fgor_pl5KphM6TwNSGh_ziggIbw/w640-h408/IMG_4607.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVtDMThyE4mQZpEAW3qOivTQNsn-Ko_nFZtqvYdNF2QAWiBJV4I3tJegyW8_LwygCMAGGPZX6GSv5mut-e_53CvkDihQjfPXC-Iv-a7KWPTj4EVUEDmH7yR_-TikP5VYiyRACzZxKfxSb2bLwWfBcrYyUr-IAAC9Aiekjp9EsB5a1UowtLw/s1500/IMG_4603.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVtDMThyE4mQZpEAW3qOivTQNsn-Ko_nFZtqvYdNF2QAWiBJV4I3tJegyW8_LwygCMAGGPZX6GSv5mut-e_53CvkDihQjfPXC-Iv-a7KWPTj4EVUEDmH7yR_-TikP5VYiyRACzZxKfxSb2bLwWfBcrYyUr-IAAC9Aiekjp9EsB5a1UowtLw/w640-h480/IMG_4603.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Back on the road we made our way through Mahone Bay, a wonderful place worthy of a serious stop, but we pushed on to Lunenberg, where we found parking right down on the waterfront near the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic.</div><div><br /></div><div>Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 it is also a National Historic Site of Canada. (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunenburg,_Nova_Scotia" target="_blank">Want more?</a>)</div><div><br /></div><div>The town sits on a series of ridges overlooking the harbor which reminded Richard of San Francisco and indeed the streets, while short, were steep. One of the things we wanted to see was St. John's Anglican Church. Along the way we walked past the Royal Canadian Legion Hall which sported a block of the Berlin Wall on the corner. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4krqcj3T_h49-4JHlf0CY3CQABIV2x6EI3I01qYwawIGyPRBu0Dy2rFvbpyHAQ5FBaWNeMwIpTUwbyV7qh9T2nUMsxVeCJFF85tC2qaUvUjfG_cYom1XdgRmJLo2_IhPG2z5T2za24k15hGbOI3eQQYx8lGjY2oLNgLfG6paqm5akQxVsA/s1500/20230531_018.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4krqcj3T_h49-4JHlf0CY3CQABIV2x6EI3I01qYwawIGyPRBu0Dy2rFvbpyHAQ5FBaWNeMwIpTUwbyV7qh9T2nUMsxVeCJFF85tC2qaUvUjfG_cYom1XdgRmJLo2_IhPG2z5T2za24k15hGbOI3eQQYx8lGjY2oLNgLfG6paqm5akQxVsA/w640-h480/20230531_018.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlWqIskwnSm_Ue11v2kXefLhFIMZpo8SY6KIwQPBitGJD4XQemnBa5-ilAcdWVTIvKt1bywVfXIK1THDgJJICBXtt0-V2I91Xx_igJR0kn-obeVmIV1Wf_hKnghplQJHfX3pNxPTKlqAGf2qxECrZlX2NfcuSP2BCL0ymx7g8NCwK6F3yDw/s1500/20230531_019.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlWqIskwnSm_Ue11v2kXefLhFIMZpo8SY6KIwQPBitGJD4XQemnBa5-ilAcdWVTIvKt1bywVfXIK1THDgJJICBXtt0-V2I91Xx_igJR0kn-obeVmIV1Wf_hKnghplQJHfX3pNxPTKlqAGf2qxECrZlX2NfcuSP2BCL0ymx7g8NCwK6F3yDw/w640-h480/20230531_019.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The original church burned down in 2001 and was rebuilt soon after. Unfortunately it was closed the day we visited but we thought a beautiful structure well worth a tour.<div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvpchrBw3Mou5MnMgVdyWPYi2U4U8aQj8b6UOWqsXtwvYY87Ju7vyr6hi94omBCSLI-QoG6Mft88Z2ntNhRpySpr9T32sqT8hqz6UZE1ALUJVh7isT5tew-jsL4J2rMNO4Dgv6eVeFe8GRaasxIzvzZynE0-_27oMEWlRZIxYlV7YIj0Xrw/s1500/20230531_020.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1263" data-original-width="1500" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvpchrBw3Mou5MnMgVdyWPYi2U4U8aQj8b6UOWqsXtwvYY87Ju7vyr6hi94omBCSLI-QoG6Mft88Z2ntNhRpySpr9T32sqT8hqz6UZE1ALUJVh7isT5tew-jsL4J2rMNO4Dgv6eVeFe8GRaasxIzvzZynE0-_27oMEWlRZIxYlV7YIj0Xrw/w640-h538/20230531_020.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. John's</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>From the church we walked back a couple of blocks to the memorial park, with plagues and plinths commemorating the Norwegians who trained here during World War Two as well as the local men who died in World Wars One and Two.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmQEQ6MFkiabYmafTEgWL9Q_8Tx4dNQ5ISJ93eCp6Npzx5R5l7Bz3FLkg5eAcF9lNm8tqTgTCTVaVXWu3M6l6Qb0sXqdqtxZv-dwyTKTCIyQ2m59Reqks2c82hvPmhyqQvE10f9EC25ShtxvhaDVt3c93K6VGgVCwL2h_xNm40GUiGTi8bg/s1500/20230531_021.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmQEQ6MFkiabYmafTEgWL9Q_8Tx4dNQ5ISJ93eCp6Npzx5R5l7Bz3FLkg5eAcF9lNm8tqTgTCTVaVXWu3M6l6Qb0sXqdqtxZv-dwyTKTCIyQ2m59Reqks2c82hvPmhyqQvE10f9EC25ShtxvhaDVt3c93K6VGgVCwL2h_xNm40GUiGTi8bg/w640-h480/20230531_021.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ToAtxT2C7TSs68aD_bF5mSEdiG4HM4RJbMZqvPz-qSg1EpEITxZ6uiUASwcPI7eutCBCefrLKLWwZyGJq-jqS3L-WMXxunBsCQSw5I1yHclJpITz3ZYpZiX88gcZ5MIwnJGh21JyEkhmvl_i0vhCAFaoZ1c5X6B4qHBjLv0Y8VEeF7xDmw/s1500/20230531_022.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ToAtxT2C7TSs68aD_bF5mSEdiG4HM4RJbMZqvPz-qSg1EpEITxZ6uiUASwcPI7eutCBCefrLKLWwZyGJq-jqS3L-WMXxunBsCQSw5I1yHclJpITz3ZYpZiX88gcZ5MIwnJGh21JyEkhmvl_i0vhCAFaoZ1c5X6B4qHBjLv0Y8VEeF7xDmw/w640-h480/20230531_022.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Just opposite and up the street from the memorial park is the Central United Church. We wouldn't have given more than passing notice except a man had just opened the door and invited us in if we'd like. So we did. </div><div><br /></div><div>Once inside we discovered a huge, cavernous space with a ceiling of carved wood and matching buttresses and what seemed like a veritable sea of pews. </div><div><br /></div><div>John, the organist and choir director as it turned out was there to get ready for choir rehearsal later that day and had let us inside kindly chatted with us about the church. He proved to be a literal font of information about the churches in the area as well as local history and we all thoroughly enjoyed the conversation.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4XmO9mluug1tQy4x6g65l-_AqVpnL0tzU3guwIIBd_Syc22AcKoYDK5h5X0_GmXfC_l5P6xZPfWeqnPfbcD-1D_7Nm3TDF9oWwy-u4-SzkE_GeAqtBjdhsjZVYwqvzdHwDRc8BDXFNwDpZpTYVRWJmbHt3hAlQ4EUHZNeHVnePc-6CBgiQ/s1500/20230531_023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4XmO9mluug1tQy4x6g65l-_AqVpnL0tzU3guwIIBd_Syc22AcKoYDK5h5X0_GmXfC_l5P6xZPfWeqnPfbcD-1D_7Nm3TDF9oWwy-u4-SzkE_GeAqtBjdhsjZVYwqvzdHwDRc8BDXFNwDpZpTYVRWJmbHt3hAlQ4EUHZNeHVnePc-6CBgiQ/w640-h480/20230531_023.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxS9XT_V0g3QN71M_jYE-gHRMeTBZQgopyQfByeIIu2QsoHMpvStWZkPpAtw8LFP145uqjz_huYqffwTK8ihfJzh66YCnq6r5uDNf6ZSb4mf5ZFLZwNJpQPCSQFLTjOCg7x-0PnGe-F0ZxcjFwXZe533trLjzhiRlhrA6p0CM6K8kwbI0TRg/s1500/20230531_024.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1167" data-original-width="1500" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxS9XT_V0g3QN71M_jYE-gHRMeTBZQgopyQfByeIIu2QsoHMpvStWZkPpAtw8LFP145uqjz_huYqffwTK8ihfJzh66YCnq6r5uDNf6ZSb4mf5ZFLZwNJpQPCSQFLTjOCg7x-0PnGe-F0ZxcjFwXZe533trLjzhiRlhrA6p0CM6K8kwbI0TRg/w640-h498/20230531_024.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the church on the left</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Yw5zBYZrzrEfTRDP6jbBGBUextuNu0Ic1r7JyoXilQ4P78kqvyBsh3rZosAbtUkIJWeH3jYgLBAHd-FT8LB0Gosw4L7wcCGDmlantQweo_6PbuqR-vOsv-MTw1GQQmhocSloEZy_67v52I0ljQqBVCGEjUhwSykgrYs59K9plN9XPcKuQw/s1500/20230531_025.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Yw5zBYZrzrEfTRDP6jbBGBUextuNu0Ic1r7JyoXilQ4P78kqvyBsh3rZosAbtUkIJWeH3jYgLBAHd-FT8LB0Gosw4L7wcCGDmlantQweo_6PbuqR-vOsv-MTw1GQQmhocSloEZy_67v52I0ljQqBVCGEjUhwSykgrYs59K9plN9XPcKuQw/w640-h480/20230531_025.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0jrv4dfuuOODY6F2iWS91x4av2PP9q9ImPg4Vkqn0934QzB10TeULELp0K-K7up9yPTQ0HMFjPZq5lTmL7F6HA3HXIzvIBblI9QdHufifcEfO4_u3rYz6UoFkMeVdDI4a1YGHOlRKvp5F8bj0Wy0oqDNWRUnbcNHXu-0-UTyCifzCNukqrw/s1500/20230531_026.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0jrv4dfuuOODY6F2iWS91x4av2PP9q9ImPg4Vkqn0934QzB10TeULELp0K-K7up9yPTQ0HMFjPZq5lTmL7F6HA3HXIzvIBblI9QdHufifcEfO4_u3rYz6UoFkMeVdDI4a1YGHOlRKvp5F8bj0Wy0oqDNWRUnbcNHXu-0-UTyCifzCNukqrw/w640-h480/20230531_026.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlKHVuc49pZTTi9o_GC3fMh6uTUEtHuR4u9BNxvwec1Lo2IjBqkTRWMjHXfSD-Ail0d-BfDWn-i3Z6g6DvHoUD7ETKT1dVeu9fRNNYZ041NQEl_Om7WS_erU9ZibU9fbizM9TFBvVNmcbYv50snGt4Yrshr_BlIX3Zd26U6q-SSTkxklXuw/s1500/20230531_027.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlKHVuc49pZTTi9o_GC3fMh6uTUEtHuR4u9BNxvwec1Lo2IjBqkTRWMjHXfSD-Ail0d-BfDWn-i3Z6g6DvHoUD7ETKT1dVeu9fRNNYZ041NQEl_Om7WS_erU9ZibU9fbizM9TFBvVNmcbYv50snGt4Yrshr_BlIX3Zd26U6q-SSTkxklXuw/w640-h480/20230531_027.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the Fishermen's Memorial</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6XjZuguJXmlAPooeQjCWsUJ_W1WM0DEuZD8BsZzBM1YOM5_D3znwmSM4COPV5BjoUmwBnE35js-JCiOBtm7_8p4f6X-0F7ilJTij-1XxO942C4Rlsb_5qtO93-9gOb0UtP5-AxLcpUvfGtugxwTUd8F8YF-UyYhr-n3KBftIEOIJj9ikIDQ/s1500/20230531_028.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6XjZuguJXmlAPooeQjCWsUJ_W1WM0DEuZD8BsZzBM1YOM5_D3znwmSM4COPV5BjoUmwBnE35js-JCiOBtm7_8p4f6X-0F7ilJTij-1XxO942C4Rlsb_5qtO93-9gOb0UtP5-AxLcpUvfGtugxwTUd8F8YF-UyYhr-n3KBftIEOIJj9ikIDQ/w640-h480/20230531_028.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tWkmrHF_VCmWfXUfK4Q4h7lnhwdfcJJ4YYxaqhZZx24QuEaTq8zWTAU06kKJnjBZ141TbuAMWRs8taMuo5usfZipKsxUp3YXj7PhZe29r93s8GeNiR74ulnBNVB9eKK-AniMTWVTVbWregH-GZKPWgD_c3rzwvXyFrimdhz8nJVvJa1o9w/s1500/20230531_029.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tWkmrHF_VCmWfXUfK4Q4h7lnhwdfcJJ4YYxaqhZZx24QuEaTq8zWTAU06kKJnjBZ141TbuAMWRs8taMuo5usfZipKsxUp3YXj7PhZe29r93s8GeNiR74ulnBNVB9eKK-AniMTWVTVbWregH-GZKPWgD_c3rzwvXyFrimdhz8nJVvJa1o9w/w640-h480/20230531_029.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">view of the town from the waterfront</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5_y1OWdRRHrqs1hY7_4j1SqCdKsu0hGpRNPFQ6WPxz6_kzmPu1BAWPjkMnh5cARr8BHIbbCZu8mJ68eXHidDBDNxYz6qDo8F-rDBQsr7SwWacogR0XOr0Vh4ydhF_XaQPyVi-y9p_qWhDx61icMJ7awcrup9dkSO6YpLKazxOwmcwBirsA/s1500/20230531_030.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5_y1OWdRRHrqs1hY7_4j1SqCdKsu0hGpRNPFQ6WPxz6_kzmPu1BAWPjkMnh5cARr8BHIbbCZu8mJ68eXHidDBDNxYz6qDo8F-rDBQsr7SwWacogR0XOr0Vh4ydhF_XaQPyVi-y9p_qWhDx61icMJ7awcrup9dkSO6YpLKazxOwmcwBirsA/w640-h480/20230531_030.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCU2qQIQd9pAIii1kOXcQpANt0QiRIMpyhqE8N5hEjh5A9Q4fb9CXI2HZ1JvpFWsj7ZDwuKBLHRFyJ6RhFm4wJ38VFNCvVKw1pfuXbxrDOXotUBEYi-YfihRqraUMHU6aXVRRVyzMcc7Y4hI3WdA0vzGrnU2WZKC1JDlqFHO7bL-C2ajcFZw/s1500/20230531_031.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCU2qQIQd9pAIii1kOXcQpANt0QiRIMpyhqE8N5hEjh5A9Q4fb9CXI2HZ1JvpFWsj7ZDwuKBLHRFyJ6RhFm4wJ38VFNCvVKw1pfuXbxrDOXotUBEYi-YfihRqraUMHU6aXVRRVyzMcc7Y4hI3WdA0vzGrnU2WZKC1JDlqFHO7bL-C2ajcFZw/w640-h480/20230531_031.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTdDjzO2Xdzx9uaY5DNVFG6XGNhtlB1E1b24hqXMWGrw5oppCl-_3EIs4PiB9wnr52g3l8nuXa3ADrHOXgRoRZ7_bb93OVX6KxKgOisj8OZ-rQVd4MARriQBFBIFYN0GncpFMb0cpGuEDkqqh1w-Kffc0Itny9l2Flc3MUHkO4kkxcFMHdNw/s1500/20230531_032.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTdDjzO2Xdzx9uaY5DNVFG6XGNhtlB1E1b24hqXMWGrw5oppCl-_3EIs4PiB9wnr52g3l8nuXa3ADrHOXgRoRZ7_bb93OVX6KxKgOisj8OZ-rQVd4MARriQBFBIFYN0GncpFMb0cpGuEDkqqh1w-Kffc0Itny9l2Flc3MUHkO4kkxcFMHdNw/w640-h480/20230531_032.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the Bluenose II</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>Before leaving town we sat outside by the museum and enjoyed a drink, which also gave us the opportunity to watch a pair of women practice for the upcoming Dory races.</div><div><br /></div><div>We returned to Halifax via the limited access Rte 103 and were back in the hotel by about 6:30pm. Richard and Pauline took a quick swim and by 7:15 we were back out, this time walking up toward Argyle Street and our supper venue for the evening the Five Fishermen.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the way we stopped off at Lot Six for drinks. </div><div><br /></div><div>After a delicious meal of seafood all round (Arctic Char for Susie and Richard, shrimp and mussels with linguine for Pauline and Halibut for me) we walked back to the hotel and headed off for a well-earned night's rest.</div><div><br /></div><div>Tomorrow we check out and drive north to Cape Breton Island and Baddeck!<br /><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxLrX3bWbczy9yuK5yi_FGUU_vNWWP6bWi7TV4I_NkGMehlI-vQA76s0RnMDTNfje8pWC56DZRrqdtucy3JIGoV2JRUdP8iYQGAoGzY9ITpEtHuB1ShxB2__CimUF8MzOrjMAdjyHY_mhOsavCPBtJIQ9XYdxonBRuiN8Is-oTiOje2GEJSQ/s1500/20230531_033.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxLrX3bWbczy9yuK5yi_FGUU_vNWWP6bWi7TV4I_NkGMehlI-vQA76s0RnMDTNfje8pWC56DZRrqdtucy3JIGoV2JRUdP8iYQGAoGzY9ITpEtHuB1ShxB2__CimUF8MzOrjMAdjyHY_mhOsavCPBtJIQ9XYdxonBRuiN8Is-oTiOje2GEJSQ/w640-h480/20230531_033.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">strolling down Argyle Street</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmv1PyhAP6-naE0FauuGx-OcE-WlqV5KQvToykUmFG5Et5CzVLBs3IeN-QsrgCX2SCEjnM-wcyNQBpaof4k-5iFkiGaXHlERp-CmxtNyKUKesfYUG9jQnSrNQrCzK3FJfYOPcRaIOiiChoMGnzlof0TWs3kqOehCj3RO7ZCMa7OVokKpUuw/s1500/20230531_034.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmv1PyhAP6-naE0FauuGx-OcE-WlqV5KQvToykUmFG5Et5CzVLBs3IeN-QsrgCX2SCEjnM-wcyNQBpaof4k-5iFkiGaXHlERp-CmxtNyKUKesfYUG9jQnSrNQrCzK3FJfYOPcRaIOiiChoMGnzlof0TWs3kqOehCj3RO7ZCMa7OVokKpUuw/w640-h480/20230531_034.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbdcDt9jbBCJ-rfTnixR2yOVvhi93P4Y9SHWUU1Fdo4uh_ba6TcYaQz7507boSrgr8UqiC3z4jjUfNCFwCMuq4HhWndHf_IKgWl4J_ssv5UNwtoOgBhsi0-ilx9SOgCpCpyr1UkFtnqPZsmUu5AgpVrJ6fpP-Ou_ebYmNDpzz91EHFWLxJJg/s1500/20230531_035.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbdcDt9jbBCJ-rfTnixR2yOVvhi93P4Y9SHWUU1Fdo4uh_ba6TcYaQz7507boSrgr8UqiC3z4jjUfNCFwCMuq4HhWndHf_IKgWl4J_ssv5UNwtoOgBhsi0-ilx9SOgCpCpyr1UkFtnqPZsmUu5AgpVrJ6fpP-Ou_ebYmNDpzz91EHFWLxJJg/w640-h480/20230531_035.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eGzStouU3lvWr-poiIUyKYHV659g5DyWd11oQOA3jLkXtPvQdwEvn53W-3xzXJaUrqDS9KP6IVfG9_6HodGFHf45EU3RMMbMv5NIkuTEuxQ7DUj8IimCF0wFnuEZemgUMBbVeJDEH_6xaSUBJho-gwiS_W58JZSFlWD6C7LaQyiRIo62vw/s1500/20230531_036.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eGzStouU3lvWr-poiIUyKYHV659g5DyWd11oQOA3jLkXtPvQdwEvn53W-3xzXJaUrqDS9KP6IVfG9_6HodGFHf45EU3RMMbMv5NIkuTEuxQ7DUj8IimCF0wFnuEZemgUMBbVeJDEH_6xaSUBJho-gwiS_W58JZSFlWD6C7LaQyiRIo62vw/w640-h480/20230531_036.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKuPrSU7q8rWz4_SXhDPZNXMajqui40o8qdGxn0cWIn5RUxlSElecxOH5vWts0WBECGAkLgJ7GTtp5b6B-C4r9uwYmOPjKii0nOHk5EjfzMyzRhMxymTGZNpc9BGI-b6MUp5PeZFMP-JlNhRx-BGi3hGv8uy5kkjONzzbx-AU_PL-jqGlyQ/s1500/20230531_037.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1304" data-original-width="1500" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKuPrSU7q8rWz4_SXhDPZNXMajqui40o8qdGxn0cWIn5RUxlSElecxOH5vWts0WBECGAkLgJ7GTtp5b6B-C4r9uwYmOPjKii0nOHk5EjfzMyzRhMxymTGZNpc9BGI-b6MUp5PeZFMP-JlNhRx-BGi3hGv8uy5kkjONzzbx-AU_PL-jqGlyQ/w640-h556/20230531_037.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZgpkmr3IGPU2lKIZGt40F84eS2WwRx4ngl3SKYL6B2n1vtWrYvsog404cIWnLlkzaWlvSQn3lJExIxry_J8AhKbUYPRWjfZgNLfd-Kz39tYKCEWDWizcjTuBWjSxmL-bBsbPSYowW_jd46ydHJGZPdoxXjbNP6b0Pvt_tvBaqQWMENHxlw/s1500/20230531_038.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1101" data-original-width="1500" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZgpkmr3IGPU2lKIZGt40F84eS2WwRx4ngl3SKYL6B2n1vtWrYvsog404cIWnLlkzaWlvSQn3lJExIxry_J8AhKbUYPRWjfZgNLfd-Kz39tYKCEWDWizcjTuBWjSxmL-bBsbPSYowW_jd46ydHJGZPdoxXjbNP6b0Pvt_tvBaqQWMENHxlw/w640-h470/20230531_038.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p></div></div>Steve Soperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10805054068549522404noreply@blogger.com0