I had to go to Phoenix last year, and delayed in making plane reservations. There were no direct flights that cost less than $1000 round trip (!!!!), so I flew into Salt Lake City and planned on driving down to Arizona. For some reason (because I can't really judge distances on a map), I thought I'd only need a day and a half. I really needed two days + a few hours. I drove from SLC to St. George the first day, which was an easy haul - about 6 hours. The second day was crazy insane. I had a guide book for scenic drives in Utah, and there was a recommended route through Joshua Tree Backcountry (not to be confused with JT National Park in CA). The most desolate place on Earth, I think - a great place to hide a body.
Anyway, the rode took me in the opposite direction - and after ending up in Littleton, AZ, on the way to Los Vegas, I had to double back 50 miles to St. George, and then head north to cut across S. Utah and then south to Phoenix. Well, I missed my exit and ended up driving through Zion Nat'l Park.
Lovely, but I'm suddenly running two hours behind schedule (I needed to be at a function at 6pm). I drive through Zion, and it starts to drizzle. When I leave the park, the ranger tells me that the best way to Phoenix is through Kanab...the nearest town - but doesn't tell me its 60 miles down the road. I make it through Kanab, past the Giant's Staircase in Escalante, and the sun comes out.
Lovely. Drive through the Vermillion Cliffs (otherworldly), through the downs around Lake Powell and then it starts to pour. It pours all the way through Flagstaff, as I'm driving down the San Francisco Peaks (8500 feet above sea level), through Navajo country, which is crazy insane landscapes from a 1950's sci-fi novel cover. Past Cameron and the South Rim, through Prescott and Sedona and on and on through the pouring rain.
It was like a hurricane, with the wind and the downpour. It wasn't until I crossed into the last valley before Phoenix - when the saguaros and prickly pear cacti started to appear that the rain stopped and the sun came out again.
One of the most exhilarating days of my life. I love that type of adventure - call me crazy.
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Date: 2010-05-27 04:55 pm (UTC)I had to go to Phoenix last year, and delayed in making plane reservations. There were no direct flights that cost less than $1000 round trip (!!!!), so I flew into Salt Lake City and planned on driving down to Arizona. For some reason (because I can't really judge distances on a map), I thought I'd only need a day and a half. I really needed two days + a few hours. I drove from SLC to St. George the first day, which was an easy haul - about 6 hours. The second day was crazy insane. I had a guide book for scenic drives in Utah, and there was a recommended route through Joshua Tree Backcountry (not to be confused with JT National Park in CA). The most desolate place on Earth, I think - a great place to hide a body.
Anyway, the rode took me in the opposite direction - and after ending up in Littleton, AZ, on the way to Los Vegas, I had to double back 50 miles to St. George, and then head north to cut across S. Utah and then south to Phoenix. Well, I missed my exit and ended up driving through Zion Nat'l Park.
Lovely, but I'm suddenly running two hours behind schedule (I needed to be at a function at 6pm). I drive through Zion, and it starts to drizzle. When I leave the park, the ranger tells me that the best way to Phoenix is through Kanab...the nearest town - but doesn't tell me its 60 miles down the road. I make it through Kanab, past the Giant's Staircase in Escalante, and the sun comes out.
Lovely. Drive through the Vermillion Cliffs (otherworldly), through the downs around Lake Powell and then it starts to pour. It pours all the way through Flagstaff, as I'm driving down the San Francisco Peaks (8500 feet above sea level), through Navajo country, which is crazy insane landscapes from a 1950's sci-fi novel cover. Past Cameron and the South Rim, through Prescott and Sedona and on and on through the pouring rain.
It was like a hurricane, with the wind and the downpour. It wasn't until I crossed into the last valley before Phoenix - when the saguaros and prickly pear cacti started to appear that the rain stopped and the sun came out again.
One of the most exhilarating days of my life. I love that type of adventure - call me crazy.
I also love driving in Manhattan.