Cross Country Trip ~ Part Nine

DAY NINE

We left Mount Carmel, Utah heading into Arizona and I was surprised at out first rest stop, just inside Arizona, that my allergies started acting up BIGTIME and I'd had my allergy meds.  I'd always heard that if you had really bad allergies (which I don't) then Arizona was the place to live.  Maybe I shouldn't have taken my allergy meds or maybe it was just I wasn't used to the flora and fauna of Arizona because as the day progressed my sneezing, runny nose and watery eyes DID improve and I felt much better, thank goodness.

First Rest Stop in Arizona ... what a view huh?

The drive from Mount Carmel, Utah to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon was absolutely beautiful (about 2 hours and 40 mins).  It was very woodsy and not much in the way of towns between the two points but definitely a scenic drive!

At Jacob Creek, Arizona, we had to head due South to get to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, some 50 miles and the only way in/out (at this point).  Beautiful drive, we passed very few cars on the lonely stretch of two lane road but saw lots and lots of wildlife! 

This was a first for us ...deer AND cattle crossing?
We never saw any cattle crossing but these signs were frequent.

Free Spring Water ... just filler up!!! 

We got to the North Rim had a quick look around but didn't get to stay long as hubby had a conference call he had committed himself to and we had NO CELL SERVICE and the only pay phones had NO privacy.  Sooooo, we had to get to some place that had AT&T cell service.  The North Rim Park Ranger said we would have to drive back out the 50 miles to Jacob Lake, which is not a town, by the way, but there is a gas station, restaurant, souvenier shop, camping area and a Park Ranger Station.  The Park Ranger saying we would possibly have service there ... but NOPE ... no such luck.  So on we drove (toward the South Rim via Highway 89A)... we got about 10 miles and were stopped by road construction ... completely STOPPED AND STILL NO CELL SERVICE.  Time was short and hubby was sweating it so we turned back around and went back to Jacob Creek. By this time, hubby was pretty desperate for a phone and willing to pay someone almost anything to borrow theirs!!!  Luckily, he was able to 'rent' one from the lady at the camp registration desk at Jacob Creek for $6.00!!!  Whew ... crisis averted.

So while hubby was on his conference call, I piddled around inside the souvenier shop ... saw all kinds of craftworks made by the local Indians and then these beautiful wooden bowls caught my eye ... I'm picking up this one and that one as each was unique.  The lady next to me and I were commenting on their beauty and awfully reasonable prices of $25-$60 (hand made, supposedly).  Finally, deciding on a bowl for myself, I look on the bottom and exclaim outloud "made in China?" ... the lady I was talking to said "what????" ... long story short, I didn't want a wooden bowl Made in China and neither did she!  DISAPPOINTED!  So ya'll be careful to check for "Made in China" stickers at any souvenier shops/stands as we also found that all the roadside stands selling Bison and Elk Jerky had not made it locally but purchased it for resale from Montana ... insert disaapointed sad face here lol

After hubby's conference call, we got back on Highway 89A (Grand Canyon Highway and pretty much THE only paved road between the North Rim and South Rim) though at some point we picked up Highway 64 to cut back West to the South Rim. 

Old settlement of Cliff Dwelling, Arizona ... people actually lived here in the early 20th Century.
Bottom left pic is the privy!

Bridge over the Colorado River ... magnificent!  Now we want to return and raft the river!

This highway took us right smack through the desert, across the Colorado River, and across the Navajo Reservation, which was a huge eyeopening experience to say the least.  We also made sure we had a full tank of gas before leaving Jacob Creek because there was pretty much a lot of nothing between the North Rim and South Rim (including no internet service, well HECK, my car's GPS couldn't even find us).  Just the two lane highway beneath our tires and desert, desert and more desert as far as the eye could see ... beautiful scenery but quite desolate aside from the random reservation homes scattered miles and miles apart.  I won't get into the sad conditions these people (fellow Americans) live in on these reservations but it is really really disheartening to know that they live in such devastating conditions, not unlike some third world countries.  They say pictures are worth a thousand words ... uh uh ... seeing is believing!

Example of the miles and miles and miles of nothing but 2 lane highway!

North Rim Grand Canyon to South Rim Grand Canyon

Next post will be Day Nine Continued as there are just too many pics to share in this one post ...

STAY TUNED!!!

Old Fashioned Saltine Snacks

Last night at midnight I got a craving for an oldie but goodie that my Mama grew up on which she in turn made for us as kids and, of course, I made for my own kids.  They are inexpensive, quick and easy to make and, of course, yummy!  Sweet and salty!

I made mine with clean* ingredients, the marshmellows being organic and made with organic cane sugar and no HFCS but you can use whatever ingredients you have on hand ... like I said, they are old fashioned and my Nanny made them way back when she cooked on a wood burning stove so there is nothing fancy about them.  I just choose to eat clean.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can make as many or as little as you want ... I made just 6 cause they were just for me.

Saltine Snacks

Saltine Crackers
Peanut Butter
Marshmellows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place Saltines on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Spread each Saltine with Peanut Butter and place a Marshmellow on top.  I had to cut my Marshmellows in half because the organic ones come a little larger then regular marshmellows.

Place in oven and cook until the marshmellows are toasty, about 6 minutes.

*Clean = Nothing artificial, no chemicals, no man-made ingredients.

Enjoy!!!

Cross Country Trip ~ Part Eight

DAY EIGHT

After spending a couple more days with our son and his family, we set off to head back home with our first planned stop being Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, a Bucket List for my hubby ... I, on the other hand, had never had any desire to see the Grand Canyon, my reason???  Oh, its just a big ol hole in the ground, I've seen pictures, I've seen documentaries, etc etc etc ... I thought I had seen it ... BUT ya'll, I'm telling you, you ain't seen it unless you've actually SEEN it!!!  I am so glad I honored my hubby's Bucket List!  More about that later ...

We started out early afternoon headed south on I-15 and once we got out  of "metro" Salt Lake City, we cut over to Highway 89, a two lane highway.  There were very few cities, in fact, there were only small small towns between the Salt Lake City suburbs and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon ... most so small, I'm not sure you can call them a town but more of a community.  Pretty little towns/communities with Mom and Pop restaurants and hotels, a couple gas stations (maybe) and some even had a red light or two!!!!  Not much traffic either though so it was an enjoyable ride and oh what beautiful countryside!!!

We stopped in Mount Carmel, Utah for the night around 8 pm ... mainly because we had very little and sporatic cell/internet service and just happened to be hungry so we stopped at a Best Western with a Mom/Pop restaurant ... we figured it may be our best bet considering we had no idea IF the next little town/community would have a hotel (or a vacancy).  Plus ... we wanted to see the Grand Canyon and surrounding areas in the daylight!

NOTE: Important note here ... all these little towns/communities had pretty, clean and quaint little Mom and Pop hotels that I would have gladly spent the night in!!!!  Playing it by ear, this is where we ended up.

One of those Mom/Pop Hotels in the background ... we did not stay here though.

Soooooo ... we stopped for the night in Mount Carmel, a pretty little town and the Best Western was, I believe, THE only hotel in town and it just so happened it had a restaurant and we were both a little tired and hungry.

Thunderbird Restaurant "Home of the Ho Made Pies" was where we had supper since there was nothing for miles and miles ... it was pretty much our only choice.  It is a pretty cool looking place from the outside and is attached to the Best Western, which itself was kinda an old style hotel but clean and very well maintained.  But back to the restaurant.  We walked in and it was typical diner style atmosphere, nothing wrong with that ... menu was typical diner food and nothing wrong with that BUT their prices were ridculously HIGH ... they KNEW they could charge outrageous prices so they did.  $15 for a burger and fries, the burger being a frozen formed thin burger on a generic mass made bun with a piece of lettuce, tomato and onion on the side ... they did bring mustard and ketchup to the table ... AND the fries were frozen fries.  WE WERE NOT IMPRESSED!!!!  Fifteen bucks each ya'll ... our bill was over $30 with tax and tip as we had water (with lemon) to drink ... you'd think for that price we would have had gourmet burgers and home cut fries!!!!!!  So we didn't dare try their "Ho Made Pies".  I wouldn't recommend this place, BUT, like I said, choices were extremely limited in the middle of no freaking wheresville.

Next post, North Rim, Grand Canyon and Grand Canyon Highway ...

STAY TUNED!!!