Headed north to escape hurricane fallout

After hearing about Texas floods and more on the way, decided to change our route.  Today we got all the way to Colorado.  We may run into snow but at least we know how to drive on that.

For some reason my photos didn't attach

Grand Canyon pics

Grand Canyon day

Our trip to the Grand Canyon was great.  So many beautiful sites from Page, AZ to the south rim.  It was cool once we got there, so moving fast helped. We came upon a deer and an elk later close to the road.  Stopped in at Cameron Trading Post for a break and ate our picnic lunch there in the garden.  So many pretty flowers blooming.  Bees galore.  We caught the shuttle early evening to get back to the car.  Leaving out of the park we came upon a huge elk standing by the road.  He was towering over the car, so glad he didn't run out. Drove back to Page under a clear, fall night.  Stars were filling the sky.

In search for the sun

We headed to Best Friends animal sanctuary today.  It was in Kanab, so we only had to drive 12min.  What an enjoyable day.  We went on the tour, they have over 3000 acres.  What a great rescue program.  Did a couple gift shops and then on to Page, AZ.

We have a beautiful suite overlooking mountains.  Fantastic day.

Crummy weather follows us

Our motel last night was in set in a mini western town.  Our room was in the Rustler building. Felt like being on a movie set.  We went to Bryce Canyon despite rain, fog and cool weather.  It was still beautiful and it gave us time to take on the movie playing in the visitor center about the canyon.  Sun broke out by late afternoon and we got a bit of hiking in.  Decided given the fact rain was coming back to the area we would head out.  Now in Kanab, Utah and should be back to AZ by sometime tomorrow.

Once again posting a day late. These photos are from a crazy weather day  in the west. We got rain, sleet, snow, dust, flash floods, lightning, and wind.  Felt at times we were in a movie.  Guess the Midwest is giving us a hard time for leaving.

Since the snow shut down the road into Yosemite we had to leave. It was beautiful from a distance and hope to see it next time.

We started seeing lots of big clouds on our drive east and noticed storms forming in the distance.  Ahead of us at times the storms were dumping tons of water and it was moving fast down the mountains and over roads.  Came thru one area so covered with dry mud from flooding yesterday that 2 big scraper trucks were trying to help find the road for motorist.  We were escorted by police to the area of clear road.

Got through that to find a steer standing in the road starring us down as he was going to cross.  This area was all open range, so no fence.  Then farther down the road I saw a cow that was getting closer but walking slow so I sped up and the cow must've had a death wish as he decides to run out into the road. Missed him.

We saw various signs today, besides road closed and flash floods/ roads closed. There were watch out for elk, steer, bears, and the funniest was cow flying aircraft. Someone changed the L into a C.

Had to reroute just north of Vegas and waited out the mess on the closures. Very thankful to find a motel tonight.

The end of Route 66

This is what happened on Saturday the 17th, even though I'm posting on the 18th.  It was a crazy, super late day of driving.  

Lots of pictures of the landscape on our final drive on Route 66.  Even thru in a mudslide shot, since so many of the roads are still closed due to them.  It certainly changed some of our plans.

Once we fought the bumper to bumper traffic(the IPhone picture shows red on the highway due to all the stopped or slowed cars.  Motorcycles seem to be allowed to come between cars on the white dotted lines to go past 2 cars. 

Once we were done at the coast we loaded up for a 5hr trip to a lodge outside Yosemite. Pulled in by 11:30 and finishing this blog at 1:30. Short night but excited to get back to nature and enjoy the park, never been there.

California here we are

We left Williams AZ today to head out to California.  Since storms are going to hit Grand Canyon for the next few days we opted to catch that on our way back.  Some of the storms did end up catching us, even saw lightning hit the top of a mountain.  Once all thru that we witnessed a beautiful double rainbow in the desert.

Our destination was Barstow, CA so that in a matter of a couple hours we'll be in Santa Monica tomorrow, the trails end.

Today is my brothers Bday and we ate at a delicious restaurant called the Idle Saddle. The waiter told the other customers it was his bday so we all sang to him.  So Great.  This will be a birthday he won't soon forget.