{"id":1568,"date":"2022-10-15T17:14:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-15T17:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/themuellerfamily.org\/htr\/?p=1568"},"modified":"2022-10-24T14:51:23","modified_gmt":"2022-10-24T14:51:23","slug":"week-8-arizona-grand-canyon-petrified-forest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themuellerfamily.org\/htr\/2022\/10\/15\/week-8-arizona-grand-canyon-petrified-forest\/","title":{"rendered":"Week 8 Arizona – Grand Canyon\/Petrified Forest"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

October 15, 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week was a combination of traveling a few days without any sightseeing as we have to be to Raleigh, North Carolina before October 26th<\/sup> for Frank\u2019s job, and seeing some really amazing sights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10\/8- Headed out today for what turned out to be a much longer drive than we planned. We stopped at for lunch at a fun place called Peggy\u2019s Sue\u2019s 50\u2019s Diner. It has been around since 1954 and has grown from 9 counter stools and 3 booths to several different themed rooms for dining. As we were getting out of our RV a rough looking gentleman stepped out of his car and approached us. As we never can park too close due to the size of our motor home it made me a little nervous. He had been sitting in a car when we had pulled in. He explained to us that his car had broken down and his charger for his phone was not working and he was not able to call anyone to pick him up. It is easy to be skeptical and figure someone is about to ask you for money but all he asked was if he could borrow a phone charger. We had one that fit his phone and he took it back to his car promising to return it later. We locked up the RV and went in to eat a little nervous about if he would come back and try to get into our RV. We enjoyed the atmosphere of Peggy\u2019s Sues from the dining room to the bathrooms. When we were finished for our lunch we headed out to our RV and the gentleman walked over to our RV and returned our phone charger. He thanked us and said he was able to get hold of someone from his church to pick him up. I felt bad for how I judged him based on how he looked but was happy that we were able to help him get on his way. http:\/\/www.peggysuesdiner.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Betty Boo welcome us<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The Office of the Wizard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The story of Peggy Sues<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Entering the original part of the place<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The area we dined in<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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It featured the Blues Brothers,<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Elvis, and<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Betty again<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Bathroom break<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A surprise in the woman’s bathroom<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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and also a reminder<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The men’s bathroom<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We had booked a Harvest Host campground for the night. Harvest Host are free campsites that usually are wineries, breweries, museums or some other attraction that have a large parking lot they don\u2019t mind sharing with campers if they will visit their establishment and spend some money there. We had booked a place at an old Route 66 Motel and Caf\u00e9. As we approached the exit we noticed several big trucks and a few RV\u2019s sitting on the side of the road. We got off the exit and found the road we needed to take had a big sign warning that the road was closed due to flooding, so we had no other choice to go on and find somewhere else to stay that night. We stopped for a bit at Area 66 in hopes of exploring it but it was closed down and their parking lot was so tight we had to unhook the Jeep to turn around and then rehook it. We had thought about just spending the night there but it was not a great place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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No aliens around and little to see<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I continued to make phone calls while we drove through pouring rain. We were able to find a KOA in Kingman Arizona which had a tent site that was big enough for us to pull in but of course that meant no hook-ups for the night. We weren\u2019t too worried about that because we had planned to dry camp at the Harvest Host and had an inverter that was supposed to run a laptop, fan, etc. They only charged us a few dollars for the tent site and we got set up. That is when we found that the inverter we had bought from Amazon before our trip was not working. We were able to have lights from the RV battery and open some windows and get a good night\u2019s rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10\/9- Because we had traveled much farther down the road than we had planned the Harvest Host place we had booked for tonight\u2019s stop was only a couple hours away and much too early for us to stop at for the night. We had been excited to stop at Keepers of the Wild as it is a preserve that provides care for abused, neglected, abandoned or retired captured wildlife. The host has promised a tour of the reserve and that we would be able to feed the animals by putting meat down a chute into their cages. Since it sounded like a neat place we decided to at least make it a stop on our trip even though we couldn\u2019t spend the night. We enjoyed out time walking around and seeing the various animals they had there. https:\/\/www.keepersofthewild.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh My! and a few other creatures who wanted to pose too.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We had decided to take advantage of our being a day ahead of schedule to have an extra day at the Grand Canyon so while we were driving I was busy calling ahead to see if the campground we had booked for the next two nights would have space for us that night. Unfortunately they were full but they referred us to a sister campground just a few more miles down the road from Williams, Arizona and they were able to put us up for one night. Once we got to the campground and hooked up we went into Williams, Arizona which was the last town on Route 66 to be bypassed by interstate 40 in 1984. It was a fun town to check out and had a visitor\u2019s center where we able to get information on the Grand Canyon and they gave us a forest map with dirt roads we could do some off-roading on. Then we headed back to the campground to do some laundry before going to sleep for the night as we had an early morning planned. https:\/\/experiencewilliams.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Downtown Williams AZ. We went to the visitor center there where we got our map for off-roading.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

10\/10- Today was Columbus Day so Frank didn\u2019t have to work so that gave us the whole day to explore and have fun. We got up at 5 am so we could drive up to the Grand Canyon to watch the sunrise. It was an amazing experience. We were afraid we were not going to make it in time as just before we got to the canyon we saw just a hint of the dawn. But we got there and found a wonderful place to watch the sunrise and the changes it made to the canyon as it rose. We were told to stay for at least an hour after we first saw the sun as the canyon would continue to change and it did. We wandered to several different viewing areas during this time and were amazed to find how many people considered the fences as a suggestion and choose to climb out over them to get better pictures of themselves in front of the canyon. I was afraid I was going to watch someone fall and die before my eyes and was grateful I did not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sunrise over the Grand Canyon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After viewing the sunset we saw a helicopter place on our way back to our campsite. We both had never been up in a helicopter and I tend to have a fear of flying but had been told that would be the best and one of the most amazing ways to see the whole Grand Canyon in a short time. We decided you only live once and we might as well put a helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon on our bucket list and stopped and booked one for the afternoon. It was a splurge but well worth it. https:\/\/www.papillon.com\/grand-canyon-national-park\/helicopter-tours\/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwnbmaBhD-ARIsAGTPcfUczm7UGkfNV0_4xcociKur3h-cjP2elQS8bA9yymU7YXfiyUgochgaAvSOEALw_wcB<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Yep this sign was right on the way<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We got back to our campsite and got our RV packed up and moved it to the other campground we had booked in Williams, Arizona. I hopped out to help Frank hook up as I usually do and walked into a swarm of hornets. I glanced down at the ground and didn\u2019t know what was flying around at my feet until one flew up my pant leg and stung me. The last time I had been stung by a bee was 1982 at Shasta Lake and I had a bad allergic reaction and had to be taken by an ambulance to the hospital and be given a shot to relieve my breathing. So I was terrified I would have the same experience. I no longer had an epi-pen as mine had expired many years ago and I had never gotten it refilled. I remember a Doctor telling me if I didn\u2019t have an epi-pen close to take Benadryl before going to the hospital. Luckily we had some liquid Benadryl and I took a big shot of it before we headed off to the emergency room. When I saw the Doctor I wasn\u2019t having a strong reaction to the sting. He said that due to the amount of time since my last sting and the fact it was a hornet not a bee my body may not have recognized it as something I was allergic too. Also he felt the Benadryl was a big help in keeping any reaction down. He wrote me a script for a new epi-pen which I now have on hand if it is ever needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of the need to go to the Emergency room we thought we would miss our helicopter ride. But we were able to drive directly from the ER to the helicopter place and make our flight just in time. I am so glad we decided to do it and that we didn\u2019t miss it. The experience was incredible. We were constantly taking pictures throughout the whole flight. There were times when the helicopter would shake a bit and my heart would jump into my throat but I am glad I overcame my fear of flying to do this once in a lifetime experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Getting ready to board the helicopter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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I think we both were a little nervous<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The helicopter takes off<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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I survived take-off<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Colorado River cutting through the canyon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Colorado River cutting through the canyon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Colorado River cutting through the canyon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The Little Colorado River<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The mixing of the two rivers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Spotted a rainstorm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Amazing views<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Amazing views<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Amazing views<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Amazing views<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Amazing views<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Amazing views<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Amazing views<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Amazing views<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The fall colors<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Occasionally he would tip the helicopter to the side<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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I managed to survive that too<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Making sure all the instruments are working<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Our pilot safely brought us back<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After we got back from the helicopter flight we went to the RV office to talk to them about the hornets. We could see the trees in the campground literally shaking due to the amount of hornets in each tree. They said the trees release sap this time of the year which attract the hornets and each site would be the same. We told them we could not stay there and they were gracious enough to give us our money back. We found a place in Williams that was downtown. Our RV spot was next to the railroad tracks and the crossing, so when a train came through we could hear the ding-ding-ding before we heard the whistle. Fortunately we only had two trains come through overnight and we will only be here one more night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10\/11- Frank had to go back to work today so while he was working I did some running around in town. The weather has turned really cool and since we left in August I really didn\u2019t think about packing a lot of clothes for cooler weather. I went and got some warm pajama pants, a long sleeve shirt and a sweat shirt to deal with the chill we have been feeling. Once Frank got off work at 2 pm we headed out to explore some of the roads on the Forestry map. We had fun bouncing along and checking out the sights that most don\u2019t get to see. We found a fire tower and eventually made our way into the Grand Canyon the back way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Off-Roading near the Grand Canyon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We drove up to Desert View Watchtower as we were told that would be the best place to watch the sunset. Desert View Watchtower was built in the 1930\u2019s one of the few woman architects of the time, Mary Colter.  We met a nice couple from Florida who shared their bench with us and we were able to enjoy watching the sunset over the over canyon while visiting with them about their adventures. By the time the sunset it was pretty cool so everyone left the area fairly quickly. We stopped for dinner Tusayan before heading back to our RV for our last night in Williams, Arizona. https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/articles\/marycolter.htm<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The sun setting over the Grand Canyon at Desert View Watchtower<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

10\/12- We left Williams this morning after Frank got done with his morning shift. We stopped in town first to get him a couple warmer shirts for the chilly weather. Then we headed to Flagstaff where we found a UPS store to send back the broken inverter to Amazon and to Wal-Mart to purchase a replacement one. The drive to our campground near Meteorite Crater was short and we were able to tour the crater before he had to go back to work. We enjoyed the interactive video and viewing the massive hole in the ground. https:\/\/meteorcrater.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Exploring Meteorite Crater<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

10\/13- When Frank got off work today we went to downtown Winslow, Arizona. In the 1970\u2019s The Eagles wrote and sang the song Take It Easy which has been copied by several other groups since. There is one line is the song about Winslow, Arizona and so the city took advantage of that line to create what has become a big tourist attraction. Now people come from everywhere to stand on the corner of Winslow Arizona and pose with the statues there. We had a great time exploring the local business and of course doing some posing of our own. https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/lyrics\/eagles\/take-it-easy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Standing on the corner of Winslow Arizona <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While we were wandering around downtown we found out that at one time Brigham Young had sent a group to settle the area and build what they called Brigham City. The settlement did not last long and after they left the area it fell into disuse, but there were still a few clues that they were once there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Evidence of Brigham City in Winslow<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

10\/14- What a long day this turned out to be. After Frank got done this morning we headed out to the Petrified Forest. We passed by another portion of old Route 66 and saw the WigWam Motel where people sleep in teepees for the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wigwam Motel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We knew we would only have an hour to see it if we were to get to our campground in time for Frank to go back to work this afternoon. Still we were excited to experience the Petrified Forest even if we had to rush through it a bit and the park service site said we could easily explore a few sites in an hour. Unfortunately once we entered the park we found out there was no rushing on the park roads in our RV. We had to take things much slower than we planned and 2 plus hours later we finally reached the end of the 28 mile road through the park. The views were amazing and we were sad to have missed several we really wanted to see but we just didn\u2019t have time to stop. https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/pefo\/index.htm<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Exploring the Petrified Forest National Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Once we left the park we still had time to get to our campground and for Frank to start work just a half hour late. Then a couple miles down the highway from the Petrified Forest the highway came to a complete stop for over an hour. We saw a notice that 18 miles ahead there was a truck fire. We waited and finally traffic started to move again. But then a few miles down the road it came to a complete stop again for another half hour. Finally we started moving for the remaining miles at 2 to 3 mph. By the time we finally got to the truck fire we could see why the road had been shut down. A truck was full of camping gear including a bunch of propane bottles. The firefighters had cut open the trailer of the truck and had fought to get the fire put out. By that time it was way too late in the day for Frank to get any work done. One thing we hate to do is set up camp after dark but because of the delays and going from Pacific to Mountain Time we did not arrive at our campground until 7 pm and had to set up in the dark. We weren\u2019t the only ones pulling in that late as several more campers had also been stuck in the traffic. We were happy to arrive in New Mexico and ready for a good night\u2019s rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10\/15- Another long day on the road but this was on purpose. We needed to start pushing to get to North Carolina in time for Frank\u2019s work meeting on October 26th<\/sup>. We got up this morning and I needed to do the wash so I got busy. I got about halfway through before I realized that my watch was still on Pacific Time and there was no way I was going to be done in time to check out at the required 11 am time. I spoke to the people who owned the campground and they were nice enough to let us stay until 12:15 pm when the dryer was done. Some of our wash was still damp at that point but we hung it over things inside the RV and Jeep before heading off. Drove all day to the edge of Amarillo and dealt with another time change to central time, which once again meant we got in after dark. We decided that New Mexico has the worst roads in the country. We were bouncing down the road most of the day trying to avoid the major potholes. We were glad when we entered Texas and the roads improved. Tomorrow we head to Oklahoma City where we will be stationary for a few days and will be glad to stand still for a bit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

October 15, 2022 This week was a combination of traveling a few days without any sightseeing as we have to be to Raleigh, North Carolina before October 26th for Frank\u2019s job, and seeing some really amazing sights. 10\/8- Headed out today for what turned out to be a much longer drive than we planned. We…Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/themuellerfamily.org\/htr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/themuellerfamily.org\/htr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/themuellerfamily.org\/htr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themuellerfamily.org\/htr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themuellerfamily.org\/htr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1568"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/themuellerfamily.org\/htr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1568\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1701,"href":"https:\/\/themuellerfamily.org\/htr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1568\/revisions\/1701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/themuellerfamily.org\/htr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themuellerfamily.org\/htr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themuellerfamily.org\/htr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}