Emily started out driving. The scenery was certainly more beautiful today! I drove the second half of the morning to Tuba City, AZ, where we stopped for a late lunch at McDonalds / Subway. This drive on 2-lane highways though rural Indian reservations let me see a different way of life that I had not previously seen in the USA. I can see why life on reservations can be difficult. It was shocking to see what would be generally considered to be favelas/slums/etc. in other countries in our own country (and not in the big cities where I would expect them, but out in the rural countryside). As our car discussed how poor Arizona education is, I could not help but think that online learning and curriculum should really be able to drastically improve education if bureaucracy would allow it. There seemed to be a disproportionate amount of 'no drinking and driving' signs in this area as well. All in all, it was a sobering drive with lots of time to think.
After lunch Emily drove 1.5 hours to Lake Powell. We walked on the bridge over the Glen Canyon dam, visited the visitor's center (where a nice ranger gave us an overview of the area on a big, carved stereofoam map), and then we hiked 1.5 miles round trip to the Horseshoe Bend Overlook. The hike was much easier than we anticipated, and the trail and viewpoint were pretty crowded. But it was worth it! The view was great! It is interesting that you have to pay an access fee for almost everything else in the area, but not for the Horseshoe Bend hike and overlook. We also noted some people having what had to be a very expensive picnic dinner outing at the bottom of the canyon (we suppose they came up in boats from Lee's Ferry) as well as some pit toilets in the canyon (which I suppose are safe enough since the dam controls the river level).
After the short hike, Emily drove about an hour to our camp site near Kanab. We quickly set up camp at site 1 in the Ponderosa Grove NRA camp ground and started preparing our mango, black beans, and mandarin orange tacos. The meal seemed well received, and just the right size.
Emily and I retired to our tent shortly after dinner was cleaned up, as we were planning to wake up at 5:50am.
Hot air balloon from the La Quinta parking lot in Albuquerque
Big sky, as the road seemingly continues forever
Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam
The last part of the trail to Horseshoe Bend
At Horseshoe Bend
Iconic Horseshoe Bend picture - you can see the picnic party and the pit toilet at the tip of the horseshoe
Our group at Horseshoe Bend (photo by Tommy Vinyard)
Lots of people made their way out to the Horseshoe Bend viewpoint
Toby by our kitchen at Ponderosa Grove Campground (photo by Tommy Vinyard)
