Road to Kanab,Utah

Today's ride was an exercise in faith. We left the hotel at the Grand Canyon around 9 and drove through the park then got on 89 north. Rt 89 is a two lane road with everyone trying to go 80 mile an hour. That's the guy behind you and the guy coming at you across the thin yellow line. At 70 mph, we were the poky one, and cars just kept passing us... barely in time to avoid oncoming traffic.

89 skirted the canyon for some miles north and then the landscape began to look different as we climbed up and down the mesas of northern Arizona and got into some real desert areas. Later the landscape turned more to ranges where we spotted cattle and horses grazing.






We stopped at one of the many "scenic views" along the route where natives sell their jewelry and wares on makeshift tables shaded by umbrellas and in stands by the side of the road.




We planned to stop for lunch in Page, AZ, which is on Lake Powell. Page is a new city, founded in 1959, with current population of 6000. All the buildings are modern and well kept.




At Lake Powell is a huge dam built in the early 60s , which must supply good jobs to this desert oasis, and around which the town grew up. The average household income for Page is $56,000, higher than Flagstaff and Grand Canyon. And we found a Starbucks inside the Safeway Grocery, more proof of prosperity! Good coffee has been hard to come by out west. Maybe it's too hot here to be important to many. No Newman's Own at Macky D's. Not a Dunkin Donuts in sight.

Just past Lake Powell, we crossed into Utah, and the clock went back an hour to Mountain Time from Arizona's Pacific Zone. It's hard enough to figure out what day it is, let alone the time! This is where a cellphone comes in handy, always realigning immediately. However, we cannot figure out how to change the car clock, and apparently Emily never did either. When we started the trip back in CT it was already one hour off. Yesterday we were subtracting 4 hours, and today it's minus 3!

It's naturally dry in this desert climate but a real curiosity out here is how they talk about "reclaimed water." We first saw this term in a rest room in Flagstaff where we were warned not to drink the water. This "reclaimed water" was in a toilet and I can't imagine why they needed a sign like this. Next this warning appeared on our Grand Canyon hotel bathroom seat cover, but instead of "do not drink," we should not "come in contact" with the water in the toilet nor on the lawn out front. Made me hope I wasn't splashed by accident! Then there's the half flush and the full flush. Some give you the choice. If you hold down the half flush button for a long time, does it equal a full flush? I guess there are some advantages to living in the land of spring showers.

We arrived in dusty Kanab, where many western movies and TV shows were shot over the years. We had THE BEST dinner at a place called Rocking V Cafe. TripAdvisor has yet to let us down. Tomorrow we head for Bryce Canyon,80 miles north. We'll return to Kanab tomorrow night and then head out to Las Vegas by way of Zion National Park on Sunday. Ray got us tickets to a David Copperfield show, so that's how we'll be celebrating the 4th of July.