Day 7

WOW!  What a day! If I had to choose a day of favorites so far, today would be my pick.  Although it was our longest drive yet, it was the most spectacular.  We began in Cortez, CO and ended in Kanab, UT.

First stop - Four Corners region.  This is the only spot in the United States where four states touch.  It is rather inconspicuous, out in the middle of nowhere on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation.  Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico all come together in one corner.

Shortly after leaving Four Corners, we came upon a roadside stand where two Navajo women were preparing food - barbecue ribs and Indian fry-bread.  Much to our dismay, we had just eaten at Burger King, but stopped anyways to try fry-bread.  While waiting for our bread, the woman cooking the meat gave Steve a sample - oh my, was it delicious.
Then we are all more sorry we had eaten at a burger!  For the record - fry-bread is scrumptious - somewhat like a tortilla but more tender and flavorful.  We had half with powdered sugar and half with salt (just to be authentic!)

Next - Monument Valley.  I sit here and try to think of adjectives to describe the beauty - but words fail.  The best way to describe the sights would be to think of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring landscape of tall, massive monoliths that you can imagine, then multiply the beauty 100 times.  Hopefully the pictures will convey at least a fraction of the beauty.  My favorite place so far!

We drove through the southernmost tip of Glen Canyon National Park and Lake Powell.  This area was quite busy and appeared to be a playground for the wealthy according to the size of the watercraft!

Next - Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument, a multi-hued landscape of chocolate, vermilion, white, gray, and pink cliffs and canyons.  Again, almost too beautiful for words!

We did not explore much in Glen Canyon or Grand-Escalante - we have realized that this area is just too rich in sights to be  able to see it all, no matter how organized!

Next -
We arrived finally arrived at our destination - Kanab UT. Kanab is known as "Little Hollywood" as many movies have been made here.  We are staying in "world famous" Parry's Lodge, where the stars stayed while making their movies.  We watched "Sierra" tonight in the barn where John Wayne, Butch Cassidy, Roy Rogers and others stabled their horses while filming.  Many, many famous stars have stayed here, including Ronald Reagan, George Hamilton, Burl Ives, Clint Eastwood, Roy Rogers, Dale
Evans, John Carradine, you get the idea!  We drove out into the canyon and saw the remains of the set from Gunsmoke.  Kind of brings the old west to life!

Well, after re-reading this blog, no wonder we are ready to call it a day!

Until tomorrow - and Zion National Park,
the tired but happy travelers