Traipsing off to Page, AZ

snow capped mountains near Flagstaff, AZ

While the roof was being repaired, we enjoyed spending the time with my friend Ruth and her new husband Tim. We 'moved in' for 2-1/2 weeks and had a great time. The second week we were there we went on a road trip to Page, AZ. What a beautiful place! It's about a 4 hour drive and our phone cameras were busy. We discovered that we had no way to recharge our phone enroute, so that put a bit of a damper on it. It was a fun surprise to pass snow along the way.

Wahweap overlook of Lake Powell

 We were able to get a 'room' which was like a small 2 bedroom apartment with a full kitchen for a very reasonable price. The owner of the Red Rock Motel was very helpful in pointing out places of interest around Page. We made it to the Wahweap Lookout just as the sun was setting, and it was gorgeous! 360 degree views and fascinating rock formations all around. But the wind was cold, so we didn't linger.
    The next morning we went on a tour of the Glen Canyon dam which was quite interesting. The town of Page essentially grew up around the people who came to build the dam.

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With so much to do here, it seems that only 2 nights is not enough time. Next time a week! I really want to do the raft trip that starts at the base of the dam and goes to Horseshoe Bend and back. It's hard to see in the picture, but there are blue rafts in the river.

Jerry and Ruth coming through the slot canyon,

Ruth coming up the ancient aluminum ladder!

Tim climbing up to the rock formations.

This shows the scale of Cathedral Canyon.

The Four Sisters rock formation, a part of our tour.

Ruth had especially wanted to see Antelope Canyon, the most famous of the red rock canyons, but tours were booked out weeks in advance. I think the tour we took to Cathedral Canyon and to see a couple of other rock formations in a group of 7 was much better than dealing with the crowds in Antelope Canyon which can be as many as 200! It was a fun tour and well worth the time and money to see it. We had a 4-wheel ride in to see it on sandy roads which just added to the fun.

Panoramic view of Horseshoe Bend, just south of Page, AZ

When we headed back the next day, we stopped at Horseshoe Bend and hiked the 3/4 mile to the rim. It was pretty amazing to see in person and there were lots of people there. I heard all kinds of languages, and people came from many different countries: China, Japan, Australia, England, Mexico, France, Germany, etc. were some that I identified.

Selfie at Midgley Bridge in front of Oak Creek as it flows towards Sedona, AZ

    What a fun road trip and a great way to spend my birthday.

    But wait, there's more! Not only did I get to spend my birthday with Ruth, but when we got back to Phoenix, she had a dinner party for me. She invited a couple of friends over and after a yummy dinner and candles in gluten free cupcakes, we played games. She even got me a dozen red roses! 

   But wait, there's even more! My cousin Stephanie was able to come from Deming, NM. I haven't seem her for over 30 years and it seemed as if we just picked up where we left off--but with quite a bit to catch up on! The next day we went and had pedicures and manicures together for a fun girly time. Next year it's on my "must-do list" to go to Deming to visit with her and her family.