We head out a bit earlier today, for we expect a long day. The first part of our journey is through the pine forests around Flagstaff, but once we turn North the landscape quickly changes. First it becomes flat and deserty, but as we drive on, mesa’s start to show, and cliffs to the left of us, while to the right of us in the plateau canyons appear. This is to be expected, as we turn left at Highway 64 and enter the Grand Canyon South Rim road!

We get to the Grand Canyon Park and after paying the entrance fee stop at a number of viewpoints. I won’t write much about it, since pictures are better, mabye. Although pictures can’t capture the grandeur of it all, nor the dimensions. The Grand Canyon is truly a world class destination, and that shows! As the day progresses, the number of people increases.

An interesting fact is that when the first European to find the Canyon, Garcia Lopez de Cardenas, saw it, he thought of it as a barren desert wasteland and his only concern was to find a way down to be able to cross to the other side. Local Hopi natives convinced him after a few days of trying that there was no such way, and he turned around and left. There was a way of course, only the locals didn’t want him to find it. Their ploy succeeded and it would be another 300 years before the next colonist arrived and would find a way down.

The weather is luckily not too hot, though the clouds obscure the sight a bit if you look far away. Nevertheless, we have a great time walking along and exploring the South Rim trail. Sadly, our last stop near the Hopi House and the El Tovar hotel, can’t go through because a) there is no free parking spot left nearby and b) we are running out of time. And so we leave the park and drive South towards Williams, where we’ll rejoin Route 66 again. We have missed the part between Flagstaff and Williams, but the Grand Canyon was worth it!

In Williams we see a steam locomotive and a brothel turned motel. Jonathan finds another shop which sells license plates so his day can’t get any better. But we have to push on, because we want to be in Seligman in time for all locations to be open.

And thus we enter Seligman shortly after 4pm and manage to visit the famous barbershop of Ango Delgadillo (he is not present), and the famous Snow Cap Drive in. Seligman in a large part inspired the creators of Cars and the town of Radiator Springs is based on Seligman. So it is special to have dinner at the Snow Cap Inn and sleep in the Historic Route 66 Motel here! We’re in the middle of nowhere and the internet is not working, but that can’t spoil the fun. Besides, we’ll try to go to the Roadkill cafe (yes, that’s a real establishment) because they DO have wifi, apparently. I hope I can post this blog there today, including the pictures!

((pic of the neon sign at night to follow tomorrow 🙂 ))