We shot over to Montrose, Colorado to visit my cousin Steve and his wife, Jody. They had retired to Montrose from the Phoenix area buying a very nice home on a nice size piece of property and workshop to keep Steve busy. We toured the town and had a great lunch with some local microbrew. Montrose is way bigger than I remember it. But then again last time I was there was probably in 1985. Do you know they now have a proper airport and jet airplanes fly in and out… several times a day? I have a vague recollection of flying into Montrose on a cold November day on a Rocky Mountain Airways Flight shivering in the back of a DeHavilland Twin Otter and hoping the airport would be open and I could get a ride to the hotel…. the times they are a changing…Back when I was going back and forth through that area, the city of Montrose had about 9,000 folks. Now there are about 22,000 folks in the city. The county has grown pretty visibly also.
We had a delightful visit with Steve and Jody. He and I of course got into it over something that I don’t remember. We do not have similar political views.
The classic selfie. The good-looking photo bombers in the back are my younger cousin Steve (I believe he is the only Hagar who absolutely has to wear a hat in winter) and his better half, Jody!
By the next morning, the smoke had cleared, and we said our goodbyes and headed across the mountains to Four Corners. I had a fond memory of stopping there in about 1980 or 1981 (or so) with my buddy Jim Sullivan and striking the characteristic pose with one foot in Colorado and Arizona and the other in Utah and New Mexico.
Four Corners in 1980 or 1981 (or so). This was a trip that Sully and I had started to visit Yellowstone with our bicycles. We got snowed out of western Wyoming before reaching Yellowstone and returned to Golden and decided to go visit the Grand Canyon. A fortuitous decision that has led to at least nine additional trips to the Canyon.
But alas, commercialism has hit the Four Corners. The Four Corners sit in the Navajo Nation and the Nation has decided to monetize visits there. Joni and I were not willing to part with $16 for a two-minute photo opportunity. Also, I was not sure I could get a picture without fences and signs and little merchandise kiosks everywhere.
From there, on to the Grand Canyon for a quick overnight stop with evening and morning oohing and aahing and sight-seeing. We entered the park from the east entrance stopping at the Desert View Watchtower which was designed by Mary Colter who we have talked about in earlier posts. She had designed and supervised construction of the La Posada Hotel in Winslow, Arizona, an absolute must stop location if you are roaring across I-40.
I have always wanted to stay in the El Tovar, which was opened in 1905 by the Atchinson, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. We had ventured inside on several of our previous trips, and it is an amazing building. Unfortunately, a one-night stay in the El Tovar without much advance notice will set a back $500.00. We did get a much more reasonable price in the park at Yavapai Lodge which was very nice. Rather than waxing poetic on the geology of the Grand Canyon, just some evening views from the South Rim. If you click or double-click on photo, it will enlarge. Use the back arrow on your browser to get back to the blog,
Before we get the morning sightseeing in, a couple of shots from 1981 (or so). This day started with a short hike down to the first tunnel on the Bright Angel Trail. We extended down to Indian Gardens and back. While we did not make the river, this would be the first of several Canyon hikes with various groups of friends over several years.
After a very restful night in the woods at the Yavapai, we brewed up some morning coffee and got our stuff together for the ride back home… but first… A hike along Rim Trail and pictures with a stop at the geology museum and then ending up at the Visitor Center and bookstore.
After a week of National Parks with magnificent scenery and accommodations, we pointed westward and took I-40 toward Needles, California hoping to see Snoopy’s brother Spike. Just before Needles, we turned south on US 95 and then through the desert back home. Another amazing adventure!