USA
Red Rocks Tour
29 April - 19 May 2006

We left home shortly before 7 a.m. for our 9:40 a.m. Delta flight to Las Vegas. After 9.5 hours flying time we landed on schedule in Atlanta at 13:40 local time. Our connecting flight to Las Vegas was due at 15:13. But first we had to pass through immigration and customs. We were lucky as we were able to jump the queue when there was room at the desk for US citizens. So we made it through there in just 30 minutes! We had to transfer from the international to the domestic terminal which took another 15 minutes by train. The 3.5 hours flight to Las Vegas departed on time and we landed 20 minutes early at 4:30 p.m. local time. Just before landing we flew over the Grand Canyon - what a fantastic view! It was hot, around 30 °C. We took the shuttle bus to Alamo to pick up our rental car. We had booked the Equinox category but were allowed to choose any car in the Choice Line. Though there were just 4 cars to choose from. We decided on a 4WD Jeep Liberty.

As hotel prices are expensive in Las Vegas on the weekends we had booked Motel 6 in Tropicana Avenue for the Saturday night. It was still $89 including tax. The room with 2 beds was small, but good enough. The motel is just a few minutes walking distance to the Strip so we went for a short stroll and to grab something to eat before we called it a day as it was already 6 a.m. German time (9 p.m. local time).

On Sunday we woke up as early as 5 a.m., had breakfast at "Coco's" round the corner and did some shopping at Wal-Mart. We were ready to go by 8 a.m. Via Interstate 15 we drove to Valley of Fire State Park ($6 per car) which is an hour’s drive from Las Vegas. We did the Arch Rock Loop Drive and drove the road to the White Domes which features some amazing rock colours: red, white, yellow and so on. We also did a couple of short hikes. We left the park around 2 p.m. and reached the town of Hurricane, Utah, around 4:15 p.m. Pacific Time (while it was already an hour later according to local Utah time). We checked into the Travelodge for 2 nights ($43,50 per night incl. tax for 2 beds, fridge, microwave, W-LAN and coffeemaker). There's also a small heated pool and spa and continental breakfast. For dinner we had burgers at JB’s.

We breakfasted early and left around 7:30 a.m. The 23 miles to Zion National Park took 30 minutes. At the park entrance we purchased the National Parks Pass ($50 per car) which is valid one year. At 8:15 a.m. we boarded the shuttle bus as it's no longer permitted to access the canyon by private vehicle except during the quiet winter months. The early morning air was very crisp, but we soon got hot after we got off the bus at The Grotto and started to climb Angel's Landing. The trail goes up 453m over 2.5 miles. The highest point is 1.763m. It took us an hour to reach Scouts Lookout, afterwards it was quite a steep climb over rocks and through narrow passages with dangerous drop-offs. After another hour we reached the summit. It was 11 a.m. and we probably had around 22 °C. The view over the valley with its surrounding cliffs was gorgeous. The return trip took 1.5 hours. Down in the valley it was 30 °C by now.

After a short break we took the next shuttle bus at 1 p.m. to Temple of Sinawava. From there we did the Riverside Walk that leads up to the entrance of The Narrows. From there the trail that continues through the river was closed due to high water. We got back on the shuttle after 2 hours and returned to the Visitor Center which took 45 minutes. We got back into the car and drove to the Canyon Overlook Trail on the road to Mount Carmel Junction. It was a nice 30 minutes hike with beautiful views. By now it was 4 p.m. and we drove back to Rockville where we followed the sign (easy to overlook) to Grafton Ghost Town. There were a church plus a couple of old houses and a cemetery. We returned to Hurricane via the Smithonian Butte Scenic Backway which is a dirt road connecting onto Highway 59. We were back at the Travelodge shortly before 6 p.m. We had Mexican for dinner at Lupita's ($18.50 including tip).

We left around 7:30 a.m. to drive towards Zion NP. The road to the East Entrance leads through phantastic colourful landscapes. Eventually we reached highway 89 towards Kanab and Page. At 10:30 a.m. we entered Cottonwood Canyon Road, a 46 miles long dirt track which becomes impassable when wet. It leads through some beautiful landscapes even though disfigured in a way due to power poles. After 14 miles we stopped at the turn-off onto Brigham Plains Road where we left the car to hike to Yellow Rock. The beginning of the trail wasn't easy to find but we made our way through Cottonwood Wash and discovered the trail slightly south at the entrance of a small canyon. Then it was up a steep hill of crushed rock. And here our path was crossed by a big snake! We also saw a couple of collared lizards which I enjoyed much more than the snake. The following part  was less steep but partly sandy and marked with cairns. After an hour we reached the bottom of Yellow Rock which is a fossilized sand dune that appears in a myriad of colours, mostly yellow and white, but also streaked with orange and red. We zig-zagged across the rock and took a lot of photos. As Yellow Rock is off the main routes and not very well known, we were all by ourselves. The return trip was just 30 minutes while we almost skidded down the hill of rubble. We were back at the car after 2.5 hours.

It was 3 p.m. when we reached Grosvenor Arch. By now some dark clouds had appeared so it was good that we had reached the end of Cottonwood Canyon Road and were back on the paved road which starts at the turn-off to Kodachrome State Park. We entered the town of Tropic around 4 p.m. and had a look at the motels which all showed vacancies. We decided to check out the Bryce Canyon Inn. The motel room with 2 beds was $72 (incl. Tax). We had dinner at the motel restaurant, basically a pizza place. Here we met a German couple, Eva and André, who we were in contact with via an internet forum. They were travelling a similar route at the same time as we were. We had exchanged photos beforehand and they saw us strolling along the street looking for a place to eat. We would meet them three more times during this trip, while looking for a restaurant in Escalante, on the road in Capitol Reef National Park and at the hotel in Page, Arizona.

When we got up in the morning we surely didn't have more then 0 °C. The restaurants and cafés were still closed at 7 a.m. so that we bought some muffins in plastic-wrapping from the village supermarket and made use of the coffee machine in our room. We left at 7:30. The 10 miles to Bryce Canyon were covered quickly and shortly before 8 a.m. we reached the park entrance station which wasn't staffed yet. The Visitor Center was going to open at 8 a.m. but I still had a map from our previous visit and we had the National Parks Pass, so we didn't linger. It was still too early for Sunrise Point as the light was coming from the wrong direction. We stopped at nearly all the other viewpoints on our way to Rainbow Point where the park road ends after 18 miles. We were still able to drive ourselves but from Memorial Day at the end of May till the end of summer a shuttle service will be operated. At 9:30 a.m. we turned back. This time we stopped at Sunset Point and hiked the combined Navajo / Queens Garden Trail which took us nearly 2 hours. I was actually hoping to see some snow in Bryce which can stay up here till May due to its high elevation, but most of it had already disappeared this year. We left the park around 12 p.m. By now it was 20 °C.

Stopping off once more at the supermarket in Tropic we bought something for a picnic lunch, then we drove to Kodachrome Basin State Park ($6 fee). We drove to Shakespeare Arch and did the little hike of 30 minutes. Then we started off on the Grand Parade Trail, however, we were a bit tired of hiking by then and it wasn't very spectacular, besides the temperatures had reached 30 °C by now. Thus we didn't finish the trail and were back at the car after 40 minutes. By 2:45 p.m. we were on our way to Escalante which took us about an hour. We got a room at the Prospector Inn for 2 nights ($63 per night incl. tax). The room was large with 2 Queen beds. As it wasn’t that late yet, we went to find the Moqui Marbles which are not officially noted anywhere and thus not so easy to find without GPS. But we did come across a description on the internet. Approx. 10 km from Escalante we turned off on a dirt road and after 40 minutes we had found the spot where you can see lots of Moquis that look like small cannon balls. Collecting the marbles is prohibited. Shortly after 6 p.m. we were back in Escalante and had dinner at the Cowboy Blues Restaurant (Chicken & Steak) which was good, however the service was unusually slow.

The following morning the Prospector Inn showed ,No Vacancy'. There was a large group of bikers staying at the motel. We went to get some pastries and coffee from the petrol station, then we checked the weather and road conditions at the Escalante's Visitor  Center which opens at 7:30 a.m. Hole-in-the-Rock Road, which is 55 miles long, is only accessible in dry weather. The ranger advised us of a 20% chance of rain, especially in the afternoon, but we should just keep an eye on the weather... We wanted to hike the Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Slot Canyons which can be accessed via Dry Fork Road 26 miles down Hole-in-the-Rock Road. It took us a bit less than 30 minutes from Escalante to get to the parking area. Shortly after 9 a.m. we started our hike down into the wash following a number of cairns and it didn't take long to reach the first canyon entrance. Slot canyons are very narrow like a tunnel, with usually a lot of twists and turns. They are subject to flash floods after heavy rain, and thus can be dangerous. We went as far as we were able to squeeze in, then turned back. After 2.5 hours we were back at the car and more and more people arrived.

Next we drove as far as Mile 43 and turned off on road 276 to Willow Gulch. Here we were entirely by ourselves. At 1 p.m. we started off on the trail to Broken Bow Arch (3 miles return). You basically hike in a sandy and rocky wash and follow a small river. We reached the arch after an hour and it was really impressive.

While it was fairly cool in the morning, temperatures had reached 27 °C in the afternoon. Some dark clouds came up on the horizon, but luckily it remained dry. We started on the return trip, but made another stop at Devils Garden where we arrived at 4:20 p.m. Here we spent another 30 minutes exploring the peculiar rock formations, before we drove back to Escalante. For dinner we went to the Cowboy Blues again. The burgers were good.

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We had breakfast at the Prospector Inn Café and left at 9 a.m. It was a bit cooler, around 20 °C during the day. Highway 12 between Escalante and Boulder is very scenic with rocky landscapes in various colours. We reached the village of Boulder, Utah, after approximately an hour with a couple of photo stops. Here we turned off onto the Burr Trail which is paved up to the Burr Trail switchbacks. Earlier on the road passes through scenic Long Canyon with its red cliffs. At 12 p.m. we reached the bottom of the switchbacks and turned south. We did a short hike to the entrance of Surprise Canyon. By now dark clouds were threatening on the horizon. Instead of the unpaved Notom-Bullfrog Road north towards Capitol Reef we drove back the same route to Boulder and from there continued on Highway 12 to Torrey. The road passed over 2900m high Boulder Mountain which had some remnants of snow and the aspen trees looked almost dead as they didn't show any budding leaves. It certainly wasn't much more than 10 °C up here, or even less. We reached Torrey at 3.15 p.m. and got a room at Austin’s Chuckwagon Motel. The room was large and clean, with 2 Queen beds for $70 including tax. As it was still fairly early in the day we drove to nearby Capitol Reef National Park and visited the major highlights such as Chimney Rock and Goosenecks Overlook. We also entered the Scenic Drive which leads to Capitol Gorge but we already did this hike through a narrow canyon when we were here in 1998. Otherwise the scenic drive does not have much to offer. Back in Torrey 1.5 hours later we had dinner at the Capitol Reef Inn Café, a recommendation from the internet. We had steak and smoked trout with a large side salad and drinks for $42 including tip. It was very good. While we ate it started to hail outside and a wonderful rainbow appeared.

In the morning Austin’s Chuckwagon Motel offered free coffee, hot chocolate or tee at the adjoining General Store. There was also a bakery where we bought some pastries. We were on the road around 8:30 a.m. It was sunny, not much more than 5 °C! We stopped at the Visitor Center of Capitol Reef National Park and checked on the road conditions for Cathedral Valley. To be able to do the loop drive you have to cross a small river by car. But they said no problem with a jeep! At 9:15 a.m. we reached the river ford. I was a bit hesitant to try it as the water seemed quite high, but then we just did it, following the instructions of the ranger, and we made it through without problem! Cathedral Valley is a 58 miles long dirt road which is still part of Capitol Reef National Park. We passed through the colourful Bentonite Hills and stopped at Lower South Desert Overlook. Upper South Desert Overlook a few miles further on was the highlight with a terrific view. Then came Upper Cathedral Valley Overlook which looks down upon steep cliffs and monoliths. By 11:45 a.m. we reached Hartnet Junction which marked about half way of the tour. By now we had around 20 °C with sunshine and a cool wind. A few dark clouds appeared, but we were able to leave them behind. Another highlight were Temple of the Sun and Temple of the Moon and the peculiar Glass Mountain. Once more we passed through Bentonite Hills with table mountains in the distance. At 2 p.m. and after a 5 hours drive we were back on Highway 24. We had met only 7 other cars.

We drove through the Badlands around Caineville and reached the rather desolate village of Hanksville at 2:15 p.m. We intended to spend the night at the Wispering Sands Motel but the reception was closed with a sign at the door "I'll be back soon". At least the cleaning ladies were still around and they were kind enough to try to contact somebody for us. When someone came round shortly afterwards we were lucky to get the last room! Apparently the Wispering Sands was the only hotel in town that was still operating! The large room was nice enough, but considering the location, at $77 it was fairly expensive, even though it was a Saturday. We heard afterwards that Sunday nights were charged at $10 only (!!) and Mondays at $59.

After checking in we drove to Little White Horse Canyon on the road to Goblin Valley. It was 3:40 p.m. when we started off at the trailhead. There were quite a number of people around. Bell Canyon is left, LWHC to the right. We reached the entrance to the canyon after 15 minutes. After following it for 45 minutes we returned.

At 5:45 p.m. we entered Goblin Valley State Park ($6). We spent another 45 minutes walking around between the funny "goblins". The evening light made for a perfect setting. Back to Hanksville in 30 minutes we had dinner at the Red Rock Restaurant, following a recommendation on the internet. And it was surprisingly good. We had Today’s Special, chicken and mashed potatoes with vegetables and soup for $8.

We checked out at 8 a.m. and bought muffins and a coffee at the petrol station. Then we drove south on Scenic Byway 95. Between Milemarker 20 and 21 we turned off right onto the scenic backway to Bull Creek Pass. After 1.6 miles on the dirt road we reached Little Egypt where we had our breakfast. Little Egypt is similar to Goblin Valley but much smaller and can be visited for free. The red rocks here are streaked with a white band which makes them perhaps even more interesting. We strolled around for 30 minutes, then returned on the same route and crossed Highway 95 into the other direction (east). After another 4.4 miles we reached Sahara Sands and from the top of a hill we were able to spot Arsenic Arch in the distance. We tried to hike down to it, but without a map or GPS it wasn't easy. In the end we gave up as we didn't want to spend too much time. We were back at the car at 10:45 a.m. and drove back onto the highway.

15 minutes later, at Milemarker 28.2, we turned left onto a dirt road that was the trailhead to Leprechaun Canyon which we reached after a short hike of 15 or 20 minutes. The first section is very narrow then the canyon widens with steep walls on both sides. At the end of a narrow tunnel it's hardly possible to continue so we went back. By 12 p.m. we were on the road again.

Driving through a large canyon with red cliffs we approached the Colorado. We stopped at a viewpoint looking down onto Glen Canyon and the bridge crossing the Colorado. Beyond Hite the road becomes rather boring. At 2 p.m. we reached Natural Bridges National Monument which we had visited already in 1998. We did the same loop tour, stopped off at the 3 viewpoints and hiked the short trail down to Owachomo Bridge (20 mins. return), which is the oldest and the most impressing of the 3 bridges.

At the end of an hour we were back on the highway and turned further south onto the 261 to Mexican Hat. Shortly before reaching Moki Dugway we turned off to the right onto a dirt track to Muley Point. We reached the viewpoint at 4 p.m. and looked down upon Monument Valley in the distance. Then we drove down Moki Dugway which drops from 6425 to 1100 feet (335m) over 3 miles. This part of the highway is unpaved. From the viewpoint you can see the Valley of the Gods to the left and Monument Valley to the right. At 5 p.m. we reached Goosenecks State Park (no charge) where you look down upon the loops of the San Juan River.

We found a motel room in Blanding at the Four Corners Inn ($50 incl. tax for a large room with 2 beds and continental breakfast). Most restaurants and the supermarket were closed on a Sunday, but the Old Tymer Restaurant was still open until 8 p.m. Their Mexican food was good ($22 with tip).

After shopping for some food we left around 8:30 a.m. for the Needles District in Canyonlands National Park. From Highway 191 we still had 34 miles to go. At 9:30 a.m. we reached Newspaper Rock with Indian petroglyphs. An hour later we arrived at the trailhead to Chesler Park at Elephant Hill. It was sunny and hot. Hiking the 18 km (11 miles) of the Chesler Park Loop and Joint Trail took us 6 hours and we were exhausted at the end of it. The first half was fun and we passed through impressing landscapes, but the second half which was mostly backtracking the same way we had come was quite hard. The highlight before starting the return trip was the so-called Joint Trail which passes through a narrow cleft.

Afterwards we drove to the end of the main park road at Big Spring Canyon Overlook but this wasn't very interesting as it only looks down into a small canyon. Shortly after 5 p.m. we were on our way to Moab where we arrived at 6:40 p.m. As an outdoor hub Moab's hotels can fill quickly so we had booked in advance at the La Quinta Inn. The room was nice and large with 2 beds, a fridge, coffee maker, W-LAN connection. There was also a pool and spa and they offered a luxury continental breakfast. Thus it was worth the price ($86 + tax for the first 3 nights, $93 + tax for the last night). Unfortunately the hotel was a bit further from the actual town centre than we thought. So it was more convenient to take the car to drive to the restaurants. This night we went to Eddie McStiff’s Brewery. I had a Spinach Walnut Salad with chicken which was very good.

After breakfast we left Moab at 9 a.m. going north and turned off into Potash Road just after the bridge across the Colorado. It was a cloudy morning and we were hoping it would clear up before we reached the Island in the Sky district in the northern part of Canyonlands National Park. We stopped at a couple of petroglyphs and some dinosaur tracks. By 9:40 a.m. we reached the parking area at the trailhead to Corona Arch. It's a 1.5 miles (one-way) trail. Pinto Arch can be seen in the distance and just before Corona Arch the trail passes under Bow Tie Arch. After 35 minutes we reached the base of Corona Arch which is really impressive. It is also known as Little Rainbow Bridge. By 11 a.m. we were back on Potash Road and passed by Jug Handle Arch and the Potash factory. This was the end of the paved road. The dirt road that followed should only be entered with a high-clearance vehicle, if not 4-wheel-drive. Before taking on Shafer Trail we turned off to Gooseneck Overlook (500 m trail), where you look down upon the Colorado river 700 feet below, and to Musselman Arch (100 m trail). Then up the Shafer Trail Road to Island in the Sky: 1400 feet elevation over a very rough and narrow dirt track. I was glad when we had safely made it! It was 2 p.m. and by now the sun was back. We had approx. 25 °C.

We did the 20 mins. trail (return) to Mesa Arch with the snowy La Sal Mountains in the background. Then we drove to Green River Overlook and Upheaval Dome. The latter is only worthwhile if you want to hike to the crater which takes around 30 mins. one-way. But as it was 4 p.m. already, we didn't take on the hike. We drove to Buck Canyon Overlook and Orange Cliffs Overlook. The afternoon light was great at Buck Canyon, but at Orange Cliffs the light was coming from the wrong side. From Grand View Point Overlook you could look as far as the Needles. Then we returned to Moab. We didn't visit Dead Horse Point State Park ($7) as we probably had a similar view from Potash Road already. At 5:40 p.m. we were back at the hotel. For dinner we went to the Moab Brewery which was just a short walk opposite our hotel. We had to wait a few minutes before we got a seat as it was busy. With the sun setting as late as 8 p.m. at this time of year, we didn't get round to watching a sunset yet. But at least it didn't get dark early.

Once again we left Moab to the north and turned off onto the Colorado River Road. It was around 9 a.m. The sky was a perfect blue, 26 °C. After a 15 minutes drive we parked the car at the trailhead to Morning Glory Arch and Negro Bill Canyon. The 2-miles trail (one-way) along a small creek took us around 1 hour. The arch is also known as Morning Glory Bridge, but it is an alcove arch, the sixth longest arch in the US.

At 11:30 a.m. we were on the road again and 30 minutes later we reached the Fisher Towers which are best viewed in the afternoon though. The 2.5 miles trail, however, can become very hot in the afternoon, especially in summer, as it is exposed to the sun. But we didn't feel like going on another hike right then. We drove to Cisco ghost town at the I-70 instead. On the way we passed historic Dewey Bridge which dates of 1910. We reached Cisco at 1 p.m. but it wasn't really worth the long drive. The town site is privately owned so that you can't just walk around, besides it looked more or less like a large dump with tumbledown houses and cars.

At 2 p.m. we turned onto the La Sal Mountains Loop which winds up from Castle Valley with a view of the snow-covered mountain caps. A round trip from Moab on this road is around 60 miles. At 3 p.m. we were back at the hotel and I tried out the pool and spa. For dinner we went to Zax which has a good pizza and salad bar.

On Thursday we left by 9:15 a.m. towards Arches NP, my favourite park. Last time we only had an afternoon to visit it, this time we wanted to make up for what we had missed. Nevertheless we revisited the Windows Section with North and South Window, Turret Arch and Double Arch. Then we drove to Devils Garden where the park road ends. At 11:15 a.m. we started off at the trailhead to Landscape Arch. It's supposedly the longest arch in the world, but who knows how long it will still resist erosion... We continued the trail to Double O Arch, then returned the same way and were back at the parking area after a total of 3 hours. The trail was moderate with pretty views and several arches on the way. A round trip is also possible via a primitive trail.

This time we also wanted to hike to Delicate Arch, which is featured on many of Utah's number plates. At 3:10 p.m. we started off at the trailhead. For the 146m elevation over 1.5 miles we needed 35 minutes. By now it was pretty warm and there was no shade. Delicate Arch is best viewed in the late afternoon or at sunset. It made for a beautiful picture with the snowy La Sal Mountains in the background. At 5 p.m. we were back at the car, then we returned to Moab. For dinner we went to the Moab Brewery again.

Today was a long drive. We left Moab at 8:45 a.m. under a perfect blue sky. We went south, passing by Wilson Arch and the Navajo Twins in Bluff and arrived at Monument Valley Tribal Park at 11:45 a.m. The park belongs to the Navajo Indians. There's a fee of $5 per person. We did the 17-miles round trip on the dirt road in less than 1.5 hours. I would recommend a 4-wheel-drive for that. The views were nice enough, but there's not that much more to see really than what you already see from the viewpoint at the Visitor Center. In Kayenta we turned west onto Highway 160. At Tuba City we turned off onto Highway 264 towards Keams Canyon. After 15 miles on that road, just before milepost 337, a dirt road turns off to the left (there's no sign). Another 500m towards the windmill, then Coal Mine Canyon appears. It's similar to Bryce Canyon, much smaller but more colourful.

Back on the 160 we turned south onto the 89 to Cameron which we reached shortly after 4 p.m. (3 p.m. Arizona time). As there are not many alternative accommodations in this area, we had prebooked a room at the historic Cameron Trading Post for $84 incl. tax. The rooms are very nice and large. We had 2 beds, a coffee maker, HBO and a view of the Little Colorado River Gorge from the balcony. The shop and restaurant are very touristy, but the food was good. I tried the local speciality Navajo Taco (fried bread with beef, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, chili). We spent $26.50 including tip. From our room we were able to observe the sunset, finally.

For breakfast we bought some stuff at the shop in the Cameron Trading Post and by 8 a.m. we were on the road again. 40 minutes later we arrived at the East Entrance of Grand Canyon National Park. Now that I was there for the third time we were finally lucky with the weather (first time there was snow and no view, second time there were clouds and hardly any view). The entrance fee has increased from $20 to $25 this year, but we had our National Parks Pass so we didn't have to pay anything extra. We stopped at nearly every viewpoint and reached Grand Canyon Village around 11 a.m. While the morning was still a little cloudy, we had perfect weather from midday, up to 30 °C I would say. We took the Shuttle to Maricopa Point and walked along the canyon rim to Powell Point and Hopi Point. A new Mass Transportation System is going to be introduced in the near future so that it will no longer be possible to travel anywhere by car within the park boundaries. With the large number of visitors at the South Rim each year, parking at the different viewpoints is an issue. By the time we had returned to the village the train from Williams had arrived and we took a photo. We also saw a few condors circling above the Bright Angel Lodge.

At 1:30 p.m. we left the park towards Page where we arrived around 4:30 p.m. We checked into the Holiday Inn Express where we had prebooked a room with king size bed for 3 nights ($81 excluding tax). When we asked for 2 queens instead of the king we were told that the hotel was fully booked. But the room was large with free W-LAN and there was a coffee maker. In the breakfast area they offer 24 hours complimentary coffee as well. A luxury continental breakfast was included and there's an outdoor pool (the water was freezing though). For dinner we met Eva and André who were staying at the same hotel and we went to Ken's Old West which had live country music on the Saturday night.

14th May saw the highlight of our tour: The Wave! We had managed to get permis for North Coyote Buttes via the internet a few months in advance. We woke up early as we were still used to Utah time, so we were on our way by 7:15 a.m. Arizona time, on the 89 towards Kanab. It was sunny with a light wind. A few miles beyond the Paria Contact Station we turned left onto Houserock Valley Road, a dirt road that becomes impassable when wet, even for a 4-wheel drive. An hour after our departure we reached the Wire Pass trailhead. The hike to the Wave via unmarked trails took 1.5 hours. With the permits we had received a trail description with photos. There was no shade on the way. We even met a ranger who checked our permits.

The Wave is a fossilized sand dune with fantastic swirling patterns. We met a few Americans and two German couples. We were told that 50 people tried to obtain a permit via lottery at the Paria Contact Station the day before. Only 20 people are allowed each day: 10 via internet permit and 10 via local lottery. We found the Second Wave and climbed up to Melody Arch, saw the Brain Rocks and the Hamburger. In total we spent 3 hours here. We left at 1 p.m., however, the way back wasn't always easy to find and we had to fight against the heat. By now we had 32 °C but a few clouds had appeared. We both drank 2 litres of water and we still had 1 spare each. At 4 p.m. we were back in Page and I tried out the pool. For dinner we went to the Fiesta Mexicana restaurant around the corner ($27 including tip). It was very good.

Today was hoodoo day. We left at 7:45 a.m. The sky was a perfect blue. We went back on the 89 towards Kanab and tried to find the Wahweap Hoodoos. Between milemarker 17 and 18 we turned north on Cottonwood Canyon Road. After 1.4 miles we turned off right onto BLM 431. After 4 miles on this road we came to a crossways of BLM 431 and 430. We continued on the 431 to the right. Then we had to pass through several gates, always following the main route. After 10 miles from CCR the road goes down a hill and it more or less ends after another gate, unless you want to drive in the riverbed. Here we left the car, it was shortly before 9 a.m. We went south for a mile, some white cliffs could be seen in the distance. After rounding the cliffs, in the second side canyon, we saw them! The white pillars with brown caps looked spooky. The best light is certainly in the morning. 20 minutes later we were back at the car. It was 10 a.m. On the return trip we met some other tourists. We drove back onto Highway 89 and turned right.

We went to see the Paria Rimrocks afterwards. At milemarker 19 there's a small parking area (no sign) right at the trailhead. It was just a 15 minutes walk north following the wash, then we stood right below Toadstool Hoodoo. It is brown with a dark cap. The best light is probably in the afternoon but it looked good anyway. At 11:45 a.m. we were back at the car. Next we visited the Paria Movie Set. The location can be reached via a dirt road starting off at milemarker 30. We reached the movie set around 12:15 p.m. The site was flooded in 1998 and the original buildings were destroyed. The last film that was shot here was with Clint Eastwood. The reconstructed wooden buildings still looked very new and they were destroyed by fire in August 2006, just a few months after our visit! But the colourful landscape in this area is absolutely fantastic and still worth a visit. The only remains of the original Paria Townsite is an uninteresting graveyard a bit further down the road.

Back on the 89 we turned left, back towards Page. Shortly after Church Wells we turned left at milemarker 13 (no sign) onto a dirt road towards the White Rocks. The road ends after approx. 5 miles. We saw several small hoodoos and some white cliffs, but compared to the Wahweap Hoodoos this area was fairly uninteresting. After just 30 minutes we were back on the 89. Then we drove to Lone Rock, a huge rock that stands in Lake Powell (day fee or National Parks Pass required), the Wahweap Scenic View looking down upon Lake Powell and to the Scenic View Drive in Page with a view of the Glen Canyon Dam. At 2:45 p.m. we were back at our hotel.

For dinner we went to Bella Napoli. They had an All-you-can-eat buffet including drinks for $10, but it was just so-so. Afterwards we drove to Antelope Point (day fee or National Parks Pass required) to view the sunset at 7:30 p.m. Arizona time, but it wasn't a good location.

From Page boat trips to Rainbow Bridge, a very large arch on Navajo land, are offered, but they are expensive, around $100 per person for the 7.5 hours trip.

On Tuesday we left shortly after 8 a.m. We took the 98 towards Kayenta to Lower Antelope Canyon ($15 fee) which is on the road to Antelope Point. Both Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon are on Navajo land meaning a usage fee of $6 has to be paid in addition. Upper Antelope Canyon is famous for its sun beams at midday, however we chose Lower Antelope Canyon because you can just park there and climb right into it and it's less busy. For the upper canyon you have to make an appointment with the Navajos for a tour and there's a time limit. Apart from the beams the lower canyon is even said to be more spectacular. We brought a tripod all the way from Germany to be able to take pictures inside the narrow canyon as it gets pretty dark down there. We spent a couple of hours and left the site at 10:30 a.m. On my birthday in 1997 11 tourists died in the canyon when they were surprised by a flash flood.

After our visit we drove to the 89 and parked at the trailhead to Horseshoe Bend Overlook. It wasn't far to walk but the path was rather sandy and it was hot. All in all we spent 30 minutes. Horeshoe Bend is best photographed in the morning. Our next destination was Kanab and we travelled the Vermillion Cliffs Scenic Highway (Alt 89) with at stop at the historic Navajo Bridge that spans across Marble Canyon, and the Cliff Dwellers, before the road climbed up from 4000 to 8000 feet. In Jacob Lake the road turns off to the Grand Canyon's north rim. More and more dark clouds appeared and there was lightning in the distance.

At 2:15 p.m. Arizona time (3:15 p.m. Utah time) we arrived in Kanab. We got a room at the Bob Bon Inn. It was fairly large with 2 beds, fridge and microwave for $66 including tax. Only the small pool seemed to need some cleaning. After checking in we took off again towards Johnson Canyon, 10 miles east on the 89. We turned left and after another 5 miles we saw the Johnson Canyon Movie Set on the right hand side. Unfortunately there was a fence and the gate was locked, so we could only look at it from a distance. But it looked like a real old west town. Apparently "Gunsmoke" was filmed here. We continued on the road, which turned into a well-maintained dirt track after a while, and followed the signs to Glendale. The map of Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument from the BLM office was really useful here as it gave us a sense of direction.

Eventually we hit the 89 again, turned south and not long afterwards we turned off right to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park which was another 12 miles. When we got there at 4:30 p.m. (Arizona time - we stuck to this as we would be back in Nevada the following day which observes the same time) the sun had disappeared behind a cloud. So we didn't pay the $5 day fee at the entrance station, but had a quick look from the access road. Then we returned to Kanab. We got there at 5:15 p.m. and had an early dinner at Houston's Trail's End Restaurant where the waitresses are carrying colts! When we were finished, shortly after 6 p.m., the sun was shining again and we went right back to the sand dunes! It's just 18 miles to the south entrance. This time the light was much better but the dunes glowed orange rather than pink... An hour later we were back in Kanab.

Wednesday was sunny and warm. We left Kanab shortly after 9 a.m. and took the route via Zion NP, instead of Route 59. The distance is about the same. In Hurricane we had a quick milk shake at Dairy Queen. There was a lot of traffic around Las Vegas. At 2 p.m. we checked into our pre-booked hotel, the Aladdin Resort & Casino. We had made the reservation at a special promotion rate for $49 plus tax per night (the 2nd cheapest hotel of our entire trip!). During the week you can easily get some great offers, while prices double or triple at the weekends. The room at the Aladdin was large with 2 beds, a large bathroom and a safe. W-LAN was charged at $12 per day, so we did without. A room with a view of the Bellagio Fountains costs $30 extra. In 1998 the old Aladdin was torn down but the new 2600 rooms complex is currently being redesigned as Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. However, we did not get inconvenienced in any way by the reconstruction activities. The pool area on the 6th floor has a view of the Eiffel Tower which is neat. In 1998 we stayed at the Stratoshere Tower Hotel. It was fine, but quite a way from the main part of the Strip. From top of the Stratoshere Tower you can also get a good view of Las Vegas.

In the afternoon we strolled along the Strip and had a look into some of the casino hotels (Paris, Flamingo, Venetian, Mirage) as well as the Forum Shops. On the street the air was like in a baking oven: 39 °C! We admired the artificial skies in some of the hotels and the hourly Rainstorm in the Aladdin shopping mall as well as the singing gondoliers in front of and inside The Venetian. At the Mirage you can see the white tigers (no charge) or visit its Secret Garden with dolphin habitat ($15). The MGM presents a lion habitat that's also free of charge. For $9 you can go to the top of the Eiffel Tower and look at Las Vegas from above.

For dinner we went to the Flamingo buffet which was good ($18 with drinks, excl. tax and tip). Here we met Carsten from the USA Stammtisch travel community and afterwards we had a drink at a bar with still another guy from the travel community, Uwe, and his mum.

The next morning we had breakfast at the Aladdin buffet. The regular price is $13 per person including drinks but we got a 2 for 1 voucher with our reservation. The buffet was really good. Afterwards we did some shopping at the Las Vegas Outlet Center south of the airport. The sky was full of dark clouds but the air was still hot. In the afternoon we repacked our luggage for the flight the next day, then we went for dinner at The Cheesecake Factory in the Forum Shops at the Caesars Palace Hotel. The ceiling in the Forum shops changes slowly from day to night and back again. The restaurant was already busy at 6 p.m. and we had to wait 25 minutes to be seated. Those that came after us had to expect a 40-minutes wait. But the food was worth the wait. We paid $46 incl. tip for 2 chicken dishes, table water and a lovely cheesecake which I absolutely had to try though I was already full... While we waited the hourly 10-min. Atlantis Water Show went off in front of the Cheesecake Factory next to the saltwater aquarium. After dinner we went to see the Volcano at the Mirage which erupts every hour after sunset and the Sirens of TI Show at the Treasure Island Hotel. The latter is scheduled every 90 minutes from 7 p.m. and lasts 20 minutes. It replaces the Treasure Islands Pirates Battle and features music, dancing, acrobatics and swordplay with a lot of pyrotechnics and a sinking ship!

The 19th was the day of departure. As the flight was rescheduled for 7 a.m. we had to get up early. We returned the rental car and by 5 a.m. we were queuing at the check-in. This took 30 minutes, followed by the security scan. Then we took the shuttle to the domestic terminal. 40 minutes later we were at the gate. The flight to Atlanta took 3.5 hours. Here we had to change to the international terminal but we didn't have to go through another security scan nor pick up our luggage. Thus it took just 30 minutes to get to the gate. After a 1.5 hours wait the flight left in time and we arrived in Düsseldorf even an hour earlier than scheduled, at 6:15 a.m. on Saturday morning. This was the end of a great trip.