Friday March 6, 2020 was a bit of a rest day. My cold / cough, wicked headache and aches and pains were in full effect. At the time I believed that it was Jade’s cold which I had succumbed to, but in hindsight we wonder if it was in fact covid. We later discovered that the plane the kids had taken down to Arizona had a positive covid case the day prior to their flight and this was before the deep cleaning that eventually became routine. And California was to become a hot spot of cases shortly after we left, so I could have picked it up about town even. I suppose we will never know….
Michael and GP headed into Joshua Tree NP for morning exercise. Michael took his new phone, but no cameras as this was a fitness outing. So all the photos below were taken with Michaels phone! They hiked the Quail trail while Andrea and I stayed back with Jade. We planned our Saturday – Monday trip up to Sequoia National Forest and Death Valley. The rest of the day Jade and I spent napping between play sessions.
GP and Andrea ventured to a local Mexican restaurant for dinner while Mike & I stayed with Jade who slept the entire time they were gone and that ended up being her down for the night – which turned out okay as the clocks changed for daylight savings the next day.
We have been making a staunch effort to use the Costco mega spinach package. We decided that the challenge was to eat spinach with every dinner. To date we had salmon with cauliflower and a salad, tofu stir fry with rice and a salad, pizza on flatbread and this dinner Michael and I had burgers while GP & Andrea were out. Each meal succeeded in using spinach and we had now successfully completed our challenge!
March 5 we headed out for the day to hit some of the wish list sights. It was a full day with lots of driving.
We started off by heading to the Palm Springs Tram. We took the rental van as it comfortably fit all 5 of us and allowed us to take turns on Jade watch. This did mean that only Patrick or Andrea could drive though.
The tram takes you 2 1/2 miles from the base of the Coachella Valley to near the peak of San Jacinto in the largest rotating tram in the world. At the top the Mountain Station is the base from which you can take several hikes. Andrea stayed at the station with Jade while Michael, GP & I took the Desert View Trail. The trail took you through alpine forest (altitude over 8,500 feet) and afforded several spectacular lookouts over different directions. We returned to find Jade well entertained by the large trees at the station. Following the tram down we had our picnic lunch at Popp Park at the Valley Station before heading to our next stop.
GP was keen to see the giant sequoia trees which actually grow in San Bernardino Forest even though it is out of their normal zone. So next stop San Bernardino. Although it was a lovely drive through the forest, we did not encounter any of the giant sequoia trees.
Our final destination was to Big Bear Lake. It was a charming resort town full of the classic chalets of a ski town. We crossed over the lake on a very interesting ‘dam’ type bridge.
The driving for the day was quite hairy due to the extreme hills (mountains) and Andrea and GP did a superb job getting us around. The brakes on the van were not quite so comfortable with the hills, and at one point we needed to stop and check them out and let them cool down. Jade had her limit also and despite travelling well all day, she lost it on the last leg of the trip home. I suspect her cold had supplied her with a bad headache just as I had by this point – it’s no fun being sick!
I had my first stint of staying home with Jade while the rest of the family went on a hike into the park. She mostly napped, but I did get some precious time with her. Her cold persisted and I was starting to feel less than 100% myself.
GP, Andrea and Michael headed to Ryan Mountain for a hike which offered vistas over the surrounds. The weather continued to be superb – clear sunny days which were perfect for hiking. They had an invigorating trek to the peak (photos at the top are the black & white looking down on the road and the one of GP & Andrea).
In the afternoon Andrea, Patrick and I checked out the town of Joshua Tree and they filled up the van. Andrea and I hit several of the local shops and she managed to buy a cute top which was better suited to the warmer than anticipated weather.
The big excitement for Michael was the arrival of his new cell phone! His old OnePlus 1 had fully frozen during the drive down after an unsuccessful update (we think that was the problem at least). It was time for a new phone, so he ordered a new OnePlus 7T on March 1 when we first arrived in Joshua Tree. While the rest of us headed into town, he was more than happy to stay with Jade while she napped to spend time setting it up. The last image of Jade this set was the first photo taken with the new phone.
Jade, George Patrick (GP) & Andrea needed to time adjust so we took an easy start to the day. Jade had a bit of a cold and so we had to make sure she got lots of rest. However given that she was carried everywhere, it didn’t hinder us too much. The airbnb owner had very kindly provided us with a high chair and a sleeping cot. Since Jade was still in her sleeping tent, her bed actually became her tent inside the generously sized closet, so she even had her own room!
GP, Andrea and I headed in to Joshua Tree town for them to pick up some additional supplies. I also managed to pick up some toys for Jade at the local thrift shop – including a very fun 6 sided play hub with bead maze, gears and more. I made a deal with the shop owner that I would ‘rent’ it for the week and return it before we left. It provided many hours of fun for Jade (and us!).
After nap time and lunch, our venture into Joshua Tree park started with the hike into Wall Street Mill. The spectacular landscape was scattered with remnants from the mining days including several abandoned vehicles and a descriptive head stone. Worth Bagley had been killed by W.F. Keyes in a shootout over a property dispute and was subsequently convicted of murder.
Next off to the Barker Dam. As usual, Michael frequently ventured from the group as he took photos. The landscape was quite open, with a couple of trails crossing paths. On the return portion of the circular dam trail, Michael ended up chatting with another photographer (Canadian girl from Calgary), and then he subsequently ended on an alternate path. GP, Andrea, Jade and I waited for him at the parking lot for over 1/2 hour before GP returned on the trail to search for him to no avail. So we waited more. GP went on the search again as the hour grew late and the sky started to darken. In the meantime, Michael managed to find his way back to us – he had landed in the wrong parking lot and had to make the trek back to us along the road. He then went on a search for GP to no avail. Eventually GP returned and we were able to head home! In the meantime Jade had fun watching the hare which frequented the area by the parking lot. Luckily she slept for much of it!
We awoke to sleety-rain, cold and wind, so we puttered around till about 10am and then finally headed into Joshua Tree park for our first visit. By then it was a blizzard and you could not even see the mountains as we drove in. We were very fortunate to see the Joshua Trees and cacti blanketed in snow and it turned out this was the only chance we would get. We used our first foray into the park as a scouting mission to check out the lay of the land. The snowy vistas were an added bonus.
It eventually warmed up to 7C and most of the snow melted. Early on Michael had a challenge taking photos as the snow was sticking to the camera lens. The rain came and went with intermittent sun patches which progressed throughout the day along with the winds which were still whipping strongly through the night. March was coming in like a lion!
Patrick, Andrea and Jade flew into Phoenix and then drove here with their rental van. They arrived quite late so we just did a quick orientation for them and then to bed after a busy day. Looking forward to Jade time!
By the morning of March 1, 2020 I awoke to a very swollen finger. My wedding ring needed to come off quickly and it was not going to be easy. I made a call to our insurance company and was very impressed with the service. They contacted the local emergency and had me pre-registered and sent them a fax with the invoicing/filing info so that they billed the insurance directly.
It took a lot of effort and several tools to get the ring cut off of my finger. The antique black and decker roto tool with dull blade and undercharged batteries were not the ideal tool but they eventually cut through the ring. The staff also dressed my cut up palm although I had to adamantly refuse the extra work they hoped to perform as part of the claim including x-rays. Naturally I had to sign disclaimers to protect them… but I was more than certain my only issue was a swollen finger which would heal just fine once the ring was removed. And that proved to be quite true (although a year later I still do have a faint scar on my shin where I scraped my leg on the gravel).
Then we were off to Palm Springs to stock up for the month at Costco. The drive there seemed to be an endless downhill all the way, and the temperature increase of 10C didn’t dispute that. The prices were surprising to us. Many (most) items had the same $ cost as at home – but here was in US$ so more expensive! Our bill was $500 US, but that did include over $100 booze.
Booze was the one cost saving item – our acquisitions included bottles of gin ($23) and rye, red and white vermouth, a bottle of Lagavulin scotch, a magnum of Baileys ($16) as well as beer and wine (we are here for a month after all ;-). The Lagavulin was the favourite buy of the day at $65 US – there were crates of it; here it is about $145Cdn!
We had one more stop at Walmart on the way home where the prices were more affordable for sure. But the stock up included many pantry staples and should last us the whole month and that includes the week that Patrick, Andrea and Jade will join us.
As mentioned, the wifi in the house was great – as was the phone reception here in Joshua Tree with the card in my phone, with the exception of within the JT park where it is a dead zone. We also discovered that our Amazon Prime downloads were limited to US offerings and there was no TV reception in the house; which was NOT a problem!
In my feeble brain I had March 4 as the arrival date for the kids – but a pleasant surprise that they were to arrive the next day on March 2. Really glad we stocked up!!!
No photos from Michael on this day, but here are some images of where we stayed (it’s location is the yellow star on the google map above – it was ideal!
And exactly one year ago today…. or was that yesterday? Exactly how does 1 year from Feb 29 work anyway? Guess I need to do a double post today on March 1, 2021.
After a couple nights at the Grand Canyon, we were back to driving for the last stint to our final destination in Joshua Tree. We had completed all the available ‘Office Ladies’, the Mars series and several ‘Conan Needs a Friend’ podcast episodes. They certainly helped pass the time on the road. We continued to struggle with Michael’s phone which no longer booted and our spotty phone service. We were very much hoping for good wifi at the AirBnB.
We made several more Route 66 stops. The last one proved to be quite eventful. We stopped to check out a motel / diner stop. There were cool motel ‘cabins’ which had been left to the elements complete with rusted beds and old sofas. There were old trucks and cars scattered around the property . Gas there was well over $5 US / gallon which had us nervous, but it luckily reduced to $3.50 by Joshua Tree.
The ‘eventful incident’ occurred when I was walking distractedly across the gravel parking lot. I fell across the gravel and landed on both hands, sprawled across the gravel. There was lots of blood on my left palm which we managed to clean up in the restroom. But unknowingly I had sprained my ring finger on my left hand also. Being the home of my wedding ring ended up being a bit of an issue as we would discover in a day or so…..
We arrived at our temporary home in Joshua Tree around 2pm and got in with no problems. The place was very spacious with large rooms although the dated construction made for drafty, poorly fitted windows. But the furnace managed to create enough warm spots in the home for comfort. The bed in our room was a king and very comfy. The room for Jade, Patrick & Andrea had 2 queens which were also in great shape. The kitchen was well equipped with only minor conveniences such as a garlic press and grater missing – nothing of consequence. And the wifi was great!!!
Our first stop was to Von’s for some groceries and we decided to defer our trip to Costco till the next day as it was getting late….we were actually excited to check it out!
Michael rose early, perhaps too early, to photo sunrise over the canyon. He walked to the edge in pitch dark and set up his tripod by starlight and headlamp. I am told it was very spooky – especially the idea of walking up the canyon edge in a blanket of darkness.
We headed into the local ‘shopping village’ for a McD’s breakfast – pretty lame. Back at the hotel room we prepped to head out for the day. We hit the entire east bound Desert View Drive alternating waking and taking the shuttle bus (note on the map is post Covid!). Our several stops started with the South Kaibab trail. There is a hike down into the bottom of the canyon but we decided to skip all such trails. The conditions on the trails were still snow and ice covered and given our short time here we preferred to do the top rim. We bussed over to Yaki Point which had just reopened following a ‘jumper’ incident. They were still finishing up the investigation but we were able to access most of the lookout point from the eastern, steepest section.
Next off to Grandview Point where the first tourist hotel was built – a log house. Due to lack of train access in the day, it eventually failed. When another hotel with easier access was built and eliminated the many hour bumpy wagon ride, the first hotel could not survive. There was also a copper mine partway down into the canyon at the ‘horseshoe mesa’. Again, a snow and ice covered trail discouraged us. Hopefully it eventually dissuaded the 2 ill-prepared young guys in their smooth soled runners also.
Moran Point was next for more scenic views and then on to the Tusayan Museum and ruins. We had a personal guided tour of the ruins due to the low volume of tourists who strayed away from the canyon edge. These ruins again dated to the 1200’s and were only used for about 30 years before the inhabitants moved on. Their ancestors believed that they came from the dark canyon depths and that Gods lived in the distant mountain tops (in Flagstaff) which their site had been selected for its view of.
The site had about 30 people, an extended family with their leader. The main building was a circular room accessed thru a ladder which was over the fire. The purpose being to allow the smoke to cleanse the person entering the room. The main building was not the one used for habitation – it was used for significant events such as births, marriages and deaths. But all the buildings had central roof access which also ensured a secure, insect/ vermin free environment and was symbolic of the rising sun every morning. The group moved on after a lengthy drought and also since their beliefs required that they travel N, S, E and then W routinely.
Finally to Desert View watch tower which as built in the 30’s by ‘the lady in pants’ architect. It is very sympathetic to native style and culture. Inside the walls were beautifully decorated with native art. It really is a spectacular tower building on the canyon edge.
On the drive back we encountered a female elk with the entire herd off in the bush roadside. After a short rest at our hotel, we headed to the nearby village for Mexican for dinner where we shared an appetizer and a main. Neither of us have been overly impressed with the food quality nor value – pretty mediocre quality for pretty high prices. The Yavapai Lodge however is great. Much better than the ‘basic’ description it was given. I am guessing the low rating is due to the lack of wifi and TV channels and breakfast – all benefits perhaps!
Tomorrow a last blast around the canyon and then on to our destination – Joshua Tree!!!
What a fantastic day! We started with a relaxed hotel breakfast. Our drive took us past the entrance to Meteor Crater, aka Barringer Crater – which boasts itself as the largest intact meteor crater on earth. It is a mile across and 500 feet deep. We took the drive into the entrance way, but the only entrance fee was for the full experience and we didn’t feel that we had time to do it justice. They have done a superb job of blocking any view of the crater from outside the museum grounds, so our detour in to the entrance became just that; a detour.
Next stop – Williams, the gateway to the Grand Canyon and the best preserved Route 66 stop. It is a charming place with great character. We had a classic diner lunch a bit early at 11am. We walked around the town where we ran into a woman whose father-in-law in the 1940’s helped build the building we were contemplating. Rum running tunnels were built into the foundations of most of the buildings post prohibition and this building was the only one where the tunnels had not been filled in. They are now used as a cold cellar for storing the booze!
Finally to the Grand Canyon. WOW is the most commonly used word I heard today. Just WOW. I thought I knew what to expect, but just WOW when you are physically there.
It was busy but not crowded – hard to imagine what the busy season must be like. Everywhere there were so many happy and friendly people from all corners of the earth. We walked the rim trail and stayed through sunset. Every turn provided a new vista. The amazing thing is that you approach via flat, non descript land and then BOOM – it’s there. WOW.
We supped at the Yavapai Lodge where we were staying where one meal easily fed us both. With no wifi and no phone service it made for an early bedtime – which was perfect to ensure an early awakening to catch sunrise over the canyon in the morning.
We left Santa Fe by 7:30am and headed to the Petrified Forest National Park. Michael’s grandfather had been to the Petrified Forest in the 1970’s when they were contemplating retirement in Arizona. He brought back a sample of a petrified tree which Michael has always been enthralled with. Unfortunately the southern end of the park where the best petrified trees are, as well as the ‘crystal cabin’, was inaccessible from the north end due to road work. But not to worry, there were still plenty of amazing sites to see.
We arrived around noon, and after a bowl of soup at the café we headed into the park. We stopped at several ‘look out’ points including the old Route66 car and an ancient ruins village, again from around the mid 13th century (~1250). The village would have housed about 200 people with up to 100 rooms all built in a square. The central area would have been secure and there were many hieroglyphs of their art.
The highlight of the park however was the Blue Mesa trail. We took a short hike through the valley full of fallen petrified trees and amazing views of the stratified hills. The layers were formed over millions of years, each varying in colour based on temperature and the chemical makeup of the rocks. The blue layer is the oldest. As layers erode, the petrified trees become exposed. They are extremely dense and heavy and hard, so it is interesting how they break, or don’t break and often form bridges.
We planned to stay at the nearest town of Holbrook to allow for Michael to get photos’ during the twilight hours. But alas, the park closes at 5pm so although the lighting was fine around 4:30, we were not able to stay for the ‘blue hour’.
Dinner this evening was a mediocre, costly event. We headed to an Italian spot in Holbrook where the food was sub par quality and portion (which was fine!). Dinner ended with an under calculated bill, which I pointed out to the waitress. With little acknowledgement of my generosity, she supplied me with a black pen which proceeded to leak all over the folder for the bills and subsequently my hands.
Not to worry – the next day would bring the Grand Canyon and should be good weather again – was up to 10C today!
