Saturday 31 May Flagstaff, AZ

Don't ask me why, ok, just don't!
It was kinda on our way, and allowed us to take in Sunset Crater (another blown volcano - not a meteorite impact, alas!), and head off into Monument Valley the next day, but as for Flagstaff itself... even I wonder why!!!!

Flagstaff
(via Horseshoe Bend,, Grand Canyon South Rim and Village, and Kaibab National Forest)

Horseshoe Bend
Approximately 5 miles south of Page and a half-mile trek over difficult sand to the precipice which gives a fantastic (awesome!), view into the Colorado River almost a mile below. The river snakes its was south from the Glen Canyon Dam and the bend is a hairpin on this watery tract.
Stood on the edge and fired off a number of shots with my big camera – fingers crossed – they certainly were as I perched, without any restraint between the slickrock on which I stood and a 15 second free-fall into the shallow waters below.

Grand Canyon South Rim (Grand Canyon 2)
Many wonderful sights along this route
Once again shuttles run along the ‘village’ section, with a longer route planned for mid summer 08.
The California condor has been successfully reintroduced to northern Arizona and were often seen in majestic flight. They look a little like a vulture, with white undersides to their wings, which are an astounding 9 feet across!
Grand Canyon National Park is one of the few places left in the United States
where you can see as far as it is theoretically possible to see.
At Grand Canyon the average visibility is ninety miles - by comparison, in the eastern United States average visibility is twelve to twenty miles!
However, exceptionally clear days are becoming extremely rare here. We could see barely 30 miles and it was a crisp early morning too!
The bulk of the air pollution comes from the southern parts of Arizona, California, Nevada, and northern Mexico.
I was surprised to here several TV and radio broadcasts warning people with heart or respiratory problems such as asthma, TO STAY INDOORS! I always thought Arizona, especially this northern edge, to be proud of its 7500 visible stars at night (the best most of rural America can see is around the 2000-2500 mark!), through their clear skies!
Man, huh!

Journey notes and Details
South on AZ-89 to past Cameron, then right (east) onto AZ-64 towards South Rim and Village.
From there it was south on the USA-180 t Valle, then left (southwest) again the AZ-160, to Flagstaff.
...
... Don’t Ask!