The Flight of the Saltire

[Spartan]

Well done, Mein! Glad to see that :blimp: arrived and is safely in your hands! (Wish that I could have delivered it personally!)

[Retro Red]

As Frank mentioned yesterday, I have some pictures to post of the Saltire's last sojourn in Arizona.

Last Thursday (June 25th), the Saltire joined me on a whirlwind, 500-mile tour of several iconic, scenic locations in northern Arizona. Here is the photographic journal of that trip. And I'd just like to qualify that this was the first extensive use I've made of a tripod for my camera & the self-timer. As will be obvious, I was learning "on-the-job" how to position myself in the picture & usually concentrating so hard on that that I had no time to smile at the camera.

It was about 85 miles up the road to our first stop was at Montezuma Castle. Yep, we've got an ancient castle here in Arizona, too. Must've been fun letting the cat out at night!




A couple of signs briefly descibing how the castle was built. You might say these are the "cliff note" versions.




There once was an adjascent castle to the cliff castle that some archeologist gave the wonderfully creative name of "Castle 'A'". Ooo, I bet that person's brain hurt after thinking up that one! There isn't much left of this 2nd castle. In one of the few remaining defineable rooms they have this metate stone (I guess to show that life was a real "grind" there).


Here's what they think Castle 'A' might've looked like.



And what sustained these cliff dwellers? Why gambling, of course. And their nearby casino is still being used by their descendants today.



That concludes our first stop; the next post will highlight our 2nd stop.

[Retro Red]

Next stop, the red rock country of Sedona.

Here the Saltire admires probably the most famous rock formation in Sedona whose name may ring a bell...


And some nearby vistas...






Here the Saltire marvels at the Chapel of the Holy Cross built into the very rock of the cliff. It was done for a "rock bottom" price.



And some in"spired" rock formations just to the east of the Chapel.



We couldn't linger any longer in Sedona, so off to our next stop...

[Retro Red]

Our next stop was Williams, Arizona, & one of the longer remaining portions of Route 66 still in use today.

Since it was lunchtime, the Saltire & I stopped in for a burger & beverage at the Twisters Soda Fountain on Route 66. Here we're checking out a cool 2-tone '55 or '56 Ford Fairlane.


To wash my burger & fries down I had a root beer, but not just any root be, I had a Route 66 Route Beer.

Besides loving the great play on words, its a really good root beer made with real cane sugar. If you can't make it to a Route 66 establishment that sells it, here's their website, in case you want to order a case.
http://www.route66sodas.com/index2.asp

And another shot of the Saltire & Route 66 (the main street in downtown Williams)



And now, on to our "grand" finale...

[Retro Red]

Next we headed to one of the 7 natural wonders of the world - the Grand Canyon!

First we parked near the beautiful El Tovar Hotel, the premier lodging facility at the Grand Canyon, which opened in 1905, is right on the south rim of the canyon just 100 yards from the precipice.


And the nearby Hopi House constructed primarily by Hopi workmen using native stone and wood.


Here the Saltire & I get a bit on the edge...


Lending a hand...


Then things got a little squirrelly...


Wow, ain't it "Grand?"


Inaugral airship tour of the Grand Canyon.


Mather Point (just to prove this trip wasn't pointless)


Watch that first step...


Railing against erosion...



And just a couple more pics to follow...

[Retro Red]

Heading home from the Canyon, I had to stop & get a picture a this pre-historic campsite.

Gettin' 'stoned - Flintstoned!



The Saltire had me pull over to the side of the road so we could get a pic of us with Humphreys Peak & the San Francisco Peaks. No, that's not a Doo Wop group; it's the highest mountain in Arizona at 12,637 feet (3,852 metres). Notice the white patches of snow still remaining late in June!



There's lots more amazing places to see in northern Arizona, but that was all we had time for in our one day trek.

[Panache]

RR,

Those were some really great pictures!

However the puns were sadly up to your usual terrible standards.

I'm going to go have a lie down now

Cheers

Jamie :ootd:

[Retro Red]

After our whirlwind 1-day tour of northern Arizona, the Saltire still wanted visit one of Phoenix's coolest parks before it flew off to its next destination. So off we went to Papago Park - home of the Phoenix Zoo, Desert Botanical Garden, headquarters for the Arizona National Guard & the couple of landmarks pictured below.

The Saltire & the descriptively named, Hole-in-the-Rock.


Gov. Hunt's pyramid - where Arizona's first state Governor & his wife are buried.



Arizona is well-known for its colorful sunsets. This one is fairly mundane by local standards, but still not bad.



Finally, the Saltire kept "needling" me about getting a picture with a saguaro - the giant of the desert. I told it to be careful, these big guys can be a bit prickly.



Th-th-that's all, folks!

.