So ... my last blog was about our tour of the Mojave Desert. The next day was going to be a short drive to Williams, AZ, gateway to the Grand Canyon. So we planned a little detour to Chloride, AZ (see the map). Chloride is in the high desert (4,009 feet) of NW Arizona. It's VERY dry and is billed as "the ghost town that never quite died." It has a population of 250 people and looks pretty poverty stricken, even in the ghost-free parts of town. Chloride dates back to 1862. In its heyday, there were over 70 silver mines in the area. Its website says that Chloride has the largest collection of yard art anywhere. I guess you could call it that! It looked an awful lot like junk to us--bathtubs, old wheels and auto parts. You get the idea.
This is the jail.
I think Wiley offended one of the yard art patrons. His cell didn't even have a cot in it!
The bank didn't look terribly secure. I think we'll stick with keeping our cash under the mattress.
There was no price on these gas pumps. We paid $3.57 just outside of town.We had lunch in the only restaurant in town. Wiley had the burger, which wasn't bad. I thought some homemade chile would hit the spot. I'm pretty sure the chile I was served was made in the home of the Hormels! It was an interesting stop, but I'm very glad we weren't planning it as a major highlight of our journey!
We arrived at our hotel in Williams, AZ (see map) at about 2 PM. The hotel is right next to the historic train depot and looks like it was built a long time ago, but it was actually built in 1995. It was quite comfortable and clean. Our package included dinner and breakfast the next morning (both buffets) in a nearby restaurant. We were quite pleased with the package we bought.
After a good night's sleep and breakfast, we caught the Grand Canyon train. It has a historic steam engine and the cars are restored from early 20th century trains from all over the U.S. It's about a 2-hour train trip to the Grand Canyon. Williams has a lot of lovely, refreshing evergreens with snow-capped peaks in the distance. After the first hour of the trip, though, we went through a transition zone of short grass prairie, then high desert.
Despite the fact that I've been to the Grand Canyon before, and knew when we got off the train that we were at the Grand Canyon, it still took my breath away to step off the train and walk over to the edge of this wonder filled place. After a short lunch break, we boarded a bus for a tour. There really is no way to capture the breadth of the vistas, the colors and textures. Incredible!To save space and time, here's a link to lots of information and pictures about the Grand Canyon. Those of you who want to check out the history, geology, etc., can check out this link. I'm just going to post some of my photos for your viewing please, without any commentary.
Right now, we're in Holbrook, AZ (between Flagstaff and Albuquerque). Check out the link to the map. Yesterday, we toured the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert. I'll blog that the next time we have an internet connection. I've spent a lot of time on this blog, so I hope I get some comments! The next couple of days will mostly be a lot of freeway driving, so I don't expect to blog again soon. Have a great week!
4 comments:
I came across this article on the computer and it fits right in with your visit to the Grand Canyon.A young college student was working as a guide at the Grand Canyon.He was asked what was the greatest change in going from rural to urban living. "In the city," he said " you can only see from horizon to horizon what man has made." Then he looked out over the awe-inspiring splendor of the canyon. "Here," he conculuded softly, "you can see from horizon to horizon what God has made
Safe trip Mom
It makes you feel very small and human, that's for sure! We just traveled across New Mexico and are now in Texas about 100 miles past El Paso now. The wide-open spaces are daunting. I was a little nervous that we might break down because there was almost no traffic and no houses or businesses. The only thing there was lots of was nothing!
What was it that attracted you to stop at Chloride? The sign says petroglyphs and cliff murals. Was it that? I must say the jail looks a bit wobbly. Tell Wiley he just doesn't look like a jailbird. His beard is too well groomed for one thing.
I noticed the wires to the jail, bank and gas station -- do these places actually have electricity? Talking about gas, we paid here in Ocala $3.21 the last time we bought gas. That was our highest so far.
Is there any kind of wildlife around there? No bugs? Snakes? Lizards? Anything? I also want to know what was in that crockpot that you had for dinner?
I think your photos of the Grand Canyon are beautiful, especially the one with you and Wiley. You are both wearing too much clothing according to my way of thinking though. Was it really cool enough for Wiley's rather heavy vest and your long-sleeved sweater? You're in the desert and it's daytime. I've heard it gets cold at night but daytime???
I love love love the Grand Canyon...can't wait to take Chris there one day. I agree a great picture of you both.
Was the train ride boring or ok?
Post a Comment