July 18, 2012

July 18, 2012

After six summers of travel we have seen much of what the West has to offer. There is still more to see but many of those left are more troublesome, like requiring a four-wheel drive high clearance jeep or in the case of today, limited access. Ever since I saw a photograph of “The Wave”, it has been on my list. To my dismay only 20 people are allowed to visit it per day. Half the slots are made through a reservation system that fills up four months in advance in the first few minutes. The other half is a walkup lottery.

So here we are at in Kanab, UT at a small Visitor Center for the Grand Staircase National Monument. Aimee and I are with fifty other people hoping to get two of the ten slots. We are the only Americans! Most are European, although surprisingly there is a Chinese threesome and a Japanese couple. To make my odds worse, this area had a big rainstorm and the eight-mile dirt road access is flooded. I will need to rent a Jeep if we are successful. I do have my lucky charm with me but to my disappointment she is hoping we lose. She wants nothing to do with washed out roads. Of course Aimee wins and we don’t get a permit. If I am ever going to see “The Wave” I will need to buy a jeep and come back here in the winter when my odds are closer to 50% instead of 20%. I am irritated that my tax dollars are going to support this park that I can’t enjoy. The ten lucky international visitors aren’t even paying an entrance fee.

Frustrated, we drove east from Kanab toward the Arizona border. As a consolation prize we stop along the way to do a short roadside hike to the Toadstools. These strange rock formations do resemble giant mushrooms. They were formed when hard rock protected the underlying stone from erosion.

We also stop at a second Visitor Center to see a dinosaur exhibit. Recently this very remote part of the United States has been a hotbed for dinosaur discoveries. They have several exhibits showing the variety of fossils found. Most have been completely new species.

Just before Page, AZ we stop at an overlook to see a great view of Lake Powell. It is a beautiful sight. After a few more hours we stop for the evening in Flagstaff. This is our last night in cool weather. We celebrate with a dinner of beans and weenies.  That is all we have left in the cupboard!