June 28, 2015

June 28, 2015

It is summer again and Tucson is sizzling.  We are set to revisit one of our favorite National Parks, the Grand Canyon, in a new and exciting way.  So we packed our bags and drove north.  Fours hours later we pull into Flagstaff.  The 4000 feet increase in elevation provides a delightful and welcome drop of 20 degrees.

Looking for an excuse to stretch our legs in the cool weather, we stopped at Lowell Observatory situated on a small hill in the middle of town.  Built in 1894, it is one of the oldest in the US.  Locally it is famous for its discovery of the now demoted dwarf-planet Pluto.  The observatory was founded by the eccentric astronomer Percival Lowell, who believed he saw fanciful canals on Mars popularizing the belief that it must harbor intelligent life.  The historic main telescope is out for repair so we opt to delay the tour of the facility and museum until our next visit.

Unfortunately, we are not staying in Flagstaff.  We drive another two hours north to the Colorado River.  At the Navajo Bridge crossing, we stop and walk out onto the span and check out the river far below.  That is our destination tomorrow.  Ten miles west we check into Cliff Dwellers Lodge situated in the shadow of the Vermillion Cliffs.  We are back in the sweltering heat.