Home, Home on the Range...

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...where the deer and the antelope play!

My friend Launie had to drive back home to Montana and asked if I'd like to come with. So, of course I said yes. Unfortunately, Jeff didn't get to go but it was just a short trip anyways. We left Launie's house in Phoenix and started the journey north. We took a short detour from the path we were on and stopped at Navajo Bridge. Navajo Bridge is at the far east end of the Grand Canyon and is a point where you can actually drive over the canyon! The bridge that you can walk across was originally built in 1923! Even though this is not the deepest part of the canyon, you can still feel the grandioseness of it! Back on the highway, it starts to climb up towards Page and you can see the crack of the canyon down below to the left. The ground is pretty smooth and then it suddenly ends at a drop off. It's as though the earth's crust has just yawned and opened up. I imagine pioneers chugging along on their journey at night and falling into the crevice.

The rest of the day was spent just driving. We spent the night north of Salt Lake City, UT. After a good nights rest we were back on the road. We stopped for a brief time in Idaho Falls, ID where there happened to be a festival. We watched a firefighters challenge, gawked at the merchant booths and were back on the highway. Idaho was beautiful, open country but the mountains were pretty distant. As soon as we passed the "Welcome to Montana" sign, we went around a bend and it's as though the clouds opened up and birds started to sing. It. Was. Freakin. Beautiful!! Launie showed me her tiny hometown of Melrose, down & uptown Butte and the breathtaking countryside surrounding the area. We even visited her favorite place--the drive towards Wise River. I would have to agree with her, as this is my favorite place in Montana now too! The road hugs the curves of the mountain on one side and follows the Big Hole River on the other. We even saw elk😊

On the drive home we took a different route through Las Vegas hoping it would be faster, but it wasn't. The weird part about that drive is you exit Utah near St George, enter Arizona (and drive through a brief, awesome gorge called Virgin River Gorge), enter Nevada and then have to go back into Arizona.

I may never want to live in Montana, but this trip just confirmed that I'd like to visit again. And again. And again.
(make sure you scroll down to see the rest of the pictures😊

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Photos

view from Navajo Bridge
far east end of the Grand Canyon

check out that huge crack!
east end of Grand Canyon

Glen Canyon Dam
feat of engineering or atrocity? you decide

um...yeah..WHAT?!
in Idaho Falls

that is one HUGE dog
Idaho Falls

somewhere in Idaho
guess this is where they grow stuff for their beer

Comments

[Launie]

Where seldom is heard a discouraging word, and the skies are not cloudy all day!
That was a fun trip! And fast! I guess time flies when you have someone with you. Thanks for going along! I think the fire was in southern UT though.

[Nichole]

I'm suprised
I actually think Montana is a lot prettier than I would have imagined....and that pic of Butte almost resembles Jerome, AZ

[Stacey]

I think any river named Big Hole is pretty sweet. I'd visit it!

[Chum]

nice drive,eh?
the duck sign was my favorite picture... seen huge dogs before. Ain't idaho a 'bute? I agree about Montana. Wouldn't mind an extended stay, like from late august to mid Oct, but would love to be able to go home after. Rivers up the waz in Montana, ayy? observations I've made thanks to the vacay with Sharon to see Benny. Mountains everywhere and forever. Rivers like Ten. Campgrounds like trailer parks in Az (many) and lots of meandering hiway with some incredible homesteads that make it look live everyone who lives there must be FAT. We crossed the Snake more times than we could count. Wouldn't mind another visit myself.