We experienced the greatest range of weather and temperature
extremes today. From very cold (40s) and very wet at the Grand Canyon to
very hot (110+ in and out of the car) and super, super dry in the Mohave
Desert. The car rumbled along all day. It's a car that lives for the
road trip. But after we left the restaurant after dinner Friday night.
The car wouldn't start. Dead. Absolutely dead. No click. Nothing. We
tried to jump start it (but with its big engine that's about like jump
starting a bulldozer). Nothing. As I was going back into the restaurant
to call AAA, Matt tried it again and it started just like normal.
Something's not working right. Battery is new and seems fully charged,
cranking the engine strongly. We'll see what tomorrow morning holds. Now
today's pictures:
A wet start at the Grand Canyon.
Parking, we decide to see what we can see at the Visitor's Center.
Historic boats that have navigated the Colorado River through the
canyon.
More boats.
An historic rubber raft?
Even a plaque honoring the rubber raft.
Outside view of Visitor Center (on left) from under an umbrella.
You can see what Grand Canyon pictures would have looked like if we
had just arrived today instead of yesterday afternoon when we took our
pictures.
A few of the 50+ helicopters (not to mention even more fixed-wing
planes) ready to take people on sightseeing flights over the canyon on
better days.
Leaving the Grand Canyon we start the long descent from over 7,000
feet elevation to 488 feet at the start of the Mohave Desert at Needles,
CA.
Desert scrub brush and cactus start to show up in the foreground.
The lower we get the sparser the plant life.
Beautiful mountains in the background.
I held the camera out the window looking backward toward where we
had come from in Arizona. Near the California state line.
We're about to drive into a doozy (that a genuine meteorological
term) of a rainstorm. This was the only time we had the windows up for
more than five minutes during the whole trip to-date.
The rain moves off to the north.
More great clouds. There's lots of sky out here.
Getting lower now. Same beautiful mountain scenery all the way.
Again with the clouds.
All vehicles entering California must stop at this "Inspection
Station." I thought they wanted to make sure the cars were safe to cross
the desert ahead. But, no. They were checking for fruits or vegetables
we might be bringing into the state. We had to give up the last peach we
had been saving.
Needles, California, elevation 488 feet. The desert begins in
earnest--and it's very hot.
Matt, taking over to drive across the desert, stock up on a bottle
of Gatorade. (We found that when we got thirsty we emptied a full bottle
in about two or three minutes, This bottle lasted Matt the whole way
across the desert (about 100 miles). I was just a passenger and it took
two bottles for me.
Beautiful scenery across the desert on both sides of the car.
Looking south here.
Those little brown/black blobs are a kind of cactus.
A better look at the cactus.
Cactus growing on a desert hillside.
I panned the camera as we passed this group of cactus and stunted
palm trees.
Yes, another mountain background across the desert.
Just off Interstate 40 you can see historic Route 66 paralleling
the road.
The sun goes down on our final full day on the road, just before
we reach Barstow, California, where we'll stay the night.
photoweb v1.2 - Phil Wherry
Parking, we decide to see what we can see at the Visitor's Center.
Historic boats that have navigated the Colorado River through the
canyon.
More boats.
An historic rubber raft?
Even a plaque honoring the rubber raft.
Outside view of Visitor Center (on left) from under an umbrella.
You can see what Grand Canyon pictures would have looked like if we
had just arrived today instead of yesterday afternoon when we took our
pictures.
A few of the 50+ helicopters (not to mention even more fixed-wing
planes) ready to take people on sightseeing flights over the canyon on
better days.
Leaving the Grand Canyon we start the long descent from over 7,000
feet elevation to 488 feet at the start of the Mohave Desert at Needles,
CA.
Desert scrub brush and cactus start to show up in the foreground.
The lower we get the sparser the plant life.
Beautiful mountains in the background.
I held the camera out the window looking backward toward where we
had come from in Arizona. Near the California state line.
We're about to drive into a doozy (that a genuine meteorological
term) of a rainstorm. This was the only time we had the windows up for
more than five minutes during the whole trip to-date.
The rain moves off to the north.
More great clouds. There's lots of sky out here.
Getting lower now. Same beautiful mountain scenery all the way.
Again with the clouds.
All vehicles entering California must stop at this "Inspection
Station." I thought they wanted to make sure the cars were safe to cross
the desert ahead. But, no. They were checking for fruits or vegetables
we might be bringing into the state. We had to give up the last peach we
had been saving.
Needles, California, elevation 488 feet. The desert begins in
earnest--and it's very hot.
Matt, taking over to drive across the desert, stock up on a bottle
of Gatorade. (We found that when we got thirsty we emptied a full bottle
in about two or three minutes, This bottle lasted Matt the whole way
across the desert (about 100 miles). I was just a passenger and it took
two bottles for me.
Beautiful scenery across the desert on both sides of the car.
Looking south here.
Those little brown/black blobs are a kind of cactus.
A better look at the cactus.
Cactus growing on a desert hillside.
I panned the camera as we passed this group of cactus and stunted
palm trees.
Yes, another mountain background across the desert.
Just off Interstate 40 you can see historic Route 66 paralleling
the road.
The sun goes down on our final full day on the road, just before
we reach Barstow, California, where we'll stay the night.