More of the Canyon
Trip Start
Sep 16, 2010
1
12
33
Trip End
Oct 20, 2010
Blythe, California
Monday, September 27, 2010
We wanted to go back to some of the spots we’d passed on the red route bus the evening before, so caught the connecting blue route bus and then the red route up to Powell Point. We got off here for some more magnificent views.
I’m not the best with heights and there are no barriers in most places and a very deep vertical drop over the edge, so I got a bit nervous whenever the kids went near the edge. Of course, the kids always wanted to get as close as possible or to sit on the low brick walls on the edge. The sign at the Visitors Centre may have said that very few people plummet to their death, but all the souvenir shops stocked a thick book chronicling all the deaths in the canyon!
After taking in the views at Powell point we Caught another shuttle along the route to Mojave Point. At Mojave there were good views of the Colorado River below and of a rock formation called the Alligator.
We then caught the shuttles back to the plaza to stock up on a few supplies at the General Store, before heading off after 2pm. We were on our way to San Diego via Joshua Tree National Park, though were aiming to reach Blythe for our overnight stop.
We drove back along the I40 which we’d travelled at night on the way in, but hadn’t really missed much. The speed limit in Arizona is 75mph, though HaRVie gets the wobbles up a bit at that speed, especially on the rough surfaces of the Arizona roads. So mostly we stuck below 70mph. Most people here don’t seem to pay much attention to the speed limits, with even trucks wizzing past, although it was dual lane freeway so pretty easy driving.
We called into the old Route 66 town of Seligman which didn’t have much other than a restaurant called the Road Kill Café and a few tacky souvenir shops. Hardly worth the 2 mile detour, but at least we can say we have travelled on Route 66.
We eventually crossed back into California, stopping at the agricultural control checkpoint, then stopped to fuel up at Vidal Junction. We’d managed to stop at probably the only gas station in the US that charges Australian prices for petrol! Probably more when you take into account it is only 87 RON.
From there the road followed beside the Colorado River to Blythe. We got to our destination for the evening a bit after 9pm. Reception had closed but they had a list of available sites so we drove around and found one we liked. The sprinklers were on, so we turned them off and drove in and hooked up. As we were driving around, we saw a live skunk scurrying around the park. I think we smelt a dead one on the way into Blythe, because there was a putrid stench and all sorts of accusations were being thrown around in the van!
It was still hot, so we got the code for the pool gate from a Swiss family parked near us and went for a swim before hitting the sack for the evening. As we swam in th epool a racoon darted up and down the driveway.
