Watch Out For Spots On The Road!

Everywhere you look is a perfect picture

Not long after we moved into our Victorian home my sister in law asked if I'd like to take a trip with her to Phoenix Arizona. YES!!! I had never seen this part of the States before so I was thrilled. We headed through Kansas down into Oklahoma and then into New Mexico where we stayed in Santa Fe for the night. Oh MY did we wish we had more time to look around....we did take a quick drive into the old part of the city and stopped for breakfast in the morning in a French Bistro of all things! Then we were on our way again. We got to Phoenix fairly early ...took care of business and stayed the night. It was the first time I had seen palm tree's actually growing outside...and cactus everywhere! The next morning after breakfast we took off for the Grand Canyon. Donna had been there before years ago but it was my first visit. I can not describe to you what I felt when I got my first glimps of the canyon.....it was...for lack of a better description....AMAZING! That word doesn't even come close to describing what I saw and the feelings I had taking it all in. No words can describe the enormity of what you see! The colors are incredible. It was a little hazy that day but even then it was breathtaking.

It was a little hazy this day

My pictures do not do it justice. Even the professionals can't capture what you see first hand.

It's more than what you see...

I came across this little plant growing near the edge

It's hard to believe anything can grow in this dry rocky ground

This is one of my favorite pictures

This little fellow kept us entertained for a while

A woman designed this lodge

We had dessert in here....oh my I wish I had taken a picture of it!

The same woman designed this Hopi building.

I can't find my information on her...sorry.

Our last view of the canyon before we left. You can just see the Colorado River way down in the middle of the picture.

We stayed the night and spent a good part of the day looking around and walking trails but then we were on our way again. We came back through Navaho country and up into Colorado...Durango. It was not far from Durango that we saw a sight I NEVER want to see again. I started to notice black spots on the road as we were driving...LOTS of them. I started looking closer and realized what they were OMG...TURANTULAS....thousands of them crossing the road and some were flattened by cars!!!! I wanted to get a picture but we were to scared to stop for fear they'd get on the car and we'd take them home with us...geepers creeeepers what a thought!!! The funny thing is...where we saw them it was dry desert...then it's like we crossed a line and everything was green and no more spiders on the road...strange. Anyway...we stopped a little further down the road for a break but we were sure on the look out for those ugly fury creepy crawly critters.

Donna on the left

This photo was taken just before we saw the spiders.

Believe me...if we had seen them before...we wouldn't have been standing there!

We got home that night safe and sound...no spiders...no nightmares thank heavens!

If you haven't been to this part of the country before I hope you'll go one day. It's well worth the drive and it will be something you will NEVER forget (the Canyon). It will take your breath away.

One more thing...if you go to Durango Colorado and you travel east from there....watch out for spots on the road!!