Big bits of the USA, and the end of the trip

The next stunning scenery was at Arches National Park, so named because of the amazing rock arches including the Landscape Arch

 and the iconic (it's the symbol of Utah) Delicate Arch where we arrived all alone for a few minutes.

 We had stayed at Monticello in the Blue Mountain Motel (good) but shopped in Moab (very expensive to stay) then headed off to Monument Valley.

On the way we detoured to Hovenweep, a 13th century Pueblo Indian settlement with great ruined stone buildings

and a bright (colour) lizard.

We had booked (the only thing we had booked in advance) a 3-hour horse ride in Monument Valley (John Wayne country) for Judy's birthday treat even though it was Chris' birthday.

It was great, visiting placed where no vehicles could go.

We woke up on the morning of Chris' birthday in a traditional Navajo 'hogan'
 that looks like a mud hut from the outside

 

but is a beautiful bit of woodwork inside covered with soil for protection and insulation.  Probably our most basic stay but we were served with cooked brekkie.

On to the big one - the Grand Canyon - which was as superb as expected.  After an early start from Monument Valley, despite it being C's birthday, we arrived late morning then hiked down the South Kaibab Trail. Oh wow, oh wow!

Accommodation was horrendously expensive so stayed about 25 miles south and enjoyed steaks for dinner - the first time we had dined out.  The next morning we went to Hermit's Rest and walked down to Santa Maria springs where we rested in a superbly appointed hut and met a group who had hiked up from the bottom - 5 hours!  It was about 3 miles down and then back up again for us.  Great scenery all the way.

The last weekend in May is Memorial weekend, a national holiday with the start of the school holidays with everyone out and about, so we decided to head for Phoenix because everywhere in the countryside was awfully expensive.  Could only get as far as Flagstaff and the first motel we tried wanted 129$ for a  basic room!  Eventually found somewhere cheaper and then a great Indian take-away.,  Not impressed by Flagstaff, even though there was a free concert in the square.

Went via the 89A to Sonora (grossly over-rated) which we drove straight through to avoid the tourist traps and on to Cottonwood (grossly under-rated)

where we had a coffee, resisted the temptation for great food, had a really pretty walk along the river then visited two nearby Pueblo Indian sites.

We had booked a hotel in Phoenix - what a great deal!  Almost the cheapest stay of the trip in a Marriott Residence with a pool, and an apartment with kitchen.  Arrived, headed to the pool and met an extended family who plied us with alcohol!  Who needs more for a holiday weekend??

Don't normally do slobbing about poolside, but really enjoyed it for a couple of days.  Managed a walk up Camelback Mountain, a really rugged climb in the middle of Phoenix which sprawls a long way.

Then slowly to San Diego, stopping to see some masses of petroglyphs at 'Painted Rock' should have been called painted rocks there were so many.

and across the desert

with an overnight stop at Yuma in the far south-west of Arizona.  Here we spent J's birthday meal by the pool - the magic 64 (exchanged the cottage on the Isle of Wight for a house in France) This was great value, a much bigger and more interesting place than we had thought, and has a huge siphon of water under the Colorado River to irrigate the very fertile valley. It has great historical value as it's the narrowest crossing of the Colorado and so has been used and settled for hundreds of years. We saw fields of crops and masses of hay-fields al the way through the desert.  A massive change of use and environment.

San Diego has a great maritime museum with ships and submarines.  

Balboa Park is the home of lots of museums and galleries (we resisted the temptation) and great gardens too.

Decided to spend our last weekend on the beaches between San Diego and LA, so headed north through La Jolla where there were more seals and sea-lions and found a good beach and a cheap motel not too far away.

For the benefit of anyone else considering a trip in the USA, travel is very easy and motels are cheap with a continental breakfast often included.  We always went for one with a microwave and fridge (typically about $50-60 a night) so that we could largely self-cater and found plenty of good supermarkets, even some that only sell organic food.  Salads and veg were easy, rotisserie chickens can be very good, or deli counters for meats etc.  We think it's more comfortable and cheaper than a camper van (or RV as they say here) but you can't camp in a standard car!   We bought a cheap cool-box to store food during the days we were travelling between places, but will bin it now.  Other things are bring a corkscrew because because wine bottles are not screw-top as in Oz.  And a few plastic plates and eating tools.  Easy and fun.

Strange to think we'll be home in a few days.  And back to work!
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