Sunday afternoon adventures

I escaped Page today and discovered several new favorite places. I drove through a mountain pass and then through a broad valley to Marble Canyon, where the Colorado River cuts through white limestone. This is also the site of a famous bridge.

I continued along the Vermillion Cliffs, stopping to look at roadside stands with jewelry for sale and admiring the balanced rocks. The rain that morning left everything feeling fresh, but also curtailed my original plan of going hiking.

I drove on, up into the Kaibab National Forest and was in awe of the trees and lovely wildflowers. Such a change from my new red rock home. I stopped in at the lodge, discovered that this was a squirrel wilderness area (awesome) and bought fresh bread and cookies (!!) and a non-Arizona newspaper. It was like a cool drink after emerging from a day in the desert.

As the sun set, I continued on through the forest, getting my first glimpses of the Grand Staircase as the fading light painted the scene. This was one of those goofy geologist moments--when all of the maps and textbooks become alarmingly clear. All in all, a very successful evening drive!