It was difficult for me to let go of the Grand Canyon today. I drove the scenic Desert View east along the South Rim of the Canyon stopping at half a dozen viewpoints. Grandview, Moran, Lipan, Navajo, and Desert lookouts all allowed me to continue to experience the magnitude of the valley. The route took just under two hours as I gave myself time to explore the different vistas at each stop. I also checked out the Tusayan Ruin, which dated back over eight hundred years, it’s aged, but still looks pretty good for vintage 12th century; strong rock foundation and what not. And that was it. I climbed the watch tower at Desert View and gave one last look at the Grand Canyon, then continued down highway 64 onto my next adventure.
I cut eastward across the northern edge of the state while the sun was at its highest point. The red sands of Arizona formed distant mountains that created a backdrop 
for the wide open desert plains. It was hot and the wind was blasting sand against the truck as I drove from the Arizona 64 to highway 89, north and east along US 160 and finally up into the Navajo Tribal territory on highway 163. A relatively high percentage of the land in Arizona is devoted to Native American Reservations, which made today’s trip unique from my explorations of neighbouring states. Before entering the Navajo Monument Valley Park, I could see the famous buttes and mesas that gathered at the Four Corners intersection (like giants battling over the Arizona-Utah-Colorado-New Mexico collision. The huge rock formations soared up from the ocean of red desert sand and ruled the horizon. For five dollars I was granted access to the park and the 17 mile scenic drive that ducked around the towering monuments. The route brought you up close and personal with the monstrous buttes and lead you passed the many mesas into areas not visible from the highway. With the various stops and the twisting of the dirt road, the round trip ended up being about two hours. It was definitely worth navigating the truck over the uneven and rocky roadway to get right into the thick of the park. I felt like I’d wandered on to an expansive movie set and was going to team up with John Wayne in a Wild Southwestern showdown. Yet another piece of American wilderness that left me wondering if I was dreaming. To be able to say that in one day I took pictures of the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley feels greedy, but the timing worked perfectly as I left the Navajo Park just after 5pm.
My stop for the night was a town called Page. I’m about an hour and a half from tomorrow’s destination of Zion National Park, and in the comfort of a Motel 6, so Page was a pretty easy choice. I got the TV on just in time to catch the end of the first overtime in the Pittsburgh-Detroit game. Game five of the Stanley Cup Finals and it’s a championship if the Wings score and a game six at home if the Pens can pull it off. In between the first and second OT I raced out and grabbed Jack in the Box. It was a fast food night because I know that tomorrow I will be heading back into the wild and returning to the Coleman stove. Plus I need to take advantage of the American Chains while I still have the chance. Oh and It’s amazing, so there’s that working for Jack in the Box too. The Penguins scored in the third segment of overtime, on a power play, and kept the series alive. I was fist pumping and jumping around like a lunatic. 
Not to worry though, I could feel the energy of Pens fans everywhere in celebration, so I wasn’t alone. It was a good way to finish off the day. I find that playoff coverage provides a nice familiarity to balance out the new and unknown that my trip has been all about. And I also had a nice chat with the Mommas and
the Pappas back at home about the status of the Jackson MiniTramp and his Great American Adventure. Hearing from home gives me that nice ‘tucked in’ feeling, leaving me all ready for bed and a new day of exploration.
Not to worry though, I could feel the energy of Pens fans everywhere in celebration, so I wasn’t alone. It was a good way to finish off the day. I find that playoff coverage provides a nice familiarity to balance out the new and unknown that my trip has been all about. And I also had a nice chat with the Mommas and
the Pappas back at home about the status of the Jackson MiniTramp and his Great American Adventure. Hearing from home gives me that nice ‘tucked in’ feeling, leaving me all ready for bed and a new day of exploration.
Day Fifteen: Arizona’s Natural Wonders fight for my affection; everyone is a winner.
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