James says:

Day 9: Wow, it's been 9 days of spectacular scenery; today was no different. We started with a trip to the Hoover Dam.

There is a new bridge that bypasses the dam and gives no opportunity for viewing. We took old route 93 down to the dam and got some great views. I was struck by the low level of Lake Mead. It is clear by the staining on the canyon walls of the previous levels of the water and the lake now seems to be at it's lowest ever. It is hard to estimate from a distance, but I would guess it to be 50 feet below the high mark. I would also guess that the missing volume is easily equal, probably more than the amount remaining. Nevada and Utah have instituted plans to conserve water, and we did our small part to contribute. As with most of the scenery on this trip, pictures will do no justice to the enormity of it all. Speaking of enormity...
Grand Canyon National Park. Again Wow! We've all seen pictures of it, even seen it portrayed in movies, but no, it has to be seen. It is amazing. The depth of not only the canyon, but the detail in the landscape is awe inspiring. We travelled the South Rim from the central main part of the canyon all the way to the end of the main canyon on the East side, following what has become a dear friend, the Colorado River.

 It seems that we started our foray into the grand scenery with this river and it seems apt that we end it with it. The end viewing point was Desert View, giving a great view of the river as well as the Painted Desert. There is a stone tower there with great viewing access. We spent more time than we had thought we would at the Grand Canyon, and we all agreed that it was time well spent.

We still have much to see, but I feel that the overall impact of what we have seen will not match the grandeur of this area.
We stopped tonight in Winslow, Arizona. If it sounds familiar, think about the Eagles song "Take it Easy". Standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona... Yep, that song is now stuck in your head. You're welcome.

Headed south tomorrow, White Sands, New Mexico. If we ever figure out what time it is. We crossed the Pacific/Mountain time line, but Arizona doesn't do daylight savings, so do we add or subtract an hour? Do we have to borrow an hour? Jeez, what's interest on an hour?