|
Although we have seen many places in the world, we had never seen the Grand Canyon, so we decided that this was the year. We flew to Denver and rented a car for a month, during which we travelled some 5000 miles. We expected to see some great scenery, but we did not expect to be so truly awed so often. Notable features: Scenery - Spectacular, Awesome. US National Parks Pass - US$50 for driver and passengers for one year to all USA National Parks and Monuments (for US citizens the Golden Age Pass at US$10 is valid for life to those over 62 - talk about value!) People - friendly, helpful, open. Motel prices - averaged C$62.50 per night with continental breakfast vs C$76 on a recent trip through rural Manitoba. Gasoline prices - about C$2.50 / USgal vs C$3.25 at home. Roads - excellent condition: virtually no broken pavement, comfortably cruisable at the speed limits. Speed limits - 75 mph on Interstates, 65 mph on US highways (and the transport trucks passed us on the Interstates - can't imagine what their fuel consumption must be). |
|
Following is our itinerary, which was pretty close to what we had planned using the Internet
and travel brochures from the various states and cities. The map is clickable for a
larger (287kb) version, if desired. Note re the larger version: Some browsers resize large photos to fit the browser window. In Internet Explorer, when you hover over a re-sized picture an icon with outward facing arrows appears in the lower right corner. You can click it to see the full-size picture (necessary to read the place names). |
(*n) = number of nights stayed|
| Introduction | Denver | Wyoming | Grands Tetons | Yellowstone | Salt Lake City | Bryce Canyon | Zion Canyon | Grand Canyon North Rim | Arizona Strip |
| Las Vegas | Hoover Dam | Route 66 | Grand Canyon South Rim | Sedona | Montezuma | Tucson | Tombstone | Bisbee |
| El Paso | White Sands | Albuquerque | Santa Fe | Palo Duro Canyon | Dodge City | Pike's Peak | Garden of the Gods | Denver |