We met some nice folks in Winslow, Arizona on "The Corner" that helped take some pictures and tell us a little about Winslow and the history of the corner everyone visits. We were fortunate enough to meet the only person with the keys to "The Flatbed Ford" and he opened up the truck so the kids could get in for pictures. It was disappointing to not be able to spend time in Winslow, but as we've found out we cannot drive extended periods in the heat of the day in the Vantom right now due to vapor lock issues.
We continued west on I-40 and went north up to Sunset Crater National Monument. We did a really neat hike up to Lenox Crater, a very old cinder cone. At the start we saw a tiny horned lizard. The hike climbed about 300 feet over .5 miles so was pretty steep, but the view of the old depression from the old volcano was neat. Driving through the park you could see the lava flows and it was like nothing any of us had seen before. Kyle, of course, earned another Junior Ranger badge.
Next up was the Grand Canyon, but we were running later in the day than I'd planned, so it wasn't a shock to see that we hit some vapor lock issues just 10 miles short of the park, so we had to stop for about 45 minutes at a Navajo trading post. Not too bad of a place to have to rest, we got to see a lot of their handicrafts. We broke away and made it up to the east entrance of the Grand Canyon (Desert Watchtower). We enjoyed our first views of the Canyons, then proceeded to the main Visitor Center at Grand Canyon Village. The highlight of the visit was spending a little time on the Rim Hike.
After we left the Grand Canyon out of the south entrance, we drove straight to Williams, Arizona and had dinner at Gloria's Route 66 Cafe. We found what was likely the last motel room in Williams the Mountainside Inn, and now it is about bedtime! Tomorrow we'll be launching very early to get some cool weather driving in, take a mid-day break, and then drive a few more hours in the cooler evening. Then one more day of driving before a long stop at Sequoia National Park!
Matt,
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you're figuring out the mechanical issues and are able to focus on the destinations more than the machinery. I am curious, though, about the reactions you encounter to traveling the country in an antique Rolls Royce. Your thoughts in a blog entry would be interesting.
Mike Harm
Matt: Many years ago I was driving my 3 1/2 L Bentley across country and we encountered some vapor lock issues, particularly when coming into small towns after driving in the country. As you know, the pumps on the 3 1/2 are located on the firewall, and not within the frame. But if you have any exposed fuel lines in the engine compartment, wrap them in some fabric (we used old underwear - not very elegant) and soak them with water. It worked for us. Glad you are again underway.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
John Love