Up bright and early the next day, we began the long drive to El Paso. A stop overnight here was necessary to break up our route and the long drive to Arizona. Along I-10 in this part of west Texas, from San Antonio to El Paso, we encountered rolling hills and unique geography. Surprising to us, the interstate had a speed of 80 miles per hour here as the road visibility was so very clear. Before leaving El Paso the next morning, we travelled to the busy Mexico-U.S. border to get a glimpse of the border wall, often in our news. The wall was a little underwhelming. There was much which we wished to see in Arizona. Before retiring, we spent seven years vacationing in Arizona. Some of our planned stops were nostalgic. Such as the first one in Bisbee. Driving southwest off I-10, we travelled past many mountains and valleys before arriving in the historic copper mining town of Bisbee. The old main street was busy and many shops were open. As the afternoon waned, we drove northwest towards I-10 and Tucson. Along the way, we drove through Tombstone and recalled a previous visit to the OKCorral and re-enactment presentation. Very lifelike. Tucson was our main base during working-days vacations. Among other sites and things to do, we always enjoyed our exciting drive through Gates Pass. From the lookout atop Gates Pass, there are beautiful desert and saguaro forest views. Going down the west side of the pass and Tucson Mountains, Kinney Road directed us back to the I-10 area. Fellow snowbird director John Foster and his wife Joan invited us for lunch at their home in the Las Palmas community of Mesa. It was a special time reconnecting following so many COVID months apart. John gave us good directions to get out of Mesa and on our way north once again. Our final destination for three nights was Flagstaff. This northern Arizona city is the perfect spot to enjoy many outdoor sports, all year round. Our hotel was on the infamous Route 66! We found our Toto dog another wonderful dog sitter on Rover.com. He was well cared for while we toured north and south of Flagstaff. The next day, we went north from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon. I had watched several YouTube videos for tips on how best to approach the drive to the canyon and which lookouts to be sure and see. These were very helpful and no doubt saved us time. One tip that we followed was to arrive from the east throughmeadows and the San Francisco peak mountainsides, avoiding the entry crowds at the main state park west entrance and visitor centre. The views from Desert View Lookout were spectacular. Yet, I somehowwas surprised. I thought we would “feel” closer to the canyon floor and the river. No! It is a very long way down, winding and creating the canyon over 4,000 years. We spent the afternoon driving west along the Desert View Drive, stopping at viewpoints Lipan, Moran and Grandview, before arriving at Mather Point near the visitor centre and Grand Canyon village. KITCHEN & BATH RENOVATIONS CONDO & HOME RENOVATIONS CUSTOM HOMES & ADDITIONS SERVICES WE OFFER INCLUDE: TORONTO DOWNSIZING DOES NOT MEAN DOWNGRADING 416.495.8282 goldenbeehomes.com 2022 BILD AWARDS RENOVATOR OF THE YEAR & CUSTOM HOME BUILDER OF THE YEAR Licensed, Registered, & Insured Design Build Firm MOVING TO A CONDO? LET US HELP YOU BRING YOUR MEMORIES HOME CSANews | SUMMER 2022 | 25 Travel
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