St. George, Utah was an impressive town and we had an even more impressive meal at the Cliffside Restaurant. We ate from a wonderful menu, with a view overlooking the St. George Valley. They won the best of Utah in 2019 and the chefs studied culinary arts at Florida Atlantic University. It was a great ending to our day before we settled into our hotel for the night. We needed our rest for the day at the northern rim of the Grand Canyon.
As Bill remarked, “It is a postcard view in every direction”. We passed tabletop mountains near Pipe Spring, layered in colors of red and tan rock. Passing through the Paiute Indian Reservation, the Vermillion Cliffs defy description. What a scenic highway to the Kaibab National Forest! We stopped at the LaFevre Outlook, where a fire in June of this year scorched acres of beautiful forest. It did not diminish the view of the multi-layered rock of the Grand Staircase. Hundreds of miles of geological awe off Hwy. 89. Copses of golden yellow aspen dotted the charred landscape.
One of the favorite stops on our Grand Canyon day of scenery and hiking included the Walhalla Outlook, where we viewed the Pueblo site across the road. Over 100 farming sites were situated on this plateau, over 900 years ago. About 20 people were housed on the site we visited, with very small rooms.
We hiked many different trails to scenic outlooks and were treated to indescribable views. Vast panoramic vistas, indigo blue skies. perfect hiking weather, great roads for all our scenery, and groomed trails made this day exceptional. It was great sharing with Brooke and Gage, who were just as awed as we were. It wasn’t over at the end of the day either, as we drove the most beautiful highway I have ever traveled. Highway 89 at dusk, past the Vermillion Cliffs on the opposite side, past Soap Creek that can only be described as a lunar terrain, with huge boulders that were almost cartoonish in their aspect!
We ended our night, after the red rock views at sunset, at the Moenkopi Legacy Inn in Tuba City, Arizona. It has an interesting and questionable history to the name, but the hotel is located on the western gateway to the Hopi tribal lands. No liquor is allowed in the rooms, no restaurants are open, but it is amazingly clean and comfortable. They had an outbreak of COVID among the Navajo nation in August and have taken huge precautions to prevent any further outbreaks.