Two ways to Prescott. The Spar road over the Bradshaw Range offers spectacular deep valley views on one side and steep rocky walls on the other. Hugging the contour of soft folds at 35mph maximum means a slow ride.
Option two, Iron Springs Road crosses an open grazing landscape dotted with scrub and oaks then over gently rolling hills into historic Kirkland. Don’t blink you’ll miss it.
Next up a gentle curving grade through piles of rounded granite that level off into more ranch land and into Skull Valley, a quaint little place along a mostly dry wash with some of the biggest most ancient poplars I’ve ever seen.
The road flattens out along a wide fingered ridge top before climbing over the foothills on the western edge of the Bradshaw Mountains.
And suddenly, there is Prescott below, and Mt Humphreys beyond. North from Prescott State Route 89 travels like a rippled ribbon through chaparral and juniper/pinyon 50 miles to Interstate 40, then east towards Flagstaff.
In 20 miles the second Williams exit leads to where the train leaves or State Route 64 heading north to Grand Canyon National Park.
But I continue on as I have a lunch date with two very dear lady friends in Flagstaff. (Sorry no photo of them as I Always seem to forget to take photos of people.)
After lunch I continue my journey to the canyon on State Route 180 skirting the southwest side of Mt. Humphreys.
Interspersed patches of open ranch lands amongst the ponderosa pines stretch ahead.
About an hour’s drive to State Route 64 from Williams and north past Red Butte towards the canyon.
Arrived in time to register for the Grand Canyon History Symposium, check into my room and watch this glorious sunset while unloading my truck.
9 comments:
Hmmm... We stayed a few nights in Flagstaff before and both loved it there. Looking forward to you upcoming posts!
Sounds like a bit of a "busman's holiday...Gorgeous pictures. Enjoy the symposium.
I love reading your mini-travelogues. I get to see places I might otherwise never have a chance to go. Thanks for sharing your trips.
(Ms.) Ernie
Wow, I'm enjoying that blue sky and that amazing sunset all the way from here.
Someday I want to drive 89 from Nogales to the Canadian Border. I've probably been on most of it since I've lived in Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Arizona but it sould be fun to do it slow and continuously. Absolutely amazing scenery. You can't see anything on a freeway. Mostly.
Gaelyn, that IS a glorious sunset! glad you found the "pop" button. I tall looks good! I was wondering about how you made out, so thanks for telling me. If your photos come out too orange or too blue after you "pop" the color, try adjusting the temperature as needed to warmer or cooler. I find that if I pop the color on photo of white people they look too orange or red in the face. If I coll the picture down the color looks much better! However, since you forget to take photos of people, it probably won't be a problem for you! ;-)
Oh, I enjoyed my ride! And that last photo....wow.
(Your remark about not taking photos of people makes me think that I do, but I am never in them.)
One day I would like to do a road trip through the USA.
Looking at those pics you wouldn't say it winter.
I like the look and sound of option 1 too. Maybe you'll document that one for us sometime as well.
Although, historic Kirkland looks like my kind of place :).
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