We are getting our kicks on Route 66!We parked for the night at BLM’s Amboy Crater and hiked to the caldera in the morning. The other side of those mountains is Twenty Nine Palms, where my Dad was stationed when he brought his young bride to California on Rt 66.We are headed to these mountains across the train tracks into the Mojave National Preserve.We found a nice site at Hole In the Wall campground. Is there a hole in the wall to continue our hike?Really is there a hole in the wall?Well what do you know. Jungle Gym rings to pull yourself up the slot.Gorgeous cactus and vistas along the trail.Beauty in the details.We motored through Las Vegas and followed the Virgin River into the Gold Buttes National Monument established in 2016. Another new monument on BLM land!We enjoyed the sunset and solitude. We will have to come back to explore more of this park.Marble Canyon area on east side of Vermillion Cliffs National Monument. We stopped at Grand Staircase Escalante Visitor Center and received a wealth of information to keep us busy for several weeks. Providing of course the monument doesn’t shrink again.We drove through some Vermilion Cliffs to Lees Ferry. Many changes have come this way with paved roads, pullouts, parking lots, and dedicated campground.Channeling Wesley Powell: A fabulous day on the Colorado River! This is part of the Grand Canyon National Park and where rafting trips to the canyon begin.This is another release site for California condors – we were lucky to see a pair fly over the canyon.We looked through a sun telescope as there were some astronomers holding a special event. The Navajo Bridge leads you to Glen Canyon Recreation Area. We have come full circle on our trip.
