(e:paul) and I got to the south rim pretty late in the afternoon (almost 2). It was more packed than I've ever seen Niagara Falls So we rented bikes and zoomed west from the canyon village to Hermit's camp. It was a steep and windy road, with a 6% grades at some points. A bitch to get up but you flew on the way down.

I don't think I can do justice in pictures or words to America's crack. Even standing on the edge you have no idea how big is really is. Are you really even seeing the canyon floor from where you're standing? Are those really tiny trees or huge trees far away? It's mind boggling.

Hermit's Camp at the end was originally a resort. Apparently in the 1910's the Grand Canyon was a bougie train trip, where you were sherpaed down into tents with telephones and carpets on the canyon floor.

Also crawling around the whole park are elk which apparently are not native. Everywhere the park warns you to stay away from the males which want to mate. Almost none of the tourists listen.

After the mountain we rested a bit and went to a ramen restaurant called Sosoba. At 5pm the food is half priced for an hour. I got a vegan tofu ramen and (e:paul) got a spam and pork one (blech) for half off, so dinner was about $12 before tip. That's Fast and Tasty level prices.

After dinner we were critically full. We walked it off around the NAU campus which just like Case has gone crazy building chain restaurants and huge metal buildings. I guess tuition is now for who can build the biggest mall.





I saw (e:paul)'s first dorm there, along with the Language building where he and (e:terry) met.

This is McDonald Hall, where (e:paul) roomed with a parole officer and rancher.


Downtown Flagstaff is packed at night. There's so many students everywhere it looks more intense than Chippewa at some corners.

It seemed like every other storefront is some sort of bar or brewery. I didn't really feel like the bars too much, but (e:paul) and I went and visited a fancy wine bar and the Flagstaff brewery.

The rest of the night we walked around until we came across this dance event at a western bar called the Gopher. The music was some sort of drum and bass and really good. It was fun and a little sad to watch straight girls try and dance with all the gay boys there. We found a few friends to hang out with and smoke.


Drunk driving dog in the alley

To be written about

After the mesa we headed up to Flagstaff. It wasn't far at all, maybe a half hour by car. It sounds long but it was nothing on this trip.

We didn't have a place to stay when we got to Flagstaff of course. So (e:paul) and I went to Dara Thai, across the street from the Downtowner where he lived before. The food was about $8-9 a dish and made us too full. I had a fried tofu southwest spice dish.



We ended up staying on the same block where (e:paul) and (e:terry) lived, in the Motel Du Beau. It was the first motel in Flagstaff, which is now a motel/hostel. It was way cheaper than a hotel and had laundry, breakfast, a common area, fridge and everything. I liked it a lot. The hotel was also right across the rail tracks from downtown. The trains passed by the town almost every hour in the night but I could sleep through them. The weirdest part was that the shower could take up to 10 minutes to heat up because it was so far from the water heater. Luckily I can take cold showers while it gets warm for Paul.

(e:paul) says it was pretty much the same layout as his old apartment, just no kitchen.







This cafe across the street had a wall of dead dogs. It was depressing and cute at the same time.

The second day in Sedona, (e:paul) and I went to see the famous Sedona vortex. Somehow Sedona is famous with the new agey crystal people for being a spot with many mystical vortexes. Our motel clerk even gave us a map and told us where they'll all be.





It seems like rich Californians definitely outweigh crystal hippies now (or maybe the hippies just have money now). But (e:paul) and I went to a famous vortex site by the airport. It really seemed like an easy hike to me but maybe I'm secretly allergic to vortices

After that we went up a road right in the town to a place called Jordan Pass. It takes you to a trailhead for Brin's Mesa.

The trail starts off in the desert and takes you about 500 feet to a grassy mesa. All along the way (e:paul) and I ate prickly pears. You probably shouldn't since it robs the desert life of nutrients but it they were way sweeter and juicier than anything Basra ate. I hope he gets fresh ones, wherever he is (e:joe,60672)

The mesa descended into a pine forest with a dry creek/wash. You go all the way out to an ATV road, ~3 miles away.

At the ATV road we went a mile south and ended up at Devil's Bridge. The hike is steep but easy up to this stone bridge, jutting out over a valley. It looks way scarier than you'd thing. (e:paul) freaked out a little but it was always at least 5 ft wide always.

We didn't have very much water for an 11 mile hike but we did have coconut water and a few Modellos. So those tided us on the walk back. I don't think we saw anyone else on either direction of the Brin's mesa trail, outside of the first half milk.