The idea is to follow the way of the Route 66 via Chicago, St. Louis, Oklahoma City, Albuquerque to Flagstaff/AZ. From Flagstaff it is approx. 1.5h to Grand Canyon Village.
On April 13 is the first stage from Toronto to St. Louis. In the morning of April 14, we take some time to visit the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, which is located next to the Mississippi river.
The Gateway Arch impresses by form and size. It is higher than any other building or monument in St. Louis. Its size and form make it almost look like an extra-terrestrial phenomenon. This is also supported by the remarkable triangular cross-sectional shape of the arch.
After St. Louis, we follow the I44 westwards. For the night, we stay in Clinton/Oklahoma.
On April 15, we drive from Oklahoma to New Mexico. The landscape changes from green fields to sandy desert. From a picnic area at the highway, we see our first cactus in the desert.
We stay the night in the remote Bluewater Campground, which is located close to the continental divide and not far from Arizona. Here we make our first experience with stronger wind: Because of the wind, the gas burner is not strong enough to make the water boil. We cook in the washroom where is no wind.
On Apr 16, starting from Bluewater Campground, we want to reach Grand Canyon Village in the evening. On the way, we plan to visit Window Rock and Petrified Forest NP.
From highway close to Bluewater, we watch some rain showers and a rainbow in the desert. We think of rain in Grand Canyon and don't like the idea. But the showers end soon and we forget the unwelcome idea. Window Rock is the first arch or hole in a rock that we see in this holiday. Sure, there are a number of larger arches in Arches NP. However, this nice arch is located in a Navajo reservation and it is located above a small park with some small monument giving you some lessons in history.
After Window Rock, we head for Petrified Forest NP.
