Dwight Watt Internet Article #120 11/4/2005


#120 - Trip to Arizona (Watt Thoughts)

Last week I drove out to Arizona to visit my aunt and uncle. I t was a nice trip and I saw a lot of beautiful scenery. Regrettably I got to Arizona five days late and was unable to go to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I have been to South Rim a number of times and hiked to bottom in 1979 and spent the night there. However I have not been to North Rim.

I decided then to go and visit Canyon de Chelly again in northeast Arizona. It was beautiful in the fall colors and I enjoyed my three mile hike (round trip) to bottom. You can see some of the glory of what is on bottom of Grand Canyon here for a lot less work. It is a 600 foot descent though so it is not a casual walk.

From there I went down Arizona 77 to Tucson. It was a more backward road and I do not remember traveling before. I spent the night in Show Low and discovered there is some good skiing in area later in winter. I am glad I stopped there and not pushed on as there were two major mountains to cross before next town with motels.

The White Mountains were beautiful as I crossed them. The road was steep often and I was on the edge of the mountain. Another reason to know my fear of heights is substantially less since my fall. I saw some beautiful scenery and took a lot of pictures. I then descended in the desert and got to see some nice mountains covered in Saguaro cacti.

I then spent a few days in the Tucson area with my aunt and uncle and had a good visit. Coming back I used I-10 and I-20. Going out I went on I-40. Coming back it was over 600 miles across Texas. I spent the night in Odessa Texas and then did a 24 hour straight through drive to Swainsboro. I was wide awake all the way except near Georgia border and after walking Wal-Mart for about 30 minutes I was wide awake to late that night.

Report on gas prices:

It is strange the current gas prices across the southern part of US. I paid the following amounts in these various places. I saw Diesel priced from 2.$8 to 3.46.
Swainsboro Georgia $2.45 Stockbridge Georgia 2.59 In Tennessee 2.59 West Memphis Arkansas 2.35 Eastern Oklahoma 2.29 Stillwater Oklahoma 2.01 Murphy USA at a Wal-Mart Amarillo Texas 2.29 Albuquerque New Mexico 2.56 Holbrook Arizona 2.63 Snow Flake Arizona 2.71 Ora Valley Arizona 2.51 Lordsburg New Mexico 2.59 Van Horn Texas 2.39 Midlands Texas 2.22 Fort Worth Texas 2.35 Tyler Texas 2.09 Jackson Mississippi 2.22 Aniston Alabama 2.42

In Texas and Oklahoma I saw a number of oil wells not pumping, but a number were pumping. I saw about four new wells being drilled. I also saw a windmill farm in Oklahoma and in Texas.

I have posted my pictures and you can view them at http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2118451093&code=19117084&mode=invite&DCMP=isc-email-AlbumInvite

Dwight

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