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September 12, 2025
Hello from Page, Arizona!
Today, we drove from the Grand Canyon to here. I am glad we got to see the Grand Canyon, it was amazing. Camping in a tent, not so much. Camping in a dry, arid climate, no. I cannot quench my thirst. No matter what I do! I could never live here. It is just unbearable for me.
That being said, we drove the three hours to here, and the landscape was like nothing I have ever seen before. The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is closed because of the recent wildfires that decimated the entire area, but we drove past where the entrance is and I can’t believe how far it was away from the South Rim where we stayed. The thing is huge. It’s like another planet.
The landscape on the drive from there to Page must have changed every three minutes. I couldn’t keep up with the picture-taking!
The dogs did great, as usual. Boy, are they glad to be back in a hotel (so am I).
We stopped at a really neat shop to use the bathroom and I sometimes wish I could take 20 minutes to shop at these little stores, but it’s not easy with two dogs and the heat. They have to wait in or near the car (with a human present, at all times).
While waiting to be able to check in to our hotel in Page, we visited Glen Canyon Dam. There are so many canyons that are separate, but as I told Brad, in my personal opinion, they are all one huge canyon. On the way between the Grand Canyon and Glen Canyon, we also drove through Antelope Canyon!
Glen Canyon Dam is where the Colorado River (or is it Lake Powell?) goes past Page, Arizona. It’s a big dam that produces electricity. We thought we’d go see Lake Powell but unfortunately, even though it’s “right over there” – like, you can see it – but the drive to actually BE there is over three hours! Winding, tiny little roads. The size of things out here is mind-boggling.
Tomorrow, or the next day, (we aren’t sure yet) we’re going to Zion National Park. We were unable to get a hotel or campground anywhere near Zion. Page, AZ was the nearest place! The first time we looked, it said the distance in time was an hour and forty-five minutes. Now, it says it’s about two hours, or perhaps longer. We’ll have to come back here to the hotel in between excursions to various sites of interest.
It’s supposed to be hot again, so I am a little concerned about Charlie. Petey I can always carry. I’m a little concerned about ME too! I can’t quench my thirst!!!! It’s so weird!
So, we’re staying here in Page for about three days.
September 13, 2025
Today, we went all the way to Zion National Park in Utah, about 2- 2 ½ hours away, and back to Page.
And when I say we went. We went. That’s all we did. There was not one parking spot to be had. We couldn’t go to the visitor center to see if they had Bark Ranger tags* for the dogs. We couldn’t use a restroom. It was insane. There were so many cars and not only were the parking lots full, full, full, but cars were pulled over to the side of the road everywhere. We did manage to pull off, walk the dogs ever so briefly, and take photos that were outside instead of through a windshield. But that was it. So, we literally drove there, and drove back.
* After I got home, I ordered Zion Bark Ranger tags for both dogs online. Even with the government shutdown, someone was operating the online shop and sent them to me.
Now, the drive was spectacular. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen, except in movies. I remember the movie “The Long, Long Trailer” with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz…it may have been filmed in Zion National Park! The roads are really crazy especially when you look back up from the bottom of the canyon and realize that you just drove on that little road that’s basically a ledge! With hundreds of other cars, possibly thousands.
The tunnel was cool. A little creepy but cool.
So, we saw Zion. Lol and when I say “saw” I mean that’s all we did. We SAW Zion.
After that, we stopped at McDonald’s for a bite to eat. What a debacle. We went in separately because someone has to stay with the dogs and we both needed to use a restroom after that drive. Well, Brad ordered his food from a human, but I didn’t see anyone at the counter, so I used the kiosk. I’m a computer person, and even for me it was a pain in the arse. I didn’t want to pay on the machine, so I clicked “pay at register” so that I could use cash. Then the human appeared. I didn’t know I could have ordered the food from him. So, it took a really long time. It’s a stupid setup.
On the way to Zion, I noticed that we were in Kanab, and that’s where Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is!! We drove right by it, and I thought OMG I am pretty sure we can go there. I looked online and sure enough you can visit, with dogs! So, we are going to try to stop on Monday when we drive past on our way to Orem. I found out you can’t really do anything at Best Friends if you have your own dog/dogs with you. So, we’re going to just stop in at the Welcome Center and say hello and tell them “we already know all about you and just wanted to say hi” (and we’ll use the restroom lol). This trip has been officially dubbed “The Great Restrooms of the Western United States”.
Tomorrow, we’re going to explore Page locally and do our laundry at the hotel’s guest laundry area.
We had no choice but to stay at a Motel 6 as La Quinta was full — busloads of tourists! I have to say, this is only the second time I’ve used a Motel 6 and I was skeptical because this one somehow got good reviews. Well, I have to say it really is not bad! The other Motel 6 I stayed at many years ago was freakin’ awful. I wrote about it in my book, “Dear Hobie” where you can read the whole story.
Until tomorrow! Good night from Page, Arizona near the Utah border.
September 15, 2025
I didn’t write yesterday because we took a day “off” and hung out in our hotel room.
Today, we head to Provo (Orem) Utah. We’ll lose an hour as we cross into Mountain Daylight Time.
We did stop in at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and they were so welcoming! I spent $75 on tchotchkes and a t-shirt (all proceeds benefit the sanctuary, so it was basically a $75 donation). We walked the dogs around, and we had photos taken of us standing in front of the sign. We used the bathroom and then kept driving.
It was nice to see green trees and grass again. The landscape here in Utah is a mix of both desert and grass/trees. By the end of the week we will be heading towards Iowa, closer to sea level and more grass and humidity. I’m ready. We are all tired of the desert. I’m grateful I got to see it, but I am ready to get back to a little more humidity.
After a while, we stopped to eat. We’ve been getting McDonald’s snack wraps which have made a comeback recently, and they are surprisingly healthy and yummy.
Tonight, we checked into our hotel in Provo (Orem) Utah, and while we knew it was near where Charlie Kirk was killed, we didn’t realize HOW near. It’s right across the street! While sitting in traffic waiting to turn into the driveway of the hotel, we saw people placing flowers at the memorial at Utah Valley University. Right there. Right across from our hotel. This is crazy. You can’t make this stuff up.
Thank you so much for reading and subscribing. If you’ve already picked up a copy of “Dear Hobie” I am beyond grateful, and I hope you are enjoying the story. It would be greatly appreciated if you would take a moment to post a review on Amazon, or bookshop.org. If you got the Kindle eBook you can review it here.
As always, my senior pets and I are thankful for your support.
Next week on Epic Road Trip: Utah to Wyoming
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