Ridem Cowboyz hiking Hoseshoe Bend and Beep Beep the road runner

Horseshoe Bend is a "horseshoe-shaped" canyon on the Colorado River.

Horseshoe Bend, one of the most photographed areas on the Colorado River. Many people see this picture and think it is associated with the Grand Canyon, it is not. It is part of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area  in Page, AZ. Both the National Park Service and the city of Page part take in preserving it and making it accessible to visitors. It is about a ¾ hike moderate in ability because of the steep grade and the heat and the sand in soft and sinking sand. We hiked about 10:00 already 85 degrees and crowds of people. Being only ¾ of a mile, tour buses come here also. Well worth the walk. Very breath taking. 

What do you think?

 After the hike did a little exploring and found a place that had a rock having Dinosaur prints. 

Road Runner Beep Beep

Another off the bucket List got to see a Road Runner. They are a tinier bird then what I thought they would be. You know from the cartoons. While we were doing laundry and TRY to get internet to check on the Hurricane Irma, we got to watch the little road runner.

 He or she is beating the crap out of that little worm (supper I guess)

Beep Beep

Our Dam Day

Even after getting out of our diving business and selling our company we are still attracted to dams. So we toured Glen Canyon Dam. Glen Canyon Dam is 710 feet tall,  it’s a concrete arched-gravity dam with over 5 million tons poured, . The Dam holdings the Colorado river back creating Lake Powell, one of the largest man-made reservoirs in the U.S. with a capacity of 27 million area feet. Since first filling to capacity in 1980, which took 17 years to fill, Lake Powell water levels have fluctuated greatly depending on water demand and annual runoff. Operation of Glen Canyon Dam helps ensure an equitable distribution of water between the states of the Upper Colorado River Basin (Colorado, Wyoming, and most of New Mexico and Utah) and the Lower Basin (California, Nevada and most of Arizona). During years of drought, Glen Canyon guarantees a water delivery to the Lower Basin states, without the need for rationing in the Upper Basin. In wet years, it captures extra runoff for future use. The dam is also a major source of hydroelectricity, averaging over 5 billion kilowatt hours per year.

When we were there the lake was at 57% capacity which accounts for the ¼ boat ramp and a walk to the beach was ¾ mile. (yes one way). The dam provide 3 major functions, storage of water and controlled release, electricity, and recreation (Lake Powell). Lake Powell has over 2 million visitors a year and I know why.

 During construction of the dam the bridge was needed first. The bridge above, it was and still is the major connection, otherwise it was over a hundred miles around trip. 

 Generators

 Top of dam

 Bottom of dam (couldn't get it in one picture)

Canyons galore just add water (Boating on Lake Powell)

The sights on the way to Page, AZ just continues to be entertaining and so dramatic. 

 The hills were so steep we unhooked so I was following Steve. Thats him and the motorhome in this picture. A corridor of rocks, its narrow.

Nice mountain background and all along the way it is always tons on little shacks of Indians selling their wares, but this one was actually was a mansion compared to most of them.

Aren't these mountains just so amazing, the color layers are so awesome to look at. Mother nature does some amazing artwork.

Our first sight in Page was our beautiful campground. One of the nicest campgrounds we stayed in. Wahweap Campground in the Glen Canyon.

Had an early morning to get up and grab our boat rental for the day. Put the boat in the water not problem but wow the boat ramp was loooong. Talking about at least a 1/4 mile long. Lake Powell is a man-made lake right now it is at 57% capacity making the ramp long. But it so worth it. We packed some homemade Italian sandwiches (Our son Ian's favorite) and tried to relax for the day, although a little hard with the first news of Hurricane Irma coming through FL. Tried our best to enjoy the day. It was a perfect day. The weather was in the low 90 degrees, great for swimming. The water crystal clear. The canyons that we went thru was amazing. Taking the boat thru WOW some places just a little larger then the boat. It was so awesome. 

This was the 1/4 mile boat launch

Captain Steve

Swam in here so cool.

Steve and his Italian sandwich

Ok doing a guessing game. Can you see what Steve saw a cat's face with the winking eye and a baseball cap on backwards?

OK how about the old man face?

What a great day. This is one of the places I will return. Maybe rent a boathouse next time, who's in?

PUT ON THE BRAKES

Sorry but our whole time in Flagstaff (all the post Grand Canyon, Sedona, and the Walnut Canyon and also Page, AZ Lake Powell) all has more of a story to it but this deserves a chapter all its own.
So how it begins..
We got to Flagstaff on Tuesday hoping to settle in for Labor day weekend, so we would be here for 6 days. Longest stay we have had since we left. After setup at our campsite, Steve noticed that we had some oil showing on our passenger side front wheel. Steve being a wonderful knowledgable man, did some research and found that our wheel had an oil bath type in the wheel bearings. So to most of you this meaning nothing and I know what you mean, don't feel bad, in easy terms if the oil drains out you are screwed. Wheel will seizes up.  Then after a close look at the wheel he found that the brakes had cracks in the rotors. Not good.
So next morning Steve calls around and find a small business that works on RV and Big Trucks. OK lets help the little guy. Called said that could take a look bring it down at 1:00. Now prior Steve had done his research we knew the Ven number, engine type, model etc. just order the parts, Nope wanted to look at it. OK fine we took it down for 1:00 and left it there for the afternoon and went to Sunset Crater and Wupatki. Get back at 5 haven't look at it but promised he would get the parts ordered that night and have them the next day. He thought once they pulled the wheels instead of putting them back on he would keep them off so we could spend the night in the driveway of the garage that is in an industrial area worked on it at 7:00 that night how can you order parts that late. OK one night find.....Long story short as Bill would say (thinking of you Bill) we spend the night Steve or I didn't sleep overly well but for one night ok. We left for Sedona the next morning, garage was not open even though it's open 24 hours. Anyways Sedona was great and around 3:00 we thought we would called and see what time it would be ready, called the guy, named Robert, remember that name it will be used often. Back to the story, Robert then told us that he couldn't get one of the rotors and it wouldn't be in until Saturday. REALLY SATURDAY this was Thursday. I was fuming, I tried to settle down after a margarita. The big thing is why didn't "Robert" call and tell us he never worked on it all day. (COMMUNICATE) Now we do not trust him. Next we do other tourist things like Grand canyon. Now mind you that we are in an industrial area besides a purina plant. Want to know what's it's like being by a Purina plant, stick your head inside a big bag of dog food and take a deep breath. Yeap that's what it smells like. 

So as the chapter continues Saturday gets here, great, Oh wait forgot some stuff, only had a 1/4 of a tank of good water, so we tried to not use to much water, went to the campground that we were paying $50. a night for but not using, to take showers that was 20 minutes away. OK but to Saturday Steve and I decided that we were not doing anything we wanted to make sure they started on the brakes because "Robert" promised we would be out of here. As the clock ticks, and ticks, some more its now 11:30 no parts, no mechanics, only thing moving was our blood pressure. So I called "Robert" no answer voice box is full, so yeah thats not going to work, I call again and again a total of 8 times until "Robert" picked up. (Yes do not piss me off, lol) so "Robert" promised we would be out today and he was on his way. Hummmm 1:00 STILL no mechanic working on our brakes. Now he's here I go and ask what to h_ll is going on. He snaps at me and said he would get it done today, now he said only one part was missing why wasn't the rest being done. So after my blood pressure on high, Steve and I decided to just go get stuff at Walmart or something because sitting here was not healthy for us or him. After the parts came in at 5:00 they began the work at 9:30 we head to the campground. So going down the highway Steve got ahead of me in traffic (he had the motorhome I had the Jeep), not until we got to the campground did we share our stories, he hit a skunk, said sorry about the smell, I said I hit a dead skunk because I was passing a car and didn't see it. We figured we each hit the same skunk. so both the vehicles smelt of skunk, BUT we were at the campground, of course trying to get set up in the dark in not easy to do but ok. Awe.
But wait there's more 
Monday heading to Page AZ about 130 miles away, hook up the Jeep, (yes I put it in neutral)
in traffic thank God not too busy, we have no brakes, WHAT abs light ........scaring so now head back to the garage, call Robert and said on service call will be there soon. Hour and half later shows up, they look at it bah bah bah, said they think that fixed it so we go for a test ride, NOPE, then another test drive,  ok maybe. So now 4:00 heading to Page, AZ. Had to go because we had a boat rental for the next day and of course campground reservation. So get to Page, next day do the boat, (totally awesome but thats another chapter), so guess what oil leaking from the same wheel. REALLY thats what it went in the garage for. So Steve found a guy here (Page, AZ) to look at it. All they did was cleaned it up, added clean oil, and silicone the plug, then charged $210. so now $2510.00 later and we still do not know wether it will get us back home......Hopefully there is no more to add to this chapter. But after all this reading you can see why it had to have its own chapter. 
Of course this is providing that you ever made it this far without pictures. hahaha
Got to see the bright side of things. Laughter is the best medicine..

This is the way she looked for 4 days!! :(