Back in suburban Phoenix, we wait while Lorraine continues her quest for contact lenses. After many complications, she manages to get a fax from her optimetrist back home in Ottawa. Even so, they won't sell her contact lenses here even though they have them. Some ridiculous rules. We convince Lorraine to put the quest off until Flagstaff, since we really want to hit the road now.

Interstate 17 north of Phoenix is marked as scenic, and it does not disappoint. The highlight is the edge of the Colorado Plateau, where you simply go quite steeply uphill for five miles or so, and emerge in an environment that is 5 degrees Celsius cooler and has much different vegetation (trees, for one thing). From a moving car, you can't really see much. The seventh picture is my favourite.

2001:03:19 17:17:04 2001:03:19 17:18:25 2001:03:19 17:23:03 2001:03:19 17:24:36 2001:03:19 17:26:18 2001:03:19 17:47:12 2001:03:19 17:49:33 2001:03:19 17:52:57 2001:03:19 17:54:23 2001:03:19 17:55:16 2001:03:19 17:56:09

We are running late as we approach Sedona on highway 179. I get very antsy when I see what the sunset does to the red rock here. No wonder this place attracts mystic weirdoes from all over.

2001:03:19 18:25:10 2001:03:19 18:26:18 2001:03:19 18:27:12 2001:03:19 18:28:11

We stop at a pullout with minutes of sunlight left. I storm off into the countryside, going off trail in my excitement (whoops), but not trampling any of the cacti they are carefully replanting here. I gain a clear view of some good cliffs. The definitive picture is the second-last one. If it looks too dark, readjust your display, all the digicam pictures will look better.

2001:03:19 18:31:51 2001:03:19 18:32:33 2001:03:19 18:33:03 2001:03:19 18:33:21 2001:03:19 18:34:17

As usual, I've forgotten to remove my sunglasses -- other than being tinted they are identical to my regular glasses so I always forget they are there. The red cliffs look just magic through them, a deep, deep blood red. The digicam also exaggerates red but not as much.

Continue / TOC