When I’m going to the South Rim of Grand canyon my journey starts off with two routes to Prescott. The Spar road over the Bradshaw Range offers spectacular deep valley views on one side and steep rocky walls on the other. Hugging the contour of soft folds at 35mph maximum means a slow ride.
Option two, Iron Springs Road crosses an open grazing landscape dotted with scrub and oaks then over gently rolling hills into historic Kirkland. Don’t blink you’ll miss it.
Next up a gentle curving grade through piles of rounded granite that level off through more ranch land and into Skull Valley, a quaint little place along a mostly dry wash with some of the biggest most ancient poplars I’ve ever seen.
The road flattens out along a wide fingered ridge top before climbing over the foothills on the western edge of the Bradshaw Mountains.
And suddenly, there is Prescott below, and Mt Humphreys beyond. North from Prescott State Route 89 travels like a rippled ribbon through chaparral and juniper/pinyon 50 miles to Interstate 40, then I head east towards Flagstaff.
In 20 miles the second Williams exit leads to where the train leaves northbound to Grand Canyon National Park’s South Rim. Also the exit for State Route 64 which also takes you to the canyon.
But I continue on as I have a lunch date with two very dear lady friends in Flagstaff. (Sorry no photos of them as I Always seem to forget to take photos of people.)
After lunch I continue my journey to the canyon on State Route 180 skirting the southwest side of Mt. Humphreys.
Interspersed patches of open ranch lands amongst the ponderosa pines stretch far ahead.
About an hour’s drive to State Route 64 then north past Red Butte towards the canyon.
Arrived in time to register for the Grand Canyon History Symposium, check into my room and watch this glorious sunset while unloading my truck.
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