Second day at the Grand Canyon and unfortunately no cloudless sky, on the contrary, completely overcast. So, after breakfast, drive down the South Rim and then via Walnut Canyon to Sedona. A few good views of the canyon but there was still and at the sun hole also an excellent far view.

Grand Canyon

In the end, however, I was somewhat disappointed by the Grand Canyon. Of course it is an incredible sight, Canyonlands is in my opinion but much more attractive and especially not so crowded and commercially marketed. But I still made two panoramas from the last viewpoint (Navajo Point) with about 400cm x 80cm, who knows, maybe I’ll make an extension with a big long wall.

At Monument Valley the Dodge announced itself with “Change Oil” at every start. So I asked Alamo in Page what to do. 1500 miles one could still drive, then however an oil change must be made. Either have it done in a workshop and submit the bill or change it at the Alamo. We decide for the garage. Due to the bad weather at the Grand Canyon we have time enough in Flagstaff. Asked at the first gas station, the good man recommends “Jiffy Lube, down the street on the right”. I didn’t really understand that, but we found it anyway. When we arrived there, a pickup truck with a trailer had just lost half a trailer of hay bales. There was something going on. A short time later two police cars were there and the poor man was completely stressed to put his bales back on the trailer. The road is very busy and everyone was pretty annoyed, but…. no one honked or otherwise let the “German” hang out.

Walnut Canyon has a nice little facility, a little pale due to the cloud cover, but well worth seeing. The 1.5 mile trail to the Hopi Pueblos is well maintained and some of the ruins are still in excellent condition. The site has mostly row house character with a few isolated one-room dwellings.

Walnut Canyon

The drive to Sedona through Oak Creek Canyon takes place in the rain. Unfortunately, if it is already there, it is not enough to clean the car.

Sedona and surroundings prove to be a real surprise despite clouds and rain. A nice place, very neat and chic to look at in a fascinating landscape with trees and red sandstone rocks. It would be worth a longer stay.

Tomorrow it goes to Tucson and so slowly but surely the return trip is prepared.