2011 Chasing the Sun Trip

Day 12 – The Grand Canyon – Almost Sedona

Nikki and I got up at a fairly decent hour to get on our way but like all things sometimes it takes a while to get moving. We got out of vegas about 11:00 vegas time.  Bad weather pretty much followed us most of the day. We got to the Grand Canyon and it was overcast and you couldn’t see as far as you would hope.  As I started to the canyon it started raining, I didn’t even take my tripod.  I had my camera tucked in my shirt to keep it as dry as possible.  So my photos won’t be the best.  I have to say it is an amazing spectacle to behold.  It was pretty cool there too, I think Nikki got pretty cold.  Most likely due to the damp weather.  Nikki has not been feeling the best.  We are not sure if it is allergies or sinus/ear issues, or a cold.  We are leaning toward allergies.  Anyway the photography was not all it could have been.  I waited till the golden hour but the sun just wasn’t going to do anything.  We decided to head toward Sedona.  The decision was made to stay overnight in Flagstaff, Arizona since the cost to stay in Sedona was restrictive for just a place to sleep.  We got into Flagstaff about 8 p.m. Flagstaff time and we headed to the Salsa Brava a restaurant featured in “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” on Food Network.  Nikki got the Navajo Taco and I got the Sopapilla.  Both use flatbread as the base.  It was very good but the portions are huge.  I was very hungry and I could only eat a little more then half.  The food was very good though.  Nikki and I could have split a dish and been very happy.  We stayed in a cheap hotel.  I had the opportunity to get up early and drive to Sedona before sunrise or nearly at sunrise but I opted to sleep in as I was very tired and didn’t know exactly where to go to get the shot I had in my mind.  It helps if you can scope out the places you want to photograph (preferably in the daylight).