Out West Trip: Day 11 (Mesa Verde, CO to Grand Canyon, AZ)

Today’s Highlights:
Navajo Pizza at Twin Rocks Cafe in Bluff, Utah, driving off-road to see Mexican Hat, making up names for the rocks in Monument Valley, seeing the Grand Canyon!

mesa verde - 1 jun 2011

We got up around 7am and cooked breakfast with the “oldest” food from the cooler, then packed up and said goodbye to Mesa Verde. Instead of taking 160, back we decided to take the “slower” road and drive through Bluff, UT and Monument Valley. In Bluff, we stopped at the Twin Rocks Cafe and ordered two Navajo pizzas for us to share.

twin rocks cafe - 1 jun 2011

The drive then took us past Mexican Hat where we drove off-road to get a closer look. Also along the road, we got to see Valley of the Gods and Monument Valley.

monument valley - 1 jun 2011

We arrived at the west entrance to the Grand Canyon around 5pm and stopped first at the Desert View Overlook and then three more stops before arriving at the Mather Campground. Our tent site has a terribly warped picnic table, but otherwise is in a nice location near the showers and the HUGE market. At the market, we bought food for dinner and breakfast as well as firewood. Back at the campsite, we worked on getting settled and making dinner, then the girls toasted marshmallows once again.

grand canyon - 1 jun 2011

My Yelp review of the Twin Rocks Cafe.

My Trekaroo review of camping at the Grand Canyon.

Trip Stats:
Roadside Attractions: None. (Total: 10)
States: Arizona, Utah, Colorado. (Total: 9 – GA, AL, MS, LA, TX, NM, AZ, UT, CO)
State Plates Spotted: 4 (Total: 45)
Miles: 324 (Total: 3118)
Gallons of gas bought: 16.4 (Total: 204.1)
Poptops Spotted: 2 (Total: 6)
National Park Stamps: None. (Total: 5)
Miles walked: 1.5 (Total: 22)
Dollars saved with NP pass: 25 (Total: 85)
Continental Divide Crossings: None. (Total: 3)
Time Zone Changes: 2 (Total: 6 – EDT, CDT, MST, MDT, CDT, MDT, MST)

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