Index
USA South-West
1999
Saturday 4 September, Schiphol
There's quite a security check at Schiphol airport, a lot of questions are asked prior to check in.
I have checked in 2 pieces of luggage and make my way to the duty free shop. I am
supposed to leave for Washington at 12:30.
We leave 0.5 hour late and expected arrival at Dulles airport is 21:00 or 15:00 local time. I arrive
at Dulles gate C30, clearing customs goes surprisingly quick and I need to make my way to D2. The smokers
corner is somewhere near D32. The flight to Phoenix is supposed to depart at 17.10 and will take
another 4.5 hours. Expected arrival time in Phoenix is 19:00 local.
Due to the lousy weather, it has started to rain departure is delayed by 1.5 hours.
I arrive in Phoenix at 20:00 and Laura and Betsy are waiting for me. I need to collect my car
from Alamo but they don't have one. Laura's place is huge, compared to NL standards. Soon after
I go to sleep, I'm knackered.
I met Laura in 1996 on my Australia holiday. We've been friends ever since.
Sunday 5 September, Phoenix
We drive back to Alamo to pick up my rental. Enjoy breakfast, scrambled eggs, molten cheese and pancakes, delicious. In the afternoon we make our way to Cave Creek. It's a small "western" ville. The Satisfied Frog bar sprays a fine mist to keep the temperature bearable; their specialty is chili beer. We enjoy some live music and browse in the souvenir shops, quite relaxed. Phoenix temperatures are a killer, airco is a must. It is well over 35C. I'm still jetlagged so an early night for me.
Monday 6 September, Phoenix
Betsy has to go to work so we rise at 06:00. Laura and I will take two cars to drive to Page.
We leave for Sedona at 07:30 and arrive there two hours later. In Flagstaff we enjoy a lunch
and make our way to Page. There's a lot of police around. The area reminds me of Northern
Territories in Australia, it's grandiose.
A mile or so before we get to Page we hike to Horseshoe Bend and afterwards take
some sunset photographs. A little later we check in to a Motel 8. We find a nice Italian
restaurant and have spaghetti and apple-cake for desert.
Horseshoe bend (Colorado river)
Tuesday 7 September, Page
We're expected at the Chambers of Commerce for our trip to Antelope Canyon. They charge USD 25 per person, quite expensive. It's busy and passers by ruin some of our pictures. We return to Horseshoe bend to take some more photos, a sheriff turns up in a 4W-drive. It seems a body has turned up in the Colorado River. He acts as a relay for the radio as the river flows some 100 metres below and radio signals can't make it out of this canyon. In the afternoon we make our way to Monument Valley. Glen is selling hay to locals and I ask him if he minds me taking pictures of his 18-wheeler. I'll send him some copies. We arrive late at the only hotel in Monument Valley and the only thing left is a suite for $98. I still haven't figured out how to lock the doors on my rental car.
Wednesday 8 September, Monument Valley
We take Laura's 4Wdrive in to Monument Valley and take lots of photographs. The road is unpaved but passable for cars. At John Wayne's point a Navajo Indian lets you take a picture for $5. We set up our cameras and take a number of pictures. When it comes to paying him he becomes quite stroppy. He won't speak to me and I have to relay via his wife. In the end the $5 is grudgingly accepted and I promise to send him some copies. (Unfortunately I lose his address). We drive to Moab and book in to a hotel.
Thursday 9 September, Moab
Very early in the morning we make our way to Delicate Arch sunrise point in Arches N.P. Sunrise is at 07:00, we've been waiting for an hour and we have another 1.5 hour to wait until the sun lights the arch. Later we make our way to Double O Arch, this is quite a strenuous hike. En route you visit other arches as well. Upon return to the hotel I do some laundry and have a shower. My teeth have been hurting for a few days now. Sending off some postcards.
Friday 10 September, Moab
Yet another early rise to photograph Balanced Rock in the dark. We make our way to the Windows to catch sunrise. It's spectacular. Next stops are Fierce Furnace, Sand Dune Arch, Broken Arch, Skyline Arch and Double Arch. In the afternoon we make our way to Dead Horse Point state park to take in some spectacular views. My 20-35mm lens is broken. I must have dropped it; the insurance will take care of that. In the afternoon Laura and I make our way to sunset point at Delicate Arch, it takes about an hour to hike uphill. Alas clouds ruin the sunset. That evening we dine at Mc Stiffs.
Saturday 11 September, Moab
Laura wakes up early to drive back to Phoenix. I'm now on my own for another three weeks. That afternoon I make my way to Delicate Arch again, sunset is spectacular and I burn a lot of film.
Sunday 12 September, Moab
A very early rise (03:00) to drive to Canyonlands to catch sunrise at Mesa Arch, I'm not the only
one as there are four others there as well. Ideally it accommodates two photographers only
in the best spot. I return to the hotel and make my way to Canyonlands in the afternoon,
trailed by two police cars. At Greenpoint I bump into the same English stock photographer
again. I'm in the best spot and he'll have to settle for 2nd place.
A little while later a young Dutch couple turns up as well and I give some advice on how to use a camera.
Monday 13 September, Bryce Canyon
Today I'm on my way to Hanksville and Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon. Have a quick look around Bryce to familiarize myself with its surroundings and have an expensive dinner. Later that night it rains and storms.
Tuesday 14 September, Bryce Canyon
At 06:30 I'm ready for sunrise in Bryce, I meet David Kent ARPS. He's from Kent (UK) and knows Lakeland Photography. (See Lake District pictures) The weather is still lousy, it's raining and I'm off to have breakfast. I finally manage to buy stamps so I can send off my postcards. I return to Bryce in the afternoon and hike the Navajo loop. This starts at Thor's hammer. At four it starts to rain again.
Wednesday 15 September, Bryce Canyon
Again I rise early to take photographs at sunrise point in Bryce. Later on I make my way
to the end of the park to photograph Hoodoos and Grottos. Later that day I am in to laundry
again and when that's done I will make my way to Zion.
I manage to secure a room in the Pioneer Hotel in Springdale, a simple but nice hotel.
As you drive towards Zion you have to make your way though a 2 km long tunnel.
I spot a larger Fatali Gallery in Springdale
and I get to meet him personally. He has four galleries around Utah and Arizona and
has his own photography school nearby. Michael uses 18 by 10 inch negatives
to take his pictures and handprints these using a Cibachrome process.
Thursday 16 September, Zion
To get to sunrise point I have to wake up early again, luckily it's near to the park entrance. I get some nice shots and make my way back to town to have breakfast. A bit later on I return to the park and hike to the pools for some nice shots. I also hike another trail further to the North of the park. The evening is spent in the gallery again and I manage to find 2 pictures I really like, Flaming Arch and North Pole and I decide to buy these. See Fatali Gallery
Friday 17 September, Zion
Hike to the Emerald pools in the morning and later on I'm off to find Grafton, a ghost
town. In the afternoon I visit the Pink Coral Sand dune state park. Guess what, I meet
the stock photographer for the 3rd time. The park is quite small and most of the dunes
have buggy tracks all over them, so much for nature. The clouds however are quite
spectacular. The evening meal is taken at Stromboli's.
Pink Coral Sand dune state park
Saturday 18 September, Zion
I'm on my way to the East entrance to Zion. It takes about 0.5 hour from Springdale and I am waiting for sunrise. I'm sleepy want coffee and breakfast. There's quite a breeze. My intention is to photograph Checkerboard Mesa.
Sunday 19 September, Las Vegas Nevada
It's gray and raining as I leave Springdale and head for Las Vegas, it takes about 6 hours to get there and I find a Motel 8, north of town next to Nellis Air force base. I'm not in to gambling at all but I must see for myself what all the hype is about. Well LV is worth a visit, if only to see how fake everything is. In the evening I spot 3 ladies well in to their sixties or seventies, all wearing sashes with Miss Utah embroidered on them. Who in their right mind would walk the streets in this? Must be Americans.
Monday 20 September, Grand Canyon
I am making my way to the Grand Canyon. There are no cities nearby so trying to find a reasonably priced hotel is impossible. I find a room for $138. The Grand Canyon is very large but I don't enjoy it at all. I had planned to stay here for three nights but now adjust my plans. Perhaps Petrified Forest has more to offer or lake Powell next to Page.
Tuesday 21 September, Page
I return to Page. I visit a Fatali Gallery and Buddy is so kind to point out a few other interesting things I can do whilst in town.
Wednesday 22 September, Page
Kanab is my destination, it's cloudy. I make my way across a dirt road, not very ideal for the car and a bit risky as well. I'm about to visit another slot canyon but it turns out to be a waste of time. In the evening an Indian family perform and show us several dances. Of course this is commercial as well as you need to pay if you want your picture taken with them. It's fun anyway.
Thursday 23 September, Page
The weather is cloudy so I book another night in the hotel and hope the weather will clear tomorrow.
Friday 24 September, Page
I make my way to Horseshoe bend again and wait three hours for the sun to break through the clouds. It was well worth the wait. The afternoon is spent in Lower Antelope canyon. You can drive there in your own car and the only other people in this canyon are mostly photographers as well. I must say I prefer this canyon more to Upper Antelope.
Saturday 25 September, Holbrook Petrified forest
The drive from Page to Holbrook takes the better part of a day and I find a Motel 8 in Holbrook. I visit the Petrified Forest and wish I hadn't bothered. I call Laura.
Sunday 26 September, Phoenix
It takes me a better part of the day to get to Phoenix.
Monday 27 September, Phoenix
I make my way to a large photo store and buy a Gitzo tripod and a 2nd hand Canon 400mm 2.8 lens. The rest of the day I'm quite lazy.
A selection of my equipment back in 1999.
Tuesday 28 September, Phoenix
Laura has expressed an interest in framing her own pictures so I find a store and look at what they've got and can be useful to her. I take Betsy and Laura out for dinner in Cave Creek.
Wednesday 29 September, Phoenix
Laura is getting a medical, as she'll be moving on to another job. I spend my time working out what this holiday has cost me so far. In the afternoon I make my way out of Phoenix to photograph cacti. I spot a parking lot full of school busses and enter the premises. Luckily no one's around so I take some pictures.
Thursday 30 - Friday 17 September, Phoenix to Amsterdam
After a very early rise at 05:00 I make my way to the airport. I hand in the car that's done 5900 km and check in at 06:50. Now I have a two-hour wait for my flight to Washington, then on to Amsterdam. The flight arrives in Amsterdam at 07:05, in total a 13-hour flight including the stopover in Washington.
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