Don't You Wahweap For Me

We drive west then south through Kanab Canyon, which is almost as pretty as Bryce, though not nearly so big. There are many caves along the red cliff walls, stream-fed pools at the bases, and hoodoos among the mixed strata that include uplifted angles and wavy swirls along with the basic horizontal layers. We gas up in the town of Kanab as we move out onto the plateau still at 5,000’. It is beautiful country with the sagebrush, small pines and cedars, against an edging of red mesas.

The campground at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area sneaks up on us and we miss the turn. To make a 180 with Essie in tow, we turn at a sign to a scenic overlook and that turns out to be a miserably long ripple-washboard gravel road. In due time, we get back to the main road (after a nice look at Lake Powell) and go back to the Wahweap Campground.

They have hook-up sites here, but they are $32, which is pretty pricey for a government campground; however, the decision is out of our hands, because they are all taken anyway. So we take a non-hookup site, but the price is right at $9.50, since I get half off with my Golden Age passport. Choice is limited and the spaces are small and tilted in various ways. I put DD up on some blocks—one layer under the left front and right rear, 3 layers under the left rear. A little adjustment with the jacks and we are set for the layover.

It’s late when we go to the Visitor Center to get our National Park Passport stamped. To get into the Visitor Center, which is separate from the dam, I have to send my key ring, which includes a 2” penknife, back to the car. It has a 1.25” knife blade, a tiny pair of scissors, a nail file, and a toothpick in it. Very dangerous, just like me. I am made to take off every piece of metal on me (ha ha, I smuggled my wedding ring through the metal detector). I have to take off my belt so I can get into the gift shop to buy a postcard and view wall displays on the history of the Glen Canyon Dam. I know there is a need for some security and there are some things that need to be protected, but our freedoms are blatantly being taken away by the Homeland Security Police and we are passively accepting it. Our government has misplaced its priorities in a futile attempt to make it impossible for a tiny fraction of extremists to do any harm. It is being used as an excuse to justify all manner of previously unthinkable government behavior. In the parking lot I am a proud American, but somehow, in the gift shop, they have taken some of that away from me.

Anyhow, it is near closing time, so we get our passport stamped, buy a few souvenirs, and make reservations for a tour of the dam in the morning. Diane introduces me to Lisa, one of her Grand Canyon classmates who works here, and we chat until they turn out the lights and ease us out the door.