The midpoint of 2021 finds Tom and I spending the final night of our ten-day road trip in Page, Arizona. Tucked just inside the northern border of the Grand Canyon State, Page is home to Glen Canyon Dam, Lake Powell, red rocks, and painted vistas that roll and repeat across distant horizons.
By the time we step through the door of our Scottsdale condo tomorrow afternoon, we will have driven nearly 2,500 miles … Arizona to Utah to Idaho to Montana and back again.
Along the way, we will have captured hundreds of photos; discovered a delectable German bakery (Forschers) in Orderville, Utah, where we consumed apple and cherry pockets; walked along the greenbelt and roaring rapids of the Snake River in Idaho Falls; marveled at our first live theatrical performance since the pandemic (Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Nights Dream) in Bozeman where we huddled with old and new friends on a blanket; and hiked around hairpin curves at magnificent Bryce Canyon National Park as a storm rumbled in the western sky.
Even with all of that (and much more I won’t detail here), the sweetest realization is conquering the twists and turns of life on a long road trip again. It is the first time Tom and I have ventured out to the highways and byways since I suffered a mild heart attack in 2017 in St. Louis on our shared sixtieth birthday on the way to our new home in Scottsdale.
Thankfully, this 2021 swing through the western states puts greater distance between the trauma of the past and the poignancy of the present. That brings me to the midpoint of 2021, where–tonight–the possibilities of post-pandemic, vaccinated life feel as endless as the Arizona horizon.
Mark Johnson Stories 
A wonderful summary. Your highlights re-create the best moments of our experience!
You will have much more to write aboit, based on our 10 days on the road.
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Yes, the creative pump is primed. What a great trip!
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Mark, I have enjoyed following your adventures!
On Wed, Jun 30, 2021 at 7:20 PM Mark Johnson Stories wrote:
> Mark Johnson posted: ” The midpoint of 2021 finds Tom and I spending the > final night of our ten-day road trip in Page, Arizona. Tucked just inside > the northern border of the Grand Canyon State, Page is home to Glen Canyon > Dam, Lake Powell, red rocks, and painted vistas tha” >
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Thank you, Carol. This trip has broadened our horizons.
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Sounds like you had a great time exploring your backyard. Thanks for sharing your outdoor adventures and have a nice day 🙂 Aiva
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You too, Aiva!
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Ever since reading Desert Solitaire 30(?) years ago, I’ve wanted to visit Lake Powel and kayak into the little nooks an crannies of the former Glen Canyon. There is just so much to do in that four state area that a trip to Page keeps being superseded by other adventures. Have you read much Edward Abbey? Glen Canyon pops up frequently in his writings.
I would be untrue to my OCD if I didn’t point out that July 2 is actually the middle of the year.
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Page is well worth a visit, especially because you are such an outdoors enthusiast. I love it for the photographic opportunities in and around there … and the Navajo Nation influence. Haven’t read Edward Abbey, but you’ve piqued my interest.
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