Grand Tetons to Grand Canyon – Day Seven

This report is posted by William Ernest Waites and Susanne Waites, collectors and dealers of Tribal Art, and owners of web sites at TribalWorks.com, ZuniLink.com, Native-JewelryLink.com and Native-PotteryLink.com

After rising today at the Bumbleberry Inn, we checked out and stopped for breakfast at Wildcat Willies. The food was good. The service was slow, somewhat of problem in a morning when we were trying to get a head start on the trip to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Finishing breakfast, we started the drive from Springdale to our destination. Of course, we had to enter and pass through Zion National Park again. It was another time when the Annual Senior Pass paid off.

It was an interesting to drive back through the area we had passed through before. There is a major switchback area. It was not so noticeable going to the west because we were excited about coming to Zion, and the switchback was downhill. On the way back it was uphill and much more apparent.One of the interesting point along the road was a place called Checkerboard Mesa, so named for the checkerboard look of the erosion pattern. Then we started up the switch back, which ends at the first of two tunnels that had been carved through the mountain side.The story of the building of these extended tunnels, which were completed in 1930, is fascinating. Two holes were blown into the mountain along the route the tunnel would follow. These openings, with sheer drops below, then were used to dispose of rock that was excavated from the paths of the tunnels.

Since the tunnels were built in 1920, they were built to accommodate cars of that era's width and height. As a result, many of today's vehicles must pass through the tunnel in one direction while traffic is held back in the other direction. The lanes are not wide enough for cars to pass in opposing directions. This leads to delays on either end while the wider vehicles clear the tunnel.Over-sized vehicles are requested to contact the park before starting along the highway toward the tunnels, in order to be certain there is enough space to pass through.

When driving through the tunnels you pass the openings, sudden baths of light in tubes of darkness.

Upon leaving Zion we turned south on Rte 89 toward the North Rim. It is pleasant but uneventful drive, passing through forested areas until we entered Grand Canyon National Park. Along the way we saw a single elk near the trees off the road.

Entering the Park, we showed our Senior Annual Pass again and continued to the North Rim area.

When we arrived at the Lodge, we noted that the vehicle access to the entrance area was restricted. So we pulled into the parking lot and parked. We walked to the Lodge entrance and up to the reception desk.

We were early and the cabin was not yet ready. So we wandered around the lodge, looking at the beautiful building's interior lounge area and large dining room. We gazed out through the windows to the rim of the Canyon.

We decided to reserve a table for the first dinner serving. We mentioned at reception that we had parked nearby and asked how we could get our luggage to the cabin. We were told to feel lucky to be so close and not to move the car. The reception desk clerk advised that a porter with an electric cart would pick up the luggage and take it to our cabin, #25. It was a sweet cabin with a queen and a twin bed, a desk and a bathroom of acceptable size. Windows opened to either side for a nice cross-breeze.

After checking in, we decided to eat earlier, canceled the dinner reservation and got to the dining room for lunch just before the service ended.

We sat near the window so we could enjoy both our lunch/dinner and the spectacular views.After eating, we spent some time walking the high trail along the rim and getting even more involved in the extraordinary geology of the Grand Canyon. I remembered seeing the Grand Canyon from the South Rim when I was 12 years old and thinking I wanted to become a geologist. I still have a geology booklet my parents bought for me in a South Rim store.

After a short hike, we returned to the terrace where we waited for an advertised Park Ranger presentation on condors at the canyon. It was a fascinating education about the size, wingspan habits of these huge and elegant birds. The condors soar over the updrafts from the canyon walls and cliffs, using very little wing movement. In fact, this is how you can distinguish condors from ravens and vultures, when seen from a distance.

We learned that the condor is an endangered animal. Flocks have been nurtured and brought to the Grand Canyon. They are fed through a glove that looks like a condor's head and beak so they will not associate food with humans.

Following the condor presentation, we moved over to the western terrace to watch sunset at the rim of the canyon while sipping on glasses of wine. It was here that we met a couple form Ohio who told us that the day before a driver had committed suicide by driving his vehicle over the edge of the South Rim and into the canyon. We were skeptical. But others then verified the story. We were told the car was still where in landed, although rescue workers had removed the driver's body.

As the sun set, we returned to our cabin for the night and packed it in for the prospect of another exciting day, this time on the South Rim of the Canyon.

Good night for now.

PS: Some readers have commented on our inability to find tribal Native American art, even though there were museums with American Indian Art in both the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks. The reason was because this trip was an introduction to nature and the National Parks for our granddaughter. Those experiences came first in our limited touring time.

But, stay tuned.

Indian Market Top Awards - Native American art

News from Aboriginals: Art of the First Person; TribalWorks, ZuniLink, Native-JewelryLink and Native-PotteryLink

Date Line: Santa Fe, New Mexico, August 22,2009
Reported by William Waites.

The 88th Annual SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market Awards were announced Friday, August 21 at the Members' Sneak Preview at the Santa Fe Convention Center.

Best of Show - Darryl and Rebecca Begay - Belt with cast silver conch-type figures representing "Return from the Long Walk"

(Also Winner of Best of Classification I - Jewelry)

Best of Classification II - Dominique Toya - Swirl Fluted Pot

Best of Classification III - Paintings, Drawings, Graphics & Photography - Jason Garcia

Best of Classification V - Sculpture - Vincent Kaydahzinnie - Bronze Tableau

Best of Classification VI - Textiles & Basketry - Barbara Ornelas - Weaving

Best of Classification VII - Diverse Art Forms - Therese Tohtsoni - Cabinet

Best of Classification VIII - Beadwork & Quillwork - Jamie Okuma - Beaded Figure

Best of Classification IX - Youth (17 years and under) Danielle Weahkee

Standards Award - Joseph Youngblood-Lugo - black on black incised pot

Standards Award -Darryl Growing Thunder - ledger paper art

Standards Award - Diane Douglas-Willard - small lidded basket

Artists' choice - Peer award for exceptional innovation in any media -Jackie Bread

Best of Division -Beadwork and Quillwork -Articles of Attire -Juanita Growing Thunder Fogarty

Many more Division Awards were presented. They will be included in future Tribal Artery blogs.

Grand Teton to Grand Canyon - Day Six

Up early again. This was our day to tour Zion National Park.

We stayed in the Bumbleberry Inn in Springdale, Utah, just outside the south entrance to Zion National Park.

We drove into the park to catch the shuttle tram. Actually, we could have taken the tram into the park from Springdale, but I was pretty sure we each would have had to pay an admission fee. By driving in and catching the tram at the Visitors Center, we could all enter the park on our existing Senior Pass.

So that was what we did.

Aside from what you can see from Highway 9 running through the southern part of the park, the primary access to the rest of the park, including Zion Canyon itself, is by shuttle tram. In this respect, the tams are different than those in Bryce Canyon. There, you had the option of using your personal car to access places the shuttles went to as well. Not so in Zion.

It is just as well. There is so much to see that you don't want to distracted by driving and if you are distracted by the scenery, accidents would be just waiting around the corner.

We rode on the tram to Zion Lodge, the first scheduled stop. There is a nice dining room there. So we decided to start the day with breakfast there.

We are learning that the buildings, especially the lodges, in the national parks are all very good looking structures that fit the environment perfectly. The Zion Lodge would be a nice place to overnight if you get reservations in early enough.

They say the shuttle tram through Zion Canyon, a 12-mile round trip, should take about 90 minutes. Of course, that depends on how many stops you make and how long you stay. For example, breakfast can extend your stay at Zion Lodge. But what else do you have to do?

On the way up the canyon to Zion Lodge, we passed the Court of the patriarchs, so named we were told because the three most prominent peaks seen there were deemed by the early Mormon explorers and pioneers to represent three important patriarchs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Mormons who settled in Utah played a major role in the exploration and preservation of Zion Canyon.

Indeed, the very name of the Canyon, which the park inherited, was given to it by the Mormons, who interpreted the Hebrew word to represent a place of safety and refuge.

As a result, there are other religious references in the names of park features. Among those are the Grotto, Angels Landing and the Great White Throne.

The Grotto was our next stop. It was a lovely tree shaded park area in the shadow of the the Great White Throne.

Next stop was Angels Landing, so named because it was believed that angels would have too much respect for the Great White Throne to actually land on it. Instead, they would land at its foot.

After that stop was the terminus of the shuttle route, The Temple of Sinawava, said to be a name given to the area by the Paiute Indians who also live in the area.

From the Temple of Sinawava a hiking trail heads along the Virgin River into a gash in the landscape known as the narrows.

It is a popular hiking destination because the canyon walls are high and steep, creating a gulch that receives little direct sunlight and is cool and refreshing for hikers. If you go into the Narrows, however, you are encouraged to take and extra layer of clothing to contend with the temperature change.

We spent some time along the shore of river, Melissa was intrigued by the some stones she found resting in the shallows along the river bank.

In trying to get a photo of her, I stepped on a loose bank and slipped. I didn't fall far nor into the river.

But I got a few scrapes on the arms and legs. They will heal with time, thanks to the prompt application of Polysporin.

After decent period of solitude and reflection on the power and beauty of nature, re boarded the shuttle for the trip back to the Visitors Center.

Returning to Springdale and the Bumbleberry, we dipped into the pool again, did a little internet surfing and prepared for dinner. The Bumbleberry offered wifi in the rooms, along with mini-fridges, microwaves and cable TV.

When we checked in, we were advised that the wifi network was sporadic, but there was hard-wired computer station in the lobby if we could not get on line via wifi. We only had to use it once but it was good to have it because it also had a printer attached to it. I had to print some pages for a project I was working on. The Inn graciously let me use their paper at no cost.

Susanne and I strolled through some shops on the main drag near the Bumbleberry. There were some nice potential purchases there. One of the most impressive was a gallery showing the work of its owner, a photographer with a remarkable eye for photographic opportunities and beauty. His work, most of which was taken in Zion, was stunning in its color, composition and subject matter. I wish we had purchased a print. But, alas, we had to move on to have dinner.

We decided to try the Pioneer Restaurant. A look at the menu suggested the selection was good and the prices reasonable. We decided Sue would take a seat in booth with a glass of refreshing white wine while I went back to the Inn to get Melissa..

Dinner was very good. I had a steak. I like steak, as you can see. It was cooked exactly as I like it and I enjoyed it greatly.

I had a special idea in mind for dessert, so we passed on dessert in The Pioneer Restaurant. Instead, we went across the street to the bumbleberry pie shop adjacent to Wildcat Willie's. A little bumbleberry pie and vanilla ice cream hit the spot. Bumbleberry pie tastes a lot like blackberries. So maybe that's what it is. No one would 'fess up about it. But it was gooo-oood.

I finished off the night with a full-bodied craft beer from the area. I picked it up as a single at the Shell station convenience store in town. It was the only carry-out resource available. A good thing to remember if you are sitting in the Bumbleberry Inn in Springdale Utah and get a hankerin' for a flavorful bottle of one of the local brews.

See you in the morning, when we head for the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Museum of Contemporary Native Arts Welcomes New Curator of Exhibitions and Programs

Aboriginals: Art of the First Person, operators of Native-JewelryLink, Native-PotteryLink, ZuniLink and Tribalworks, is happy to forward this announcement from the Institute of American Indian Art

Santa Fe, NM – The Museum of Contemporary Native Arts is pleased to announce that Ryan Rice (Mohawk) of Kahnawake, Quebec will begin as Curator of Exhibitions and Programs on September 1, 2009.

Rice comes to the Museum after having worked for the past 13 years as an educator, intern, technician and curator at various centers including the Iroquois Indian Museum, Canadian Museum of Civilization, Indian Art Centre, Carleton University Art Gallery and the Walter Phillips Art Gallery. His writings have been published in periodicals such as Canadian Art, Spirit, Fuse, Muse and Blackflash. Rice is also the co-founder and chair of the Aboriginal Curatorial Collective (www.aboriginalcuratorialcollective.org). In 2009, he toured ANTHEM: Perspectives on Home and Native Land, Oh So Iroquois, Scout’s Honour, and LORE. His exhibits Hochelaga Revisited and ALTERNATION also opened this year. A practicing artist, his work has been exhibited internationally, most recently in the group show Izhizkawe: To Leave Tracks to a Certain Place in Montreal, Canada.

Rice holds a Master of Arts degree in Curatorial Studies from the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec and an Associate of Fine Arts degree from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

For more information about the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts please visit www.iaiamuseum.org.

Grand Teton to Grand Canyon - Day Five - Bryce Canyon

Up early (again) in Salt Lake City, breakfast at the hotel and into the car.

We drove from Salt Lake City south on I-15. This is not a stimulating drive. Miles of Interstate.

One plus was the availability of an HOV lane.

(What does that stand for, HOV"?) Anyway it is a lane on the far left of the roadway, with cars containing more than one person. This reduces the number of vehicles and, especially local traffic. We got in it, set the cruise control at the speed limit +5 miles per hour and simply steered.

Our destination for the night was the Bumbleberry Inn.

I confess to being seduced by the name. When I made the reservation, I asked what a bumbleberry was. I was told the name came from a pie they baked that was so popular they named an inn after it.

The Bumbleberry Inn is at the western entrance to Zion National Park, as we learned later. Driving south we debated continuing south to the small town of Springdale where Bumbleberry Inn was located vs. turning east on Utah 20 and south on US 89 to Panguitch and the entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park first.

We decided to head straight to Bryce.

Upon arrival at Bryce Canyon, we passed the two stone pillars that introduced us to the the "Hoodoo." They are said to cast spells. They certainly enchanted us.
















As did the two stone arches carved over the roadway we drove through approaching
the park.













Entrance to the park was eased by having the Senior Pass. Once inside the park, we stopped at the Visitors Center.

We learned there was a free shuttle service, buses that ran on a regular schedule to the various vantage points around the rim of the canyon.

We boarded a shuttle bus and were on our way to its first stop. For us, that was Sunset Point. We got off the bus and walked to edge of the rim.

The exposure was breath-taking.

We had seen photos of Bryce Canyon before. They are almost everywhere in Utah travel promotion brochures. But being there and seeing it in person was a real "Wow" for Susanne and me. Melissa was even more awed by it.

Bryce Canyon is a series of red and pink rock pinnacles remaining after thousands of years of erosion.

The color was extraordinary, as were the rock formations.













There were trails running down from the rim.













Standing on the rim we could see hikers and horseback riders moving through the trails.

If my leg was in better shape and my age was a few years younger, I would have loved to do some walking. I had to settle for an eye-feast.






Bryce Canyon clearly is a remarkable geological phenomenon.


The shuttle bus is a brilliant concept for seeing it. The shuttle stops at all the major viewpoints: North Campground, Sunrise Point, Bryce Lodge, Sunset Point, Sunset Campground, Inspiration Point and Bryce Point.

We got on and off the shuttle several times, at stops like this.

Cars are allowed to drive and park in the same lots. But why would you?

My advice if you visit Bryce Canyon is to park your car at the visitor center and ride the free shuttle. You also get some narration with it.

Upon leaving the park, we stopped at a private nature museum with a petting zoo area, attracted by a stuffed grizzly bear strategically placed to catch the eye.

This was about as close as we would get or would want to get to a grizzly-esque creature.

I stayed in the car because it all looked a little cheesy to me. Susanne and Melissa went in. When they emerged they were favorably impressed with what they had seen and done.

They said I missed something. Perhaps.

It was nice to have the Annual Senior Pass to get us into the park. Yet, that was not the most impressive thing about the $10 Senior Pass.

That came shortly.

As we left Bryce Canyon and drove to the Bumbleberry, we learned we had to pass through Zion National Park to get to Springdale and The Bumbleberry Inn.

That's when that National Parks Senior Pass came in handy. Otherwise, we would have had to pay just to transit the park to get to the other side. No exceptions.

The first drive through the park to the Bumbleberry gave us a taste of what awaited us after we checked into our lodging. We planned to return to tour Zion National Park the next day.

The Bumbleberry Inn was inviting and comfortable, albeit a fairly standard motel configuration. The reception desk person was very nice and gracious, with helpful suggestions about the lodge and the town. We learned that the original owners had sold the restaurant that had baked and served bumbleberry pie. We were told, however, that the restaurant's new ownership, Wildcat Willie's, still served "the pie."

Our room of two Queen beds looked out through glass sliders to the mountains bordering the town. There also was a small patio with plastic chairs where we could sit and enjoy the view.

We looked out at a small farm paddock in the foreground. It included a cow, a calf and a horse, all of which were eager to be greeted, fed and petted by Inn guests. Much to Melissa's delight.

Then there was the pool. Of course, the pool was an important criterion for our lodging choice. Melissa was quickly in the pool. I even entered. It was a very, very hot day. The pool was a refreshing few minutes.


We had dinner across the street from the Inn at restaurant called Pizza and Noodles. It was a fun and funky place that featured, wait for it, pizza and pasta. It was cash only. There was a bar that customers ordered at. The food was delivered to our table, which was on a screened porch. Beer and wine were available. I got the feeling this was a pretty popular hangout for the local young'uns.

After dinner, it was back to the Inn and down for the night. But first, a stint on the wifi, followed by a nice cigar and a local craft beer on the patio.

See you in the morning.