Once again, the alarm clock won. We found ourselves at Einstein Bagels shortly after they unlocked the doors at 5:30 a.m., proving that the only thing motivating us to be awake at that hour was a shared bagel breakfast sandwich. Properly fueled, we hit the road and pointed the car toward Flagstaff, Arizona, ready for whatever the day had in store.
Interstate 15 and a state route carried us through Hurricane, Utah, before we headed onto unfamiliar territory. The next 141 miles were all new to us, and they turned out to be some of the most enjoyable of the trip. Highways 59 and 389 took us through Apple Valley, Colorado City, and Fredonia. Once we picked up U.S. Highway 89A beyond Fredonia, the scenery really shifted into high gear. As we climbed to nearly 8,000 feet, the desert gradually gave way to forests of towering pine trees. For a moment, it felt like we’d accidentally wandered back into Oregon. All that was missing was a little drizzle and someone reminding us to recycle!
After descending nearly 4,200 feet, we were treated to some spectacular rock formations near Cliff Dwellers Lodge before crossing the Colorado River at Marble Canyon. By the time we reached U.S. Highway 89, we had completed 141 miles of some of the most dramatic and unforgettable scenery we’d ever driven.
From red rock deserts to cool pine forests, steep mountain climbs to deep canyon descents, this stretch of highway kept surprising us around every bend. It was one of those drives where the journey was every bit as memorable as the destination.
The astute reader may have noticed that one essential part of our travel routine has been conspicuously absent by now: the Starbucks mocha
Unfortunately, there wasn’t a Starbucks anywhere along this wonderfully scenic stretch of highway. As beautiful as the drive was, it turned out to be something of a mocha desert. We survived the deprivation, but it wasn’t easy.
Fortunately, we located a Starbucks in Page, Arizona, and decided it was well worth the 26-mile detour. After all, when you’ve gone that long without a mocha, what’s another 52 miles of driving?
Mocha in hand, we headed south on U.S. Highway 89 for an otherwise uneventful drive to our overnight stop in Flagstaff, Arizona. Despite obeying every speed limit and taking time for a walkabout in Cameron, we still arrived more than two hours before hotel check-in.
With time to spare, we toured an independent living community that Barb had discovered through some excellent reviews. It was a beautiful facility—only four and a half years old and nestled in a peaceful forest setting.
There was just one problem. At over 6,900 feet in elevation, it was a little too close to the sky for us. We loved the place, but our lungs voted “no.”
Later, after checking in, we each enjoyed a bowl of soup at Olive Garden before returning to the hotel to settle in for the night. It was a quiet, relaxing end to a day filled with spectacular scenery, mountain roads, and one very important mocha stop.
Tomorrow we’d point the car toward home, but for now we were content to call it a day and enjoy one last night on this trip.
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