In America with Jay Patel – Day 1

Arizona State Road 89 traveling north into the Painted Desert on the Navajo Reservation

A new adventure is about to begin as we start an exploration into a corner of the country as of yet unseen by Caroline and me. Joining us for this road trip is our friend Jay Patel, who is moving back to India later this year. At 10:00 a.m., Jay and I pick up our rental which is a shiny new red four-door Chevy Impala. We packed the car with clothes, coolers, and a hundred CDs. After lunchtime, we collect Caroline from her office and we are underway. We are driving north, and only two hours up the road and reaching Flagstaff we are in need of the kind of medicine only Starbucks can offer. Eleven shots between us, and we are ready to continue after Caroline and Jay stock up on free samples of espresso brownies. With Jay’s pockets full, we leave.

On Arizona State Road 89, we pass Sunset Crater National Monument where Jay and I just a few weeks earlier had been visiting on a day trip that took us to Monument Valley on the Arizona / Utah border. A little further up the road, we pass the turnoff for the Grand Canyon and are now on the western edge of the Painted Desert and the Navajo Reservation.

The Gap Trading Post on the Navajo Reservation looking north east at the Echo Cliffs in Arizona

Caroline asks that we stop at the Gap Trading Post for some quick shopping. The red woolen yarn she wants is not available today, so we pile back in the car to resume our journey. The Gap is in the shadow of the Echo Cliffs and is named for a small passage that allows travel to Kaibito further into the Navajo Reservation but that’s not the direction we are heading today. A half-hour up the road we are on and we will come into view of the Vermillion Cliffs.

The Vermillion Cliffs on the left and Echo Cliffs on the right, the road is about to fork towards Lake Powell northeast and Marble Canyon northwest in Arizona

Here they are, the Vermillion Cliffs. The road is about to divide, with one leg going northeast to Page and Lake Powell and the other northwest in the direction of Marble Canyon and the north rim of the Grand Canyon. The Vermillion cliffs run above the Colorado River and are an imposing wall that helps frame this beautiful area of Northern Arizona.

Looking north on the Colorado River at the Navajo Bridge in Arizona

It is about 6:00 p.m. when we reach the Navajo Bridge straddling the Canyon, perched high over the Colorado River. We can’t linger as the shadows are growing longer, and we need to get down to river level while we still have good light. The beginning of Marble Canyon is just around the corner and down a short road. This will take us to the river’s edge and Jay’s first close encounter with the mighty Colorado River at Lees Ferry, where whitewater trips into the Grand Canyon begin.

Caroline and Jay standing in the Colorado River at Marble Canyon in Arizona

Caroline is quick to doff her shoes and make her way to the river. We encourage Jay to do the same and he obliges with enthusiasm until his tender little toes hit the freezing cold water on Paria Beach. We spend a bit more time here smelling the sweet wildflowers along the shore and canyon walls bathed in the golden late afternoon sun.

Jay standing on top of Vermillion Cliffs near the Grand Canyon in Arizona

Driving up and over the Vermillion Cliffs, we are ascending the Kaibab Plateau. Along the way, we dip into a special treat Sonal and her mom made us earlier in the day. Jay is serving up the Pav Bhaji, which is a sort of mashed potato mixture with tomato, onion, lots of garlic, peas, and a particularly spicy masala. He rolls these up burrito-style in an Indian flatbread called Methi Roti, and we chow down while we continue our drive toward Utah. The heavy spices, green chili, and chili powder have nearly the same effect as the Starbucks from earlier, bringing new life into the car – our taste buds are now wide awake.

The sun setting on the Kaibab Plateau in Arizona

At the LeFevre Overlook, 6700 feet above sea level on the Kaibab Plateau in Northern Arizona, we watch the sun dip below the horizon, painting the sky orange and gold with wispy clouds capturing the last rays of our setting star. By the end of the day, we had driven 507 miles, ending up in Richfield, Utah, to stay at the Apple Tree Inn. The time zone shifted us from Pacific to Mountain time, and with the lost hour, we finally got to our rooms close to midnight.

Phoenix Mountain Hike

Phoenix, Arizona

I probably had a nap to tend to or some other lame excuse, but for whatever reason, I did not opt to hike up Lookout Mountain with our gang.

Jay Patel, Caroline Wise, Rinku and Krupesh Shah in Phoenix, Arizona

Our gang is known as The Crazy Guju’s and Bad Ddhoriyo’s; you’ll find our tag “cGbD” all over north Phoenix. Lookout Mountain is our turf and so we have to send a patrol up here to make sure no Tamil’s or Telugu’s try to muscle in.

Jay Patel in Phoenix, Arizona

Jay will be standing guard here overnight.

Superstition Mountains in Mesa, Arizona

After the gang was done up at Lookout Mountain, I joined them for a trip out to the Superstition Mountains in Mesa for a look around.

Engagement

Sonal and Anju Patel at Kushbu and Saurin's Engagement in Phoenix, Arizona

Sonal and her sister Anju arrive for the engagement of Kushbu and Saurin.

Kushbu and Saurin's Engagement in Phoenix, Arizona

Truth be told, it was late 2023 when I discovered that this blog post only had one brief paragraph at the bottom of these eight photos. You wouldn’t fault me for not being able to pull much from the back of my head where some dusty memories might remain from 19 years ago, but I’m having difficulty finding even some cobwebs leading me to them.

Kushbu and Saurin's Engagement in Phoenix, Arizona

Mom, Dad, and sister with Saurin and Kushbu to the left.

Kushbu and Saurin's Engagement in Phoenix, Arizona

The ceremony is underway, with about 80 guests in attendance.

Kushbu and Saurin's Engagement in Phoenix, Arizona

And with the placement of a ring on Kushbu’s finger, the couple is engaged.

Kushbu and Saurin's Engagement in Phoenix, Arizona

Writing this and looking at these nearly 20-year-old photos, a long time has passed since last we saw Kushbu and Saurin who has been her husband for many years.

Kushbu and Saurin's Engagement in Phoenix, Arizona

The youngest girl up front is Kushbu Patel, daughter of Sonal, who I don’t believe had started high school yet, but today, she’s married and has a couple of children.

Kushbu and Saurin's Engagement in Phoenix, Arizona

After having the opportunity last year to attend a wedding and reception, this year we were invited to two engagements. These Indian events are extravaganzas with lots of beautiful clothes, great food, dancing, and singing.

Rinku and Jay in New Mexico

Rinku Shah and Jay Patel in Eastern Arizona

Following the roads Caroline and I drove the week before, I took Rinku Shah and Jay Patel out for a day trip so these two could get away from Phoenix for a moment.

Rinku Shah and Jay Patel at the New Mexico state line

If I’ve not already shared this, Jay is leaving America later this summer, and so Caroline and I are doing our best to make sure he leaves with an extra suitcase worth of memories of his time seeing the United States from the ground as he’s already seen a bit from flying over it, but not from the road.

On the road in New Mexico

That is the Mogollon Range out there on this beautiful day to be taking a road trip with friends.

Rinku Shah and Jay Patel at the Catwalk Recreation Area near Glenwood, New Mexico

Our first real stop of the day is at the Catwalk Recreation Area east of Glenwood, New Mexico, in Whitewater Canyon.

Rinku Shah and Jay Patel at the Catwalk Recreation Area near Glenwood, New Mexico

I told them how Caroline steps into every river, stream, lake, ocean, or other waterway wherever we are traveling and that she’d be surprised to see the two of you following in her footsteps. The water is nearly ice-cold, but I’m guessing you can tell from the looks on their faces.

Rinku Shah and Jay Patel at the Catwalk Recreation Area near Glenwood, New Mexico

Seeing Caroline couldn’t join us today, we brought a printout of her from our trip to Disneyland last month.

Mogollon, New Mexico

Had to stop in on a ghost town so bragging rights could be earned from having visited one. From the sign on the theater, you should be able to deduce that we are in Mogollon, which I just wrote about last week.

Rinku Shah and Jay Patel sitting in the snow roadside on the Arizona / New Mexico border on the way to Alpine, Arizona

Instead of heading back south, we went north in the hopes of finding snow, and sure enough, that’s just what we found. I might be wrong, but I think Rinku said this was the first time she’d been in the snow.

Rinku Shah and Jay Patel at Luna Lake in Arizona

You just had to know that we’d have some dancing somewhere during this day; as a matter of fact, this wasn’t the first time.

Near Greer, Arizona

It was starting to get late in the day as we were driving in the general direction of Phoenix. This is near Greer, Arizona.