One Year Ago

Above, The Beast at Goulding's Lodge Campground in Monument Valley. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One year ago today, I left Goulding's Lodge Campground in Monument Valley to return to California from what became the longest trip I've ever taken (exactly 3 weeks).

I left early in the morning and stopped in Cameron, Arizona for breakfast at the Cameron Trading Post before driving through Grand Canyon National Park.

Above, The Watchtower at the Grand Canyon. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After driving along the canyon rim to several viewpoints and stopping in Grand Canyon Village to see the Visitor Center, pick up some groceries and do some banking (did you know that Chase has a full-service bank in Market Plaza?), I headed out towards Williams. I wasn't sure where I would be staying that night.

Above, The Beast at the Needles KOA. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Ultimately, I ended up staying at the Needles (California) KOA for the night so that I would have less of a drive the next day to reach home.

Cameron Trading Post

Above, the Cameron Trading Post. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Before driving into Grand Canyon National Park last month, I stopped at the Cameron Trading Post for breakfast in Cameron, Arizona.

The Cameron Trading Post has always been one of my favorite stops while heading to or from Durango, Colorado from the Grand Canyon. It has a fine restaurant, a big gift shop, market, Indian art gallery and a motel.

According to Google:

Overlooking the Little Colorado River Gorge, this quaint motel, established in 1916, is a 30-minute drive from the South Rim entrance of Grand Canyon National Park.  

Quaint, basic rooms, decorated with Native American art, have handcrafted furniture, TVs with cable channels, balconies and free Wi-Fi. Suites add living areas and kitchenettes. 

Breakfast is served for a fee in an American-Mexican restaurant with a stone fireplace. There's a convenience store and a souvenir shop selling ethnic art. Other amenities include gardens with sandstone paths and fountains, designed and planted in the 1930s.

The Cameron Trading Post is a great place for a rest stop.

To access their website, go here.