​Our next stop - Catalina State Park was only two hours away. The campsites were large and we had an unobstructed view of the Santa Catalina Mountains. The campground also featured a performance series called "Music in the Mountains" on alternate Friday nights. Our timing was perfect!
We hiked with our folding chairs along a 1-1/2-mile trail to the venue. The trail took us through a Sagauro (pronounced "saharo") forest. There were some amazing, multiple, entwined trunks! The show consisted of a lone performer playing acoustic guitar over recorded background music. It might have been a karaoke soundtrack, because he did all the  - lots old standards - lots of Beattles tunes. But he had a good voice and the setting was fabulous. There was a pretty big crowd, too. Someone was celebrating a birthday in a large group and passed out leftover birthday cake to the crowd.

​We started the day with a challenging yoga class in Central Phoenix. It was our first practice since we started the trip three weeks earlier. Our bodies were very grateful, having sorely missed our routine of 5-6 practices per week. We found a branch of our home studio - Core Power Yoga. After a great workout and shower, we ate a delicious meal at the nearby Brunch Snob. 
Somehow Angie found a large reservoir - Lake Pleasant - about 45 minutes away. We backed up the truck right up to the lake shore in a protected cove and Charlie wasted no time diving in for a swim and a game of fetch. Meanwhile, Hank inflated our kayak, which took only about 10 minutes. We loaded Charlie into the boat and paddled out into the lake. What a nice way to cool off on a 90-degree day!
That night we went in search of our first live music performance of the trip. A club called "J&T's Copper Penny" had a high-energy band that played music from the 50s to the 2000s - and they had a dance floor! We got there 20 minutes before the show to find a nearly full bar. We took seats at a long table occupied by a friendly retired couple. They were snowbirds from Moscow, ID, who had a place in Sun City - one of the oldest retirement communities in the US.
As the music started, the dancefloor filled up immediately. We began to notice that the median age was about 70. That gave Angie a weird feeling. Then a woman at the next table kept staring at Angie like she had stold her life-long lover. Hank enjoyed seeing people having fun and strutting some fun style, which included some turquise cowboy boots with steel-tipped toes. The band was actually pretty good. The guitarist looked like Pete Carroll. We got in a couple of swing dances, before Angie began to feel a little too creeped out. So we tried another place.
The Sage and Sand was right across from the base. It featured pool, darts and pinball inside and a live band and a sand volleyball court in a back garden. There were a lot of smokers in the garden and the band had the worst lead singer we had ever heard. We couldn't get out of there fast enough.

Angie found a three-mile hike at nearby, rocky Thunderbird Mountain. We got a good early-morning view of Phoenix. Charlie got a bit tired. She hasn't done a lot of hiking since she broke her leg. Hank put her on his shoulders and carried her for about a half-mile, before they both got a little warm from the shared body heat. She finished the hike on her own.
Hank visited a local dentist to see about recementing a gold crown that fell off a molar. Looks like we'll have to wait to return home to look into a root canal or implant. Not a problem, since the tooth was not sensitive.
Then we ventured into the entertainment district around the Arizona stadium. We had a late lunch on the patio of the Yard House brew pub.

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We packed up and hit the road for a short, two-hour drive south to Phoenix. We camped at Luke Air Force Base, home of the Thunderbirds. We were about a half-mile from the main runway. Charlie was not too keen on the sound of the F-16s and F-35s. After arriving, we stocked up at the Commissary and played with Charlie at the large, level dog park, which included some agility equipment. She was very happy to burn some energy. Hank and Angie were glad to be somewhere warm! We were able to hook up to the camp water supply lines for the first time in a while. We stocked the pantry and the fridge with reasonably-priced commissary products.
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While in Flagstaff, Hank (being the nerd that he is) couldn't resist visiting the Meteor Crater National Landmark and Berringer Space Museum about 40 minutes away. It is the best-preserved meteorite impact site on earth, they claim. The crater is a mile in diameter and more than 700 feet deep. The impact is estimated to have occurred about 50,000 years ago. In the museum we learned that meteorite impacts are quite common. Although most fall in the ocean and leave no trace, we saw photo and video evidence of other significant impacts, including one in Russia which resulted in broken windows and damage to buildings. Another struck the rear-end of a car in New Mexico, narrowly missing the gas tank.​
​We had a late lunch/early dinner in downtown Flagstaff and ended our day with a campfire and S'mores.
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​I had always heard how beautiful Sedona was. We drove 40 minutes on the steep, windy road through the gorgeous Oak Creek Canyon to arrive at the picturesque town nestled between red rock cliffs, mesas and spires. The downtown was crawling with tourists We learned that it is the last week of Spring Break for local school districts.
We took a shuttle bus from a park and ride lot to the nearby Cathedral Rock trailhead. The hike to the top was only six tenths of a mile, but you climb 750 feet in that distance. You have to scramble on all fours over slick rock faces and up cracks in the rock. It was almost like rock climbing in spots where you had to search for your next hand or foot hold. The panorama at the top was well worth the effort, with glorious views of the valley and surrounding mountains. 
Afterwards we plodded through steady, 5 mph traffic back to downtown. Traffic circles kept the thick traffic moving. We enjoyed a delicious lunch on the dog-friendly patio at Creekside American Grill. Then browsed the shops and sampled some ice cream and margaritas before heading back to camp.

We headed East through the park through Canyon Junction and started climbing toward the East rim to Mt. Carmel Tunnel. It's a narrow, 1.1-mile-long tunnel opened in 1930. Larger rigs require a permit to use the tunnel, because they have to stop opposing traffic. Our compact rig fits nicely, but the ranger stopped us to measure just to make sure. The vistas on both sides of the tunnel are breath-taking. The West side is a narrow canyon with towering cliffs. You emerge on the East side at eye-level with serene peaks and meadows.

Our route took us through the majestic Vermillion Cliffs and several Indian reservations before crossing the Colorado River at Glen Canyon Dam, where we had glimpses of Lake Powell - a popular houseboating destination. We arrived at our destination, Flagstaff, elevation 7,000 feet. We stayed at Fort Tuthill, an Air Force-operated recreation area that has a hotel as well as a campground. There was still scattered piles of snow in the campground and they hadn't turned on water service yet, but they did have a small bar with a happy hour. The bartender told us about a nearby Route 66 icon called "The Museum Club." A taxidermist bought federal land in the 1930s and built a huge log cabin to house his collection of trophies, Indian artifacts and curiosities. Today, it's a bar and dance club. We stopped by and found the big main room was dark. There was a single bartender and a handful of patrons. We enjoyed a draft beer and got some tips on good pizza joints in town.

This hike starts at the Visitor Center - no shuttle bus ride required. We rode our bikes to the Park and started on the hike at about 10 am. The 2.6-mile trail offered some great views up the canyon and the town of Springdale. Afterwards we did some shopping at the Visitor Center before pedaling around the Watchman Campground in the park to scout out some possible sites for our next visit. We picked up Charlie to join us on the patio for lunch at Whiptail Grill. Hank had some fantastic goat cheese Chili Rellenos and a spicy margarita. We returned to camp and enjoyed some pool time. Then we visited with a fellow camper who is working as a camp host for the season. We enjoyed a real wood fire late into the night. We roasted marshmallows and enjoyed S'mores.

​Having done this hike before, we knew it could be very slow due to several one-way sections of the climb where you had to wait for oppossing traffic. We resolved to catch the first shuttle bus up canyon at 7 am. We rose at 5:30 am, drove to the Park at 6:50 am and got two of the last seats on the first shuttle at 7. We got off the bus at The Grotto at 7:15, crossed bridge over the Zion River and turned right onto the West Rim Trail along the Zion River. We quickly started climbing on a rough paved path along shorter and shorter switch backs. After passing through a flat quiet zone where spotted owls nest, we started up Walter's Wiggles - "a set of 21 short, steep, stone-walled switchbacks carved into the cliffs in the 1920s during the tenure of Superintendant Walter Roesch," according to Park literature.

At the top of Walter's Wiggles lies a saddle named "Scout's Lookout," where rangers check permits to restrict traffic on the narrow trail to the summit. From here, the trail features chain link handrails over much of the challenging terrain. There are a couple of 10- to 12-foot high nearly vertical walls where you needed to have two feet on the wall and two hands on the chain to ascend. There are also traverses with steep drop-offs, barely wide enough for one foot hold. You needed to have two hands on the chain and step one foot over the other. We welcomed a solo climber, Jeff, who asked to tag along with us for moral support. We summitted at 8:55. Angie was very proud to complete the climb, because two-years ago, she had gotten psyched out by the steep drop-offs and stopped just above Scout's Lookout.

The view from the top was stunning, with dramatic vistas across the canyon to Observation Point, Cable Mountain, Canyon Junction and other East Rim features. The descent took three times longer due to waits at one-way bottlenecks. The total distance was 5.4 miles with 2,600 feet of climb.

We couldn't resist the opportunity to have another of those sensational Reuben sandwiches at Zion Canyon Brew Pub. Pool time at the campground was a great way to cool off after another spectacular day in the Park.

In the morning, Streak couldn't stand, much less urinate. He still refused his favorite treats. At about 7 am, we started searching for a vet that could help us send Streak to heaven. We texted Hank's children Jonathan and Madeline to let them know our plan. Madeline was able to say "Goodbye" to Streak over a Facetime call while on her way to Coachella music festival.
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There were two vets in the town of Hurricane, about 30 minutes away. We got voice mail for one and an answering service for the other. There was another vet beyond Hurrican in St. George. We decided to start driving toward Hurricane while we continued to try to reach a vet in real time.

We reached Zion Veterinary Hospital, who offered us an 11:15 appointment. During a long discussion of possible arrangements, they had a cancellation for an appointment at 8 am. That allowed us to go right into a treatment room when we arrived. The staff were wonderful. The room they have us was spacious with two couches and special treats (Hershey kisses and Cheez Whiz). They told us we could take all the time we needed to say "Goodbye" before summoning the doctor. There were lots of tears. Angie helped hold Streak on the floor as medication was administered. His head fell gently into her lap. Charlie was a bit confused why we drove away without Streak. 

Angie had a tough time for day and a half after the event. Hank had been preparing himself for some time, given Streak's age - 16-1/2 years. We spent a lot of time reminiscing about our favorite memories and reviewing our thousands of photos. Hank had rescued Streak when he as 18-months old.

Back in Springdale, we stopped at a gift shop so Angie could buy postcards. We found a Blessing Ring with a paw print and the words "Furever Love" on it. We had to buy that. Next we visited the Outfitter to get our gear for The Narrows. We learned that the flow rate of Zion River had increased so much that the Park Service closed it for hiking. It would likely be a month before the river would re-open, they said. Angie said, "Now we have an excuse to visit here again."

We decided to hike to a set of waterfalls called the Middle, Upper, Lower and Emerald Pools. We took a shuttle up canyon to The Gallery of the Patriarchs - a viewpoint for the peaks named Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We crossed a bridge over the Zion River, turn left toward Sandbench Trail and wound our way up with West Rim and back down to the shuttle stop at The Grotto. The hike was 6.2 miles with 1,800 feet of climbing. Afterwards we were hungry and parched. We stopped at Zion Canyon Brew Pub, just outside a pedestrian gate to the park where we enjoyed an amazing Reuben sandwich, a so-so burger and two tasty IPAs. It was one of the best Reben sandwiches we had ever had. Once again, we cooled off in the swimming pool afterwards.

We both entered the lottery for the Angel's Landing hike permit and this time, Angie won admittance!