Driving To Springdale

Wahweap Viewpoint

I carry on up the road into what I thought should have been a town called Wahweap situated on the shores of the lake. But all I can find is Lake Powell Resort, which is a hotel. There is however not a lot to see, whatever the name is.

Navajo Mountain Viewpoint panorama

To Springdale – But Not How I Wanted

So I drive back down Lakeshore Drive and back into Page to stop at a Walmart to get supplies. Once completed I load my route into Maps and set off for Springdale in Utah. There is another time zone change today but this time I lose an hour. It was 84º F / 29º C with sunny, cloudless skies leaving Page.

My route takes me south on US-89 S through the Antelope Pass then switches north onto US-89A N through Marble Canyon. I then cross the Colorado River (again) on the Historic Navajo Bridge. All the while, the Vermilion Cliffs offer a stunning backdrop.

House Rock Valley Overlook

I cross the desert floor and enter the Kaibab National Forest and start to climb. I stop at House Rock Valley Overlook to look out over the Grand Canyon National Park in the distance. It is too far away to see any detail however. A few miles later I crested a summit at 7,900 feet although I couldn’t ascertain what mountain it was.

Descending back down to the flat featureless desert floor, the road straightened again after twisting through the mountains. I reached the town of Fredonia. Unbeknown to me at the time, this is where Maps screwed up big time today. I was oblivious. Maps gave me no indication it had re-routed from my planned route. The estimated destination time in Springdale was in line with what I expected, so this didn’t raise a concern.

Instead of continuing to drive north on US-89A N followed by US-89 N in Utah then a left turn onto UT-9 W, I discover later I was directed left onto AZ-389 W. Miles down this road, just after Colorado City, I enter Utah and the road became UT-59 W. So beforehand I knew I entered Utah again at some point, and that I wanted to approach Springdale on UT-9 W. I was just waiting for the turn onto that latter road.

“Is there something I should know?” *

You may wonder how I didn’t realise the route had changed en route. On the car’s information screen that shows a Maps route, you only see a small section of the road at a time. You can zoom out to see the whole route but then you get no detail. It’s better to have a smaller view so you can pick up bends in the road and other aspects. There was also no noticeable sign that the road had changed from US-89 to AZ-389. I just assumed the left turn at Fredonia was part of the route. Another element is that I rarely look in detail at road numbers or town names on the way each day. I usually just remember the last road number taking me into a city. I think maybe I need to start noting road number changes for each day…

The first sign something was wrong was just before Hurricane when the route said turn right onto 4.3 miles of unpaved roads. That never came up when I planned the route  pre-trip and such roads are always flagged. Also, I’m not actually allowed to drive the rental car on unpaved roads. I stop in a turn-out and look how to avoid this detour.

I still did not realise the full extent of how Maps had changed the route, but even if I had, by this stage it would have been too late to turn around. The immediate solution was to keep on UT-59 W into Hurricane. This forced a Maps re-route away from the unpaved road. In the town I was directed onto UT-9 as I expected. Only it is not UT-9 W as I wanted. I was travelling on UT-9 E towards Springdale.

Of course I didn’t know that and couldn’t tell the E or W direction because that’s neither stated on Maps nor detailed on road signs. Further on I wondered where the Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel was that I expected to drive through. But the next thing I know is I’m entering Springdale. And from the wrong direction because soon the hotel comes into view, when I should have driven through the eastern part of Zion National Park first.

“It’s all screwed up” **

UT-9 E approaching Springdale, UT

The penny finally drops. Without advising me, Maps has re-routed me to arrive in Springdale from the west and not over the mountains and in via Zion National Park’s east entrance. I am furious.

Never in pre-planning had Maps ever plotted this route. To this day, as when I got back to the UK and investigated, at whatever time of day I load the route to preview it, the route is always to Springdale via UT-9 W. It can only be that on that day Maps somehow calculated the route via Hurricane and UT-9 E as the “fastest route”, and so changed it. But, as an exercise, if I force the route it actually took me on by adding stops, the route is 9 minutes longer and 21 miles longer. How the hell can that be the fastest route?

Having thought I’d finally got the better of Maps’ re-routing quirks, it continues to think it knows best and occasionally screw things up. Even loading the route the night before as a test showed it going via UT-9 W. I will need to re-assess my next trip’s routes to prevent this happening again.

Where’s The Stuff?

View from parking lot at Hampton Inn & Suites Springdale

On arrival, my foul mood is not lightened by 88º F / 31º C heat at 6 pm. The $600 room at the Hampton Inn & Suites Springdale/Zion National Park is also severely lacking. There is no suitcase trestle, no wardrobe/closet or hangers, no drawers and no room safe. It’s a large room but that’s about it. It’s so expensive because it’s only a mile from the Park entrance. This was an unfortunate necessity down to route and schedule timings. I needed to be nearby to get everything completed on time tomorrow.

After a review of tomorrow I’m hopeful I can do the Tunnel and some of UT-9 W after my Park tour in the morning. Las Vegas tomorrow night also gives me the hour back that I lost today, with another time zone change. I’ll just need to keep an eye on time.

“You got a bad attitude” ***

At 7.30 pm I walk across the parking lot to Jack’s Sports Grill. I ignore the “Please wait to be seated” sign as no-one is around and walk over to the bar and sit down. Stephanie, the bar lady, is in full flow: “After the weekend I’ve had, I’m in no mood to take anymore.” Oh dear. Don’t bring your personal problems to work Steph, and if you do, keep quiet.

Jumping ahead, my conclusion at the end of the night is that she should be fired. She’s a liability. She’s cool towards me, not welcoming by any means, so I put on a charm offensive. At least I got served by her. About 45 minutes after I arrive, after Steph has numerous full volume head-bangs with other staff members, a couple of new customers approach the bar. Steph kicks off. “The bar is closed, I’m not having anyone else sit here, you can go sit in a booth and get service, but not at my bar tonight,” she shouts at them. It’s 8.30 pm, an hour before official closing time.

I overheard a conversation later between some bar staff, out of Steph’s earshot, that the couple really took offence at her outburst – quite rightly, as the place was practically empty – and they started an argument with the staff outside. I’m not surprised.

Steph keeps losing the plot. About 15 minutes later, standing just in front of me behind the bar, she struggles to get the top off a bottle of spirits and in the process knocks a beer glass off the front of the bar. This proceeds to smash all over the floor, near where I’m sitting. She does absolutely nothing about this. Apart from loudly shouting at some of the other bar staff, “I just smashed a glass over the floor.” She pointedly doesn’t ask anyone to clear it up.

And no-one does. When I walk out at 9.30 pm, the glass is still all over the floor. Appalled at her behaviour, I leave less than a 15% tip. She so dominated the evening – she was tonight’s entertainment – but not in a good way. Despite her shitty attitude I did manage to get her to order me a Jumbo Dog and some beer, Firestone Walker 805. Even more amazing was that I somehow got three pints poured by her over the two hours I was there.

I find my way back to the hotel through the dark parking lot, do some diary and hit lights out. Very annoyed.

* Is There Something I Should Know? by Duran Duran

** All Screwed Up by AC/DC

*** Bad Attitude by Meat Loaf