Day 1: Los Angeles to Grand Canyon

The drive today was great.  There was a bit of light rain leaving Los Angeles, and some haze in the first set of mountains, but then mostly clear, but overcast.  Incredible landscapes along highway 40- constantly changing, always mountains within view, and crossed a few non-intimidating ranges that the Corolla coped with nicely.  Some snow in the mountains, and partially covering the landscape near the Grand Canyon (elevation is around 5000 feet).  The vegetation was so different everywhere- desert, then scrubby sparse cedar-like forests, and later full-sized pine forests (but without the undergrowth that you'd get in Canada.  It would change back and forth from mile to mile or past this or that mountain range.

Here are a couple of photos from the rest stops.  First one is a half hour west of Needles, California:

 

This is behind a gas station in Seligman, Arizona:

  

This is historic route 66 in Seligman, Arizona: