Week 5

Sunday, May 30th: Plan is to drive a counter-clockwise arc going north-east, north, north-west, west from Fountain Hills to Pine, Strawberrry, Camp Verde and on to Cottonwood to camp at Dead Horse Ranch State Park. We do. And after setting up camp, we set out north to Sedona, up Oak Creek Canyon, more north towards Flagstaff to be able to catch the Interstate to come back south and back to Cottonwood to the campground. Good campground.

Monday, May 31st: We have a few days here to explore around Sedona, Oak Creek, indian ruins, mining towns, etc. Today we head west to Jerome, an old mining town half way up a small twisty turny mountain road -- paved. We walk about town, drive over to the Old Ghosttown Goldmine and explore lots of memorabilia. Late lunch is in an old restored hotel farther up the mountain. Next is a many mile, megatwisty paved road to Prescott. We had expected to find another old mining town with newer sections. It is too new. Dissappointed. Come across a casino in native territory outside of Prescott. Too smokey and noisy. Back to Cottonwood and the Dead Horse Ranch State Park.

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JUNE

Tuesday, June 1st: No specific plan; just to tour about. Very nearby is Tuzigoot National Monument -- pueblo ruins on a hill west of Dead Horse Ranch State Park and east of the mining town of Jerome. It is hot and dry all around here. Repeat, it is hot and dry here. Later, we drive up to Sedona and take several scenic side trips around the area. A couple of them are on dirt roads; one is a real white knuckle drive up a mountain. Again, without guardrails. I wanted to know where the jeep trail tours go. I followed one heading out of downtown Sedona. Now I know. When we retire here I can run such a business. Ha, Ha.

Wednesday, June 2nd: Another no-plan day around Cottonwood/Sedona. Over east to Fort Verde State Park. How disappointing. We don't even get out of car. Then, a bit north to Montezuma Castle National Monument -- cliff dwellings a short walk from the visitors' center. Another short drive and we are at Montezuma Well National Monument -- a sink hole and cliff dwellings. From here the natives were able to irrigate their crops for miles around back a thousand years ago. Then, we are north to Flagstaff along Route 66 thru town. From Flagstaff we go south down the Oak Creek Canyon road, thru Sedona and back to Cottonwood and the D.H.R.S.P. for the night.

Thursday, June 3rd: plan is to drive to Winslow, Arizona and camp at the Homolovi Ruins State Park with stops along Route 66 where the interstate has not paved over it. Good plan and that's what we did. East from Cottonwood to Interstate then north to Flagstaff. East to cliff dwellings: too steep and far to hike in this very hot and dry weather. View from visitors' center. Onto interstate and off at exits where we find Route 66 -- sometimes for a few miles and sometimes only for a few hundred yards. At Twin Arrows there is 1 person at the gift shop. The gas station is dead. No other people or businesses around. Everything, repeat everything, is in ruins at Two Guns. At Meteor City exit there is an RV park, a gas station and a couple of small businesses catering to tourists. We exit the interstate into Winslow, Arizona, such a fine sight to see. there's a girl my lord in a flat board Ford slowin' down to take a look at me. Taken' it easyyyyeeeee... Yes, the famous in song, Winslow, Arizona. We do the tourist thing and get our picture taken at the corner in Winslow, Arizona. Onwards to the campground north-east of town. Too hot to pitch the tent. Did I mention that it is hot and dry around here? Back to Winslow and more of a tour of the town. Later, back to Homolovi Ruins State Park and pitch the tent. Very nice campground. Hot and dry.

Friday, June 4th: Plan is to drive east to the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park with stops along the way off interstate onto old Route 66. Plan realized. We got as far east as exit #339. Long slow drive thru the Petrified Forest. As a kid my dad took us thru here. I remember the Petrified Forest part more and the desert less from that trip. This time, the other way around. We cannot get as close to the petrified logs now as we did then. The desert is more colourful now. Maybe I am less colourblind (?) now.

Saturday, June 5th: Plan is to go west to Flagstaff, north to Sunset Volcanic Crater and Wapatki Ruins National Monuments on way to Grand Canyon where we will camp for 3 nights. We did as planned. Took a little extra side trip north into indian land across the Little Colorado River and had lunch outside the Park. Lots of side trips in the Canyon to the canyon viewpoints. Good thing I had camping reservations: even though the campground is huge, the place is packed.