Our last adventure that I wrote about ended at the Grand Canyon. We had a fabulous day hiking and taking thousands of pictures. We were in the park until the sun started to go down, and I will pick up the story from that point. We passed a comical campground and I secretly regret that we didn’t stay there instead of where we camped.
The restaurant and store were designed to look like a cartoon. I didn’t notice at the time, but later learned that this Bedrock City also has a small amusement park. How fun is that?
The next morning we headed farther south and east to Flagstaff, Arizona. Luckily, we camped at a convenient location close to several parks, some of which we knew nothing about.
After setting up, we headed out on our usual exploration routine. Just a few miles north was a loop road that connected the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument and the Wupatki National Monument.
Once again, our national park pass came in handy. Seriously, if you plan to visit multiple national parks in one year, the $80 investment is worth every penny. It can also be used at some state parks.
We started at Sunset Crater Volcano. The hiking trail went down and up through the hardened lava, all the way to the base of the volcano. I believe only hikers guided by the park rangers are allowed to go to the top.
After following the loop road for 23 miles, we entered the Wupatki National Monument area. Instead of seeing black lava, we now saw orange-y red dirt and rocks.
Dotted throughout the park were several remains of masonry from ancient villages. It is hard to believe this was once a farming community.
The residents here from long, long ago remind me of the ancient Mayan people in Mexico and Central America. They also created unique ball sports that were played on courts.
Also located in this village was a blow hole. Cool air was blowing out of it like a natural air conditioner. Archeologists are not quite sure what the community did with it. The hole connects to an underground passage that was created by an earthquake. I have never seen one of these before.
The next day we headed south to Sedona. What a day! We absolutely loved it there and I want to return some day for a longer vacation. Our long hike took us around Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte. Boy, it was hot and felt like a desert.
Wow! The red rocks make the sky look so blue! We were amazed by the landscape in every direction. I would consider living here some day, but real estate is probably very expensive.
We barely got a parking spot as cars and eventually tour buses all flocked to the area. The trails were good for mountain bikes, so we had to stay alert for any crossing our path. I would love to ride a bike here.
We drove to another area to see Cathedral Rock. There were many other popular hiking spots, but we just came for one day and didn’t have enough time. Had I known that there was a lot to do, we could have stayed a few days in a nearby campground.
If you like cute little shops and galleries, it would take a couple days to browse them all. We skipped that because we don’t have room for anything in the RV. Our cabinets and closets are crammed full of “stuff”.
I want to return and stay at a spa resort. I know there are several choices if that is your style. You can find me out by the pool…