THIS POST IS COMING TO YOU FROM SOMEWHERE NEAR SEDONA ARIZONA

SEDONA ARIZONA’S RED ROCKS AT SUNSET

It was already well into the 70’s before 9 this morning so we  we weren’t long in heading ourselves out the driveway heading for higher & cooler elevations.  With Winnie’s A/C on we made a quick stop at the Congress Post Office.  Nuts!! No Jammies yet:((  Threw some gas in Winnie’s tank & with the Jeep tied on behind we headed up the Yarnell Hill.  The rig handled the hill just fine.

 

WINNIE CHASED THIS CLASS A ALL THE WAY UP YARNELL HILL

Quick stop at the Cornerstone Bakery in Yarnell & we were on our way.  Destination Sedona Arizona.  Well not so much Sedona proper as the area somewhere around Sedona.  We had a couple hot tips on a few quiet boondocking areas.

<<< COMING OUT OF YARNELL’S CORNERSTONE BAKERY WITH SOME GOODIES

It was a familiar drive for us up through Peeples & Skull Valley.  Wound our way along Iron Springs Road into Prescott & picked up the Pioneer Parkway which took us in a North-Easterly direction around Prescott.  Broad sweeping vistas as far as the eye could see.  Long golden Valleys stretched to distant mountain topped horizons.  And lots of Evergreen trees & forests around Prescott.  I figure if I was forced to live in a city in these here parts I would choose Prescott just based on scenery alone.

GLAD WE DIDN’T HAVE TO WAIT FOR THIS LONG TRAIN IN KIRKLAND JUNCTION

 

THE GENERAL STORE IS NOW CLOSED & KELLY CHECKS OUR GARMIN

SWINGING WAY AROUND PRESCOTT

Topped a rise north of Prescott & I could see the snow covered SAN FRANCISCO PEAKS just north of Flagstaff maybe about 75 miles away as the Crow flies to the North-East.  Made our way to a place called Dewey & headed North from there.  Traffic had been lite until we hit #17 coming up from Phoenix.  From there the traffic just got heavier & heavier.  Cottonwood was a manic mosh of metal monsters.  Kelly & I had stayed at DEAD HORSE RANCH STATE PARK back in late 07 but neither of us remembered this much heavy traffic around Cottonwood then.  So glad to get out of that traffic mess & onto highway 89 heading for Sedona.  We were back out in our comfortable countryside again & darned well planned to stay there!!

FROM PRESCOTT WE CAN SEE THE FAR AWAY SAN FRANCISCO PEAKS NORTH OF FLAGSTAFF

BEGINNING TO SEE SEDONA’S RED ROCKS ACROSS ARIZONA’S SWEEPING VERDE VALLEY

We did find the area several fellow RV Boondockers had recommended but we immediately ran into an unexpected problem.  Headed up a dusty road & pulled over into a flat spot to unhook the Jeep.  As soon as Pheebs got out she had 4 flat tires.  The whole area was covered in those dreaded Goathead prickly stickers.  They are the most miserable things of ever.  Got the stickers out of Pheebs paws but we had them stuck to the bottom of our shoes too.  We knew that particular area was not going to work for us.  With the Jeep we scouted another couple roads but they were too rough for the rig.  We knew of one other place across the highway so off we went.

We knew Annie was tucked away on that side of the road somewhere so we cruised along the gravel road slow until we spotted her RV through the trees.  Found us a spot to pull in & walked over to Annie’s place. 

ANNIE’S TUCKED AWAY IN THE TREES

We had never met her before but we have been following THE GOOD LUCK DUCK long enough to know about Roxie & Annie.  Annie was home & soon her dog Jake & Pheebs were making fast friends.  Nice to finally meet Annie, a nice easy going Gal.  She knew of a couple camping spots within walking distance of her so we all walked over & checked them out.  Could tell right away it was not going to be an easy campsite.  There wasn’t a spot of ground flat enough anywhere to land a fly let alone a 26’ Class C rig with no levelers. 

 

THAT’S MINGUS MOUNTAIN ON THE HORIZON

We did manage to wiggle into a spot on the sloping hillside & with the aide of some plastic Camping World levelers we did manage to square things up a bit but nowhere close to level from side to side.  Not much we could do about it though because we didn’t know where else to go.  On the plus side we do have a great view out over the Verde Valley & we can see the twinkling lights of mile high Jerome way across the valley on the side of Mingus Mountain.  A cluster of lights on the valley floor below I’m guessing belong to Clarkdale & Cottonwood.

JEROME IS ACROSS THE VALLEY ON THE MOUNTAINSIDE DIRECTLY ABOVE WINNIE’S HOOD

Don’t know if we’ll stay in this spot or search us out a new location in the morning.  Kelly suggested we hit a Home Depot & get them to saw us up some sturdy 2’ sections of board to use as levelers.  We just might do that as they are always handy to have along for un-level situations like the one we are in.  In our Damon Class A I always carried a ready to use lumber yard with us.

  

No idea where we will go or what we will do over the next few days here but I’m sure we’ll think of something.  We just wanted to take advantage of this warmer weather in an area that is not normally known for warm weather this time of year.  Temperature in the rig this afternoon was 83F.  I’m wilting, I’m wilting……………..

Been awhile since I have stood out under a big Moon in short sleeves but it is warm enough tonight to do just that.  Jerome is just a tight cluster of shimmering diamonds nestled into the darkened side of Mingus Mountain across the valley. Our nocturnal landscape lay before us bathed in an ethereal hue of tumbling Moonbeams………………

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Jim had a terrible day fishing on the lake, sitting in the blazing sun all day without catching a single fish.  On his way home, he stopped at the Fish Store and ordered four rainbow trout.  He told the fishmonger, 'Pick four large ones out and throw them at me, will you?'  'Why do you want me to throw them at you?' Asked the clerk?'  So that I am able to tell my wife Sandie, in all honesty, that I caught them.'

The fisherman's golden rule: The one that got away is always bigger than the one you gotta weigh.