Flagstaff, Sedona, Bullhead City, Southern California and finally... HOME!

Even though Flagstaff is at 7,000 feet elevation we decided it would be fun to stay in the mountains and pine trees of Arizona.  We wanted to stay in Sedona but the RV parks we contacted we full so we chose the next best place, Flagstaff.

Stop # 18 - Flagstaff, AZ (10/11 - 10/13) J & H RV Park

When we comes to finding our next camping spot, we have several sources at our disposal.  First, we have the Woodall's RV Guide that lists most, but not all, campgrounds and RV parks by City and State.  In addition to that massive guide book and the campground's website,  we also use the on-line website RV Park Reviews http://www.rvparkreviews.com/.  This site is extremely user friendly and allows us to pick a RV park and see what other RVers say about their experience.  These users rate their experience from 1-5 stars and often times go into detail regarding road noise, easy access to their site, quality of the internet and the helpfulness of the staff.  We chose J & H RV Park based on the ratings off the RV Park Review website.  This park was unique in that it was a no-smoking park and catered to those over the age of 55.  Families were welcome but their rules were quite strict regarding noise and pet issues.  Flagstaff was a great home base for us to explore Sedona, Jerome and Prescott.

 Our knowledge of Sedona was that it began as an artist colony and was also known as a mecca for the new age movement.  We've had friends that have visited Sedona specifically to experience the "cosmic energy" of the area.  The new age movement beliefs are reflected in one of the signs shown below.  What surprised us was the beauty of the pink rock formations but also the commercialization of downtown Sedona.  The place was packed with bus loads of people flowing in and out of boutiques and tourist shops up and down the main drag.  We did find beautiful pieces of artwork all along main street.  We were later told that the new art colony was in a small town called Jerome which is nestled into the mountains about 30 miles away.

We were feeling a little overwhelmed by the crowds along main street.  We decided to  search for a quiet place to sit and sip a cup of coffee and a nice pastry.  We wandered off the main street onto a quiet side street and discovered this little place called Theia, which had opened the day before.  We wish them good luck in their new venture!

Next we drove up to Jerome.  This place was truly nestled off the mountainside.  We could find no where to park so unfortunately we could only drive through.  There were galleries and shops and, of course, cute places to eat all filled with tourists.  It all went by so fast, we forgot to capture the town in pictures.  If you visit this website, you'll get information and pictures of the town  http://www.azjerome.com/jerome/.

 A view from the road leaving Jerome on our way to Prescott.

Boji used to be so good at obeying rules.  Now that he's retired...who cares!

Prescott was a lovely city and as we made our way to the downtown area we were fortunate (for Sherry) enough to discover a crafts fair!  Needless to say, she did a little Christmas shopping!

This flatware had been beautifully hand-wrapped with decorative metal and beads that made these serving pieces very unique.  Here's their website if you would like more information.  http://www.gypsyspoonco.com/

Here was another wonderful Christmas gift idea.  Unfortunately this photo doesn't do the ornament justice.  This artist works with miniatures and makes these ornament "bags" filled with items for many different interests and occupations (the one shown is "travel").  The list shows interests from  "Actor" to "Yoga"  She doesn't have a website but her email address is:  sandibags1@aol.com  Sherry was so impressed with the detail and quality that she purchased several as Christmas gifts.  Each ornament was $20 and the artist may offer a discount if you purchase over a certain quantity.

Stop # 19 - Bullhead City, AZ (10/13 - 10/16)  Colorado River Oasis RV Park

In order to get home, we had to travel through the desert.  We decided on Bullhead City/Laughlin for a two night stay.  The RV park we stayed in was home-away-from-home to many Snow-birds (people searching for warmer weather).  Since we aren't gamblers the casinos didn't interest us.  But...the Riverside Casino had a movie theater so we used this time to catch three movies..."Captain Phillips," "Gravity," and "Rush."  We also used this time to simply relax and begin thinking about home and evaluating our RV trip.

We discovered a free water taxi that took us from the Bullhead City side of the Colorado river over to the Riverside Hotel and Casino in Laughlin.

Stop # 20 - Hesperia, CA  (10/16 - 10/18) Desert Rose RV Park

We instantly knew we were back in California in two ways.  First, the roads were in poorer shape than the other states we had visited and second, the price of diesel gas went up over a dollar a gallon.

We would have loved to have stayed in the Palm Springs area but elected to stay someplace new.  Another reason for our stay was to visit the Roy Rogers - Dale Evans Museum in Apple Valley.  Well...once we got checked into our RV park, we learned that after their deaths, their son moved the museum to Branson, MO.  Mark had a first cousin he hadn't seen since childhood who lived in Hesperia.  So we looked him up and Karl and his wife Josette treated us to a tour of the area.  Since we couldn't visit the Roy Rogers - Dale Evans museum, Karl and Josette took us to the cemetery (Sunset Hill Memorial Park) they designed and built before their deaths.  This was such a unique place, selected because it represented the beauty of Apple Valley that they both loved so much.  They use the boulders as headstones and burial crypts.  A word of warning...for those climbing around the boulders and rocks on the hillside - beware of rattle snakes.

First cousins Karl Lewis and Mark

Graves of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.

The former home of Roy Rogers - it still had the RR on the gate

Our last stop, #21 - Playa del Rey,  CA - Dockweiler State Beach RV Park

There are not a lot of RV parks along the Southern California coast.  We found one in the Newport Beach another in Long Beach, there is a very expensive RV park in Malibu and this one in Playa del Rey.  This particular park was only a mile from one of our daughters and right on the beach.  Considering we had no Wifi or cable, this park was our most expensive, simply because of the proximity to the beach.  We had a great time riding our bikes on the strand.  The strand is a 22 mile sidewalk for bikes that begins in Santa Monica and ends at the Torrance beach http://file.lacounty.gov/dbh/cms1_149605.pdf.  This is a reasonably flat paved trail used by cyclists, walkers and even folks on roller blades.  We accessed the bike path only a few yards from our campsite. 

Hermosa Beach off the bike path.  Lots of places to eat and drink in this area.

In the Venice Beach area is a wonderful Italian restaurant we love to visit.  It is called C & O Trattoria.  It is located near the Venice Beach pier on Washington Blvd.  If you love delicious pasta, large servings, and a lively atmosphere, you'll love this place.  http://www.cotrattoria.com/  On this particular evening we were invited to join our son-in-law's Italian family at C & O.

Time for the entire restaurant, and our group, to join in singing "That's Amore," as we raise our empty chianti glasses in a toast!

Stop # 22 - ( 10/21) HOME

We took almost two years in research before deciding to become RVers.  We loved our eight weeks on the road and look forward to future adventures.  Most of our previous trips revolved around destinations in other countries which focused on the beauty and achievements of civilization and mankind.  This trip was quite different - we focused on people and God's creation as seen through nature, specifically our National Parks.  We witnessed and marveled at our surroundings and the people we were fortunate enough to meet along the way.  We learned that we can comfortably live with less stuff and in a smaller space and discovered that being physically active is not only fun but necessary in retirement.  To our friends and family - thank you for allowing us to share this adventure with all of you - it's nice to come home.

 

One final tip we'd like to share - for those of you who use apps on your phones...we would like to recommend the "Gas Buddy" app.  It is a free app that locates gas stations and lists their most recent price per gallon.  This was an invaluable tool for us since we use diesel gas in our truck and not all stations carry diesel.  You simply select the type of gas you are looking for and it's right there at your fingertips.  It will also give you directions to the gas station you want to find.

Monument Valley - Hollywood's Western Movie Backdrop

We had heard about Monument Valley, seen pictures and recognized those same pictures in countless Hollywood Westerns.  These are a few of the reasons we put this destination on our itinerary. The first thing you notice when coming into this area is the red dirt and the rock formations.  The second thing is everything is named "Goulding."  These links give you a little historical background on the Goulding family and their contributions to the area and the native Navajo people.  We were able to visit the Goulding Trading Post and Museum - very interesting!

http://www.utah.com/nationalparks/monumentvalley/Gouldings.htm

http://www.gouldings.com/museum/


Stop # 17 (10/9 - 10/11) - Monument Valley, Utah - Goulding's RV Park

 Mark getting us all set up at the Goulding's RV Park -

note the view of the Monument Valley in the distance.

After the rain and hail storm

The large dirt mound on the left is a traditional Navajo "hogan."  There is a stove pipe coming up through the roof to vent the fire.  We noticed no other openings other than the front door.  

There is a 17 mile round trip dirt road that you can drive to see the monuments up close.  We have a stiff suspension with our truck in order to tow our 10,000 pound trailer 1, so going over a bump or hole is really jarring and rough.  We noticed that smaller cars were able to navigate the rough roads much easier than us.  The speed limit was 15 mph, we managed to drive about 7 mph to save wear and tear on our truck and our bodies.

The shot above was smooth compared to most of the road we managed only four miles before we were ready to head back.  There are guided jeep tours you can take for $60 per person, they zipped over the roads easily, while we struggled.  It was still spectacular and we're glad we did it.



After two nights, we're heading out to our next destination but not before washing down the truck and trailer.  Everything was covered with red dirt!  Our next stop will be Flagstaff , AZ...almost home!

Fall Foliage in Utah and Colorado

Stop # 14 (9/29 - 10/1) - KOA Campground in Springville, UT (just a few miles south of Provo). 

Since the focus of our trip has been to visit our National Parks, by the time we got into Utah these parks had been closed due to the government shutdown.  After speaking with some people at our campground, we were told to take the Alpine Scenic Loop.  This particular drive is considered to be one of Utah's most scenic drives, especially during the fall.  Needless to say, it was absolutely magnificent.  Unfortunately, these pictures cannot capture the intensity of the colors, the smell of the trees and the gentle breezes we experienced.  We'll let the pictures tell the story.

  

Stop # 15 (10/1- 10/5) Moab, UT - Portal RV Resort

Arches and Canyonlands National Parks are popular destinations for the folks who stay in Moab.  Since they were closed, we were not able to visit them but we were able to take drives and hikes that overlooked some of the these parks.  We also visited Utah State parks like Dead Horse Point.  Moab was one of our favorite destinations.  It was filled with outdoor activities galore!  Skydiving, hot air ballooning, mountain and road biking, off road driving, river rafting, mountain climbing, repelling and hiking.  We noticed that the crowds here were in their 30's and very active.  Because of the emphasis on outdoor activities, there were many walking and biking paths all over the town.  We took advantage of those bike paths and did a lot of bike riding.  Also, the beautiful red canyon cliffs surrounded us at our campground.  The downtown is filled with coffee bars, breweries and many places to eat along with shops to rent outdoor equipment and sign up for various tours.

 

Our campsite in Moab

 

Biking along the Colorado river near Moab

 

 

Due to the closures, we were not able to visit several National Parks.  We didn't let that discourage us though, we found lots of other things to do.

 

 

Since Canyonlands National Park was closed, we decided to switch into four-wheel drive and follow a road for about a mile.  We then followed a trail on foot for about 1 1/2 miles and found ourselves overlooking spectacular canyons.  As we stood out there, it was so quiet, only the sound of the wind.  It was pretty special!

 

Some of the locals told us about a popular hiking place called Negro Bill Canyon.  Apparently "Negro" Bill was an early settler in the late 1880's. Yes, the name is controversial and there is local talk of renaming the name of the canyon. This was a great hike and many people were there just like us.  The hike was five miles round-trip, primarily flat most of the way.  There were several times we had to cross the creek by stepping on small and large rocks.  This hike took us three hours to complete.  It was beautiful and we were exhausted when we were finished!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stop #16 - Durango, Colorado (10/5 - 10/9) Durango KOA

We chose to stop in Durango because we had heard about the Durango to Silverton Narrow Gage Railroad and thought it would be a fun adventure.  Once we started investigating the train ride, it became less appealing to us.  The seats were narrow and the ride is several hours long in both directions.  We decided to forgo the train ride and drive up to Silverton and Ouray in our truck.  We also wanted to visit Mesa Verde National Park but since that park was closed, we have another reason to return to this area.

 

Downtown Silverton - Blair Street
This tourist destination has a very short season (June-Oct) depending on the snow.  This town reminded us of small towns in Alaska that primarily survive on cruise ship passengers.


We then drove another 25 miles up to Ouray, Colorado ( known as Little Switzerland).  Again we saw beautiful fall colors, especially the Aspen trees turning to bright yellow.

 

 

Heading down into Ouray, CO

 

A little humor from an Ouray motel.

 

One of the nicer parts of RV travel is meeting nice people along the way.  We made friends with fellow travelers David and Carol from Knoxville, Tennessee.  What a charming couple!!  Mark and David struck up a conversation having to do with different issues with RVs.  They had been on the road since June and like us, were slowly making their way home. That evening they brought their chairs over to our camp and we spent time visiting  with them.  They share our love of travel and as long as they are able, they have many places they wish to visit, including Yosemite.  We hope they will look us up if they find themselves in the Fresno area.

 

 

 

Next stop...Monument Valley, Utah