Grand Canyon, South Rim

Thursday: (04/11) We were up early and enjoyed our breakfast of more chorizo omelet with some avocado and some chocolate muffins. We prepared to roll and were on the highway by 8:10. It wasn't far into Flagstaff so we didn't hookup the Jeep. Lou drove it. She proceeded to a laundromat we spotted the other day and I topped at Target. I needed a replacement foot for my walking sticks, a hard case for my sunglasses and an adapter to play our MP3 player through the cassette player in the RV. The one we had gave up. They had none of the items needed. I then met Lou at the laundromat and took the Jeep to Walmart looking for the same. Found the cassette adapter  We finished up the laundry then we drove downtown. I found a parking space a block from the train station which is right downtown. No time limit, no threat of being towed. How lucky! We stopped in at three of the outdoor supply stores downtown. I found my walking stick foot at one but none had the sunglasses case I was looking for. We did get a recommendation for an optometrist a couple of blocks away so I went there. Flagstaff Eye Care gave me a nice hard sided clam shell case big enough for my large sunglasses, for free. Now that is extra special care. If you need glasses I would recommend them! With most of our supply mission accomplished we stopped in at the Bigfoot BBQ in the basement of the old Penny's Department Store downtown for lunch. We had their four boner special. Four big Saint Louis ribs with two sides for $8 on Thursday. Very good. We then picked up some final things at Fry's Market. I had filled three of our filtered water bottles at Walmart earlier and there was one remaining to be filled which I filled at Fry's when we were there. With all our tasks completed we were onto I40 to Williams then onto Highway 64 to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. 


We didn't have reservations until tomorrow at the Trailer Village so we stopped in at Mather Campground and go a space for the night. We settled in and watched our four elk neighbors as the grazed and napped right in our campsite. 


We finally drove over to the Bright Angel Lodge and I checked in for my Saturday night stay at Phantom Ranch down in the bottom of the canyon. 


We also walked part of the rim trail.


And watched the sunset there.


A rare photo of me at the rim.

When we got back to camp at 7:30 we had roast chicken with garlic cheese mashed potatoes and asparagus for dinner. We wanted tea with dinner so Lou brewed up some with the gallon of water we got at Fry;s from a Glacier vending machine. It tasted strongly of chlorine  It's the first bad bottle of water we've ever gotten. It was beyond just it's service needs and most likely a mis-plumbed machine. I have to pity the poor lady ahead of me hefting three six gallon bottles around refilling them with this bad water. Fortunately we only filled the one there.
(GPS: 36.04669, -112.11936)

Friday: (04/12) Chorizo omelet with corn bread for breakfast. We pulled the RV out of Mather CG about 0930 and parked it by the market. We couldn't check in to the Trailer Village until after noon. We checked out the market then had a snack before we caught the Orange Shuttle East along the rim and stopped at several lookout points. When we returned about 2pm we checked in at the Trailer Village. Lou will have full hookups while I'm off on my hike down to Phantom Ranch. We relaxed at camp until near 4pm. We then went to the General Store where I bought a whistle. We then had dinner there of clam chowder. Then we were off to the Geology Museum at Yavapai Point. The best view of the canyon is found there. Final preparation for the hike accomplished in the evening.

Pine Flat CG, Sedona, Az

Monday: (04/08) We awoke to rising winds. Winds seemed to be gusting to 45 mph occasionally so we decided to hit the road before we had breakfast. We only had to move 20-30 miles North above Sedona. About 9am we pulled in to the Pine Flat campground, into the campsite we selected yesterday. This campground is beside Oak Creek about 12 miles North of Sedona. We have a potentially sunny site with a Southern exposure good for solar and satellite  Now, if it only weren't overcast. Just after we were setup and Lou was cooking breakfast it started to sprinkle. We relaxed at home today with some occasional rain and hail. This is what we are supposed to expect for the next couple of days per the forecast. Breakfast was sausage, eggs and home fried potatoes with toast. Lunch was leftover ham, pepper and onion salad. Chinese stir fried chicken vegetable noodles for dinner. Today we had rain, hail and snow intermittently all day.
(GPS 35.01216, -111.73875)


Tuesday: (04/09) Sausage, home fries and eggs with toast for breakfast. The storm yesterday and last night left the trees higher up on the canyon walls with a coating of snow. We drove up to Flagstaff today, about 16 miles North. The ground and trees were covered with enough snow to make them white. The view from the scenic stop after the climb up and out of the canyon was very nice. We did some shopping, visited thrift stores, and explored old town Flagstaff. I got a bigger backpack for my hike. I as having trouble fitting all the stuff I wanted to take in my usual hiking backpack. Lunch was at the La Fonda Mexican Restaurant on the East side of town. Very good. We returned home about 4:30 as there was a tiny snow fall . All the snow we saw this morning was gone. Dinner was leftovers. I had the Chinese stir fry and Lou had leftover shrimp tostado fixings.


Oak Creek passes by our campsite. Our campground is in a narrow valley with very high walls. In fact, the half of the camp on the opposite side of the road is closed due to big rocks falling into the camps there.


Wednesday: (04/10) Chorizo omelet for breakfast. Today was a nice sunny day all day. We went out to see a couple of Indian ruin sites today.

  
Nice views out on the dirt road going to the Indian Ruins. Even some flowers now.


We also drove FS153 Schnibley Road, a 4x4 road out to I17. Some nice views along the road.


It's a rather rough road at times. We especially liked the Foxboro Lake.

We then drove down to Highway 179 and returned to Sedona through Oak Creek. We stopped at a very interesting pottery shop there then on to Sedona. There was one more road to check out, Morgan Road. At the end of the road is a Jeep road that the tour operators use to give their patrons a good ride. I wanted to try it. We made it past the deterrent bump, a one foot high vertical sided speed bump at the start of the road. It keeps most everything off the road. It wasn't to far up the steps was encountered. The book said there was a bypass but it's closed off now. It wasn't much worse than the test bump but it was going up the side of a rock as well. I decided not to continue at least in part due to the soon to set sun. It was after 6pm. Then we were on to home just before it did get dark. Lunch was some ham, pepper, cucumber, and onion salad. Dinner was roasted chicken with steamed carrots and garlic mashed potatoes.


Another view of our campsite at Pine Flat.

Cottonwood At The Rio Verde RV Park

Friday:(04/05) Cereal for breakfast. We were on the road by 0830 stopping at Affinity RV again to do tank duties and get propane. Then we were off on Highway 69 to Highway 169 to I17 to Highway 260 into Cottonwood. We had hoped to stop at Dead Horse Ranch State Park but they were full through the weekend so we stopped at Rio Verde RV Park for a couple of days. After we settled in, Lou made hamburgers for lunch. After lunch we visited the local thrift stores and antique stores and walked around old town. Dinner was at the China Buffet near the RV park.
(GPS: 34.72188, -111.98925)


Saturday:(04/06) Breakfast was cereal for Lou and donuts for me. We drove up the hill to Jerome, an old mining "Ghost" town on the hill above Clarkdale and Cottonwood. It's a typical tourist town with shops selling tourist stuff but also had a strong local artisan presence. For lunch we stopped at the Haunted Hamburger House for haunted burgers. Lou, of course, had hers bun-less. They probably make the best hamburger in the world. 


A view of the main street from up by the hamburger joint. We especially enjoyed talking with a potter at one of the shops and watching the glass blower at work at another. On the right is a view of the front of the glass blowers shop. What looks like only the brick front of a long gone building is the front of his shop. We enjoy watching him do his job and he does a great job explaining what he is doing.


We then took a drive of about 17 miles out the Perkinsville Road to Perkinsville. Perkinsville really doesn't exist or at least is not accessible via the road. I understand you can get to it on the train from Clarkdale. The road goes to the Perkins Ranch where a spur road becomes private and gated. The Perkinsville Road actually continues another 25  on up to Williams. We decided not to continue that far and returned to Jerome. We did discover a nice camping spot (above left) by the Verde River near the junction of another road that came from Chino Valley. That road is 23 miles. It's a nice spot but I'm not sure I'd bring the RV out there unless I was planning on a longer stay to make it worth the slow dusty bumpy drive. Above right is a view of Cottonwood and Clarksdale from the Perkinsville Road.

For dinner Lou made shrimp tostados.


Sunday: (04/07) We decided to spend another day here in Cottonwood. Cereal and bananas for breakfast. First, we did a little shopping. I wanted a couple of things to prepare for my Grand Canyon hike. I also got an oil change for the Jeep at Walmart. Then we were off to Sedona to look around. It is really a tourist trap. We looked at two Forest Service campgrounds along Oak Creek North of Sedona and picked where we'll move tomorrow. We also got some information on Jeep roads and hiking trails nearby. Lunch was a ham, peppers and tomato salad. Dinner was BBQ ribs with baked potatoes and asparagus.

Oh Boy!

Thursday: (04/04) More leftover corned beef hash and eggs for breakfast. Another nice sunny day. I started the day doing what I should have been doing each morning for the past month or so since I tried to arrange for a stay at Phantom Ranch in the Grand Canyon so I can hike down to the river. Today was my first call to see if they had any cancellations  They did. They had a couple of nights for tomorrow and the next day. That was a little too soon, so I reserved a stay for 4/13. So now we will be arriving at the Village on the 12th and I'll be up very early on the 13th to hike down. The timing couldn't have been much better.

Today was our last day here in Prescott. We had grilled ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch. Then we explored more of the city. Dinner was at the Golden Corral, again. Our sunny day didn't last. It was overcast most of the afternoon.

Granite Basin Hike

Wednesday: (04/03) We were checking out this area as a possible camping site and had some extra time so I took a loop hike from Granite Basin Lake on Trail 345-->Trail 347-->Trail 348-->Trail 351 ending up back at the lake.


Trail 345 follows a nice creek from the lake.


The rest of the trails were dry but nicely forested. It was a 7.3 mile hike taking 2:47 hours. The overall climb was 1417 feet with a 500 foot elevation change.


The trails are fairly level. Bicycles and horses are allowed so you do need to be on the lookout.


A view of Granite Peak.

Granite Basin Hike

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Arizona

Thumb Butte Hike

 
Tuesday: (04/02) Visiting Prescott Arizona and enjoying some good hikes. This hike was near the Thumb Butte which towers over Prescott, Arizona. From January to July the actual butte is closed due to peregrine falcon nesting on the cliffs so this hike was only around the base and on other nearby trails. You get great views of the Prescott area from the ridge. 

 
Nicely forested trails. I really like the looks of the alligator juniper tree.

 
There has been a lot of beetle damage.

 
On my return the trail followed a creek for over a mile. This hike route was on Trail 33 taking the left steep ascent to the ridge then onto Trail 314, Trail 326, Trail 392, and finally on Trail 367 back to the start point at the Day Use Area. Excellent hike.

Thumb Butte Hike

EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Arizona