After Benson

written March 30, 2015

Arizona continues to amaze us with it's diversity in terrain. North of Phoenix,

I-17 is probably the most beautiful interstate we have driven. It climbs from 3000 feet, through 4000 and 5000 and 6000, until it finally reaches over 7000 feet. Not only does this provide exquisite views but the north and south lanes are separated from the sight of each other most of the trip which adds to the beauty because it was not planned as an interstate but the southbound lanes follow old AZ-69 and the northbound ones follow old AZ-79. The Sunset Point rest area “won” a National, Most Beautiful Rest Area contest. Who knew there was even a contest.

Sunset Point Rest Area

We settled into the Distant Drums RV Resort and watched another beautiful sunset

Our first stop was at the 3900 foot level to spend a few days in the Camp Verde area. Our campground gave us coupons totaling $30 each, to use at it's Distant Drums Casino across the street. The first night we took them up on their offer and playing “slots” for the first time ever, we used all of the $60 dollars, but we “WON” $37. I think that is the way gamblers consider their winnings!! While there we put on our “Touron” (a cross between tourist and moron) clothes with camera draped over neck, and visited the towns of Prescott, Jerome, Rimshot, Camp Verde, and Sedona. 
Prescott, pronounced Pres'kit by the locals, is considered by many to be the best preserved western town. We ate lunch at the historical Saloon (and now Restaurant), The Palace. It was first opened in 1877 and the greatest story is about it's beautiful massive carved bar. The Palace was destroyed by the large Whiskey Row Fire on July 14, 1900. The huge carved bar was reportedly carried out of the building and across the street, where the patrons sat and drank at the bar as the buildings burned. Now that's a real cowboy story! 
 

Step into The Palace.....

They are quite proud of this history

The main bar area

The infamous and beautiful carved bar

Jerome is an old mining town built into the side of a mountain with switchback streets just wide enough to navigate. It was nearly a ghost town when in the 60's young artists were drawn to it and a new life for the town began.
 

Jerome, Arizona

a tight corner in Jerome

A large piece of Azurite and Malachite, donated to the state of Arizona for display

In a mining display - a "necessary" item kept in the mines for the Miners!

 Rimshot is a sleepy little town home to Montezuma's Castle and Montezuma's Well. Nice naming, since Montezuma wasn't born for another 1,000 years and he never ventured this far north. 
 

Montezuma's Castle Cliff Dwellings

- other ruins closer to the ground at Montezuma's Castle

More Cliff Dwellings at Montezuma's Wells, on walls of a natural spring.

Some of the irrigation runs the Indians had from the natural spring to water their crops

 Oh well, makes for a great story. Camp Verde hosts Fort Verde, considered the best preserved fort from the time when we were stealing all the land from the Indians.

More Congressional Medals of Honor were awarded to Camp Verde soldiers than anywhere else.

Some of Camp Verde's housing

- a look down the porches at Camp Verde

  While in the Tucson and Benson area, when asked where we were headed next we mentioned north towards the Grand Canyon. Everyone told us that we just had to see Sedona. Well, they were all right. Wow, what a gorgeous place. Incredible views wherever you look.  I looked up and saw a car driving down the side of a mountain and thought, hmm, if he could do it, so could we, so off we went in search of the road and surprisingly we found it right away. To Julie's delight it was paved, funny thing how she is appreciating pavement more and more. Anyway, since Sedona is located in canyons, the airport had to be built on a mesa on top of one of the mountains. So this road was actually the way up to the airport where the wonderful city of Sedona has provided a pullout on the town side of the mountain to obtain some incredible views of the valley. 
 

Sedona, beautiful, even on a very cloudy day.

This formation is called the Merry Go Round

The Courthouse formation

Housing goes right into the hillsides

- driving down the road from the high airport

- more ooh's and aah's

 Cool thing, while driving in Coffee Pot canyon we saw our first Javelina in the wild (actually they were in someones yard and driveway). Now all we need to see is a rattle snake and some tarantulas and our Arizona wildlife experience will be complete! (Julie says no!)  

-notice these two intruders in a yard we were driving by, Javelina

Leaving Camp Verde, Az. we once again got onto the I-17 elevator and climbed from 3900 feet through 4000, 5000, 6000, and 7000 until finally setting back “down” at 6900 in Williams, “The Gateway to the Grand Canyon”.

After our short drive to Williams, we went “downtown, where all the lights are bright”, and explored Route 66. Williams is one of a few Route 66 towns that have managed to survive the Interstate bypass phenomenon. Lots of cute businesses , and lots and lots of neon. PLUS we found the Pine Country Restaurant and Boy Howdy, do they ever have the pies!! (46 varieties) we had a slice of chocolate peanut butter that was not only 4 ½ inches high (not the highest pie in the display case) but was the second best c/p pie we have ever eaten. The best we have found is at the Mid-Point Cafe in Adrian, Texas. My mouth and fingers are watering as I type this!!!!! The restaurant is located half way from Chicago to Los Angeles on old Route 66. Pretty clever name huh? Back to Williams, Julie had her favorite peach, maybe that is why she is such a peach!!

Some of the most delicious pies ever!  High quality, and high dimensions!

The town is filed with Cafe's and stores with the Route 66 theme.

Our first foray was to head east to visit Meteor Crater. Then it was on to Petrified Forest and the Painted Desert National Parks. Meteor Crater, being privately owned made us a little leery of being nickled and dimed to death. But this could not be further from the truth. Purchasing the tickets we were given both the “geezer” discount and the AAA discount. We were approached by a young native man describing a one hour tour he was about to give describing the history and geology of the crater. When asked if we needed to purchase tickets, he said the tour was free. The crater was stunning and our guide was very well versed. Julie asked the young man if the Indian's in the area years ago considered this a sacred site.  He said, no, that they feared it and stayed away from it, thinking it was evil.  Interesting.  We left happy with a vast knowledge of the history and geology of the crater and the surrounding area.

The Meteor Crater

Ruins of a house built on the edge of the crater after it was first discovered and publicized.

A picture frame wall at the Meteor Visitor's Center where you can take a picture of the snow topped San Francisco Peaks at Flagstaff, Az. to the west.

The iconic Wigwam Motel, on Route 66 in Holbrook, Az.  We stopped by on our way to our next stops

 Although the two National Parks physically touch each other, they are totally different in what they have to offer. Petrified Rocks is a woodworkers dream that won't come true! You have all of these beautifully colored trees that you couldn't cut even with a diamond tipped saw!! Although where some of the logs have been exposed to sun and wind and rain again they are starting to deteriorate and it looks like someone has been out there with a chain saw and the wood chips have flown all over the place.

Petrified wood in the Petrified Forest National Park.  It looks so real, but is all stone!

It even looks surrounded by wood chips - but even they are of course stone.

The end of a tree stump, note the thick bark of stone.

A large tree down.  The stone breaks into sections, just from the weight of the petrified wood.

 Painted Desert is like driving into a beautiful canvas. You are completely surrounded by colors and hues that just take your breath away. On the way to the parks we got off the highway (I-40) and drove through two Route 66 towns (Winslow and Holbrook) that have not been as lucky as Williams. Most of the storefronts were empty and the houses that were still occupied were in the not so great condition. Pretty sad to see up close and personal what progress has actually cost us.

Our first views of the Painted Desert

The named Teepees formations

Newspaper Rock Petroglyphs, found in the Painted Desert

such stunning colors in the Painted Desert!

The next day we went to Grand Canyon National Park, South Rim.  OK, WOW, WOW, WOW. Julie's picture taking finger got sore! Everything you have heard about the place is correct. It just can't be real. I thought the Painted Desert was beautiful. I now have an all new meaning of the word. We left the Grand Canyon via the eastern exit, and we were presented with breath taking views of the “beginnings” of the canyon, and more of the painted desert area, this time in the Navajo Nation Reservation and not inside a National Park. 

We were blessed with a very clear day

Note the young man climbing across the rock!  Julie asks, "Does his Mother know what he is doing?!"  EEKS

Julie is holding onto the bush - not a lover of heights!

This bridge in the bottom of the Canyon spans 440 ft., carrying hikers and mules to the Phantom Ranch.

Desert View Watch Tower at the East end of Grand Canyon NP.

Jim, in the tower, looking down at Julie, looking at him.

Taken from a window inside the Tower, with the sun lowering, causing colors to deepen and shadows to grow.

  As always, this seems to be getting pretty long so will sign off for now but see ya down the road as we think our next destination will be southern Nevada.