Adventure Travel Photography Blog
Petey and I spent a relaxing day in Carefree, AZ. This morning we took a walk with Fluff, a long-time family friend, around The Boulders stopping to admire the blooming cacti, bunny rabbits, and quail. The morning sun combined with a cool breeze presented a perfect temperature.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
Once we found the local Starbucks, tucked away in the Safeway, we drove four miles to Tuzigoot National Monument located just north of Cottonwood. Tuzigoot, Apache for crooked water, is the remnant of a Southern Sinagua Village that was built in the 1100s. The original pueblo of 77 ground floor rooms was two stories and sat upon a ridge above the Verde Valley. The village was home to approximately 50 people for 100 years. In the 1200s, the population doubled and then doubled again as farmers fled drought and settled here.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
Today Petey and I started our Red Rock Country scenic drive toward Sedona. We simply drove one mile south to Call of the Canyon Day Use Area and took a five mile hike on West Fork Trail. Less than a quarter mile into Oak Creek Canyon are the ruins of the Mayhew Lodge constructed in the late 1800’s. The oldest structure was built by “Bear” Howard, who earned his nickname by killing four bears armed with only a knife.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
The title of my daily adventure is probably a little misleading. I didn’t go to the Grand Canyon today, but it is a stop on this Reader’s Digest Scenic Drive. I plan to visit it at a later date to ensure good weather. Hopefully that doesn’t end up being a mistake, because it was absolutely gorgeous today. The portion of the loop drive that I conquered today was southeast of the Grand Canyon near Flagstaff.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
Given I had heard of Dodge City but not Council Grove, I expected Dodge City to have significantly more historic sites. I have to say, Council Grove’s tour provides a much better depiction of the Wild West, despite Dodge City’s acquired nicknames including Wickedest Little City in America, Buffalo Capital of the World, and Queen of the Cowtowns.
We started the morning out at Daylight Donuts. It looked like a local place, and it was busy. Most of the tables inside were filled, there was a line at the counter, and a line at the drive through. The “Chocolate Butterfly” was popular choice among fellow patrons, so I ordered one of those, a standard glazed, and a cup of coffee to go. My breakfast packed so many calories that I wasn’t even hungry again until almost 4 p.m., and I generally graze several times a day!
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
Today seemed incredibly busy. I hardly know where to begin. OK, how about this morning. After a restless night at Wal-Mart, Petey and I went for coffee and oatmeal at McDonald’s. I’m not sure why sleep escaped me last night, as I was exhausted. Perhaps I started out a little hot, and it was a little bright and noisy in the parking lot relative to yesterday’s campground. On the plus side, my internet connection was MUCH faster and I got to pick up a few provisions before we took a three hour drive to El Dorado, Kansas.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
What a glorious and educational day! With the morning calm, the lake’s choppy waters turned so smooth that the mirror like surface reflected images of the dam and spillway in the glistening sun. We spent a leisurely morning at the campground boiling water for coffee and oatmeal and just enjoying the peace of birds chirping and woodpeckers tapping on trees. It was one of the first mornings on my entire adventure that I wasn’t baking hot, freezing cold, or waving mosquitoes away! It was definitely a day for a lawn chair and sunglasses.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
I set off from Dallas for the third time since beginning my road trip last September. My mom asked, “Do you want me to take a picture of you leaving again?” I figured that drill has been captured, so Petey and I left without smiling for the camera. I had to re-route my trip in order to keep some confirmed dates with friends and to stay out of the cold as much as possible this upcoming fall.
It took me almost four hours to reach Gore, Oklahoma, the beginning of our new journey. I must admit, it was a lonely drive. For the last several weeks during my father’s illness and ultimate death, I have been surrounded by friends and family. Many times I had breakfast, lunch, and dinner plans all on the same day.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
With my road trip on hold due to my father’s illness, today I made up my own scenic drive while traveling over 350 miles in a round about way toward home. My first stop was Roswell, NM. I had planned to visit the UFO museum; however, after visiting www.tripadvisor.com, most visitors were disappointed because the museum only exhibited pictures and newspaper articles of the 1947 incident. On the other hand, everyone seemed to love the Alien Zone, so I decided I’d read about the 1947 “alien sighting” on Wikipedia and visit this store full of alien merchandise and displays.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
Petey and I awoke this morning to sporadic sprinkles on the Apache Trail. We hit the road early as the weather forecast called for rain all day near Phoenix and snow on Sunday on the Coronado Trail which was my next scenic drive. The Coronado Trail is sometimes closed from Alpine to Morenci, thus given the weather, I sped up my travels a bit to visit at least half the trail today.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!