About 50 miles south of Flagstaff. 2016 Summer Trip Map It’s at least as charming as we remember; maybe even more so.
It’s a little warm.
But it’s a Dry heat!
It’s a little warm. But it’s a Dry heat! Moving right along
The travel day ended at just the right time, at Holbrook, AZ. 2016 Summer Trip Map We thought we were on our way to Flagstaff tomorrow to lurk until the weather farther south cooled, but as we call ahead now, we find everything booked. Guess everyone else had the same idea. Now we’ve remembered a place south of Flagstaff, only partway to Phoenix, we stayed at once a long time ago and really enjoyed. Zane Gray RV Park. A small thing. We’ve reserved a couple days there starting tomorrow night. Thinking about the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park.
Funny thing though, the ancient Puebloans that built the cliff dwellings, spent most of their time there out on, or in, solid ground. They were there from about zero AD. For the first 750 years or so they lived in pit houses; holes in the ground with wooden rafters and roofs. Gradually, they shifted to more above-ground masonry homes for another 250 years or more. They only built and lived in the cliff dwellings for about a hundred years, from 1200 to 1300AD, and then they were gone. The cliff dwellings were not a long term deal; they were only for a few generations. So, spectacular as these cliff locations are:
Most of their history was spent in these:
Funny thing though, the ancient Puebloans that built the cliff dwellings, spent most of their time there out on, or in, solid ground. They were there from about zero AD. For the first 750 years or so they lived in pit houses; holes in the ground with wooden rafters and roofs. Gradually, they shifted to more above-ground masonry homes for another 250 years or more. They only built and lived in the cliff dwellings for about a hundred years, from 1200 to 1300AD, and then they were gone. The cliff dwellings were not a long term deal; they were only for a few generations. So, spectacular as these cliff locations are: Most of their history was spent in these: We wanted to take a drive into Mesa Verde
But we didn’t want to leave Henry alone. No problem. Bernie and Shawn just adopted him as Office Dog for the day. Judy and I got to go into the park and didn’t have to worry about Henry; he got to run the park while we were gone. Here we are with Big Bernie and Peggy, Bernie and Shawn’s parents. The whole family runs the park.
We end every evening with a campfire.
Seems like a place we’d never leave, but we mean to move on tomorrow. Headed south and west. It’s looking so hot in Phoenix though, we might lay-up in Flagstaff for a few days and see if it cools down at all in Southern Arizona before we go any farther south.
We end every evening with a campfire. Seems like a place we’d never leave, but we mean to move on tomorrow. Headed south and west. It’s looking so hot in Phoenix though, we might lay-up in Flagstaff for a few days and see if it cools down at all in Southern Arizona before we go any farther south. We’re enjoying the pace of this trip
We’re headed south for Arizona. We stopped in Cortez for a night. Now its three days later and we haven’t picked a date to leave. The weather is perfect; a dry eighty degrees. Cool nights. We’re entertained by a western tanager.
And a face in the forest.
And a face in the forest. Cortez KOA
2016 Summer Trip Map We used to stay here every year when we traveled the state working with clients. We got to be friends with Shawn and Bernie, brothers who run the park, and their parents, and the staff. We don’t pass this way as often as we used to, but we saw our chance on the way south this trip and went for it. It’s like coming home.
With a view of the Sleeping Ute.
With a view of the Sleeping Ute.