Monday, October 28, 2019

A Visit to Dead Horse Ranch State Park and Sedona, and the End of an Era


On the road again. Decent site at Dead Horse Ranch State Park.

The week before last week we took the Lazy Daze a couple hours north to Cottonwood, AZ for a little vacation and some red rock hiking since we didn't go to southern Utah this fall. Plus it was Jim's birthday and I thought we needed to get away for a celebration. We were pleased that everything in the RV worked well after sitting in storage for five months, but it sure did seem small in there. We both marveled that we lived in it for 10.5 years!

We hiked several of the trails in the park and a couple others in Sedona. It was just as beautiful as we remembered from previous visits.

Dead Horse Ranch has three lagoons with trails surrounding them. It's a lovely area to walk.








 


We were about 20 miles from Sedona and found a couple of hikes we had not done before, the first being the Hi Line trail, located between the Village of Oak Creek and Sedona. This is one of many challenging mountain bike trails in the area, so we only saw a few bikers. We would have been pushing our bikes over much of it but it was a fairly easy hike after the initial climb. 



Looking back at Courhouse Butte and Bell Rock

We were heading towards Cathedral Rock

For a good part of the trail we walked and talked with a nice couple from Toronto who were on vacation for a few days in Sedona, then spending the rest of the week in Scottsdale, as they like to visit warm places. It was their first time in Sedona and they were impressed.






Some huge homes among the red rock

We got near the base of Cathedral and turned back for a 5 mile hike. You can also hook up with other trails for an 8 mile loop.

I couldn't talk Jim into seeing if we could climb it.

On Jim's birthday we went out to dinner in Cottonwood with an old friend and former coworker of Jim's from his days working with the state of FL in the Department of Corrections. We hadn't seen Frank in at least 15 years and had only once briefly met his wife Barbara. They were on a big RV trip from Tallahasse, where they live, to most of the western national parks. They had been at the Grand Canyon and Cottonwood was sort of on their way as they were heading back home, so they spent a night at Dead Horse Ranch to visit. We had a great dinner and conversation at Colt 804 Grill in Old Town. We were so busy talking I forgot to take photos.

The next day we hiked in west Sedona starting at the Andante trailhead, making a loop with the Sugarloaf Mtn trail, taking a detour to climb to the top of Sugarloaf. It's less than a 400' climb and up to just under 5,000', but it was still fun to climb a "mountain".











Views of Sedona from the top of Sugarloaf. We only saw a few other people on the trail.











After that we took a drive up into Oak Creek Canyon hoping to see some fall color. Unfortunately, we were too early. It's still a pretty drive, but traffic going through Sedona was awful.







So as strange as it feels to write this, that was our last trip in the Lazy Daze. Some of you may have read Box Canyon Blog's latest post where Mark talks about their new used RV, which will be ours. We just decided that we were done with RVing for now and did not want the hassle of maintaining a vehicle we weren't using much. Mark always said if we sold the Lazy Daze, be sure to let them know, so we did. They will be here tomorrow to pick it up. 

It's been a busy week of cleaning out and cleaning up. The Lazy Daze served us well as our home on wheels for over ten years, without a mechanical breakdown or tire blowout in all that time. It took us to places we never would have imagined and allowed us to meet so many people who became good friends over the years. It's been fun and we will miss it, but as Jim said the other day, if we miss it too much, there are many other RVs out there looking for a new home. 

If you happen to come to McDowell Mountain or the east Phoenix area over the winter, give us a shout. Fountain Hills is a lovely place to visit. We can even take you across the street to Fearless Kitty Rescue to meet some of our favorites. 😸


Chris loves to give hugs, whether you want them or not.








29 comments:

  1. What a nice final trip in your Lazy Days, not sure yet about the future of our Home on Wheels for the last 14 years, we will soon how my treatments go and probably give it a years before any major decisions are made. We are missing the southwest already.

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    1. I grew up on Lake Erie so I understand why you will miss this winter in the southwest!

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  2. Even though you are taking a Sabbatical from RVing for now doesn't stop you from having adventures. Even if it's at Home or Fearless Kitty let us know how things are going. We'll be looking forward to it.
    We'll also keep track of how Mark and Bobbi are doing with the Lazy Daze.
    Be Safe and Enjoy the change of lifestyle.

    It's about time.

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    1. Thanks, I will try to do a blog post from time to time. We may be more stationary but we're definitely staying busy.

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    2. Yes, let us know your continuing journey, as I always enjoy your photos and tales.

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  3. Wow, that is big news. I've missed a few blogs so not sure if you had mentioned it before. I will certainly miss your great photos and peaceful journeys. I hope you will continue blogging in some way.
    Thanks for bringing us along!

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  4. After I read Marks blog post I was sure they were purchasing your RV. Jim is right, there are a lot of RV's out there that can be yours if you want to get another. It's so nice to see how much you are enjoying living in Fountain Hills. And I know the kittens at Fearless Kitty Rescue are glad you are staying around this time.

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    1. Yes, I like it here even more than I thought. We're already so spoiled to the space and amenities of the apartment that Jim wouldn't even watch the tiny TV in the Lazy Daze when we were in Cottonwood :-)

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    2. Glad to hear how happy you both are. Glad Jim is enjoying his big TV...finally.

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    3. Mark was already looking at ways to put a bigger TV in the Lazy Daze this afternoon :-)

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  5. I've really enjoyed reading your blog posts and admiring your photography but it looks like you're both enjoying this new chapter in your lives. I'm sure you'll have plenty of adventures to post about even without an RV so don't stop posting!:-)



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    1. Thanks, I will try to keep posting but sometimes our non-traveling life just doesn't seem that interesting.

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  6. It's great that you had so many wonderful years in the RV and that it is going to folks whom you know will enjoy it as much as you have.

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    1. Yes, it was a fun decade of our lives. I'm sure M&B will make good use of it.

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  7. I figured that's what Mark meant. Nice to enjoy this new space and you can always get another RV.

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    1. That's our thought, but time will tell whether we want to get another one. Right now we're happy to not have to deal with it.

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  8. It's a hard decision to make, but I did the same thing. Keeping The Palms next to my new house for six months was fine, just to make sure. But like you, I felt she was such a good rig and so dependable, I hated to worry about her just sitting there. Better to sell her to someone who will get her back on the road. Surprisingly, I don't miss her at all, and the memories made are mine to keep forever. I'd bet you and Jim will feel the same way. And it's special that good friends will be enjoying her. Enjoy your stationary lifestyle! :)

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    1. I remember being surprised when you sold the Palms, but now we understand completely. Sort of like "been there done that".

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  9. We plan on visiting you guys in Fountain Hills after Thanksgiving. Hopefully you will be home. :-)

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  10. I have been following your blog since 2010 and have always enjoyed the hiking adventures you documented with beautiful photos. It was a pleasure to meet up with you in Ouray and together experience the hiking trails of the Colorado mountains. You are fortunate to now live in the southwest and have many hiking trails available. So keep us updated on your experiences living in the Southwest. Best Wishes! Mark and Bobbie will put your RV to good use.
    John Q

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    1. Thanks, John, we enjoyed meeting up and hiking with you and Joalenn, too. Now that we are without an RV, Jim asked Mark and Bobbie tonight how long we can stay in their spare bedroom next summer ;-)

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  11. I've always enjoyed reading your blog. Particularly when you teamed up with Mark and Bobby, Suzanne and others. Now you're on to your next adventure. I wish you well. Just a question...what happened with Jojoba Hills? Maybe I missed it.

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  12. Thanks, Ed, we have great memories of our group meetups and hikes, which were the best part of our 10 years on the road.
    We were members at Jojoba for 18 months and it was a nice home base to go back to after traveling. What we didn't like was the long drive and the crazy southern CA traffic to get to shopping in Temecula, and the fact that all roads leading to and from the park are narrow and winding. Plus living in a co-op community has it's issues, both good and bad, and we felt it was not for us. For now, anyway, we are happy to be out of the RV business.

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    1. Ya, we've stayed at Jojoba, got the tour and received the "pitch". Lots to like. But we agree as to the road in and out, the traffic in and around Temecula and ALL of Southern California. And we say that being FROM there. But now we're in Arizona and glad to be gone from California for oh so many reasons. Glad you're happy with where you are. I could tell from your writings that you were fond of that area.

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  13. Gorgeous pics from Sedona. Nowhere else has that deep red! We really enjoyed our visit to Dead Horse where we also met up with long time friends. You really captured the beauty of their little lagoons. 10.5 years is an amazing legacy, whether you get another RV or not! You sound very content with where you've landed, and there's certainly lots to keep you busy on the trail here in Arizona.

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  14. Congratulations on finding a great place to live. Y'all are really two amazing people full of adventure. Tell Jim I have enjoyed his comments on the NW site. Take care Kathy Berry

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  15. I'm surprised I didn't comment on this post when you wrote it since clearly I knew you'd sold the RV to Mark and Bobbie. But who knows what was happening. Anyway that hiking around Sedona looks wonderful. I'd really like to get there and enjoy the hiking but not the traffic. Hope further back there are some pictures of your new place.

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