Verde Valley and Sedona (9/9 - 10/3)

We moved on to Verde Valley which is about 25 miles from Sedona. The campground we normally stay in was completely full and is booking sites for October 2018. We parked the RV on Friday and visited Montezuma Castle which is nearby. The next morning we left for Enchantment Resort for two days of good food, massages, and total relaxation. I have a lot of pictures of the area from prior trips but I can't stop taking pictures of the red rocks. It's a beautiful area and our second choice of where to retire.

Saturday we had lunch at the prestigious Seven Canyons Golf Resort. Super lunch on the patio looking at the golf course. This resort is being managed by Enchantment Resort so as a guest of Enchantment you can use their facilities. They do offer golf packages. This I will hold for another time. Nice place.

Saturday afternoon after check in we went to church at a super church in Sedona and had dinner downtown. Great day. I love this place.

Sunday started with a couples hot stones massage and a great lunch at the MiAmo Spa in Enchantment. Wow! This was followed by a little golf practice and a Great dinner. All in all the stay was super in spite of some service issues.

The next day we returned to the bus after hiking to the spot where the picture over our fireplace was taken. Big changes in the topography but a nice hike. It turned out that we had taken this hike before. Its hard for me to leave this area, we both feel so at peace here. Next day we start our boogie to San Francisco.

Built by Sinagua farmers between 1100 and 1300 AD. 100 feet above the valley. Includes a five story apartment style building with about 45 rooms.

No Direct TV antennas Here!

There are little spots like this all along the cliffs!

A major size beehive about 150 feet above the valley floor!

Seven Canyons Resort!

Saint John Vianney Catholic Church!

Along Dry Creek Road on the way to Enchantment Resort!

Big money neighborhood Dry Creek Road!

We can't decide which color house to buy!

Lower Red Rock Loop Road on the way to Cathedral Rock.

Cathedral Rock form a distance!

Cedar Tree Shot!

This is the spot where the picture was taken many moons ago.

Happy hikers!

Modern Trail Art!

Nice people from Phoenix. 

Total Beauty!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From our Balcony!

The main restaurant view!

Young Mulie!

They come to the little golf course for the green grass!

Meteor Crater Winslow AZ. (9/28 - 9/29)

On Thursday the 28th we moved on to Winslow, Az. We have passed this "Natural Monument" a number of times and I finally stopped. We stayed at a campground about four miles from the crater. I always thought the sign said National Monument but on closer examination it says "Natural Monument" this land where the meteor hit is owned by one family and the fees are private income not part of the National Park system.

The meteor was about 150 feet across and weighed several hundred thousand tons. It hit the earth about 50,000 years ago with the force of 20 million tons of TNT. The shock waves spread across the plains devastating all that was in it's path for several miles.

I took a tour with a guide along the rim of the crater which is a giant bowl 700 hundred feet deep and 4000 feet across. Fragments of rock and iron-nickel were thrown for several miles. The history talks about ownership of the property and the various scientists that tried to prove that this was a meteor and not a volcano. After years of digging for the meteor that they though was in the ground, scientists finally proved that the meteor was actually spread all over the surrounding area.

Very interesting history and a very well preserved crater because of where it's located in the dry desert. Our guide was very nice and the information we gathered was very interesting. This is only five miles from I40 and worth a two hour stop.

Good Day!

Has you looking over your shoulder!

This is our guide with a piece of the meteor that weighs a couple of tons.

Almost a mile to the other side.

The strata on the top was flipped over by the blast. That was one of the ways they proved it was a meteor no volcanic activity.

The trail along the rim with the visitor center in the background.

One of the mine shafts they drilled while looking for the meteor. This was also the site where the movie Starman filmed a scene back in 1986.

Selfie with my camera. Not bad!!

Meteor Resident! Some kind of wren!

That's our campground about 4.5 miles from the rim of the meteor crater!

Time to move on the Sedona Arizona. This is the only way to travel!