This trip was by far the longest we have taken in the trailer.. and I didn’t want to come home! We left on Friday, September 18, 2020 and returned Saturday September 26. We left about 11:00 a.m. on the 18th and headed to Quartzite, Arizona for the night. It was a balmy 112 when we pulled into Quartzite about 3:00 p.m. The good news was that it was only 109 in the trailer. This is the time we were so thankful for a small trailer AND good air conditioning. The inside cooled down to 75 or so by the time we went to sleep and was 65 when we woke up! We didn’t unhook the trailer so in the morning we had breakfast and were on our way. Quartzite is about half way to Camp Verde.
We arrived at Camp Verde about 2:00 and set up camp. Camp Verde is just outside Sedona and is quite lovely. We were camping with the Breezy Elk group and were supposed to gather for heavy appetizers, but because people were arriving late, we put that off for a night so we all cooked our dinners and met at Colleen and Leonard’s campsite to eat together an visit.
Sunday we relaxed and took a drive to Tuzigoot, which is a National Monument highlighting adobe pueblos. We actually went to the gift shop so we could purchase National Passes for us, which allows to to park at any National Park or Monument without paying. Attempting to get there should have been pretty straight-forward, however Tom’s navigation took us on a person’s personal property! Luckily she was very nice and guided us in the right direction! I wish I had worn walking shoes and not flip flops so we could have visited he monument and not just the gift shop.
Monday we took a drive to Sedona and the surrounding area. I have an “All Trails” app on my phone so we found a nice “easy” hike and started out. All I have to say is that the “easy” part of this was the walk from the parking lot, after that it was HARD! Now, I think I’m in okay shape but good Lord the first quarter of the hike almost killed me! Luckily Tom is so happy to be out in nature he’s fine waiting for me to catch my breath.
After the hike we drove to Williams and had lunch. Then drove out to a piece of property Tom had seen on Zillow. It was in a place called Sherwood Forest and all the streets had appropriate names! The house was cute, a small log cabin, but it was in a neighborhood, not at all the privacy Tom’s looking for. Still, it was fun to go look. We attempted to stop in a real estate office, but because of COVID-19 it was by appointment only.
Tuesday was a full day as well. We all went to Clarkdale and took the Verde Valley train through the pass, the scenery was beautiful. Most amazing thing, we got RAIN! Hadn’t seen any wet stuff in so long I almost forgot. It rained hard, but jut for a little while and our seats were inside so it was fun to see!
Tuesday evening while finishing up a movie, our lights dimmed and there was not enough power to run the television. Tom checked the fuses and he could not determine the problem. It was a nice evening, so we shut everything down, opened the windows and went to bed. Early the next morning I got up and the refrigerator was not on so things started to get serious. Tom again checked everything and came to the conclusion that our battery was losing power, so he started the truck and hooked it up to the trailer. This charged our battery and everything worked, however we could not keep running the truck! Later that morning while discussing the issue with fellow RVers, the conclusion was that our converter was not working. Gary, who was parked next to us loaned us a battery charger and we were back in business! We contacted a mobile RV repair guy and he ordered the part and came out and installed it! Tom will now purchase a battery charger!
Wednesday we drove to Prescott, Williams and Flagstaff. The area is pretty, but we don’t think it’s the place for us. We would really prefer a higher elevation with more pine trees and a little cooler climate. Although Flagstaff is at a higher elevation, it’s a college town and not some place we want to settle in, we’ll keep looking.
Thursday we drove to Montezuma’s Castle, a National Monument where Native American’s had carved homes into the side of the cliff, not as elaborate or as high as the ones in Mesa Verde, Colorado but still fun to visit. Also, unlike the ones in Colorado, these have been close to the public since the 1960s because so many people were visiting they were beginning to deteriorate. Since they are not as high up, we could see them from the path. After that we took a short drive to Fort Verde, an Arizona State Monument where there was a very interesting museum and some of the original buildings we could tour. I am really impressed that people lived in this area in the 1800s. They were true pioneers and hearty people. The ranger at the State Park suggested a couple of books for me to read about the area. The one I purchased is “Vanishing Arizona” written by a woman who was a young army bride, born and raised on the east coast an then made the trip to Arizona, which seems harrowing all by itself let alone then lived there for many years.
Friday, we packed up and headed back to Quartzite and then home on Saturday. What a trip! I’m certain once I retire I’ll be fine taking off for a month or more and seeing this beautiful country we live in!
Tom and Patti's RV Adventure 