Monday, October 5, 2009

A Full Day

Today was a travel day and we were up and out of
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Vegas before 8:00.  It was a straight shot out the Boulder Highway to Boulder City and
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on to Lake Mead.  As we approached Hoover Dam we
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had to stop for the check with Homeland Security before crossing.  Mark had to open all the outside compartment doors while another guard checked the inside of the motor home.  I know some might think this is a problem, but I am thankful for these guys and the job they do.  We were soon on our way.
For those of you who don’t know or have never been to Hoover Dam, there is a
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very high, new bridge that is being build over the canyon.  Upon completion, there will be no more traffic over the dam.  This is the view to
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the bottom of the canyon.
As we crossed the middle of the dam, we changed from Pacific Time to Mountain time and just that fast we lost an hour and found ourselves in Arizona.
The road construction
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that will connect with the bridge from the Arizona side goes for a long way.  Once we were through the construction, it wasn’t too long until we
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were turning onto I-40.  The next stop would be Williams, Arizona, just west of Flagstaff.  The trip was uneventful, until just outside of Williams were we
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saw this sign, and then
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this one.  This was the
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the scene for several miles.  I was able to get a glimpse
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of this chopper making a water drop over the fires.
We soon arrived at our
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stop for a couple of nights.  This is the Canyon Gateway RV Park.  Easy on and off of I-40.  The sites are gravel, but nice and level.  When we checked in, they told us to fill with fresh water and then disconnect the hose as the temperature for tonight is suppose to be 24 degrees. Burr………
Once we were settled in, we grabbed our cameras and took off for a drive to
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the town of Sedona.  So many have told us what a beautiful drive this is…so let’s check it out.
The first lookout spot was at the top of
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Sedona, AZ 088 three of the many levels of the road that would take us down to the town of Sedona.  There was beauty was all along the way.
There were
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tall rocks, and
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More
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tall rocks and
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trails to hike.  This one lead us
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to the bottom of the canyon to a place called Slide Rock.  Here you can swim…well, maybe on a warmer day.
It was on down and around the road passing
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more beautiful rock formations all the way into Sedona.  Here we found
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bumper to bumper traffic.  It was like this all the way through town.  We had planned to stop here for dinner, but decided it was too early to eat.  We just wiggled our way through and out the other side which took us to Hwy 179.  There we found…
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a whole community build in the rocks.  Then there was
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one last set of rocks before all of a sudden the scenery changed and we saw
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nothing taller than the cactus!
Hwy 179 took us South to I-17 which lead us North connecting with I-40 in Flagstaff.  From there it was West to Williams.
  On the way back tonight we did see
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these two mountains known as the San Francisco Peaks.  Looks like fresh snow to me!
Once we were back to town,
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we decided to take a quick cruise down main street which is part of the old
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route 66.  We found
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this Cruiser’s Cafe which might have to be a breakfast spot for tomorrow!
On the way back to the RV Park, we saw more
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fire trucks and
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fire officials patrolling through town.  Thankfully, they seem to have this one under control. There is rain in the forecast for Wednesday, which should help put out the last of the hot spots.
After a full day, we are now back to the RV Park and snuggled in for the evening.

5 comments:

  1. You guys have been getting up WAAAYY too early!

    Debbie & Rod

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  2. I just love Sedona and the red rocks. Such a pretty spot. It should have been designated as a National Park so all the buildings wouldn't obscure the beauty!

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  3. We stayed at Canyon Gateway, too! That was back in April and the forecast was for 22 degrees at night. That's when our furnace died, so we hightailed it south to Mesa. :)

    Enjoy.

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  4. What beautiful pictures... It is so sad about all the wild fires around the country... It just doesn't make sense does it? We will be heading towards Sedona & Williams after the first of the year... But first we will hit Texas and work our way up there...
    Have Fun & Travel Safe!
    Donna

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  5. You're in my neck of the woods...Welcome! Unfortunately that wild fire is a controlled burn gone bad :-( Enjoy your stay in Arizona. The Aspens should be changing color around the Peaks in Flagstaff!

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