Camp Verde, Arizona
We have found a beautiful RV Park in Camp Verde, AZ, south of Flagstaff. It is a bit warmer here and not as high as Flagstaff. There are wineries, small canyons, National Historic Sites and Monuments. The area is filled with history of Native Americans and how they built their homes in the cliffs. We visited Tuzigoot National Monument, Montezuma Castle and Jerome State Park all within a few miles of each other. We plan to stay here until Dec. 30, then we will move north to the Sedona area.
At the Tuzigoot National Monument we climbed into the 800 year old Pueblo that was home to the Native population about 800 years ago. It has been restored so that we are able to see how the sinagua (without water) people used this land to their advantage. Montezuma Castle is another example of the cliff dwelling that dates back to 1150. It is quite amazing to see how those people climbed into the sides of cliffs and built their homes within the walls of the sandstone. Agility beyond words!
We also visited Jerome an old copper mining town. It is located on top of Cleopatra Hill (5,200 feet). This town was once known as the wickedest town in the west. It was a classic western mining camp that housed miners, their families, and the red light district that serviced the miners on Husband Lane. When the copper industry began to die out, Jerome became a ghost town and today the town is making a revival by restoring the old buildings and bringing upscale art and shops as well as good restaurants.
We decided to take a day to regroup and take care of needs rather than touring. Jack was in desperate need of a bath and a haircut. We found a great spa for him and he is now smelling and looking good again. Happy dog! Our laundry was piling up so we took care of that as well. We found a local food market to restock our supplies.
We have also cleaned the camper and reorganized a few things. The weather here is quite cold at night, in the 20’s. Our water pipe froze so we did not have running water until the sun came up. By 10:00 the water was running fine.
A few days ago we were pulling into a parking spot when another car was backing out. The woman did not see us and she hit our van on the passeger side. We have a dent but her entire rear bumper was damaged. It could have been much worse. All things considered, we can have the dent repaired when we return to Maine in the spring.
We will be spending the week at this park and will use the time to celebrate Christmas with our new neighbors. There are several parties and a pot luck with a Yankee Swap scheduled during the next few days.
Jack and I took the loop walk this morning that winds its way through a Sycamore and Cottonwood forest to Clear Creek. The Arizon Sycamore is tall with a white bark that gives the appearance of a soft suede finish. The smooth black river stones reminded me of Susan Ingalls and her love of sticks and stones. I would have love to pick one up for her but was reminded: take only pictures leave only footprints. Once the sun comes up the weather is a delightful 45 dry degrees.
This is a relaxing place to be for the holiday, the sites are more private than others we have been in. Each site is fenced in with a perfectly manicured river stone wall. The owners are friendly and we are ready to relax and enjoy just being in one spot for a few days before moving on.
It is a time for a quiet reflection of our adventures thus far and be grateful for the opportunity to experience the natural wonders of this country, the unbelievable landscapes, the Native cultures of the past and present and to meet other travelers along the way who too are enjoying their retirement as we are.
No comments:
Post a Comment