Red Rocks, Pink Jeeps, and Shiny Metal

During last night the wind picked up ahead of a cold front moving through. The local late news measured over 20 mph with higher gusts, and we definitely felt it as the motorhome rocked and rolled all night long. When we got up this morning, the wind was still blowing a gale so we changed our schedule a bit and chose to take a drive south to Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona.

Oak Creek Canyon is a spectacular red rock canyon dotted with resorts, hotels, and campgrounds. The road, US 89, is a twisting, slow highway with moderate traffic and a minimum of turnouts for photo taking!

Now and again, we saw signs that Winter is just around the corner.

We met an off-road bicyclist just before we got to Sedona at one of the few trailhead parking lots. He told us that he and some buddies left Sedona this morning after breakfast and rode up the backside of the formation on the left in the photo below, then across the ridges to the right and back to the parking lot. "Just a short 14 mile ride this morning" he said!

 Sedona is a town set in one of the most beautiful areas of the southwest. Everywhere you look, the backdrop hits you like a hammer. It's hard to concentrate on the T-Shirts, jewelry, and food!

As we sat on the patio of The Outlaw having lunch, we noticed that the famous Sedona Pink Jeeps were keeping busy. We chatted with a couple from the UK who had just finished a ride with "The Pink", and had a few bruises to prove it! These tours are guided by experienced drivers and visit some of the vortex areas as well as traversing some very challenging rocks and lifts!

We decided to leave Sedona to the south, hoping to pick up I-17 out of Phoenix for the return trip to Flagstaff. A wrong turn, and an overturned truck led us to Cottonwood, Arizona. We remember Cottonwood from years ago as a sleepy little village at a bend in the road. Not any more! A series of roundabouts on US 89 south confused Confucius and we soon found ourselves in Jerome, Arizona.

Built literally on the side of a steep hill, Jerome was founded on the discovery of Copper. Billions of dollars worth of the shiny metal have been extracted from the hills, and the mines have recently reopened as the prices increase. The original buildings in town have been maintained and refurbished, and now house a thriving artists colony.

It's difficult to see, but this photo just about includes all of Jerome!

Finally getting our bearings, we retreated to Cottonwood and then east to I-17, and north to home. It's turned out to be a pleasant 152 mile day trip, with great scenery, good food, and comfortable conversation!