We traveled from Las Vegas, NV on I-15 to St. George, UT, then zig-zagged to Page, AZ, then south on 89 through Flagstaff and, continued south on I-17 to Cottonwood, AZ and our Verde Valley Thousand Trails Park.
Entering AZ from NV on I-15.
Our two day dry campsite in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. This is very near the Paria Canyon and the Vermillion Cliffs, UT.
Beautiful and harsh country just a mile or so from our dry site. This is near an abandoned ranch and movie set in the Paria Canyon.
More Paria Canyon.
Paria Canyon, UT.
Paria Canyon.
Entered the lottery for hiking permit to "The Wave". We signed up on two days, no luck. Only 20 walk-ins are allowed each day on the hike. The Wave is a petrified sandstone formation that looks like an ocean wave.
Alternate hiking adventure to the hoo-doos in Grand Staircase, UT.
Some of the hoo-doos.
The "most photographed" hoo-doo.
Entering Grand Staircase to hike across the plain to view hoo-doos from the top of canyon. UT.
From the rim of the canyon.
Hoo-doos from the rim. UT.
High winds and blowing dust forced us to leave Grand Staircase, and head for Verde Valley TT Park. Here is HWY 89 in the Painted Desert, AZ during a lull in the storm.
Humphrey's Peak, Arizona's highest point, is in the San Francisco Mountains. Of course we did not summit this one, just had fun in the Kaibab National Forest visiting our 41st highpoint.
Some of the fun part!
More of the fun.
The entrance to Verde Valley Thousand Trails Park, in Cottonwood, AZ, south of Flagstaff and Sedona on Hwy 89A.
Pickleball with Keith Bissell, our original instructer in 2004. Notice the court surface.
Refininshing the courts, a 5 day project for the exceptional job performed by all.
Most of the refinishing crew.
Only a few of the beer drinking crew.
Toozigoot National Monument northwest of Cottonwood.
Montezuma's Well, part of Montezuma Castle National Monument.
Montezuma Castle National Monument.
SP Crater, similar to and part of Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, but climbing is allowed.
On top of SP crater with the lava flow 1000 ft. below. This was our 3rd and likely last hike to the top.
Super strenuous.
On top of SP crater with Humphrey's peak in the background.
Hiking in the Kaibab National Forest near Sedona, AZ.
Beautiful red rock country hiking in the Kaibab National Forest near Sedona, AZ.
Cute girl posing, too.
There she is again, this time in Jerome, a "ghost town" just west of Cottonwood, AZ.
A nice lunch location in Jerome, AZ.
Hiking/climbing Cathedral Rock in Sedona.
Hiking/climbing Cathedral Rock in Sedona.
Sunset shadows on Cathedral Rock, Sedona.
The Eagles. Standing on the Corner in Winslow, Arizona. See the girl in the flatbed Ford slowing down to take a look at me? Take it easy.
Northeastern Arizona. The amount of petrified wood is just amazing. Lots have been hauled off, and there is a great deal buried in the park and surrounding area.
Beautiful colors--the photo is good, but still does not do justice.
Overlooking the Painted Desert in Petrified Forest NP.
An easy couple of miles gets you close to many wonders.
A lodge in the rim of the Painted Desert that shows it was constructed with petrified wood and then stuccoed.
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