September 24 - October 1, 2024
What a busy few days! We've done a lot in the last week and I didn't have any time to do the blog.
Tuesday, September 24 we took the Grand Canyon Railway to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. While we were waiting for the train to depart they did a cowboy show and it was really cute. Later these guys 'robbed' the train.
We had a dome car and it was really nice. What a great view!
Here's a shot of the ride up to the Grand Canyon.
John hiked down the Bright Angel trail to the rest station. Here are some pictures he took.
The next day we went to Bearizona, a wild animal park. They have a drive through section and a section you can walk through. We spent a couple of hours there.
Grizzly bear.
The 26th was a travel day to Distant Drums RV Park in Camp Verde. It was a very nice park although the sites were a little tight. It was next to I-17 but wasn't bad at night, and during the day you couldn't hear any traffic because the air conditioners were going full blast all day. I really don't much care for the 100 degree temperatures. I forgot to take any pictures.
On the way to Camp Verde we stopped and had lunch with John's step-sister, Lisa, and her husband, Jon. It was a wonderful time together of catching up on what everyone was doing.
Friday the 27th we boarded a motorcoach bus that first took us to Montezuma Castle. Southern Sinagua farmers built this five-story, 20-room dwelling sometime between 1100 and 1300. It occupies a cliff recess 100 feet above the valley. A short distance west, nudging a cliff base, if Castle A. Now badly deteriorated, it was once an imposing five-store apartment-like building with about 45 rooms. They were farmers that supplemented their food by hunting. Beaver Creek was very close to the cliff dwelling. There were several reasons why they may have left but no one knows for sure. (Portions from the NPS brochure).
We got back on the bus and went to Tuzigoot, which is the remnant of a village built between 1000 and 1400. It's at the top of a summit of a long ridge rising 120 feet above the Verde Valley. The original pueblo was two stories high in places, with 87 ground-floor rooms. There were few exterior doors; entry was by ladders through roof openings. The village began as a small cluster of rooms inhabited by some 50 people for 100 years. In the 1200s the population doubled and then doubled again. (Portions from the NPS brochure).
Saturday the 28th we took the Verde Canyon Railroad from Clarkdale to Perkinsville and back. We had a really nice train car with comfortable seats and a nice snack box. It was a relaxing ride with beautiful scenery.
The bus picked us up at the train station and took us to the Blazin' M Ranch for dinner and a show. Before the dinner there was ax throwing, BB gun shooting, mechanical bull riding (John tried it and stayed on for 9 seconds - I posted on the Roving Walkers Facebook page), an escape room, miniature golf and more. We had a really nice dinner and show. One of the guys could play the guitar, keyboard, harmonica, saxophone, and I don't know what else. He was really GOOD!
On Sunday, September 29 our Adventure Caravan Grand Circle Tour was officially finished. It was a whirlwind tour and went so fast. We saw and experienced so many things we wouldn't have otherwise. We're really glad we did it, would do it again, and would recommend it, but it is fast paced and you have to be somewhere all the time, whether it's going to a new campground, or going on a tour or attraction. There's no wiggle room. A few months down the road we might decide to do another one, but for now we're happy just wandering with no place to be and nothing to do.
Sunday we drove to Phoenix to get the truck tires rotated on the truck, and then we met my high school friend, Claudia, and her husband John for lunch. It was so good to see them and our time together was way too short!!
Monday, September 30 we drove to Bear Paw RV Park in Eagar, AZ for three nights. It's full hookups with a pretty view of a pasture out the back window, and is $39 per night. It was a 230 mile drive over 7,550' at one point. Campground is much cooler at 7,090 feet elevation. A photo of our site, and one of the scenery on the way.
I'm spending the day cleaning, doing laundry, baking bread, changing the bed, doing the blog, and figuring out where we're going from here. Tomorrow I rest!
Thursday we'll be...
Roving on...
"In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth".
Genesis 1:1
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