I’m sunning myself over coffee and a muffin, not so stealthily grabbing bites of Hubby’s Ham and Brie Frittata, while we admire the infamous Red Rocks of Sedona, Arizona. Since today is the first time we’ve stopped for free Wifi, I’ll give you a taste of what it took to get us here.
5/19: Lighten the Load
In my efforts not to over pack, I decided one thing had to go–the hair. Five days later I can definitely say this was a wise choice. After the haircut we packed the truck, said “See you soon” to our beloved pooches and got ready for our 6am Sunday departure.
5/20: Get out of Dodge
With the guidance of our knowledgeable friend Linus we took the scenic route into Death Valley, our first destination. We made our way 7 miles up a steep washboard road (thank goodness for 4-wheel drive!) and saw the beehive-like Charcoal Kilns.
With a few good hours of sunlight left we drove into the Valley, where most campgrounds were already closed for the season due to the high heat (they have signs at every crossing reminding you that you will die if you don’t drink water and lots of it.) It would be an understatement to say it was hot, because it was Hades H-O-T. I thought we’d die. We didn’t, but we got up before 6am and got out ASAP. It was beautiful though. I’d love to see it in winter/spring.
5/21: Finding Cooler Grounds
We drove through the Vegas strip, to which all Hubby could say was “I’m overwhelmed,” and continued on to Boulder City, Nevada. We spent the day touring the city and the Hoover Dam, which he city was built to support. The Hoover Dam is awe-inspiring, not just for its size, but because it was finished two years early and two million dollars under budget. Where did those days go? After a day on foot we found the warm, but far more bearable, Lake Mead campgrounds, where we enjoyed pulling out all of our new cooking gear that it was too hot to use in Death Valley.
5/22: Route 66
After packing up camp we wanted to follow the footsteps of our American brothers and sisters for a drive down what’s left of historic Route 66. Mostly, you just see signs of what used to be. Dilapidated hotels and restaurants are most of what’s left between kitschy tourist shops full of Route 66 stickers and ice cold Cokes. But it was fun and the perfect way to reach our destination of the day, Sedona, Arizona.
5/23: Right Here, Right Now
So here we are! Refueled, ready to go for a bike ride or hike (we can’t decide) and then explore more of this beautiful city. The temperatures are perfect–a high of 77 degrees predicted–and the sun is shining. I can see why Greg Brown called this a boom town, because everyone will want to flock here if they see it.
See you not so soon. The Wanderers.