We are here in beautiful Sedona, AZ. The Red Rock State Park here in Sedona is such an awesome place. The views of the red rock monoliths are incredible! Everywhere you look I'm just totally amazed by the splendor of the geology here and how breathtaking it all is. We are so fortunate to be able to be volunteer hosts here at the park. The staff here is wonderful, helpful and very friendly.

We have played the tourist bit as we took a Pink Jeep Tour called "Broken Arrow," and wow, was that ever fun! I couldn't believe where that driver took that Jeep and the views were awesome! Today we took the Clarkdale train tour along the Verde River, which is a four-hour tour and lots of fun for any of you train buffs. There is so much to see and do here at the park and throughout the Sedona area. There is plenty of hiking (easy through difficult) here in the park and the local area. The hiking trails in the park are easy, well-groomed and marked. None of which are difficult and the best views are from Eagle's Nest and Coyote Ridge Trails.

There are some RV parks in the local area, but I have not had a chance to check them out. Dead Horse State Park in Cottonwood has RV sites and is only 10 miles away. The Coconino National Forest has some really nice places to visit and there are some must-see National Monuments as well. Tuzigoot, Montezuma Castle and Well are among the interesting Native American sites to see. To go to Tuzigoot, you have to go through Clarkdale. If you like true Mexican food, stop at Su Casa Restaurant ... great food! If you come to AZ do not miss this beautiful area. Make sure you do not travel from Prescott north on 89A, because coming through Jerome has some really tight switchbacks and steep climbs and descents. Instead, take I-17 either north from Phoenix or south from Flagstaff. However, it is worth the trip to take your toad vehicle to Jerome, the old mining town and now artist community.

We had a nice trip across Texas, New Mexico and into AZ on I-10. We stopped over one night at Fort Stockton, Texas, and stayed at the Fort Stockton RV Park. A really nice stopover as they have nice FHU, pull-through sites and a nice café. We had supper and breakfast at the café and the food was really good and yummy! It was pretty close to I-10, but we heard very little traffic noise, which was pleasantly surprising.

Another nice overnight stop was at Buena Terra Campground, Casa Grande, AZ. Really nice park, well-kept, great pull-through sites with FHU and 50 amp service. It is not too far from I-10 and train tracks, but it was still quiet enough to sleep with the windows open and the AC off. The people at both parks were very friendly and most helpful.

The ride into Sedona from I-17 along route 179 was very scenic and winding so take it slow. When you get into Oak Creek Village there are quite a few round-abouts to get around, but very manageable. We did make a navigation error coming to Red Rock State Park as we came in the Upper Red Rock Loop Road, which is steep in places with narrow switchbacks and turns to gravel road just barely passable for a DP motorhome. It looked like a scene out of Robin Williams's movie RV. We should have come in on the Lower Red Rock Loop Road, which is all paved and wide. One has to be careful believing the good old GPS! As they say, half the fun is getting there!

By the way, Peg was driving so I owe her big time! The important thing is we arrived safely and learned a bit of a lesson along the way. Right now it is just past 9 p.m., the moon is almost three-quarters full, the crickets are chirping, and you can here the gentle babble of Oak Creek flowing by just a short distance from our site. Does it really get much better than this?! We are fortunate, to say the least. What a Journey!

Hope all is well with everyone. Enjoy Life!