I'm just going to start off by saying this area was not what I expected. I anticipated small tourists towns with beautiful views and peaceful hiking trails. I'm sure at some point in recent decades, that's exactly what it was. However, Flagstaff is now a sprawling metropolis. Sedona is such a hot destination that open parking spaces are few and far between, whether you're looking for a restaurant or a trail head. Jerome is advertised to be a ghost town, but I can assure you that while this once sleepy little town may have ghosts, it's streets are now very much alive and booming with enough restaurants, shops, and art galleries to keep visitors content for hours. Despite all the people (of which I am one--that point is not lost upon me), the area still has its charm. The popular hiking trails are no joke--a few of them really kicked my butt--but the red rock formations and views were well worth it. In the Coconino National Forest alone there are over 100 archeological treasures of ancient native tribes, compelling evidence that ancestral connections run deep. Navajo operated stands line appropriate parking lots sharing handmade jewelry, rugs, and traditional crafts with visitors. With something for everyone, it's easy to see why people flock to this area. We stayed at Ft. Tuthill Recreation Area, affiliated with Luke AFB, for five nights. The price was cheap, being a military family camp, but the stay was kind of rough. The roadways were tight for bigger rigs and the sites were super uneven, so much so that our rig rolled back 6 inches into a tree as we got parked and we broke a light. The campground is right next to the Pepsi Amphitheater, so we listened to the thumping bass of midweek concerts by GWAR and Jelly Roll at bedtime. Fortunately, we were able to get our new Enduro lithium battery delivered, since our battery died, and Flagstaff had everything Dusty needed to get it installed. Now we should be able to boondock for two nights without having to worry about dragging out the generator or connecting the truck power to recharge the battery before we hook up. We're excited to try it out! We filled our days with lots of fun, including hours and hours of driving to different sites and quite a few activities skipped because parking wasn't available. We did several short hikes with big rewards. Sedona's VortexesSedona boasts four vortexes, or places where sensitive people tend to feel energy. I can't say that we were recipients of any tingling feelings, but we hiked three of them and, if nothing else, I did get short of breath! Aptly named, Bell Rock is shaped just as its name suggests. It was advertised as a one mile rock scramble, which sounded like a perfect fit for our family! It was much more of a challenge than I anticipated! Dusty and the kids made it up a steep sandstone slide, but with no hand holds or foot holds, I had to find another way up. During our time there, two different couples soaked up the rock's warm energy during their wedding ceremonies and a gymnast was there doing tricks with hula hoops. We arrived at Cathedral Rock at sunset. Dusty and the kids made it to the top as darkness set in. Thankfully they were prepared with flashlights. It's probably safe to say that most of the hike was a rock scramble. Coming back down in the dark was an adventure! Our GyPSy Guide* told us that Boynton Canyon was not only one of the most popular trails in Sedona, but it's also where visitors can find the Subway, a popular hiker attraction with rewards of beautiful views, an ancient cliff dwelling and native pictographs (paintings). The problem was, we couldn't find The Subway on any maps. Fortunately, we ran into a Friends of the Forest volunteer who pointed us in the right direction. After speaking with him, though, we learned more about the problems Coconino National Forest is having with this hike. As it turns out, unofficially, the Forest Service doesn't want people on that trail. But, in his words, "it's on the internet, so everyone wants to come and we just can't keep people out." And he's right: Likely 95% of the people we passed were either coming from or going to that location. With over 100 archeological sites in Coconino, there just aren't enough employees and volunteers to keep these areas safe. Not long ago, they found someone trying to remove the ancient pictographs because they thought it was graffiti. I mean...if people aren't adding to it, they're taking it away. SMH Currently though, without any signs asking people not to hike to The Subway, it seems the Forest Service is neither encouraging or discouraging adventurers to make the trek. So, we followed the crowds down the sunny, 3 mile, sandy trail. Along the way--get this-- we ran into a boy from Boy Scout Troop 429 (Dusty and Brickhead's troop in Calvert County, Maryland)! Talk about a small world! When we arrived at the cliff, we climbed up a rock slide (really...a slide made out of sandstone) into what looked like a keyhole carved between two cliff walls. From the keyhole, we had beautiful views. Adventurous climbers could carefully maneuver around a short drop off to a ledge that went around to the ancient cliff dwelling (which likely dated back between 500-900 years) and pictographs. I sat that one out, staying back to enjoy the views, but Dusty and the kids went around. Remnants of the PastThroughout the area are numerous signs of ancient tribes. Most remarkable are the cliff dwellings. The Sinagua people began building their homes in naturally occurring cliffs around 1050 AD. These wood, stone, and mortar homes were small villages in themselves (similar to apartment buildings), complete with common areas for social gatherings and storage rooms for shared food and supplies. The largest pueblo in the area contains 100 rooms. Many people wonder why these ancient tribes would have built communities in such precarious locations, and there are several theories that make sense. Some buildings, such as Montezuma Castle, face south, making it warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Of course using the structure of the cave as part of the building used less resources, which were scarce in the harsh desert environment. The high placement also protected them from flooding or approaching outsiders. We were able to see several of these cliff dwellings in the Verde Valley area, including Tuzigoot, Montezuma Castle, and Montezuma Well. These three were just the tip of the iceberg though. The southwest is dotted with hundreds of these archeological structures. So much to do, so little timeThe amount of things to do in the area was overwhelming...as was the amount of people. We enjoyed other activities like sliding down the waterfalls at Slide Rock State Park (so cool--and cold!), climbing through an old lava tube at Lava Cave Trail (which was packed with people), and moseying around the streets of Jerome, an old copper mine that literally lost part of its town when an excess amount of dynamite was discharged, causing a major landslide.
There is certainly something for everyone in the area, and whatever your pleasure, you're likely to find enough of it to keep you entertained for weeks. Just keep in mind that there is plenty to keep thousands of other people entertained as well. And you'll find them...tens of thousands of people...all doing the same things you are. So be prepared to practice the art of patience. *Contains affiliate links
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