Day 25: Quartzsite, AZ to Sedona, AZ

Technicality: Not in Sedona, AZ. Southwest of Sedona on some BLM land.

It’s moving day. Morning walk was a sedate 2km out down one of the “roads” on the BLM land we stayed on and then mostly the same path back.

We packed up after breakfast and set out to the Quartzsite Refuse Transfer Site. It’s free there. That encourages people to use it rather than dumping trash all over the place. After that we set course for Sedona. I, being the master route planner that I am, decided the slower, scenic route up through Prescott, AZ rather than back over to almost Phoenix would be our best route. And it was. It was definitely beautiful along Highway 89. You may not know, I’m a little uncomfortable driving next to drop offs (includes bridges). It’s much worse in the van as I am up high and it is top heavy and a wallows a bit in the wind. I do it, it’s just not my favourite. The road through the mountain was amazingly beautiful, at least that is what Mrs Milddogs told me. Good thing I have the dashcam to verify it. I was busy modulating speed and gripping the steering wheel tight enough to lose all feeling in my fingers. That’s a slight exaggeration. But wow, it was beautiful and diverse.

We stopped in Prescott, AZ for gas and some treats. Prescott looks like a very nice city.

We did pass a car pulled over at the side of the road which we think was carrying another contestant group for America’s Next Manson Family. The person outside the vehicle definitely could win the “excessive unnecessary exaggerated gesticulation” category and do pretty well in the “way too much hair gathered on top of head but not like you meant to” category as well.

The BLM spot we are on is about 14 km down a dirt road. We passed many spots we could not get into due to ground clearance, mud, crowdedness. We are on a bit of a hill near a skoolie, a lady from Texas in a sedan, an airstream, a lady from California in a SUV and a tent and a dude from Ontario with a fifth wheel. It’s pretty trafficky here with all the people like us going down the road looking for a free spot to park and many off-road vehicles ripping along. The Sedona Pink Jeep tours and others come down this road. Our van isn’t really made for off-roading so we take it slowly and pick our lines carefully. Not complaining, it’s public use land. We aren’t even tax payers in this area. I think the New Mexico and Quartzsite BLM (at this time of year) may have spoiled us). Tonight we shall bring in the chairs rather than leaving them outside as we have been doing. No al-fresco showers here!

Sleeping in an RV / Van occasionally makes you feel like a drunken sailor. We use a few boards to get as level as we can. That means the van is rarely level. So when your aged body gets you up for a bit of nighttime relief and you step in the washroom (16 inches from your head) you are not prepared for the slight angle off of true. So, you grab wall, adjust and then remember all of those days in your youth that alcohol induced this feeling, not a 1 degree out of true RV.

We held out hope that the sunset on the red rocks would be dazzling tonight, but clouds negated that.

Tomorrow we are going to wander into Sedona to check it out then drop back south to a campsite (with showers and electricity) we have booked.

We’ve been doing a bit of route planning for the trip home. Not detailed, just conceptual.

Over!