Red Red Rocks of Sedona

Steve and I had been to Sedona on one of our first vacations together. So today was kind of like a date day. We rode through the places we had been before and saw the grow through Sedona and it had grown a lot. We had a great lunch at the Golden Goose. Sedona is still just a pretty and breath taking as it was many year ago.

Steve's being held up Oh My

Inside the Golden Goose

 Turkey, cream cheese, cranberry chipotle grilled sandwich Hummm

Does this look like an old Indian Face Profile. I guess being from NH and the Old Man Of the Mountain you like at those rocks that way.

Cliff Dwellings in Walnut Canyon, Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki National Monument

Walnut Canyon was our first stop in the morning.The canyon rim elevation is 6,690 ft; the canyon's floor is 350 ft lower. A mile long with about 250 steep stairs (Steve's favorite) loop trail descends 185 ft into the canyon passing 25 cliff dwelling rooms constructed by the Sinagua people,  a word in spanish meaning "without water" because the Sinagua people were able to live in such a dry region. By living in such a region the Sinagua became experts at conserving water and dealing with droughts.  They were a group of pre-Columbian group that lived in Walnut Canyon from about 1100 to 1250 CE.  Many of the ancient dwellings were built around a U-shaped meander in the canyon, where the creek circles around three sides of a high rocky plateau, almost creating an 'island', and this region now forms the central attraction of the national monument. The dwellings themselves were small, but large enough for the inhabitants to cook and sleep.

The next stop was Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki National Monuments.
These two are somewhat tied together. After the volcanic eruption causing the change in Wupatki land.
The many settlement sites scattered throughout the monument were built by the Ancient Pueblo People, more specifically the Cohonina, Kayenta Anasazi, and Sinagua.  Wupatki was first inhabited around 500 AD. Wupatki, which means "Tall House" in the Hopi language, is a multi-story pueblo dwelling comprising over 100 rooms and a community room and ball court, making it the largest building for nearly 50 miles.  The major population influx began soon after the eruption of Sunset Crater in the 11th century (between 1040 and 1100), which blanketed the area with volcanic ash; this improved agricultural productivity and the soil's ability to retain water. It is believed that much trading went on for goods in the community room. By 1182, approximately 85 to 100 people lived at Wupatki Pueblo but by 1225, the site was permanently abandoned, it is believed that they just moved on the better farming land.

 Sunset crater 

 

 Sunset crater

 In way it originally looked

Well tomorrow the Grand Canyon.

It's baking time, not a cake but us-traveling through the Mojave Desert and Parker, AZ

We left the KOA by the Sequoia and now had a two day travel to Flagstaff, AZ to see the Grand Canyon. 
When we first left and also coming back from the Sequoia that California agriculture is booming out here. Yes of course I know from when I buy fruit and veggies from the store but when you see it, it has more of a impact. Acres and acres of beautiful groves, just made me feel like I was home in Florida, minus the railroads. Boy now those things are booming here and they are miles long and running continuous. 

It was amazing the wind mills that are out here, too, thousands, not hundreds. Yes the wind does blow but it does not make it seem any cooler, although I know it does.

The travel was beyond hot.

 Mojave desert area.

A rain shower came through, the temp dropped to 76 and in 20 minutes the temp was back up to 116.

 Joshua Trees

 Oh my!

 Can you believe this. This is with the a/c going. I need to check my eggs in the frig I bet they are hard boiled by now. They say the desert heat isn't as bad as the humid heat in Florida. No they are wrong it is beyond hot. It was so hot the a/c could not keep up. We went to take showers and the cold water was too hot, just as hot as the hot water (really not kidding). We went to Walmart, didn't need anything but needed to cool down. Went back to motorhome still the a/c could not keep up. We went and swam in the Colorado River to try to cool down to go to bed.  Got up in the morning it had cooled down to 105. Really when you start the day at that temp it goes no where but up, lets head to the hills, NOW.

A Date with the General Sherman and Grant (Sequoia National Park) and then The King (King Canyon)

 As we enter Sequoia National Park the first thing to greeting us is a deer right side the road. Gave us a quick smile and went back to eating.

 As we begin our tour up the mountain and we are meet with some majestic views. Today was a little hazy but hopefully not to bad.

 We keep seeing these sign in all our travels we have not seen one grizzly or black bear. Must be the bear spray we have with us all the time, they have a keen sense of smell those bears, must be working. 

 Aren't these some tall trees. I'm still so awe by these trees. The sequoias and redwoods are god's gift of time. Some of these are over 3200 years old. Before Christ's was born WOW. If they could talk imagine the stories they could tell and what they have been through.

 Our first hike of the day was Moro Rock. Experiencing Moro Rock was a highlight at the Sequoia. It had breathtaking 360 views of the park and beyond. The glacially carved peaks and large trees tops could all be seen from the top of here. We were at 6725 feet believe it or not we were a mile higher the the lowest point that we could see out to the west and a MILE lower than the peaks to the east.  In the earlier days they climbed the mountain with ropes, thank goodness they have stairs now because no way would Steve have done that. Although 400 stairs he was not happy about either but we were rewarded.

 The view to my left

 The view to my right

 Now the descend down

 down some more

At the bottom.

 Now this birthday girl (me) has had a date with the General for a long time.

 General Sherman is 275 high and 36 feet in diameter. Now that's a big guy.

I salute the general.

 OK Steve I'm tired of holding my arms up. Please hurry take the picture.

 My second date was with General Grant, he's 267 feet high and 30 feet diameter. He's a little more famous and has more metals. Named after General Grant in 1867 then President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed it the "Nation's Christmas Tree" on April 28, 1926. Due in large part to its huge base, the General Grant tree was thought to be the largest tree in the world prior to 1931, when the first precise measurements indicated that the General Sherman was slightly larger. On March 29, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower declared the tree a "National Shrine", a memorial to those who died in war. It is the only living object to be so declared.

So now on to see the King. I've read and I was told by a Park Ranger that King Canyon road in the best scenic route in the US hummmm ok Let's check it out.

 magnificent

 The views OMG

 Its my birthday and I'll do what I want to.......No just needed a moment to take this day in

 WOW

 Amazing

 spectacular 

 Gorgeous 

 Breathtaking

 Ravishing

 Stunning

 unbelievable 

 I have not words for this one. HAHA       maybe one Soulmate

 Steve did say his arms were getting tired from all the back and forth and forth and back

 You know these dying or dead trees have so much character.

So what do you think? I think it carries the claim of fame.