Days 5, 6, 7 & 9 - In and around Sedona . . . . . 

After another huge breakfast at the B&B we were off to several historic towns/villages in the region. The Bell Rock was photographed from our deck. Scattered clouds in the sky made this picture more interesting than the previous shots with a totally clear sky. Our first stop was the community of Cottonwood where the next couple photos were taken. We then took Forest Roads in the Verde Valley. The drive is all about seeing the very familiar from a very different vantage point. This route was a little more than 17 miles on unpaved roads.  We went through Clarksville and on to Jerome, AZ where we stopped for some sightseeing and shopping. Then off again to Prescott, AZ and finally back to the B&B. The following 2 days (Days 6 & 7) we just toured around Sedona and we relocated from the B&B to the Bell Rock Inn which was nice but not to the extent of the Cozy Cactus B&B. Day 9 involved more touring in and around Sedona to include a Spanish designed shopping center and The Chapel of the Holy Cross Roman Catholic chapel built into the buttes of Sedona.

Day 4 - AZ Forest Roads & Williams, AZ

Our 4^th day of vacation and our 1^st day in Sedona started off with a large breakfast at the Cozy Cactus B&B. The B&B is located on Bell Rock Rd. and from our room, as well as the back patio, there is an unobstructed view of the 'Bell Rock'. After breakfast we were off to several Forest Roads North of Flagstaff. The most beautiful one was Forest Road 151 which afforded a magnificent view of the snow-capped San Francisco Peaks. The aspens were just about at their peak fall colors. We drove several other Forest Roads which were almost as scenic as FR 151. We then headed to Williams, AZ, on old Rt 66, known as the Gateway to the Grand Canyon. One of my favorite photos was captured in Williams; it was a photo of man sitting on the tailgate of his pick-up, parked at the curb, playing very accomplished tunes on his guitar. You’ll just have to imagine your favorite song being played as you view this photo.  We toured the town, had dinner there and then headed back to the Cozy Cactus B&B. Tune in tomorrow for images from days 5, 6, 7, & 9. They include pictures from in and around Sedona and many of the small historic towns/villages.

Colorado Springs to Chinle (Canyon de Chelly), AZ

We departed Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs about 6:00 am and headed South and then West on Colorado 160 to Alamosa, CO where we turned South and drove into New Mexico and subsequently into Arizona. We arrived in Chinle, AZ about 3:00 pm after a beautiful drive. We stopped along the way (of course) to take a number of photographs of the Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona scenery. One of my favorite photos is that of the rolling hills in Huerfano County, CO (Rt 160) with a light dusting of snow and the bare trees. Looking at the detail of this almost black and white photo amazes me; it is very simple, yet detailed. The highlight of the drive was on the paved Indian Route 13 through New Mexico and Arizona. The picture with the horses on the road side was taken in Arizona on this highway. After arriving in Chinle, AZ and visiting the Canyon de Chelly park headquarters, we drove the South Rim Drive, a 36 mile round trip through the canyon where there were 8 pull-outs to get grand views of the canyon. The following morning, we had a scheduled tour of the canyon thru Canyon de Chelly Tours where we had a local Navajo guide who drove a 4-wheel drive Suburban (we needed the 4-wheel drive). This was well worth the time and money for the tour. In addition to seeing many historic sights, we got a history lesson. In the early afternoon we continued our journey to Sedona, AZ where we checked into the Cozy Cactus B&B about 6:00 pm. This is a 5 Star B&B; a great place to stay when in Sedona. Tune in tomorrow for our adventures into the forest north of Flagstaff.