We left the red rock of Arizona’s Vermillion Cliffs behind
us and set our sights on Sedona. We followed the scenic byways instead of the
interstate which led us through twisting canyon roads and Slide Rock State
Park. Coming out of the lush canyons, we arrived in the hip tourist town of
Sedona. Many affluent retirees have come to call this funky artists’ enclave
home and their beautiful adobe houses are scattered throughout the surrounding
hillsides. The main streets of Sedona were bustling on a Monday afternoon when
we arrived in our big rig. Although we had hoped to settle there for a few
nights, a lack of camping options meant that we were forced to keep on driving
to Dead Horse State Park in Cottonwood, Arizona.
We met lovely folks in the campground and followed their
advice to head to Joshua Tree National Park. Once again following the scenic
byways, we climbed thousands of feet past the old mining town of Jerome. Now it
is a community of artists supported by tourism in a town which literally clings
to the cliffs. It would give any mountain town in Europe a run for its money
with its hairpin corners and steep grades. Mark handled them like a
professional and could take up trucking as an alternate career. After a few
hours of hauling our rig up mountains and then riding the engine break down the
other side of the summit, we realized that “scenic byways” are perhaps not
meant for camper/trailer combos. We hit the interstate as we crossed into
California and joined all the transport trucks en route to Los Angeles.
We stopped for a few nights in Joshua Tree National Park to
see the sights and run errands in the nearby towns of Indio and Palm Desert.
The girls have spotted lizards, kangaroo rats, owls, hawks, bats and we even
spied a huge snake last night. Luckily, we have not run into the variety of
rattlesnakes, scorpions or three different types of tarantulas that call this
place home. The stars are incredible, until a full moon rises over the nearby
hills and turns on its floodlight in the desert. We have had the park mostly to
ourselves and enjoyed the long silent nights.