Camp Verde to Flagstaff
Woke up slow this morning, wasn’t sure if it was day or night because of the Cliff Casino’s parking lot lights faking sunrise all night long 😉 Ate some grub then drove through Montezuma’s Castle National Monument. Stepped back in time as we gazed jaw dropped at the ancient village carved into the rock face. Back on the road we were pleasantly surprised by the display of red rock formations littering the hwy. Journeyed amongst The Red Rocks on our way to Sedona. What a unique and interesting little town set within mountainous formations of firecracker red. The architecture felt dated yet modern as they mimicked the pueblo feel as if to blend into the hillsides. Stopped by Slide Rock State Park to cool off. Walked on slippery flat rock along a river that has canyoned itself down into the sandstone creating a wonderfully fun natural water slide! Took turns sliding down but it was very cold, so I went only once, Mitch was much more adventurous! Thought we were headed to the Grand Canyon but ended up in Flagstaff for the evening because Robin decided it was the perfect place to chew up her alternator belt. And boy was she right, after working on the engine for about an hour in the Safeway parking lot, Mitch managed to take her apart, replace the belt and put her back together. Just as we were closing up, a kind couple, Garett and Bri, offered to help their fellow travel lovers. We ended up talking for awhile about awesome places in the area and southern Utah that they have adventured to and love. Climbed back into a happy camper van to head up north when Mitch decided he should run to the bathroom. While i was waiting in the car, Garett pulled up beside and invited us to dinner at their place. He had dropped Bri off to start dinner then came back to find us. Automatically we accepted the invitation and before we knew it we were scarfing down a delicious pasta dinner over maps and beers with the sweetest, most generous, and like-minded couple! What a treat to be welcomed into their home as strangers and leave the next day as friends!
