Blogs from Arizona, United States, North America

Today was the scariest ride I have ever had. Leaving Monticello I headed down route 95. I stopped at the tourist office in Blanding where a jovial and knowledgeable fellow was there to help. As soon as I speak folks ask me where I am from, when I say Virginia they look at me strangely which leads me to make an around the globe explanation. After I was done with that the jovial fellow said, “why bother with this, you have seen everything.” Nice guy. He set me off on a path I will not forget in a hurry. At first I was disappointed as I headed along 95 and down 261. If you were just plonked there you would go wow, but when you have been exposed to days and days of amazing scenery its ... read more

A few of years ago I started running on trails, thanks to my exposure to an iFIT trainer named Tommy Rivers Puzey via a NordicTrack treadmill my wife bought. I would run on the treadmill primarily through the winter, and hit the Metroparks trails in the warmer weather. One of the programs presented by this trainer was the 6 part Rim to River run in the Grand Canyon. I started to think, “hey, I could do this” and it wasn’t too long before I started training specifically for the Grand Canyon and eventually settled on the loop via south Kaibab to Bright Angel Trail and back to the south rim. So this Friday I head to Arizona and, around 5 Am on Saturday, I’ll start running down South Kaibab. I’ll blog my progress with pics and ... read more

We visited the historic town of Bisbee, AZ. This city in the Mule Mountains of southeast Arizona grew after copper was discovered in 1877. Today you can take an underground tour of the vast Queen Mine, look down into the Lavender Pit mine, or stroll the decorated streets of this artist's community. We enjoyed meandering the side streets adorned with art, visiting the Copper Hotel, the Historical Museum, eating lunch at Le Cornucopia Cafe, and checking out vintage Lowell.... read more

We took a day to drive to Oatman, AZ to explore this old mining town. It began as a small mining camp when 2 prospectors struck a $10 million gold find in the Black Mountains. The town now survives as a nostalgic stop on Route 66 with a western vibe and burros that roam the area.... read more

Off we go again today. This time to Sedona with full intention of hiking in Boynton Canyon within which is Subway Cave and a powerful vortex. I do believe that Sedona is the tourist destination of North American! Approaching the city is a wondrous site to behold - they don’t call it Red Rocks Country for no reason. The mountains and cliffs here are the most intense red I have seen thus far. Large buttes and sharp pinnacles jut into the clear azure sky. There are odd shapes and sizes at every turn. I found the turn for Dry Creek Road which leads out to Boynton Canyon. But so did everyone else in the country! There is not a parking spot to be found within miles but I am seeing shuttles going back and forth. So ... read more