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Hi Everyone
Continuing on with our blog.......
We hope that all are well there as we are here (now!)
6/12/10
Well today was a total write off as I wasn't feeling well at all.I spent most of the day in bed.I must have picked up Noel's tummy bug of sorts but luckily I didn't get the full extent of it as he did just really bad stomach cramps and a fever.I slept a lot of the day away.Just as well we were in a nice RV Park as Noel spent the day wandering around and chatting with people as he didn't want to go anywhere and leave me here on my own.The people here are just lovely as I mentioned previously.The RV Park is one with a 10 year age limit for RVs but they let us in for the night as they weren't busy and we only wanted 1 or 2 nights.Noel went up to rebook the second night this morning and was told that we would have to leave tomorrow though as they have a big group coming in.It's such a shame because the people around us are lovely (and not impressed with the owner's decision) and it is really central to all of the areas around here that we'd like to visit.I can't remember if I mentioned that a lot of the people around us are permanent RVers and meet here this time of year for Christmas then most move on again. They work in the RV park to pay their rent and even the lady next to us who works in the office couldn't swing things to allow another night for us.They are such nice people that one of the couples who live here for 8 months of the year offered us their truck (they have a 5th wheeler) to drive around the area and not take our motor home as they also have a tow car they use.How nice is that.Sandy works at a shop in Sedona those 8 months of the year (they go down to Mexico for the other 4 months) and she has a 'REAL' job as they tease her.
7/12/10
I'm still not feeling the best today although a lot better than yesterday.I just slept the night away and kept drinking so that I didn't dehydrate.About all I can do.....We had to pack up this morning and leave this RV park which is a shame.I even got to put my little Christmas tree up here as everyone has their motor homes decked out in lights.We really felt at home here.Which reminds me - I hear that the hood as let me down by not putting lights up this year!!!!!!!Just because I'm not there doesn't mean everyone else shouldn't have their lights up.Come on!I want a better report next skype call home please...............
This morning we headed back down the highway and then off into a town called Prescott (pronounced presskit)It is a really big town which was a surprise to us.There are a lot of state parks and forestry areas around here and we went for a drive into part of the Prescott National Forestry to see a lake which we saw a sign for.Well we've seen bigger dams in people's back yards at home but it was pretty with the forest around it and ducks swimming on the water.
We then headed out of Prescott out along highway 89A which is the alternate route to Cottonwood where we decided we would spend the night as we are going on a train ride near there tomorrow.We knew that the road took us through the mountains and saw that there was a 40ft length limit for vehicles but they didn't tell us that the road took us up to an altitude of 7500ft in such a short distance.The drive up the mountains was spectacular and the scenery was marvellous.The motor home took it all in its stride as it has a very powerful motor and pulls us hills with ease.The trouble was we had to come back down the other side again.The roads are very windy and some tight corners (even worse than the Pacific Road from LA to San Francisco) and of course I was on the side looking over the cliffs!!I had to close my eyes a couple of times but mostly just kept looking ahead or out at the scenery (and took heaps of photos) the brakes got a little hot coming down but luckily there is a scenic lookout ½ way down so we stopped there and had a drink and a chat with a few other people(we weren't the only ones with hot brakes) while we waited for them to cool down before continuing down the mountains.The scenery was just beautiful and it's a shame that Noel missed seeing most of it because he had to concentrate on the road so much.On the last section of the downhill run we came across this quaint little town called Jerome which is an old copper mining town built on the side of the mountain or I should say into the side of the mountain.It was amazing and there are so many nice looking shops too that we would have loved to look in.Unfortunately we couldn't stop because there was no where to park the motor home but we are planning on getting back up there before we leave the area to have a look around.We kept going on to a town called Cottonwood and booked into the RV section of the Dead Horse Ranch State Park.It's a nice little town although not really all that small I guess.
8/12/10
Today we went on a train ride on the Verde Canyon Railroad and it was amazing.It left from a little town called Clarkdale which is close to Cottonwood so we didn't have too far to go to get there.We had booked first class tickets which was lovely as this was a closed in carriage which we needed this time of year although we did go out on the open air carriage as well as it was such a beautiful day.We were given a welcome aboard drink and nibblies and later we had a buffet of finger food so we were well looked after in that department.The scenery was amazing as we travelled up the canyons to Perkinsville which took us 2 hours to get there.They then take the engines off and take them back to the other end of the train for the trip home which was another 2 hours long.We left in the first carriage of the train and came back in the last one. It was a really long train which hopefully you can see in the photos. We also saw a bald eagle in a tree which was great because we had seen them at the Eagle Centre in Minnesota but still hadn't seen one in the wild.We also met some really lovely people in our carriage.Would you believe that we had a couple from the Blue Mountains at the table beside us!We also met a couple from New York who were really lovely.They have a very close friend who lives in Brookfield and is a teacher at QUT.They have been friends for over 30 years but still haven't been out to Australia to visit them so hopefully we have given them a push to make the trip.There was also another couple from Phoenix and their daughter from New York who were also really nice so we had a great afternoon chatting as well as looking at the beautiful scenery.It's definitely something we would recommend to anyone coming to this area.I've posted some photos of the train for you Cec and Phil!We stayed the night at Cottonwood again at the Dead Horse Ranch State Park.
9/12/10
We had a look around the Dead Horse Ranch State Park this morning before leaving and then drove up to Sedona and spent the afternoon looking around the shops there.The scenery around the area is beautiful and the entire town survives entirely on tourism so I'm sure you can imagine what the shops were like.There are a lot of boutique type shops of clothing and ornaments, souvenirs etc. and country (as in country and western) theme shops but nothing that you would like Tim & Steph. Plus there are heaps of restaurants of course, and all really expensive.We saw a lot of the things they had in the shops in other towns in the area but they were a lot cheaper than here.It's not really our type of area at all but the scenery is amazing and that's what we came for.They do go out of their way to decorate the shops and houses in town with lights and decorations for Christmas so when we walked back to the RV Park the lights were all coming on so it was really pretty.We're staying here tonight but not sure where we are heading in the morning yet.We have to get the driver's windscreen replaced as it cracked on the way up here the other day and it's spreading down the windscreen so we have ordered a new one and have to go back to Cottonwood to have it fitted when it arrives.
Well we hope that everyone there is well as we are here - now.
The weather is still really chilly at night but the days are beautiful and we are just wearing short sleeves but once the sun starts going down, it gets cooler again.It's always below 0oC overnight.There is plenty of snow up north now and we made the right move going to see Scott early in the trip so that it was a bit warmer (thanks again Scott)
Hopefully the rain has stopped back home by now!Sounds like the dams can't take much more which is a worry.A few people have been telling us that it feels like the 74 floods again so we hope that the rain stops soon.
Well I think that's about all of now so until next time, take care of each other and Lots of Love to everyone
Noel & Pam
- comments
payne family Hi. No good you were you both have been feeloing off.Good ya still having a good trip.Keep having fun. Love The Payne family.
Valjene Proctor Graham and I are both well, cant say the same for Melinda, Jason and Kids. Tummy bugs at their house. Melinda had her Xmas Party for Woolies tonight and she went but not 100%.I have Aaliyah and she is still vomiting occasionally thats 3 days for her.Glad you are both feeling better and having a good time. love you ,Miss you,Valjene
Colin & Jenny Hi, We looked at all photos this morning - some great shots. haven't read all writings yet. We are both well, Keep having a good time. Love,Col & Jen