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Originally published 24 February, 2014
Hiking through gorgeous vistas in the desert
We headed out this morning towards Sedona, and red rocks country. I had been warned that the hippie/vibrating crystal/cosmic healing crowd were in Sedona.....but I had no idea. I could have tried to clean house using logic and science....but it would have been like shooting rats at the dump. Every time you shoot one rat, 3 more pop up. They were everywhere.
Leave it to the government.....let's not have too much fun.
I was driving and couldn't take a pic...but one business sign offered "cosmic healing, psychic readings, astral healing, cosmic tours, and physics". I am an engineer.....and to quote Sesame Street......"one of these things just doesn't belong here". I remember no cosmic tours/healing, psychic readings, etc. in any of my high school OR college physics classes. Perhaps I should track down my professors and ask why I wasn't taught these things. (This is incredible sarcasm. Including genuine physics with this crap should be considered a hate crime.)
Arizona mesas
Inside one of the ruins
We kept the truck doors locked and the windows up....and escaped Sedona without being the victims of a drive by aura reading. In reality, Sedona looks like a very nice town. It has good restaurants, galleries, and beautiful views all around town. I would imagine that real estate there commands a king's ransom......the views are to die for.
Ruins
Today was a day for Laurie to check out more ruins, and pictographs. We continued on through towards Palatki on old dirt roads through the desert. Seeing the ruins are a big deal with her....with her interest in anthropology. It's not as big a deal with me...but I like the rides through the desert, seeing places and things so different from where we live. These remote dirt roads take you to vistas not seen from the interstate......and that's enough for me. I love discovering places.
View from the ruins
Palatki has pictographs, which are painted figures, under the cliffs. The place yesterday had petroglyphs. The difference is that petroglyphs are chiseled into the rock instead of painted (something I learned this trip). We checked out the dwellings and drawings and headed for the next set of ruins. They were called the Honaki ruins....and were similar to the ones we had seen earlier.
One of many great hiking trails
We hiked the 3/4 mile loop and checked things out, then headed back to the truck. While Laurie sees the subtle differences in these places, I really don't. They look very similar to me. But she enjoys it so.....and it's in a beautiful place. I drive, hike, explore, do photography, read and learn, and share the day with my wife......and that's a great day for me. I like it when she's doing something she enjoys.....and being with her while she does it.
More wonderful vistas
Tuzigoot
We head off for another place called Tuzigoot. It's a pueblo up on a hill. The people who lived here a thousand years ago knew what people have known for centuries. If you control the high ground.....you CONTROL. They built their homes up on the hill, in sight of the next one. This sort of created a chain of pueblos. They grew crops, hunted, made pottery and tools....all the things people have done through time.
Taking a rest in the shade
There are signs at all these sights with a snake on them which say "stay on the paved paths". Apparently, the snakes read these signs and obey them. Laurie just barely missed stepping on a snake coming up one of the paths. She startled it and it went across the path. It was just a garter snake and no big deal. He slid off in the brush and watched us as we passed. I assume after we left, he got back on the path like the signs said.
Stratified rock formations
We came back through Cottonwood, AZ. This looked like a cool town, with nice restaurants, shops, and things to do. If we had more time, I think we would have poked around here a bit. Cottonwood seems more livable than a place like Sedona. While it has a nice historic downtown, it has a different feel from Sedona....more like a real town. Sedona at times, from our drive through, seems a bit unreal at times....and probably just as unaffordable.
Resting the "horse"
We came back to hot tub again. We swam in the heated pool and sat in the jacuzzi. Then we took showers, and took the shuttle to the casino for dinner and poker. We found that Monday night is not a big poker night....as no one was playing. We grabbed dinner at the buffet and headed back to the motorhome.
We move tomorrow. We go north a short distance, then start heading east. We've allowed ourselves nearly a week to get home.....to allow exploring route 66 along the way. We're going free form from here out.....going where the day takes us. We expect interesting stuff the next few days!
Quote of the day: "I ain't jumping in that damn hot tub again."- Bill
Song of the day: Mountain sound- Of Monsters and Men
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I'm Bill. My wife Laurie and I love to travel and share our stories. We especially love it when we have been able to motivate our readers to start traveling on their own, and making their own stories. 
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