~~~The GREAT Train Ride~~~

We woke up early in the morning, got our showers & took off before the sun came up.

We are headed towards Williams, AZ to ride the Grand Canyon Railway to Grand Canyon National Park. The ride is about an hour & a half to get there but we decided we really wanted to ride the train. We knew we'd be gone most of the day and lucky for us they had a kennel to leave Tiffy in. It was really nice, spacious inside with a door to the outside. She wasn't to happy about it but she did good.

We arrived in Williams around 8 o'clock, took Tiffy to the kennel, went to the restaurant and had some breakfast then boarded the train at 9:15. The train ride really had a western feel to it all with strolling entertainment and a sheriff.

The ride was about two hours long, through the country where we saw trees, snow, cows, Prong Horn Deer & a huge herd of Elk. Then as we headed around the last curve there it was... The Grand Canyon! Now this is our 4th time here and it never fails to amaze me... It is simply breath taking!

It is indeed a wonder and is magnificent.

After we spent around 3 hours there walking around , taking pictures and getting a bite to eat at the famous El Tovar we boarded the train again for the ride home...

Some of the same entertainers were playing their instruments and singing their heart out for us... Then all of a sudden train robbers were riding outside of the train on horses, shooting their guns and stopping the train... We are being robbed! They boarded the train and demanded that we put all our money and valuables in the sack... We gave them all we had left... 25 cents! LOL LOL

It was a fun day and we really enjoyed it but now we dreaded the long, long, long ride back to Tassie... We went to retrieve Tiffy from the kennel and got into the car, pointed towards Tassie and rolled on down the highway. We had watched the sun come up and now in the rear view mirrors we watched it go down...

Until Later... Have FUN, Travel Safe & Enjoy Everyday!

~~~So Much to See so Little Time~~~

We are here in this beautiful area only 8 days and there is so much we want to do & see. Guess that means we'll just have to come here again. Oh darn!!! We would normally stay longer but we are meeting our friends in just 10 days in

Colorado and we are very excited about that .

So here are a few things we have managed to do so far...

First thing we went to see was Tuzigoot National Monument just on the other side of Cottonwood near Clarksville. Tuzigoot is an ancient village or pueblo built by a culture known as the Sinagua. As we drove towards the ruins we could see crowning a desert hilltop the ancient pueblo. From the top of the Tuzigoot Pueblo it is easy to imagine the life that the Sinagua Indians lived. The pueblo consisted of 110 rooms including second and third story structures. The first buildings were built around A.D. 1000. The Sinagua were agriculturalists with trade connections that spanned hundreds of miles. The people left the area around 1400. The site is currently comprised of 42 acres. While we were there we spent some time in the visitors center looking at relics that were excavated in this area.

Did You Know?
The ruins at Tuzigoot National Monument were excavated between 1933 and 1934 as part of the New Deal. Uncovering and reconstructing the 110-room pueblo gave out-of-work copper miners new skills

After we spent a couple of hours at Tuzigoot we headed over to the town of Jerome.
"America's Most Vertical City" and "Largest Ghost Town in America".

Located high on top of Cleopatra Hill (5,200 feet) about 10 miles out of Cottonwood, Arizona is the historic copper mining town of Jerome. Once known as the wickedest town in the west, Jerome was a copper mining camp, growing from a settlement of tents to a roaring mining community. Today Jerome is a thriving tourist and artist community with a population of about 450. It is an enchanting town and a photographer's paradise. From its external appearances it hasn't changed much in nearly 100 years. Many of the buildings used by present-day business folks are those built after the fires of 1894 and1899. A number of the buildings have been restored and more are planned for restoration. Due to the 30-degree incline of the mountainside, gravity has pulled a number of buildings down the slope. To the delight of some, one of those buildings was the town's jail. Those buildings still standing make for interesting visiting and with a little research you can find their historical significance. One notable section is the "Cribs District." You will find this area across the street from the English Kitchen, in a back alley where all the buildings were are part of Jerome's ill-famed "prostitution row."

There are a ton of historic buildings, great little shops and restaurants in this historic town... So if you get a chance to visit, find a place to park and get out and walk...

You'll be so happy you did!

Oh and don't take your RV... the roads are narrow and tricky to maneuver.

Until Later... Have FUN, Travel Safe & Enjoy Everyday!

We're on our way to Valley Verde, Az

We are headed across I-1o west and then North on I-17 through lots of desert where the Saguaro Cactus are plentiful and the scenery changes from desert to rolling hills to mountains... It was a very enjoyable drive.

We traveled from Benson through Tucson and Phoenix ...

and through the desert we go again... by all the Saguaro Cactus

We even saw hot air balloons...

and look some flowers YEAH!!!

and then over the hills

Finally we take the road HWY 260 towards Valley Verde which is an area just outside of Cottonwood, Arizona about 70 miles north of Phoenix. There is a Thousand Trails campground there called Valley Verde (of course).

It is suppose to be the cream of the Thousand Trails parks!

Upon arrival to Valley Verde we are welcomed by a really nice security guard who checked us in... Then he informs us that they only have about 15 sites that are 50 amp with only 2 left that are empty and that we probably would not fit into them... OH GREAT!!! Now we can use 30 amp but it is so much nicer to use 50 and be able to run our heat, the microwave, coffee pot and washer all at the same time. We head out to check on the 2 left, down the hill towards the camping area and we see that we are indeed in a valley. We are surrounded by cliffs and mountains with beautiful views all around the campground. The first one is way to short and not level so onto the other site and after careful inspection we decide we can fit into it but will not be real level. The nice thing is these TT parks are usually way out in the middle of nowhere but this one is only 5 miles from town & Wally World!

This area is so beautiful and has so many things to go see & do. There are several National Monuments, the historic city of Jerome, Sedona, The Grand Canyon and much more.... So I'll be posting on as much of it we can see while here.

And what we miss we'll just catch another time.

Until Later... Have FUN, Travel Safe & Enjoy Everyday!