Thursday and Friday, November 16 and 17, 2017 (Boondocking Site, Sedona, AZ)

Thursday Deb and I had a girl's day, leaving the guys to do "their thing" while she and I go on a day trip to Prescott for a little shopping...and as it turns out, some sightseeing too. It was about 9:15 when we bid farewell to our guys and hit the road, making a stop at Fry's in Cottonwood to stash a couple of bags of garbage in a can and then fuel up the car (oh, the trials and tribulations of boondocking....what to do with your garbage! At lease we bought gas there).

It took us about an hour and a half to reach our destination...a little longer than expected due to road construction. But we made it to Costco...whoo hoo...time for some shopping! We took our time shopping and then filled the back of Deb's car with our purchases...we even had a nice fellow help lift a rather heavy box from the cart into the car.

Next on the agenda was lunch...a quick search on google and we found a nice spot close by...The Finn fit the bill perfectly. We had a lovely table by the window...with a view of the surrounding Prescott valley...(thanks for the pictures, Deb!)...

We both ordered dishes that were delicious and reasonably priced...but I must admit the salad I ordered wasn't exactly what I was expecting. "Heirloom Tomatoes and Burrata" Topped with micro basil, local olive oil, and aged balsamic (Burrata is a creamy style of mozzarella.)...and some tiny slices of tomato with 2 blobs of mozzarella with olive oil and balsamic drizzled over it is exactly what I got. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious but I guess I expected a little more substance to the salad, in addition to the tomatoes and mozzarella. Deb had Caprese Flatbread that looked yummy and she really enjoyed it.

Instead of going back home the way we came, we decided to go back through Jerome, completing a loop. On the way was an area Deb wanted to check out...the Granite Dells at Watson Lake. Ray has heard about the area and wants to photograph it. Looks like an interesting area and is definitely on the list for "next time".

We stopped at a pull-out overlooking the lake...

And then drove down into the park, stopping at the boat launch area for pictures...

The Granite Dells is a geological feature north of Prescott, Arizona. The Dells consist of exposed bedrock and large boulders of granite that have eroded into an unusual lumpy, rippled appearance. Watson Lake and Willow Lake are small man-made reservoirs in this formation.

It was a very interesting area....definitely worth spending some time at to explore.

We took highway 89A, that weaves its way up over the mountains, through Jerome and down into Cottonwood. It's quite the road but a beautiful drive...I spent a good portion of my time with the window down snapping pictures...

The colourful red rock cliffs and Cottonwood are in the hazy distance...

We stopped at a scenic viewpoint for more pictures...

 Jerome...

Located high on top of Cleopatra Hill (5,200 feet) between Prescott and Flagstaff is the historic copper mining town of Jerome, Arizona. 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. Four disastrous fires destroyed large sections of the town during its early history, resulting in the incorporation of the City of Jerome in 1899.

(Today) Jerome 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 and 1899. 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  part of Jerome’s ill-famed “prostitution row.”

Steve and I visited Jerome while in the area back in November 2011 and I'd love to visit it again...that will have to be put on the list for "another time". If you are ever in the area, a visit to this quaint little community is a must!

Arriving back home, it was now time to unload the back of Deb's car and find room in our rigs for all of the "stocking up" we both did.

Once that was done, we all sat outside chatting for awhile before going back into our rigs for dinner. Sounds like the guys had a very relaxing day. Well, Steve might beg to differ...I don't think he considers spending the day editing pictures very relaxing!

We had a fabulous sunset...

We woke Friday morning to cloudy skies...a definite change in the weather for today. It was a dreary cloudy day with a high of only 19C/66F and a bit of rain...not much thank goodness as the ground here gets very mucky when it rains. As a matter of fact, you don't want to be here in heavy rain because you're likely to get stuck.

So today ended up being a great "catch up day". After our two hour coffee start to the day, we did our resistance exercises, showered, had breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen. Steve did manage to get the back of the truck swept out and the quads loaded back in before the "sprinkling" started...so that was a good job done.

As for me, I worked on blogs all day...Steve had managed to get all of the pictures ready yesterday, so now it was blog time for me!

While I was doing that, Steve did some research on the area(s) we plan on heading towards over the next week or so. We have been here for a week now...amazing how fast the time slips by when you're having fun!