ARIZONA ROADTRIP

BACK IN JANUARY WHEN WE WERE IN PHOENIX VISITING DAVE AND CINDY, I GOT TO TALKING ABOUT MY ARIZONA BUCKET LIST. WHEN I MENTIONED THE MINNING TOWN OF JEROME, CINDY JUMPED ON IT. SO MARY AND CINDY BOOKED ROOMS IN A B&B IN JEROME FOR A SATURDAY NIGHT IN MAY.

WE STARTED OUR 415 MILE ROAD TRIP ON FRIDAY MORNING WITH A TRIP ALONG THE MOGOLLON RIM, PRONOUNCED MUGGY-OWN RIM,  DOWN THE HILL TO PAYSON, BACK ALONG A SENIC BYWAY IN THE MOUNTAINS THRU PINE, AZ AND STAWBERRY, AZ, AND DOWN INTO THE VERDE VALLEY.

OUR FIRST STOP JUST OUTSIDE OF CAMP VERDE ON BEAVER CREEK WAS MONTEZUMA CASTLE NATIONAL MONUMENT, THE REMAINS OF A PRE-HISTORIC PEOPLE.

WHILE HIKING THE TRAIL WE FOUND A NEW TREE, WELL NEW TO US, THE ARIZONA SYCAMORE.

AFTER FINDING THE FIRST ONE, WE SAW A LOT OF THEM THROUGH OUT VERDE VALLEY.

OUR SECOND STOP WAS THE CLIFF CASTLE CASINO, AFTER ALL IT’S BEEN A WEEK SINCE WE LEFT THE CASINOS OF LAUGHLIN AND WE NEEDED A CASINO FIX, BESIDES IT WAS “MILLER TIME”. THE CASINO GAVE US EACH $20 IN FREE PLAY. I PLAYED QUARTER SLOTS AN HOUR AND ENJOYED TWO COLD BEERS ON MY FREE $20, AND MARY TURNED HERS INTO $15 REAL MONEY, ENOUGH TO PAY FOR THE, BEEN THERE, DONE THAT, BOUGHT THE T-SHIRT SHE HAD PICKED UP IN A SHOP EARLIER IN THE DAY.

BEING OF SWISS HERITAGE, LUNCH WAS NEXT ON THE AGENDA AND WE PULLED OUT THE OLD BLUE COOLER TO MAKE HAM AND SWISS SANDWICHES ON THE TRUNK LID OF THE CAR.

NEXT STOP WAS THE TUZIGOOT(PRONOUNCED TWOS-SEE-WHOOT)  NATIONAL MONUMENT AND THE REMAINS OF ANOTHER PRE-HISTORIC CITY.

THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING WE DID WALK-ABOUTS IN CLARKSDALE AND OLD COTTONWOOD WINDOW SHOPPING AT THE ARTSY-FARTSY JOINTS AND THE FANCY WINE TASTING BARS.

TO BE CONTINUED……