1/23/2021 Wow, it feels like I’ve been here forever, even though it’s just been a few weeks. The Route 66 trip ended in Flagstaff, where I then headed south on 89A. Yes, it was a treacherous road, especially when it started getting dark, but I persevered and drove through Red Rock Canyon looking for a place to camp for the night. Every spot that was available was taken and many of the camp sites were closed. So, I drove down to Sedona, and it was evening by the time I arrived. The town had changed completely since the last time I visited, almost 20 years ago to experience the energy and spirituality of the vortexes. Now, it’s just another tourist trap and I was deeply disappointed. In spite of the pandemic, the area was crowded with people and I couldn’t even find a parking space, and decided to continue driving. Again, I stopped at a hotel and looked up some prices, and then continued on, I think it was Hwy 17 or 19. Don’t remember. All I noticed were the multitudinous round a bouts that drove me crazy and slowed me down. I finally found a Flying Pilot near Prescott, where I spent the night in relative peace. It was there that I talked to the manager about BLM sites and that’s when he mentioned going to Blood Basin Rd.

So, at around 6 am I took off again and found the road only a few miles away. This area is called Agua Fria National Monument and I drove about 8 miles into the park. It was dark and the roads were rutted, but I finally found a site and settled in. This was the best place I’ve ever boondocked! I met a very handsome ranger, ran into a pair of javalinas (thought they were wild boars) and found an amazing site with a great view. There was a major meteor shower that weekend and I witnessed two meteors exploding as they hit the atmosphere. What a sight! Yes, I did catch a snap of one of them. It was really windy a couple of days and my little toilet shelter kept collapsing. This was really a nice spot though and I was right next to a working ranch. There were also a lot of Jeepers and ATVers riding around and was fun to watch them driving up and back from the ridge. I hiked up to that ridge and it was a great hike! After spending 3 nights there, I packed up and headed toward Phoenix. This is on my list to return to.