The Schooler's

I take it as a great sign that I have to stop and think about what day it is now.  A quick glance at the watch tells me it's Wednesday morning, 5:16AM, or Day 5 of our adventure.  Before I get too much credit for being an early riser, Luke and I turned in about 8:30PM last night.  I feel very rested.  He's still in deep REM sleep next to me in the "Master" bedroom of our traveling home.  Let me bring everyone up to speed on the last few days ...

Leaving Cloudcroft, NM, we make another very long trip to Phoenix, AZ.  I'll chalk it up to wisdom that during our trip planning I guessed we would all be a little tired after a couple of really long days in the RV, which is why I turned in some Marriott Points, and we crashed at Camelback Inn ... in a suite.  I won't lie, it felt soooo nice to have some room to spread out.  Christy and I had a good conversation on the merits of RV/Camping vs. Hotels.  We decided we like both for different reasons.  Christy also made an astute observation - every RV place we're going to stay has free WiFi, but to connect at any hotel costs around $15/day.

In fairness to Marriott - this was one of the best hotel experiences we've had.  I can only imagine the look on the associates face when I called and asked if there was a place I could plug my RV in for the night ... does anything scream Red Neck louder???  They didn't even blink, security provided a 30 foot extension cord, and we were on our way.  Every single staff person we encountered at Marriott was top notch, and made our short stay very pleasant.  I actually asked for the manager's contact information to follow up with a note.

The drive from Phoenix to Sedona is beautiful - the terrain, views, and brilliant colors are a great combination.  This RV Park is the best so far, it'll be tough to beat Rancho Sedona.  You're thinking - what makes a good RV Park?  Well, lots of trees, grass, good parking spots, nice facilities, friendly staff, and neighborly people. 

On the way in, Christy suggested Rebecca and I take a Jeep tour.  I love Jeeps, so that was an easy choice.  It was incredible.  There are several tour companies in Sedona, but we chose Red Rock Jeep.  The rock crawling and sight seeing were really good.  Our guide, Tony, provided a very thorough, funny, and whitty commentary along the way.  Rebecca had a great time, and she's on board with having a Jeep in the family someday.

Christy and Rebecca took a shuttle to town to do some window shopping while Luke took a good nap, and then the four of us drove to Slide Rock State Park for a little fun in the water.  Brrrr, it was frigid.  Both Luke and Rebecca were shivering, and both wanted to stay.  It was so fun to see Rebecca just jump right in - she is an enthusiastic adventurer, and I admire her carefree spirit.

Next stop - The Grand Canyon...