From Zion National Park on a sun filled Christmas day to New Year’s Eve spent above Oak Creek Canyon north of Sedona at 6400 feet and -10C, this was “not your mother’s” Christmas holiday. I had roughed out a route and researched a few possible campgrounds and boondock locations, but the theme of this adventure was quickly revealed to be “you just never know”. You never know what’s around the next corner, you never know where the day will end, or where the wheels will stop.
Boondocking isn’t for everyone but after her first taste of it, on the outskirts of St George, Utah, Shannon was hooked. It took no convincing the following night and we found a secluded spot outside of Kanab with a stunning view of the Vermillion Cliffs. We did stay in a proper RV park in Page AZ, and made good use of the laundry facilities, hot tub and showers. We stayed in the Kaibab National Forest right beside the Grand Canyon and at the top of the Navaho National Monument with cliff dwelling dating back to 1300AD. There was a forest access road near Sedona, the municipal fairgrounds in Cottonwood and dispersed camping on BLM land overlooking a pioneer cemetery just west of Phoenix. And what RV adventure would be complete without a night behind a Cracker Barrel.
I’ve been putting off writing about this segment because I don’t feel that words can do it justice and I know that the photos don’t hold a candle to the things we saw. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I’ll let the album do the talking and try to keep it under a million.
