Got a bucket list? One of my bucket-list items was to drive across the desert and see the epic flatness, red rock passes and endless desertscapes of the wild west. Conjuring images of old westerns watched with my dad, I imagined the good guys and the bad guys hiding in the canyons and bluffs for the ambush. While visiting Phoenix, Arizona, I took a 400 mile, 9 hour road trip from Phoenix through Sedona to Flagstaff, on to Meteor Crater, via Route 66 to “Standin-on-the-corner” in Winslow, Arizona and back cross-country to Phoenix … in a Ford Mustang Convertible!
Doesn’t the top-down freedom of wind in your hair, the endless sun of Arizona at 70 miles per hour in a convertible sound like a perfect daytrip? If historical landmarks are your thing, Montezuma’s Castle’s for you. If it’s the grandiosity of the red rock wonders, Sedona’s yours. Prefer upscale shops and boutique getaways? Sedona’s got what your chasing. Camping or kid-friendly desires? Slide Rock or Red Rock State Park is the thing.
First Stop … Montezuma’s Castle
Taking Highway 17 north from Phoenix towards Flagstaff first takes you to Montezuma’s Castle (in the Cape Verde area). Over a thousand years ago, the Sinagua people lived here in an ingenious 45-room dwelling high up on the cliff face – Montezuma’s Castle
100′ off the valley floor. Etched under the overhang of the cliff face is a 6-storey architectural wonder (remember this was all created 1000+ years ago) housing hundreds in this community. As I explored the valley area below, seeing the remnants of their agricultural and hunter/gatherer lifestyle on the banks of the Verde River, I thought how peaceful and idyllic a location to have as an ancient homestead.
By Stacy Rosien – Full Story at SOURCE
Nortern Arizona Gay Travel Resources