WEDNESDAY 4/19/17: JEROME & SEDONA

It's that time of the day that I love. The sun is beginning to set on the horizon. The shadows are falling in the campground & I can smell barbecued chicken on the grill.

We are back at Dead Horse tonight. The generator part (turns out it was an issue with the brushes not the voltage regulator) will be in sometime tomorrow. And, the shop says it will only take a couple hours to complete the job.

We left the campground before 7 am today to get to the shop. When we arrived, the repair shop was closed. Weird! 

We were told to show up at seven but no one was there. We waited for close to an hour and the kids were so patient and didn't complain one bit. Turns out, there was an accident that had blocked the highway. A few minutes before eight, the employees showed up and we were back in business for repairs. 

Having the minivan was a great call today. On our way to Jerome last night, Alex had spotted a caboose cafe and wanted to go there for breakfast. So, that was our first stop- Violette's Bakery Cafe in Clarkdale. Tasty coffee and breakfast sandwiches. Alex ordered a bacon scone and fell in love.

Poor Willow has had a couple drinks spilled on her this week & today it was orange juice. After seeing the oj spill, I quickly grabbed Sierra's water and dumped it on the dog. This solved the sticky dog issue but really pissed Sierra off. "I am not happy Mom," she pouted. I apologized but she held on to her anger for a while. Oh to be five years old and have someone use your water. The drama!

Next stop was Jerome again.  Our mission was to see if Made in Jerome Pottery was open. It was, and it was really cool when we walked in to the studio. There, at the self powered potter's wheel, sat David Hall. I think I shared that over 20 years ago I bought one of his pieces and at that time he was at the wheel as well. Alex picked out a piece by the artisit Jane Moore & Sierra and I picked out two of David's mugs. I told him I treasure the piece of his I have at home. It was really cool to talk with him and he invited the kids over to watch him work. 

David's view of the Verde Valley from his potter's wheel is amazing. After leaving the shop, Alex wanted to shop along the streets but we convinced him that a trip to Sedona would be fruitful (he could visit a crystal/rock shop.) He took the bait and we headed towards Sedona.

And holy moly, Sedona has grown. So many tourists, and jeeps, walking/driving the main strip of town and buying tshirts and Arizona souvenoirs. We drove straight through to Slide Rock State Park, which was crowded as well. Tourist central. I would have turned back out, but we'd already paid the money to get in and the dogs needed a walk anyway. Dogs are not allowed down by the swim area, so Steve and I took turns hanging in the shade with Titus and Willow & playing in the water with the kids. We probably stayed about an hour and then followed through on our promise and headed to the crystal shop. There, Alex bought a piece of rose quartz and Sierra picked out a bundle of sage. So many treasures to collect!

As late afternoon approached, Mama was getting tired. Steve picked up the rig with Alex & the dogs, while Sierra and I headed to Safeway for some resupply shopping. I swear, groceries seem less expensive here. It was great because we power shopped and the guys came to tonight's campsite and were all set up by the time we arrived.

And now, I am sitting at the dinette table, watching the kids ride bikes out side and play. I need to just chill for a few minutes after spending the last couple of hours doing dishes and cleaning out & restocking the refrigerator. 

I am so grateful that the Ranger called us today to let us know that a site with electricity opened up. It is hot here in the lovely desert sun. And it's about to get hotter over the next two days as we travel across the Mojave to the California coast.

The goal is now to arrive in Monterey on Saturday, meet and stay with family & then head up to wine country to visit an old college friend of mine (Katja) and her family. After that, we may head towards Bend/Sunriver area to ski or bike. But again, who knows where our adventures will take us! ♡