PART 7 Flagstaff to Mexico Border.
After 4 days of talking, presenting, meetings and long Happy Hours it was time to start exploring again, next stop was Sedona in the Northern Verde Valley.
Sedona is a small desert city surrounded by awe-inspiring scenery. The town is known for the red sandstone formations. Sedona was called America’s most beautiful location (Source: USA today). When arriving the striking red rock formations are amazing. The formations glow in brilliant orange and red when illuminated by the rising or setting sun. Sedona played host to more than sixty Hollywood productions from the first years of movies into the 1970s. Stretching as far back as 1923, Sedona’s red rocks were a fixture in major Hollywood productions.
We camped 15km out of town on top of the mountain so we could witness the sun set and sunrise. And we were woken up by a hot air balloon landing 50 meters away from our motorhome.
Next stop was Prescott, catching up with Scott Brady for a podcast and installing a new awning which need replacement after 13 years of travel.
Prescott has a rich history as a frontier gold and silver mining town. In the mid 1877s Prescott was the capital of Arizona; this was the second time; it was also the capital from 1864 till 1867. In 1889 Phoenix became the capital city and still is today.
The area is known for its authentic cowboy history, and Whiskey Row. Located at 1600 meters the city is surrounded by ponderosa pine forests, giant granite boulders, and lakes. Mining and settlers brought frequent conflict with native American tribes in the area, including the Yavapai and Apache.
Local microbreweries, distilleries, and restaurants serving both comfort and modern cuisines continue to pop up, adding to the already well-known Whiskey Row scene. The spirit of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and other legendary cowboy figures still live in the heart of saloons of downtown Prescott. There is no shortage of experiencing the True West, the Wild West in Prescott.
Prescott residents told us that they have the world’s Oldest Rodeo”, running continuously since 1888. The rodeo is one of the most famous in the United States.
We left Phoenix 2 months ago to start Route 66 and today we returned to Phoenix, to catch up with Dave and Megan and to pick up a parcel that will arrive from Europe in the next few days. Phoenix is the most populous city in Arizona. It has as nickname the Valley of the Sun. Phoenix is in the Northeast Part of the Sonoran Desert. The city has long, extremely hot summers and short, mild winters. Phoenix receives just under 4000 hours of sunshine per year. It has on average 115 days over 38 degrees Celsius, between May and September.
Time to say goodbye to Dave and Megan and head towards Mexico via the Sonoran Desert.
The Sonoran Desert is an arid region covering 310,800 square km in the Southwest of Arizona and Southeast of California, it even flows into the northern part of Mexico. Lots of wild camping in the area; just be aware of the coyotes and mountain lions, tarantulas, scorpions, and snakes.
In addition to the Saguaro cactus, the signature plant of the desert, other types include the barrel cactus and organ pipe cactus.
The Colorado Desert is part of the Sonoran Desert that shares with the Yuma Desert Basin. The Yuma Desert is barren, a region of low sandy plains and dunes with only sporadic outcroppings of creosote bush or burr sage. The Yuma desert lies south of the Gila River and East of the Colorado River in the Southwest corner of Arizona. This area is amazing if you like remote bush camping.
According to Guinness World Records, Yuma is the “Sunniest City on Earth,” promising “sunshine and warm weather at least 330 days of the year. Yuma is the driest, the sunniest, and the least humid, has the lowest frequency of precipitation, and has the highest number of sunny days per year, with a daily maximum temperature of 32 °C or higher. Yuma recorded its all-time high temperature of 51 °C, and Yuma receives 85 mm of rain annually.
Anywhere from 70,000 to over 85,000 interstate visitors make Yuma their winter residence. Yuma is also known for its large military population due to several military bases, including the Marine Corps Air Station.
Last city before we enter Mexico is Calexico. This border city is in far southern California. In April 2010 Calexico was hit by a major 7.2 M Earthquake and this caused heavy damage throughout Calexico and across the border in Mexicali.
Till, Next time
VIVA LA MEXICO
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