FLAGSTAFF AND THE NATIONAL MONUMENTS

July 17 - We drove up to Flagstaff today because I needed to get a steroid shot in my spine at the Flagstaff Medical Center. It is supposed to solve the problem of pain and weakness in my right hip and leg. The appointment was in the morning so that gave us some time for some touring.

Flagstaff has three National Monuments close by; four if you count the Grand Canyon but it was a little too far away for an afternoon drive. In the past we have visited all of the National Monuments but at that time I did not have the Passport To Your National Parks book to have stamped with the Cancellation Stamp. We spent the afternoon revisiting the parks to get the all-important Cancellations!

Walnut Canyon National Monument.

Not as grand as the Grand Canyon but very picturesque.


Cliff dwellings built into the canyon wall between 1125 and 1250.


Pueblo and Pit House ruins.


Our next stop was Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.

The volcano erupted 800 years ago but the landscape appears unchanged. "Lava Flows seem to have hardened to a rough surface just yesterday."

Red volcanic ash still covers the area.

Nearby we went to the Wupatki National Monument.
Wuoki Pueblo ruins.

Wupatki Village ruins.

I was surprised to see the the Painted Desert from the Wupatki ruins! So far West. We have been to the more impressive Painted Desert but it was 115 miles further East on Hwy 40. I did not realize that the Painted Desert is so huge!!

We were able to visit all three of the National Monuments in just one afternoon. And! I got the Official Cancellations for my Passport Book!

After touring, we wanted to have an early dinner at one of the local restaurants before driving back to Cottonwood. As we first arrived in Flagstaff we saw Granny's Closet on the right and Ken suggested we eat there. I said I thought a Closet would sell cloths, not food. But, checking at the Visitor's Center we discovered that Granny's Closet was indeed a local restaurant located on Historic Route 66!

We each ordered the Half Rack of Ribs. Good thing we didn't order the Full Rack!! It was very good! YUMMMM! And we had enough left over for dinner the next night!!

FOURTH OF JULY, COTTONWOOD, AZ

Several friends have asked why I have not posted anything on the Highway Runner Blog!! The truth is, nothing is happening around here!! We are still in Cottonwood, AZ mostly at TT Verde Valley. Everyone else has already left. It has been soooo hot that we have turned our motor home into a Library and basically read all day long to stay out of the heat.

We are still here because in early June we had check-ups with our doctors in Cottonwood. Of course, there were follow-ups and follow-ups and follow-ups. Ken is finished with his appointments, but I am still waiting for two shots scheduled for next week. After that we hope to be gone!!

Here is my new little friend. He and some of his siblings exercise with me every morning!!

We heard on the radio that Cottonwood was having it's annual Fourth of July fireworks and they were some of the best fireworks in northern Arizona! They were also having free food, etc. etc. etc. We decided to go. As we arrived the roads and fences were lined with American flags. Got everyone into a festive mood!

We arrived a little after 5 o'clock and immediately went to the tent where Hog Wild (a local BBQ) was serving free hamburgers!


Followed with all you can eat watermelon!

They really went all out with fun things for the kids!! Fun Houses!

Huge Water Slides!!

This is some of the crowd!

We met a nice couple with five kids while we were eating our hamburgers. She told us the fireworks were surprisingly impressive for a small town. They also told us where to sit so the trees would not block our view.

After we had eaten, we took our lawn chairs and found an excellent place to sit! It was about 6 o'clock!

After about forty-five minutes of people watching and trying to read our books, we began wondering how we would wait another two and a half hours for the fabulous fireworks.

We decided we had come to the event far too early!! We would never make it to 9 PM.!!! You can all see this coming!! We gave up on the live fireworks in Cottonwood, AZ and went home and watched the fireworks in NYC!!

They were spectacular but not as great as the real thing would have been!! Next time we'll arrive quite a bit later to watch the fireworks.