Camp Verde, AZ

IMG_1149We found a real gem in the middle of Arizona:  Zane Grey RV park. It has a wonderful mix of multi-month residents. Many are repeat snowbirds from Canada and Colorado and other cold areas.   There is a community fire pit which people frequently use, many social events, relatively quiet and inexpensive to boot! The owners really make an effort to get people together, including providing free coffee and donuts every Saturday morning, hosting a big pot-luck breakfast once a month and providing wood, chairs, and blankets at the popular fire pit.  We ended up staying for 2 months, so this post is pretty long.  Enjoy!

Breakfast at the "Ramada" with fire pit and corn hole
Breakfast at the “Ramada” with fire pit and corn hole

The location is right in the middle of Arizona, so there was access to everything Arizona had to offer.  We originally considered the Flagstaff area but we were concerned that the altitude would make it too cold.  Sure enough, it had some sub-zero nights while there..   Some of the nights in Camp Verde were cold as well, but at 3500′ it tends to warm up a bit faster.

We were about 35 minutes from Sedona and the beautiful Red Rock canyon.   We couldn’t stop saying “Wow” each time we saw it.  IMG_1163

IMG_1159

IMG_1167
The top right rock is called “Snoopy Rock” – it looks like him lying on top of his doghouse

A funny part of this trip was: as we headed into Sedona for the first time to do some mountain biking (which it is famous for), we stopped at a “visitor center”. Problem was, it was not really a visitor center: it was a storefront for a timeshare company. The very friendly person behind the desk gave us a map and pointed us toward some trails, then asked us if we planned to do a jeep or helicopter tour while there. We replied that these things were outside of our budget, and she then offered is an incredible discount on both if we would “tour their resort”.  She never actually used the word ‘timeshare’ or we may have declined. But we really liked what we had seen of Sedona so far and would consider coming back, so we said yes. Well, we sat there in the ballroom with the poor salesman who kept asking about our vacation plans. You can imagine his deflation when we described our current lifestyle. They held up their end, though, and the helicopter ride was one of the highlights of our stay! The jeep tour was fun (if bumpy) too.IMG_3594

IMG_3611IMG_1230

There is also the ghost town of Jerome, an old copper mining town that was mostly deserted when the hippies moved in.

 

 

IMG_3619

Some views from the helicopter
Some views from the helicopter

IMG_3634

The mountain bike trails were as amazing as they are said to be. We were in a bit over our heads at times, but there’s aways hike and bike!IMG_1295

Not a lot of room for error...
Not a lot of room for error…

IMG_3521

IMG_3529

IMG_1165

IMG_3517

On our first weekend there, we drove up to the Grand Canyon (more “Wow”s).  Since it was a bit of a drive, we did not get a chance to hike, but we will head back at some point and explore it more.

The Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon
From the South Rim Trail
From the South Rim Trail
I keep telling him we're too old for selfies but he keeps taking them!
I keep telling him we’re too old for selfies but he keeps taking them!

We were hoping for some cross-country skiing, and Flagstaff rose to the occasion with a 3 foot snowfall! We found a nordic center and had a great time skiing both day and night. We met some folks from New Orleans who spent a night in a yurt at the summit. They had a most adorable puppy with them that I wish I’d gotten a better picture of.

Jeff, Ann (with puppy Humphrey in her arms) and Dave
Jeff, Ann (with puppy Humphrey in her arms) and Dave

IMG_1382

IMG_3730

Mount Humphrey/Snow Bowl
Humphrey’s Peak/Snow Bowl

IMG_3723

(Almost) night skiing with bonfire to follow
(Almost) night skiing with bonfire to follow
Hamster bush!
Hamster bush!

One thing that amazed us was how many people flock to Flagstaff just to play in the snow. At first we were puzzled about why so many cars were stopped along the roads. But then we saw everyone making snowmen, snowballs, snow angels, etc.  Along the same 2-lane road northwest of Flagstaff was: Snow Bowl ski area, the nordic ski center, several parking lots for sledders, and a snow play center, which was packed by 9 a.m. Whenever we traveled to or from the nordic center we inched along for miles in traffic.

At Christmas time we drove over to Los Alamos, New Mexico where Sue’s nephew Dan lives with his wife, Lauren and two children, Owen and Sam. Sue’s brother, David, and sister-in-law, Karen, also visited from Ann Arbor. Los Alamos has had a snowy winter and we enjoyed some skiing there, too.

David and Sue
David and Sue

Dan and Lauren had just closed on a new house so we got to see that even though they hadn’t moved in yet.

Dan, Lauren, Sam and Owen
Dan, Lauren, Sam and Owen
Sam took a liking to Jeff
Sam took a liking to Jeff

While in Los Alamos, we visited the old section and some museums, learning all about the secret laboratory where the atom and hydrogen bombs were developed. A lot of the housing in town is original government-built, and the National Laboratory still employs the majority of the towns workers.

Former boys' school where the first organizers and scientists lived
Former boys’ school where the first organizers and scientists lived

On the way to New Mexico we stopped in another National Park: Petrified Forest. It was amazing to see the colorful rocks that used to be trees millions of years ago.  Along the way we got some vistas of the painted desert.IMG_1327 IMG_1323 IMG_1311

We also went through Winslow, Arizona – and now you have that song stuck in your head too!

A girl, my lord, in a flatbed ford...
A girl, my lord, in a flatbed ford…

IMG_3680

Camp Verde has lots of trails for hiking/biking/off-roading in the area. The town is in a huge valley (The Verde Valley), and the Verde River runs through it. In summer you can kayak and whitewater raft on the river. Several of our neighbors had ATVs. There are also indian ruins everywhere. This is from Montezuma National Monument.IMG_1221

Cliff dwellings
Cliff dwellings

 

 

 

 

 

On our way from Yuma to Camp Verde, we stopped by Sue’s corporate headquarters.   Some of the people (including the CEO!) took a tour of Monty and Jeff got a tour of the manufacturing process for the “DOC Bands” that Sue works with.   It was amazing to see the progression from computer image processing, to CNC machining of the head molds to the making of the bands.

CT meets RV
CT meets RV

Sue met many of the other residents as she helped string the Christmas lights around the park before the annual tree lighting.   Jeff entered the semi-annual “corn hole” competition.   We met 2 other people who play piano and we gathered in one of their rigs for duets with multiple keyboards.

Barb and Chris
Barb and Chris
Jeff and Chris' wife, Lynn
Jeff and Chris’ wife, Lynn

Arizona has been really fun. I hope we’ll be back.

Now we’re off to southern California (again) to wait for Jeff’s daughter Vicky’s ship to pass through on its way to Japan.

One thought on “Camp Verde, AZ

  1. Wow, Thank you for the beautiful tour. I love your post and photos. It was fun meeting you both and hopes of seeing you another time. Many blessings as you travel

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *