Desert Trails and Tow Tales

Our Wild Drive Through Arizona

May 19, 2025

Arizona greeted us with an incredible blend of rugged beauty, unexpected mishaps, and unforgettable memories.

It all started in Alpine, AZ, where we laced up our boots and hit the trails. Surrounded by towering pines and fresh mountain air, we hiked until our legs reminded us we were from South Florida. We might hike the Florida natural scrub or visit one of our beautiful state parks, which may be 80' above sea level; we were not yet quite acclimated to the 9,000' or more in elevation—but the views were worth every step. The mountains are also known for thin air (hard to breathe) and lack of humidity (15-25%). My dry, cracked fingers, elbows, and knees have already gone halfway through a large bottle of Gold Bond lotion.

Of course, no road trip is complete without a little mechanical drama. Mark and Rosana's tow vehicle decided to protest its 'on-the-road charger,' and our DC-to-DC charger stopped working entirely. Cue the problem-solving, tool-wielding, slightly sweaty version of us. At least we got one of them working with the help of our four-legged supervisor. YAY.

Still, we managed to squeeze in a hike,

where we stumbled upon bones that stirred our inner paleontologists (or at least fueled a few Bigfoot jokes).

From there, we drove north along Routes 180/190 towards our next destination; looking at the map while planning our course, it looked like one of those drives that makes you want to roll down the windows, blast classic rock, and feel the road. Feel the road we did! OMG. It was an undulating, 40-mile continuous, up/down roller coaster; even at 35-40 mph, you were having your breath taken away half the time. I would never want to make that trip again.

Finally, we merged westbound onto I-40, where the road was smooth, the traffic fast, and the landscape shifted to the otherworldly hues of the National Petrified Forest and Painted Desert. We walked among ancient, rainbow-tinted logs and wind-swept badlands, feeling like time travelers stumbling into nature's art gallery.

And then came the phrase that defined the day: "Gentlemen, restart your engines!" In a scene reminiscent of a NASCAR race, Mark and I pulled our rigs into a T/A (Trucks America) fuel station, topped off our tanks quickly, and scrubbed the dead bug bodies off our windshields as we prepared for the next day's adventure.

Our next stop was Munds Park Resort, where the campground scored a solid 4 out of 5. The long drive rewarded us with an outdoor bar and entertainment venue that felt like a hidden gem in the woods. Cold drinks, live music, and the smell of pine—yes, please.

We set up base camp in Flagstaff (NOTE: basecamp for us means a multi-day stop, with multiple destinations to visit). Flagstaff is a cool mountain town, home to Northern Arizona University, so it is complete with coffee shops, breweries, shops, and hiking/camping gear stores. The girls were able to scratch their 'shopping itch' as we explored the town; the boys followed in tow to carry bags and buy coffee and beers.

The next day, we toured Walnut Canyon National Monument, where cliffside dwellings told ancient stories. The indigenous tribe of Sinagua occupied the canyon from around 1100 to 1250 AD, constructing over 80 cliff dwellings in natural alcoves within the canyon walls. These dwellings were built using stone masonry and were primarily used for living and storage. The Sinagua employed dry-farming techniques to cultivate crops such as corn, beans, and squash, utilizing terraces and check dams to conserve water in the semi-arid climate.

The Sinagua mysteriously abandoned the area around 1250 AD, possibly due to factors like drought or conflicts with neighboring tribes. We would have explored the 25 cliff dwellings along the Island Trail, which descends 185 feet into the canyon; however, the National Park personnel closed the narrow trails due to the high winds.

Next, we attempted an afternoon hike up the mighty Mt. Humphreys (12,000+'). As we made our ascent, sustained winds howled at over 30 mph, and 50mph wind gusts tried to blow us off the mountain. It was brutal, beautiful, and a little bonkers, so we ended our hike prematurely and headed back down the mountain trail. All was not lost; the excursion was another first for Mark as he stood in the snow for the first time!

The following day, we traversed south down 89A to Oak Creek Canyon, a spectacular scenic drive featuring a two-lane road that drops over 2,000 ft in elevation. Switchback after switchback, we descended from thick pines through sheer, narrow cliffs, entering the Red Rock vistas surrounding Sedona. Finally, no Arizona trip is complete without hiking Sedona's red rocks. I will let the photos tell the story.