Day 8, May 10, 2009

The stress and reality of how far I would have to drive back really started to settle in on Saturday night, so I got an early start today. I decided to go I-10 out of LA and cut up at Phoenix, AZ and go through Sedona on my way back to Albuquerque. Sedona was a suggestion of my good friend Doug. I almost passed it up, but so glad I didn't. I'll get to those pics in a second.

I got to Phoenix around mid-morning and stopped at an Air Force baseball game to say hello and visit with my old friend, Jamie Massey...






...and her fianc...uh, I mean "boyfriend," Chad. (He better ask her). Great story of how they met. I'll let Jamie pop on to the comment section and tell everyone.

It's always great to see old friends, but I couldn't stay too long because I was trying to reach Albuquerque before dark so I could set up camp. That didn't happen because I was mesmerized by the beauty of Sedona, AZ and didn't want to leave.






"You have to drive through Sedona," was suggested by my friend Doug. I was so tired and almost skipped it. I just wanted to get to Albuquerque and go to bed. I'm so glad I didn't pass it up.






The red rocks were amazing!





I wasn't able to snap a pic of it, but the town of Sedona was very cute. I put it on my list of places to stop and stay a day or two when I do the trip again (and I know that I will do it again). I drove through Sedona from the south. As I drove out of the red rocks I entered Oak Creek Valley.






It was another gorgeous drive. I consider myself blessed to have been able to see so many beautiful places across the country.






Once I left Oak Creek Canyon, it was only a short drive to Flagstaff where I picked up I-40 East for Albuquerque. I got to my campsite after dark, and with 20-30 mph wind gusts. There was no storm, just a very strange wind that lasted all night. There were a few other tent campers when I set up my camp, but when I woke up at 2:00a (had to pee... Bathroom was 50 yards away btw) I noticed the other tent campers had packed up and left. Maybe it was the fact that it felt like someone was standing on each side of my tent shaking it all night. Just a bizzare wind. I did finally fall asleep.


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