Wow. Add internet to my list of things this country lags behind on. The only wifi to be had has been when I pull into a McDonald’s parking lot in desperation. So all of my posts will be a couple of days delayed from now on, but that’s fun for me to look back.

The morning I left Homolovi State Park (which had unlimited hot showers, a luxury I am starting to appreciate 10x more), I did not know where I would sleep that night. I drove west and first stopped at Walnut Canyon National Monument. I didn’t know what it was but was happily surprised by a mountain hike past and through ancient cliff-side cave dwellings. The people who lived here were called “Sinagua,” Spanish for “without water,” referring to the desert climate here. They farmed the rim of the canyon and built homes into the sheltered cliffs within the canyon between 1125 and 1250. At some point they moved on from this place and probably assimilated into the neighboring Hopi people.

Back in the car I was struck by feeling a lot like my old happy-go-lucky self. I was bopping along, singing loudly to ridiculous music, squealing with delight whenever I spotted an elk or a pronghorn antelope on the side of the road. This was the first time in awhile that I didn’t have to think about being reserved in public spaces; I did not have to be quiet and respectful of other passengers; I was free to be me. Bringing the old cheerfulness and the new independent sides of Nicole together. That’s what this trip is for! (There are however constant reminders; the other day I heard a couple talking a few campsites over and was SHOCKED when I realized they were speaking English. It’s funny the things that I’m still getting used to.)

From Walnut Canyon I continued west and spontaneously turned south toward Sedona.The main road from the north takes you right through Oak Creek, which is a beautiful long canyon with golden cliffs on both sides and dense forest at the bottom. I had pre-emtively asked the ranger at Walnut Canyon for some good hiking recommendations so I headed straight through the über touristy town center to the Soldier Pass trailhead. He had told me it was a great 3-4 hour hike that brings you up a canyon and gives great views all the way back down. It was more beautiful than I expected. I don’t know how, but I had no idea what Sedona and the Red Rock region looked like! I was blown away.

I looped Soldier Pass trail with Brins Mesa trail for a great 7 mile hike. I passed a few other folks but was generally on my own for all but the bottom piece (which was open to mountain bikers and off-road jeeps).

The ranger at Walnut Creek mentioned one other important thing; “dispersed camping.” It turns out you can camp for free on most forest service roads within a national forest. Most of the region around Sedona is Coconino National Forest and I was excited to capitalize on this opportunity. I took my poor Hyundai wagon all over back dirt roads searching for the perfect spot. The first few I saw were already taken by campers. The next good spot was a pull off with a good view of the outer red cliffs. I cracked open a beer, got out my book and was settling in… Until I noticed a truck driving by… Staring at me. He went by three times. I was sufficiently creeped out. So I moved to a pull out off a side road off the forest road. The view was even better there, and I made a yummy dinner enjoyed the sunset.

Just before it got dark and I finished my dishes I started the car again to charge my batteries… And found myself driving. I felt extremely isolated and the thought in the back of my head was still, “what if someone tries to break into my car in the middle of the night? Is anyone close enough to hear the alarm?”

This was a change for me. In the past I would have been stubborn, stayed where I was, and probably not gotten much sleep starting at every noise outside. As it turned out, I doubled back to the first spot I had seen and approached the family who was staying there. They turned out to be total kindred spirits from Alberta; they sold their house a year ago, bought a camper, and have been traveling around Canada and the US with their two kids (aged maybe 10 and 12) ever since. They invited me to share their campfire and another dinner. We stayed up chatting about our favorite places, how to find local food while traveling, politics, and birthday parties. It was really lovely.

The next morning I got up early (6:20) and headed back through town to the south to see the big buttes where the hippy folks thought UFOs would crack out from in the 70s. Everything here is beautiful. I enjoyed the sunrise and my breakfast and then headed out. I believed that nothing could possibly top the hike I did yesterday, and there was so much more to see in Arizona!