- This video is sponsored
by Custom Covers. (light rock music) ♪ I'm riding ♪ ♪ Riding, riding ♪ ♪ Riding in my RV ♪ ♪ My RV ♪ ♪ Wherever I want to be ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm free in my RV, yeah ♪ We are leaving Phoenix, so you can start saying goodbye
to the cacti for a while, because we are going to go up
in elevation in a few here, quite a bit, actually. ♪ Riding ♪ ♪ Riding in my RV ♪ ♪ Wherever I want to be ♪ ♪ Because I'm free ♪ ♪ In my RV, yeah ♪ This is what I mean. And sometimes you gotta go
40 in a 60 mile an hour zone because you just can't do it. Yep, we're gaining some
serious elevation here. ♪ Yeah ♪ Sometimes you have to go down to 30 or 35. See my temperature gauge? Yeah, in time I have
learned to watch that gauge very closely when I'm towing uphill and I have found out that
as long as I slow down and take it easy, I can tackle
almost any mountain, so far. I think we've reached the top, for now. Rest area. Yeah, I need a break. It is called the Sunset Point Rest Area. Coffee break. I've been told that the desert critters don't come out when it
is cold, so we're safe. Well, in any case, it is a nice view and I needed a break. And there is Minitini, looking cute. I actually overheard some
people at the rest area say how cool my little camper was. (light rock music) Let's continue. It is gorgeous out here. This downhill drive here is just gorgeous, as we approach Camp Verde, and the Verde River, and
the Sedona Verde Valley. We're getting close. First, let's go see Montezuma
Castle National Monument. I did some research on Google Maps and it looks like there is RV parking. Well, here we are. Here at Montezuma Castle. They have a small museum
here, explaining the history, and you exit through the gift shop. (light flute music) It is such a gorgeous day, and there it is, what we came to see. The main cliff dwelling here. (light ambient music) Well, the story goes, this used to be home to the Southern Sinaguan people, who lived here in the Verde Valley since around the year 700, and then in 1400, they just moved away, nobody really knows why. The Sinaguans were
farmers, hunter, gatherers, and at some point, just like
the ancestral Pueblo people of Mesa Verde, they moved
into cliff dwellings as well, and that's what we're seeing here. Yeah, this is where cliff
dwellers, very similar, I guess, or probably the same as
the ancestral Pueblo people we saw in Mesa Verde
a couple of years ago. See, very very interesting, very cool. I got to use my annual
pass for the first time. (light electronic music) Well, apparently this was like
an apartment building here. And according to the
archeologist, it burnt down at some point, but this is what remains. It was like six stories high. As we look at the rock
face, we can only imagine what it must have looked like when the Sinagua people lived here. There are two other
major sites in the area, Montezuma's Well and Tuzigoot, but we're only going to
visit this one today. The well doesn't have oversized parking, none that I can see in the satellite image and Tuzigoot, it's a
little bit of a detour. In a couple of days,
we're also going to visit the northern Sinaguans at Walnut Canyon, which is just east of Flagstaff,
so stay tuned for that. Sinagua, by the way, comes
from the Spanish words sin, meaning without,
and agua, meaning water, so these are the people without water. The name was given by the Spaniards when they arrived and couldn't
find any permanent rivers in the area. (suspenseful orchestral music) Well, let's continue. Sedona awaits. (light electronic music) At 5000 feet above sea level, it is getting a little
hot in the engine bay, and people are passing
me at double my speed. Well, there is snow up here. It's first to get here. I have to climb to
almost 7000 feet, though. I have decided to boondock at the Coconino National Forest, so I have to drive almost
to all the way to Flagstaff on I-17, and then backtrack a
little bit south on the 89A, which gets really picturesque
as you approach Sedona. I'm going to leave the
trailer in the forest and continue with Kia on the
steep grades and hairpin turns. We can see the San Francisco
peaks in the distance, so we must be getting close. Here's where we go back south on the 89A. Here we are, our home for the night. Well it is a little wetter
and muddier than I expected. You know, even a little slippery. In fact, right here, turning
right, my traction failed, my wheels spinned, and
I almost hit that sign. (sighing) First scary moment of the week, but not the last one for sure. More about that later. Let me just find the
site and regroup here. This right here looks nice enough. Well, this is the
Coconino National Forest. And guess what, this is where I'm staying. A little bit of a challenge,
coming down this road, but we'll be fine. (light electronic music) To Sedona we go. It is past noon already, so we are no going to be able
to do all that much today, but there's always tomorrow. Going south on the 89A. It is the most picturesque
segment of the road, as we go through this canyon here. The part that I wanted to
avoid towing the trailer. That's why I drove further north on I-17 and then backtracked. This is the Slide Rock State Park. I'm gonna check it out tomorrow. Yeah, wishful thinking. The sight of all these rock formations is a sign we are getting
close to our destination. And here we are, downtown Sedona. The Pink Jeep Tours seem to
be a staple in this town. The landscape, so uniquely beautiful. I actually stumbled upon
this residential neighborhood and decided to explore. Figured the hill would
give me a better view, but what I'm really looking for is the Chapel of the Holy cross and I think it's this way. (light rock music) There it is, on the left. Let's find parking. Do those look like
people or is it just me? It is such a beautiful setting. (light ambient music) Considered one of the seven
man-made wonders of Arizona, this is one of the must
see sites here in Sedona. It was completed in 1956, inspired and commissioned by
local rancher and sculptor, Marguerite Brunswig Staude. (choir singing) Check out this landscape all around us, the contrast of the red rock
and the green vegetation against the deep blue sky. (light ambient music) It's so peaceful out here, as I walk down the ramp,
towards the parking lot. (light electronic music) I think it is time to
continue exploring Sedona. Let's stop down here one more
time to get a better view. And they have Porta Potties. A little further down
we get this other view. And now for the final view. (light rock music) By the way, no RVs allowed, that is, of course, unless
you have a fancy class B. Okay, one last view of
this wonderful structure, which seems to be wedged on the rock. It is almost surreal to finally be here and see it in person. (light electronic music) Well, the day is quickly coming to an end and I want to return to the
forest before it gets dark, but before we go, there is one more place I want to see today. This is the spot called Lover's Knoll, and as suspected, it has a great view of these rock formations. I really wish I would
have brought the drone, but, you know, one of those things. I left in a bit of a hurry. Yeah, this is just awe inspiring. What a great view. I'm going to drive a little
further down this road to this other vista point. Yeah, that's the shot, right
there, between the trees. (light rock music) Well, it is time to return
to my boondocking spot in the forest, and tomorrow, tomorrow we'll return
and do a hike or two. Here we are. But before we continue, let me
tell you about Custom Covers, our sponsor here. And they make these
steel covers for your RV, to protect it from the weather, and they come in many different colors, available in 29 states with
a two to four week lead time. Just call Lisa at 501-455-4442 and if you tell her I sent you, she'll give you a five percent discount. Well, good morning from the
Coconino National Forest here in Arizona. That's where we slept last night. And is that ice? Yep, the ground seems to
be pretty frozen still. And so is old Kia. We've got ice. Huh. (light electronic music) Let's go back to Sedona
and do a hike or two. I am particularly interested
in the Cathedral Rock hike and maybe one of the famous
energy vortices in the area. Should be fun. Here we are. Nine a.m. in the morning. Not many people on the
street, not yet anyways. Hmmm, no drones. I'm telling you, they are banning them from all the cool places, but in all fairness, it looks like there is an airport nearby. Where you buy the pass. And then this you just put in your car. (light electronic music) Let's do the Cathedral Rock. Well, so far so good here. I am not in the greatest
of physical shapes, but not too bad. And, yeah, it's up and up and up. Check out the other people
on this rail up there. I think this was the easy part. Now comes the hard part. Well, I've certainly never
climbed anything like that. It is a very steep part of the trail. I had to put down the camera because I needed my hands to support myself and
continue ascending here and I think I'm gonna have
to put down the camera again. It looks like someone lost their hat here. Getting closer. Yes, by far, the hardest
hike I've ever done. Yeah, by far, the most
difficult hike I've ever done. That part down there, you know,
crawling through the rocks. Now this part is easy. Easy peasy. Check out the view. Almost there. (light electronic music) Well, one thing for sure. The view is absolutely breathtaking. Check out the parking lot
all the way down there. Well, I didn't quite make
it all the way to the top. You know, a man has to know his limits and as it is, this is more than my limit. I think I pushed it. It's a beautiful view. I think it was worth it. Look at that. You know, let me give you a 360. Maybe next time I'll
make it to the top here. I've got to practice. It's a long way down and that Kia is somewhere down there. Just getting down through there. And now we continue. I guess these piles of rocks also mark the trail going down. Look out. My camcorder just had a glitch, but apparently it is back. (laughing) Yeah, don't tell anybody, but I dropped it on my way up. Wasn't a bad drop, but yeah. (laughing) Oooh, this is gonna be difficult. Right, so beautiful out here. (light electronic music) I'm back at the parking
lot for a quick break. I went to the car to take
a break, get some water. And now I'm gonna attempt to do the trail that goes to the, it's an energy vortex. (light electronic music) It is called the Templeton Trail, and as you can see my camera
is getting worse by the minute. As I confessed earlier, I
did drop it on the way up to Cathedral Rock, maybe
cracked a circuit board or something? I don't know. By the way, check out all these houses. They must have a tremendous view. We're getting close to the river, which is where the energy
vortex supposed to be. I think we're getting close. I hear water. Well, the camera finally died. Luckily, I still have my
phone, at least for now. It's not the greatest, but I have it. This here is called Oak Creek, and somewhere down there is the aforementioned energy vortex, the Red Rock Crossing Vortex, it's called. - [Automated Voice] You've arrived. (light rock music) - Well, vortex or no vortex,
it is still a beautiful spot. No, that's fine. Thank you. Well, it is time to head back. Did I tell you I broke my
good camera on the trail? Luckily, there is a Best Buy in Flagstaff and I'm gonna try to get
something relatively inexpensive just to get by. Maybe I can get it fixed. - [Automated Voice] Continue
on Back O' Beyond Road for half a mile. - Gonna have lunch here at the Cowboy Club. I sit at the bar, of course,
savoring a good local IPA and the cowboy barbecue
plate, mmm, delicious. Well, if I was staying here tonight, I would probably have the wine tasting, but it'll have to be some other time. Well, this is kind of the main strip here. Downtown Sedona. Well, now for real, it is time to go. (light electronic music) There is vista point
here, the Oak Creek vista, overlooking the Sterling Canyon. Oh yeah, truly breathtaking
views from up here. I mean, I wish my good
camera was still working. (light electronic music) And there is still snow
on the side of the canyon. Also, here by the parking lot, they are selling Native American crafts and jewelry and all that good stuff. Before I go, let me show
you my environs right here in the middle of the
Coconino National forest. (light electronic music) Okay, to Flagstaff we go! Well, this is for sure the
highest we've ever been, 7,000 feet. There's an RV park
right here to the right. Maybe I should call and find
out if they have vacancy, but, you know what, first things first. Let's buy that temporary camcorder. Mmm, there's a better spot here. The RV park is called Black Barts and they even have a steakhouse. Let's go for a quick drive around the town. Well, let's explore
Flagstaff just a little bit. - [Automated Voice] Take the next right onto North San Francisco Street, then your destination
will be on the right. - And while we're at it, let's put this new cheap
replacement camcorder through a quick test here. It'll have to get me by for
the rest of the trip, you know? Here's the famous Monte Vista Hotel, as I look for parking here. There's the courthouse. (light jazz music) And there is route 66, which we will tackle on the next video. Here's the Orpheum Theater,
dating back to 1911. Check out all the snow on the street. Okay, let's continue. Being the astronomy buff
or enthusiast that I am, I want to see the Lowell Observatory. It is on top of a hill,
pretty close to downtown. It looks like we're gonna get
a pretty good view from here, so let's park. Here, let's enter here. It was originally established in 1894 and it was here that former planet Pluto was discovered back in 1930. It would be nice to see the observatory, but I'm really tired, as
you can probably tell. It's $15 admission, so, I don't know for the amount of time that I'm going to be here, if it is worth it. It seems to be geared
more for children, really. Although, it would have been cool to see the place where they discovered the planet that is no longer a planet. That is not the planet. Look, a kaleidoscope. Oh well. Gonna see if we can go there just to see the Copala. And then I think I'm gonna
go back to the RV park, edit some video. There it is. On the next video, we are
going to start driving east, towards Albuquerque, getting
our kicks on Route 66. (light rock) If you have enjoyed traveling with us, make sure you are subscribed
and check out my other videos. Also, share it with your
friends, spread the word, and leave me a comment. Now, if you really really liked it, you have a chance to show your support at Patreon.com/travelingrobert. As always, thank you so much for watching and see you on the road.
