Kat found mention in the blogosphere of a couple of good off-road places to dry camp near Sedona. Dr. Larry recommended the town highly, and despite my previously discussed concerns with destinations sans address, we left Cottonwood nearly a week ago in search of Sedona. (We got there a couple of hours later, it’s just taken me a while to work up this blog.)
Besides not having a street address, my other concern with boondocking is dirt roads. Your rig gets absolutely filthy and every dirt byway contains sections of road with enough washboard to loosen your fillings. If it rains exiting can become a real horrorshow. There had been no rain in weeks, but we were not sure how much dirt road we’d cover before finding our site. It turned out to be twenty minutes’ worth, or exactly 3.5 miles. (If you’re interested, from Sedona follow Boynton Pass Road southwest until the pavement ends, then continue two miles to its intersection with FR 525. Turn left on 525 and proceed 1.5 miles where you will see evidence of past camping on the left, and you’re home!)
Sedona is a tourist’s town that doubles as a haven for the well-to-do. There are so many big, beautiful homes and surely everyone in them plays golf. Where they find the water to nourish so many lush courses is beyond me, but the town supports several. Sedona may also be the No Trespassing/Private Property sign capital of the state; most of these big homes have electric gates, intercoms, and security cameras along with those unsightly, unfriendly signs. You see the same thing in beach towns, but these may be the first such warnings we’ve noticed out west.
Sedona marks the southern edge of Red Rock country and has more than its share of lovely rock formations. There is a creek running through downtown that now has water and a forest of cypress and cottonwoods along its banks. Sedona has at least a dozen galleries, many full of expensive modern pieces. While I have not consulted Yelp, I suspect one could dine at a different café or restaurant here every meal for a month and not visit all of them.
The rocky skyline is spectacular, especially around dusk and dawn. I’m glad we came.
Life on the Blue Highways 
Hey,
Glad you made it. We were there in february and absolutely loved it. Keep up the posts luv living vicariously through your travels. maybe one day…..
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Maybe now is the day, Doc. Or at least next year … it does take a while to find the right rig, to plan your travels, and to decide whether to rent your home, and if so, more time to do it. You’ve pulled a boat; a trailer isn’t that different. Get a five to ten year old Airstream, probably a 25′ (we have all our stuff in a 28′, but if you figure on doing this for six months or a couple of years, you can easily leave most of that stuff in storage.) ‘Streams lose no more than 5% of their value per year, and if you replace carpet or appliances or drapes, you’ll get that back when you sell it. Ditto with a pull vehicle; diesel trucks last forever, become very reasonable after they’re five or six years old, and unless you go under 25’, you will need that kind of power. RV’s are easier to drive, and you can keep your smaller car as its Towed, but their markup is worse and the market depreciation is much worse. Still, there’s more room.
If you’re thinking of a season (six months for most) or a few years on the road, now is the time. Besides I’m looking forward to reading Linda’s blogs and seeing your photos.
Jackson
Jackson
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Maybe a better way is to pick a part of the country you haven’t seen or want to see more of. Rent a rig and spend a few weeks soaking up clean air and quiet. Maybe fly out west, and see the Oregon/Washington Pacific and mountain parks while it’s hot in FLA.
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