Sedona

April 20-21

Thinking about the long drive to Lo Lo Mai Springs in AZ, I left the El Morro Campground around 7pm tonight and headed west to Winslow, AZ where I suppose I could have stood on a corner:) but instead decided to rest in a Walmart parking lot. On the road by 6am put me at Lo Lo Mai Springs (15 miles south of Sedona) around 9am. After checking in at the front desk, I backed my rig into site #2 near the spring - beautiful spot! Went to towns (Cottonwood and Sedona) to check them out as well as to replenish supplies. The mountain views from downtown Sedona are spectacular!

April 22 Sedona

Went to Sedona again but didn’t stay long; while it is a beautiful setting, the town is very busy with tourists and traffic and to me - a bit stressful. While researching places to hike, I learned that fees are required for hiking and just about every other day-use activity on National Forest lands around Sedona. My $80 annual federal agency pass (which is supposed to provide access to all federal public lands) doesn’t count around Sedona. Evidently, the extra fees are required to maintain these heavily used areas but (trying hard to be positive here:)) paying to hike with crowds does not interest me.

April 23 Reflections

A dear friend once pegged me well when she said I was an extroverted loner:)   On the one hand, I love to entertain friends, especially when it involves cooking and wine; however, when I’m outdoors, I enjoy being alone and suspect am not alone in seeking a balance between socializing and solitude.

Included in the many enjoyments of this journey is visiting places, meeting new people, and having time to reflect. It amazes me how there can be anything left to learn about myself; you’d think I’d have figured me out by now:).  Of course I was pretty oblivious to being present or examining my inner feelings while on the career train. This journey provides time for introspection and may change who I am (or think I am).

From traffic signal downtown Sedona