We are still in Cottonwood, Arizona.

This morning we drove into Sedona for a look round the shops and galleries. The Sedona Art Centre was our favourite.
www.SedonaArtsCenter.com
The mountains start just behind the very smart shops here and someone who has lived here for 4 years said that she still marvels at the scenery.


Early in the afternoon we drove to Crescent Moon Park at the bottom of Oak Creek Canyon. This lovely place wasn't listed in the guide books and we reached it over rough, unmade roads so that Alan was finally able to use the features of the SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle).


We followed a trail by the river. It was cooler in the shade of the trees but in the open, on the bare rock, temperatures were very nearly 100 degrees.

The river was low and on the side we came to these odd looking piles of balanced river stones.

As it was so hot we found a shady place to dabble our feet in the cool water. We could see fish, good sized trout we think, swimming up the river. A couple who were swimming lower down called us over to show us a snake they had found sunning itself.

As we left an elderly lady spotted the Route 66 badge on Alan's cap. She asked us if we were following the route and said that she wished she could join us. We talked for quite some time and found that her, and her husband's, grandparents were emigrant farmers and miners from England.

I think we found the place today where the locals relax but we got caught in the 4 o'clock rush hour back in Cottonwood.