Cottonwood, AZ
What a wonderful change of pace from the previous AZ location. This was an easy 2 hour drive north from where we were and the perfect place to spend a few weeks before we make the long trip down to Florida.
I was really happy with our site and the campground in general. This is the first campground we have visited where we got to select our own site. I think that contributed to why we had such a nice time in the spot we were in. We had lots of room at our site and there was a tree that provided shade. The weather was really nice and while the highs were in the mid 90s it would cool off into the 60s on most nights. There were a few days of rain but no big storms.
More Family Time
Dave and Maggi were able to come up and visit for a day. We went out to the AZ stronghold winery where we had a flight of wine as well as some snacks.
After that we all came back to the camp site where Dave and Maggi got to see the 5th wheel and enjoy some diner and drinks. Dan did the cooking and the bartending, he went all out with the menu.
Prickly Pear Margaritas – Mezcal, Tequila, Triple Sec, lime juice, prickly pear syrup
Pollo Asado Tacos – chicken marinated in oranges, lime, adobo, asado, garlic, and apple cider vinegar served in corn tortillas with white onion, cilantro, and lime slices
Elote – corn on the cob, cotija cheese, cilantro, lime juice, mayo, tajine
Salad – mixed greens, carrots, tomatoes
Tres Leches Cake
Sedona, AZ
We drove up to Sedona for a day and the views were truly breathtaking. We started our day having brunch at the Mesa Grill Sedona, a restaurant up at the top of a mountain near the Sedona airport. We were able to watch a few small planes take off before a storm rolled through. The food was fresh and delicious and we ate in the comfort of a covered patio. Once we finished eating we hung out in the truck for about 30 min to wait for the rain to pass so we could see the view of Sedona from the mountain we were on. It was worth the wait because view was amazing.
After brunch we drove back into town to explore and do some shopping. Even just driving around, the views were beautiful. It rained off and on all day but we got lucky and there was a nice break between brunch and dinner.
I try not to buy too much when we pass through towns but I did find a few things that spoke to me. I found a Navajo Kachina doll that was the perfect size for traveling as well as some Navajo jewelry. I also came across some art prints I really liked.
While Sedona was beautiful I also thought it was a little over rated. I know people have talked about having amazing spiritual experiences out in Sedona but it all felt a little too commercialized for my taste.
I am not sure if this will make sense but Dan and I have decided we are more “witchy” and less “woo-woo”. While both can be described as spiritual, use crystals, and look to the lunar calendar there seems to be a difference in the overall vibe. I think witchy things seem to be grounded in the physical connection to nature; herbalism and crystals. Where as “woo-woo” would be more along the lines of light language, where people believe they are channeling aliens and speaking in tongues. It seems Sedona is really attracting the new age “woo-woo” energy. I have a feeling Sedona pre 2020 would have been a much different experience.
Page Springs Cellars
I really enjoyed the trip out to this winery and my only regret was that we were not able to go back a second time. We scheduled this trip a few times but each time, it rained so we postponed it. It was not until the Thursday before we left AZ that we were able to make it out.
The food was amazing and there were so many other things on the menu I wish I could have tried but I was not able to. I had salad and pizza while Dan had some elote dip and pomegranate pork belly. Everything was so delicious, this was my favorite meal I had in AZ.
Blood Orange & Beet – Slow-roasted, wine soaked beets and juicy blood oranges with goat cheese and candied walnuts, tossed with microgreens, butter lettuce and a drizzle of our house honey vinaigrette.
Elote Dip – Fire-roasted corn mixed with mascarpone, queso fresco, and citrus, topped with cilantro and Parmesan. Served hot with tortilla chips.
Pomegranate Pork Belly – Slow-roasted, melt in your mouth, pork belly served over charred pineapple and jasmine rice, topped with dried corn, sushi chives, and drizzled with our signature pomegranate teriyaki glaze.
Fig & Prosciutto Brick-Fired Pizza – Sweet fig preserves topped with prosciutto and a luscious goat cheese mousse, finished with fresh arugula, crunchy walnuts, and a drizzle of white truffle oil.
Crochet
For the most part I kept working on the Halloween blanket. My goal is to have it finished by Halloween but I am not sure if I will make it. I was able to get all the granny squares for the border completed. I am still working on the center rectangle for the blanket and I am hoping that I will be able to finish that part during the trip to Florida. After that I will still need to connect everything and do the border.
I also wanted to work on a few smaller things that I would be able to finish quickly. I made a little zom-bee to celebrate the start of October and spooky season.
I also made an outfit for my Labubu. I made her a cute little sun dress, bow headband, and purse with a key chain. I was really happy with how everything turned out but I think the purse and keys are my favorite.
Maintenance
I did not do a ton of work while we were at this spot, I was wanting to rest up for the big road trip to Florida. The main thing I did was replace the interior section of the skylight. The one that was installed was cracked and after the water leak, I wanted to change it out with a new one. The one that had cracked was frosted acrylic so it diffused the light a little but I was only able to find a clear one in the size I needed. I decided to cut out some flowers and leaves from left over window cling to break up how bright the light was. I like how it came out and it seems to be holding up alright so far.
Overall Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Stay Duration: 4 weeks – September 6, 2025 – October 4, 2025
Weather: Sunny w/ scattered storms – Temperature Range: 64-96 – Average Temp: 85
- Site A-31 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Full Hookup, 30 amp, Pull-thru. We were able to choose our own site at this location and I think because of that we were especially happy with our site.
- We were towards the back of the campground so there was very little traffic coming through. We selected an end space with a nice tree to provide some shade. There was plenty of room to set up our camp chairs and tables for hanging out. The weather in the evening was perfect for spending time outside.
- Picnic table, no fires permitted.
- Campground ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- The guard gate had text messaging enabled and that made it easy to let them know someone is coming or ask general questions. That is also how we notified them what site we selected.
- There seem to be a lot of people who live here full time and while most of their sites are super cute there are others that are a knick-knack overload.
- There was a $2 fee/package and you could only pick up packages M-F 9-4. So the price for packages was low but the pickup timeframe is pretty inconvenient for someone who works full time.
- There were a lot of trails scattered throughout the campground including one along Verde River.
- Other People/Pets ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- The trailer next to us seemed to be long term residents who had a small child, that child showed up at our door a few times asking if he could come in. I think the people who were here before us may have had a kid his age or something. The third time he came around, the mom seemed to catch on to what he was doing and it didn’t happen again. Other than that, no issues.
- Internet Connection ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Because of how far back we were in the park, we could not get a good connection with T-Mobile. We had to go with Starlink. The connection was strong for the most part and only dropped a few times.
- Vibes ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- This is the kind of desert I enjoy. It is hot during the day but it cools off at night. I enjoyed the weather and scenery.
- It was nice being close to the river and even though Cottonwood is a smaller town, it was big enough for what we needed.
Scrapbook Pages
Next Stop
The Journey to Orlando, Fl
Midlife Millennial Adventures 