From Black Canyon City, Arizona, at about 2000 feet elevation, we went to the Grand Canyon National Park, which is at 7000 feet elevation. The drive was a 3 hour uphill climb. The area is at a high elevation because of the uplifting of the Colorado Plateau. Approximately 5 million years ago the entire Rocky Mountains and Colorado Plateau were uplifted 4,000 to 6,000 feet.
Black Canyon City, Arizona is north of Phoenix. Before heading to the Grand Canyon, we wanted a week of warmer temperatures, be near a Costco to stock up, and order stuff on Amazon.
Sedona, Arizona is stunningly beautiful because of the red sandstone formations and pine trees. Its an extremely popular location because of the red rocks, spiritual pursuits, hiking, and mountain biking. We visited during spring break, so the area was especially popular.
Winslow, Arizona was a U.S. Route 66 town. I-40 eventually replaced U.S. Route 66, which is a busy trucking highway. We wanted to stay near Winslow so that we could visit Meteor Crater and the Homolovi ruins.
From Prescott we headed to Holbrook, Arizona to see Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Desert badlands.
Prescott, Arizona is located in the north central part of the state. It was once the capital of the Arizona Territory. At about 5400 feet elevation, the weather was cooler than Tucson. We stayed near Lake Watson and enjoyed the hiking trail along the lake.
