October 2, 2010
Last Day with Family | Phoenix, Arizona
Our plans for this day were to head to Phoenix, with a brief stop in Jerome, Arizona.
Directions for Driving from Cottonwoord, Arizona to Phoenix, Arizona. Google Maps, 2010
My family fell in love with Jerome, Arizona, the minute we pulled into town. We spent most of the morning and afternoon walking around and exploring the various shops, galleries, and sites.
We departed Jerome late that afternoon for our two-hour drive to Phoenix.
By the time we arrived in Phoenix, we had traveled 1,023 miles in eight days, all the while experiencing the following elevations:
Las Vegas, Nevada: 2,028 ft
Zion National Park: 4,000 ft
Bryce Canyon National Park: 7,000-10,000 ft
Grand Canyon North Rim: 8,000 ft
Page, Arizona: 6,200 ft
Kayenta, Arizona: 5,640 ft
Grand Canyon South Rim: 7,000 ft
Flagstaff, Arizona: 7,000 ft
Sedona, Arizona: 4,500 ft
Cottonwood, Arizona: 3,120 ft
Jerome, Arizona 5,200 ft
Phoenix, Arizona: 1,117 ft
As we completed our adventure through the Desert Southwest, I could tell that my family was exhausted, but they understood that the only way they could see everything was to endure the drive.
I checked my family into their hotel at the Phoenix International Airport and then had dinner with them before heading to my hotel across town. It was much too hot in Phoenix to sleep in the back of my truck, so my uncle treated me to a nice, cool hotel room.
That night, after taking it easy and relaxing for a couple of hours, I decided to walk down the street to a local gay bar to hang out with some local gay folk.
I got back to my hotel around 2:00 AM. I went to bed shortly afterward.