A view to kill...

I set off from the ranch with Flagstaff as the destination, but only once I'd been through Jerome and Sedona. Both had been recommended to me to see. Jerome is an old mining town, up in the hills, and Sedona is a town set alongside beautiful red rocks. The drive to Jerome was spectacular. Like every Bond film you've ever seen, winding in and out of one beautiful view, and then another. I climbed into the hills until there was snow, and then back out the other side. I stopped to take in the view, and had a brief chat with a biker who had stopped for a cigarette. He pointed out that in the distance, the snowy mountains visible was in fact Flagstaff, my final destination. I asked if he wouldn't mind me taking a photo of his bike, and he insisted I sit on the bike and he take the photo. I duly accepted. He took the photo. Biker for a day (or 20 seconds).

Jerome itself is a really cute little town, set along the windy roads, houses set into the hills, with a population of just 350. I stopped for lunch in a little cafe, went for a little stroll around, and took in the unbelievable panoramic view of Arizona around it. I coasted my way down the hill and filled up with petrol ready for the onward journey to Sedona.

Arriving in Sedona I followed the signs to the Red Rock Country Park. Once there I took a two hour hike around the wonderful scenery, colours ranging from the green plants and cacti to the stained red of the rocks. You might think you can get bored of nature at its best, but you can't. I climbed my way up to the Eagle's Nest trail and took in the views around me.

From there I drove through the touristy but colourful Sedona and my onward journey to Flagstaff. I finally got into town and followed my GPS to where I would be staying the night. I couldn't see the house numbers but thought I had found the right place, knocked on the door, but it wasn't them. "Are you doing that couchy sleep thingy'. Indeed I was. "You want the house just over there, next to the school". I guess that wasn't the first time the GPS had sent some couchsurfers to the wrong house.

I knocked on the door and Scott let me in. He works as a nurse in the local hospital, doing 7pm to 7am shifts, and he was due in work soon. He had just cooked himself dinner and kindly said I could have some too. He lives with his son (who was out with friends) and one other housemate, Felicia. Scott left for work and I chatted to Felicia. An hour or so later Scott called me up to say his girlfriend, who works at the Grand Canyon, would be off work at 1pm the following day, would I like to join him and drive to the Canyon. I eagerly accepted. What an opportunity to not only see the Grand Canyon, but with people who know it so well. I went to bed looking forward to what the next day would bring. No doubt, a view to die for...