Thanksgiving in the Tucson, Arizona desert is a beautiful location. Warm days, cool nights and the tranquility of the Sonoran Desert, it was just what we were looking for. Another amazing Arizona sunset on the way to Tucson.
Cave Creek, Arizona is a town in Maricopa County, part of the north Phoenix Metropolitan area, located in the Sonoran Desert. Less than 5,000 people live here. Just to the west is New River where we stayed before. It was only about an hour drive from Fort McDowell.
Fort McDowell is an unincorporated community about half an hour drive northeast of Phoenix, Arizona. Fort McDowell was built in 1867 to protect travelers from renegade Apaches in the Gila River and Salt River valleys. From New River, it was about an hour drive to Fort McDowell.
New River is an unincorporated community in Maricopa County, Arizona. New River is also a seasonal wash that drains into the Salt River. From Holbrook, Arizona it was about a 3 hour drive.
Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park are in northern Arizona and a great place to visit when traveling between Canyon de Chelly and Winslow. Interstate 40 and the old Route 66 run through the area. Winslow, Arizona and the Meteor Crater are also a must see.
Canyon de Chelly is a National Monument that is often featured in the Arizona Highways magazine and a place we have been wanting to visit for as long as I can remember. The problem is that it is located in the northeast corner of Arizona on Navajo land and there aren’t any close full hook up RV parks. Dry camping is the only option or staying at a motel. Our last attempt to visit was in 2020, but COVID shut the National Monuments down in the area, so we had to change our plans. The Navajo Nation is still fully masked, so we pulled ours out to enjoy this amazing, rarely visited canyon. From Dolores, Colorado it was about a 3 hours drive.
