Sunday Oct 8, 2023 Dead Horse Ranch State Park Day 4

 

Deb here again. We woke up to a cloudy day, which was a welcome change after the previous hot afternoons. Deb, Carmen, John, and I decided to walk from the campground into Cottonwood, so after breakfast the four of us headed out along with the dogs. The walk was a couple of miles, ending on the Jail Trail down by the Verde River, which led us right into Old Town Cottonwood. We looked in a few stores while we waited for Dave to pick us all up in the truck. By the time we were back at the campground it was lunch time, so we had lunch while we plotted our next move.

Carmen had suggested a visit to Red Rocks State Park, about a half an hour away, so we left the dogs in the air conditioned camper and off we went. The afternoon was cool and cloudy with a few sprinkles, so a perfect temperature to explore the park. We all loved Red Rocks State Park, a beautifully thought out and maintained park with a great visitor’s center and family friendly hiking trails. We took off for the Apache House of Fire Trail, which was a spectacular loop up to a home that was constructed in the 1930’s by a couple but never finished. Quite a sad story attached to the house but what a view and location. The red rocks in this part of the state are so unique and special.

We then returned to our campsites for a bit before regrouping for dinner in town. Deb’s son Matt had recommended we try Merkin Vineyards Hilltop Winery and Trattoria, which just had its grand opening a couple of days earlier. The restaurant sits high above the old town, with vineyards surrounding it and a long staircase (and eventually a tram) up to the top. The place was hopping, so we added our names to the waitlist and waited about half an hour for an outdoor table. We all enjoyed our dinners, with pastas, pizza, a cheese board, and local drinks. Back to the campground by 8 p.m. and said our goodnights.