We have been here in the high desert about three months now. Time is certainly flying by! We are half way through our season at the Circle Pines KOA in Williams, AZ already.
I want to talk about a few unusual things that we have discovered here in this beautiful place. Things like extreme weather, tumbleweeds and funky squirrels.
Oh my!
Northern Arizona was really not what we were expecting. Having never been to Arizona before, I figured we would be living in a desert. And true to form, much of Arizona is just that. But the towns of Williams and the Flagstaff area sit at about 7300 feet above sea level.
And that makes all the difference in the world!
At such high altitude, we often have folks showing up at the campground with altitude sickness. It takes at least three days for your body to adjust.
You also have to think about things such as adding flour to your baking recipes and the fact that water boils much slower.
But I’d have to say that the biggest thing to get used to was the quick and dramatic changes of weather that are so common here in the high desert.
Monsoon Season
When visiting the town of Sedona a few weeks ago, we took a bunch of photos of the beautiful rock formations and the gathering clouds behind them. It was in the 80’s that day. Sunny and warm.
And then we went into a restaurant to have lunch.
We came out to several inches of pea sized hail and temperatures in the 60’s! Freak storm? Hardly.
It seems that at this altitude, these types of storms are quite common.
Especially during the Monsoon season of mid July through August. Most days are sunny and temperate. Most afternoons are full of interesting surprises.
We are right in the clouds. Thunderstorms can be very dangerous. The weather here can kill those that do not properly respect it.
