Hi all, Update!
Just got back late last night from our Sedona trip. Wow. Seriously...WOW. We saw: Jerome was ok, but the wrong turn to Prescott through those mountains was fabulous! V-V was very cool. Had a great conversation with the volunteer ranger who was a fulltime RV'r. Very knowledgeable. Montezuma Well/Monuments... a Pai ceremony was in progress... interesting but temps in the high 90's. Sedona... gorgeous everywhere you look. Oak Creek Canyon... went thru 3x...gorgeous each time. Page Fish Hatchery... no trout in the Show Pond. Tuzigoot... cool. Red Rock loop...waaayyy cool! Volcanoes NP... WOW! Petrified Forest/Painted Desert... gorgeous and want to go back when it isn't hot. Tlaquepaque... nice architecture...but didn't really go for the shopping. Went on this trip to SEE the natural wonders. Did go to the Grand Canyon...note to self... go BACK when it's cooler and before school lets out. GC very crowded...and hot. Did I mention that it was HOT??? The furnace got kicked on mid trip. Understand the concept of siesta very well now.
Shout out to Miley's Mexican Restuarant in Sedona. Good food good service. We lived on Mexican food the entire trip.
First stop was new Drury Inn in Colorado Springs one night. Next was 2 days in Pagosa Springs soaking in the hot springs... ahhhhhhh. Then on to Sedona for a week. Drove through more Indian territory than I thought possible. Navajo Nation is HUGE. Made me rethink my definition of "middle of nowhere" and gave me anxiety about our water stores... did NOT have enough water if something happened. Won't make that mistake again.
Anyway... we just had the greatest trip ever thanks to all your suggestions!
Many thanks
cts