Back to Reality

Back to reality for us today!  

A little coffee on the back porch watching the sunrise seemed like the perfect way end to our vacation.    

After 2 long & rainy days on the road we made it home safe & sound (and in time for Walking Dead) yesterday.

Thanks for following along with us - we hope you enjoyed the adventure!

Spring Training & Butterfly Kisses

We're just settling into our room in Tucson, our first stop on the long drive home through Texas.  What a great 2 days in Phoenix!

On Thursday we packed up early and headed south from Sedona - after one final breakfast at Coffee Pot, of course.

First order of business in Phoenix was the Desert Botanical Gardens.   But not before we had lunch in a nearby park and played peak-a-boo (and fetch) with a few ground squirrels.

The Butterfly House was open while we were there. While no butterflies tried to hitch a ride back to Arkansas with us, we did capture this pretty orange guy taking up residence on a bright yellow daisy. Did you know there were over 750 types of butterflies in the U.S.?

We hit our first spring training game (Cleveland Indians v. Seattle Mariners) at Peoria Sports Complex on Thursday night.  What a great night for a game.... I even got re-tweeted by the ball park. Score one for me! 

After the game we met an old classmate of Michael's at a local brew house for good food and good company.  It's always great to catch up with old friends!

Today (Friday) we spent the morning tooling around Old Town Scottsdale & then headed to Glendale to watch the Cubs and White Sox play at Camelback Ranch.  Sunscreen laden, we watched some of the best prospects in the league...but even better than that was the first pitch of the game...thrown by BO JACKSON! 

The energy at spring training is like nothing we have ever seen before - the vibe is good, the usher's dance and the guy selling lemonade today will probably have a viral video on the internet soon.

So, tonight is our last night in Arizona.  It's our 5th hotel in 8 days and we still have 1 more to go...somewhere in Texas, but who knows where we'll end up?  We'll let you know tomorrow!

A Different Pace....

Today we really took it easy.  A morning of homework (for me) and reading for Michael meant a mid-morning start on our adventures.  We were hoping to hit V Bar V Heritage Site but when we got there it was closed!

Instead we stumbled onto Beaver Creek and spent some time just sitting on the bank and listening to the water rush by.

While taking a scenic ride around Red Rock Loop Rd., we stopped for a picnic lunch and saw Cathedral Rock again, but from a new angle this time.  Michael may or may not have put his hand on a cactus and suffered minor scrapes and scratches in an attempt to capture this picture. 

Perfect end to our last full day in Sedona.  We waltzed around Tlaquepaque and then had a fantastic meal at Elote Cafe - a must for anyone visiting.  It's worth the hour and a half wait, we promise.

Tomorrow we'll turn in our literal key and head to Phoenix for butterfly gardens and spring training games....

but only after a stop for breakfast at Coffee Pot, of course.    Sky Ranch Lodge, it's been a pleasure!

Jerome

Before heading to Jerome today, we took a quick trip down to the Sedona Lookout.  Despite the wind on top of the big rock, it was worth the early wake up call.  We found a woman to snap a quick shot of us loving the moment we were in.  What a way to start your day!

A not-so short hike revealed some additional views from the southeast side of the Airport Loop trail.

After the hike and a light breakfast we headed up to Jerome for the day.  While there we had a chance to not just tour the King Gold Mine and Ghost Town but we got to meet Old Don Robertson himself!

Don moved to the goldmine land in 1981 and has been collecting old cars, trucks and machinery ever since.  He even built an Indy car out of an old 1928 Studebaker (pictured above) and still races it monthly!  Talking to him about this and his collection definitely made the day.

On our way home we stopped by the Tuzigoot National Monument, and then back up to the Airport Mesa to catch the sunset in a private spot behind the hotel (and away from the crowded overlook).   I caught Michael in this panoramic & couldn't resist a share.

Coffee Pot & Red Rocks

We woke this morning to a crisp, clear day...and hot air balloons rising off in the horizon!

Planning for the days adventures started at our favorite breakfast spot...Coffee Pot Restaurant.  Great vibes, a fun staff, bottomless pots of coffee and amazing pancakes and french toast.  What else do you need to start your day?

We confess:  Since our last trip we haven't hiked near as much as we normally would have.   So for our first hike we settled on a leisurely 7-mile loop around Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte.

We were unsure of the small elevation changes (only 200 ft.) but were taken aback with the breathtaking views and vibrant colors on the Oak Creek Canyon side of Sedona.  We even got to see our favorite (and first ever Sedona hike in 2011) Cathedral Rock (in the background below).  

We found an even nicer surprise waiting for us on top of Baby Bell Rock, where we took a few minutes to relax in the sunshine and look back over the red rock.

For lunch we hopped over to the Baldwin Trail, which leads down to our favorite rock on Oak Creek.  

Michael tiptoed over to this guy for a photo opp...but apparently he was a little too stealthy.  Mr. Mallard never woke up from his nap to give the camera a look.  

After an early dinner at The Cowboy Club and some people-watching on the main street, we retired back to the Sky Ranch Lodge to catch a perfect blue and orange sunset (sorry no time for a picture) and a few cold drinks to cap off a perfect day.  

Tomorrow will bring a 4:45 wake up call and what we hope to be a beautiful sunrise on the Airport Loop trail.  See you then!  

   

A Plaza, a Painted Desert and an Arizona Sunset

As you know, last night we found ourselves in Santa Fe, having dinner at THE place to be - Tomasita's.

We decided to finish our time there this morning with a walk around the Plaza, which is also at the end of the Santa Fe Trail.  We enjoyed soaking in sunshine and history while strolling along the outdoor marketplace.

     

Loretto Chapel's famous staircase (also in the Plaza)

The best part of the day (again) was the drive.  The highway runs parallel with the Santa Fe Railroad and we saw a number of trains passing through along the way.  

The best scenery, however, came as we detoured through Petrified Wood National Park - where for $10 you could see 28 miles of Painted Desert, Petrified Wood Forest, Puerco Pueblo remains and petroglyphs....

But in the end, we got our Arizona sunset - hoping for an even brighter and more colorful one this week, as we are staying on the airport mesa.  

Thanks for following along with us - we'll see you tomorrow!

Cheers from New Mexico!

It was up early & headed west on I-40 today.  9 hours went by in the blink of an eye.

After driving past Garth Brooks' hometown and just about all of the windmills in mid-America, we arrived in TX!

Unfortunately we sailed right past Cadillac Ranch (more on that here:  http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2220), but had time to tip our hats to The Muffler Man (http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/8637) before stopping for lunch and a few fun pictures.

Next thing you know we were crossing the New Mexico border with nothing but blue skies ahead....

We hit Route 66 & Hwy 104 to take the scenic route through Las Vegas, NM and finally on to Santa Fe...

So cheers to you!  Thanks for riding along so far....

Spring Break 2015

Welcome to our spring break roadtrip!  From Little Rock to Santa Fe to Sedona to Scottsdale to Tuscon & back!  10 days of nothing but highways, red rock & smashing good fun.

We started at home with a barber shop surprise, then hit the road...

Our original plan was to make it over to Amarillo (by morning🎶) but the rain made it a little boring.....

So it's a good thing we don't book hotels.  

Instead we found Earl's of Oklahoma City, had some BBQ & Shiner Bock....

 and then settled in to enjoy the view!