Creek Beds & Mountain Tops

Thursday took us to the southern side of Sedona and our other favorite spot along Oak Creek. For the first time, we caught sight of two deer on the drive in. The pictures are grainy at best, but if you look closely you can see them both (the 2nd is a buck).

We were the first to pull into the trailhead in the morning and had a quiet hike along the Baldwin and Templeton Trails.

From there we went up Cathedral Rock, where we laid in the sunshine and took in the views. This was our first hike when we first visited Sedona in 2011 and it remains our favorite.

(That's Michael in the white shirt - I didn't care much for walking on the ledge so I took the picture instead!)

This hike can be challenging at times, but it's beautiful start to finish. On the way back down we found a rock to eat lunch on before heading back out.

The afternoon took us to the Buddhist Stupa, located back at the base of Thunder Mountain. A spot we did not know existed until this trip, but a great place to go regardless of faith. There were many there to meditate, send up prayers and enjoy the peacefulness of this sacred spot.

Happy Trails!

Wednesday was all about the trails. We started our morning at the Pink Jeep Pick-Up while our tour guide, Shan, heated up the open-air jeep and got us ready for a 3-hour tour to the Ancient Ruins.

Shan's family has ranched in the Verde Valley for 140 years, his godfather is an Apache Medicine Man. While the ruins we visited today were Hopi and not Apache, Shan brought this man out to see the ruins not long ago and see what his thoughts on the petroglyphs and structure were. While quick to point out this is all speculation, since these dwellings are from well over 500 years ago, the differences in the interpretation was fascinating to listen to.

The banks of Oak Creek are often a go-to for us. Oak Creek is the namesake of Sedona's Oak Creek Canyon and the heart of the town. Today we went down the Huckaby Trail (a relatively short hike to a local swimming hole) and found a flat rock to enjoy for an hour or so.

After our final hike we took a drive up through West Fork, coming down 89A from the North. Spectacular views and a must-drive for anyone visiting for their first time (or every time). 

Dinner was at a new (at least for us) 89Agave restaurant, which we were lucky enough to hit right about sundown so that the light off the rocks was just perfect.

Hooray for Tuesday

Today we were up for a drive into Prescott, about an hour and a half north via the Mingus Mountain - a windy, scenic, 12-mile road up through Jerome and through Prescott Valley.

We started noticing letters embedded in some of the hillsides a few years ago, especially in some of the less populated cities around the state. We finally got our answer from a local a while back and are now on a quest to spot as many as we can when traveling through...they are called Hillside Letters (creative, right?!). There are many different stories on the tradition of the letters, but they linger high about the city they represent - a symbol of civic pride all through the southwest.

                                 
We breezed through Prescott, a shorter trip that we would have liked but a good feel for a historic part of the state. While we didn't get to have a drink on the famed Whiskey Row, on the way back to Sedona we did get to stop by Page Springs Cellars for a couples massage, a glass of wine and a small bite to eat.

The night brought our annual stroll through Tlaquepaque, a beer at the very un-Irish Mooney's Irish Pub and dinner at Elote..the only MUST DINE in Sedona.  Mooney's is just a hop-skip-and-jump over from Elote and while we wait in the hour plus line for a table (worth it!) we've made a tradition of having a pre-dinner beverage over here.

Blowing kisses from Sedona!

Monday, Monday

Monday was a driving day...we bid farewell to Tucson and headed up to Sedona - where the real fun and beauty awaits.

It was an uneventful, but pretty drive up up past Phoenix. We even hopped off of Hwy 10 for awhile and took a venture down John Wayne Hwy where we passed miles and miles of farmland.

When we finally ventured into Sedona, we found V bar V...a petroglyph site that the state took over in 1984 to preserve. Prior to that, the V-V operated as a cattle ranch. Though it changed hands several times between 1900 and the time the owners opened the site, it wasn't until 1947 that they allowed archaeologists in to examine the petroglyphs - it was a highly regarded secret, though no one knows for certain why.

While we were at V bar V, we also got to see a black hawk in flight - and even better got to hear him whistle! The onsite volunteers said they knew he lived in the area - and our siting was a rare one indeed - even they haven't seen him in the 3 months they've lived there!

While he wasn't cooperative with us for a picture, we did find this image below and though we'd share. He really was a beauty to see against a startling blue sky.

Image Credit: www.audobon.org

We have 3 more days and nights in Sedona, all guaranteed to be more exciting than yesterday, we promise. We're well rested and ready to go! Another new adventure awaits us today, as we head to Prescott for the first time.

View from our balcony

Dinner for us tonight! YUM!

Sunday Drivers

Day 2 was all about the drive - down to Tucson we go with our sights set on the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum.

A trip is never complete without a detour to see what life off the highway is like. I missed a few good photo opportunities but this old truck was a fun one we found in the back of a shopping plaza near Casa Grande, AZ.

Much different than the Botanical Gardens we visited last year, the Desert Museum is a true preservation of both animal and plant life you'll find in the desert. Most of the animals were out on this near perfect day and we could overwhelm you with hundreds of photos, but here are are just a few of our favorites.

After the Desert Museum we had time for a stop in Old Tucson, which is just a few miles (at most) down the road. An active movie & television set since 1939, Three Amigos, Little House on the Prairie, and Outlaw Josie Wells are just a few of the hundreds filmed here.

But one things for sure in this town - spittin' and horse thievin' ain't tolerated...

After I had a chance to relieve my childhood on the desert version of Kennywood's Turnpike ride, we headed into downtown Tucson for a walk down the revived Congress St. and an easy dinner before turning in for the night....today we hit the road again and this time head north to Sedona.

Put Me In, Coach

It's early Sunday and we're up for an early drive to tool around Tucson, a city we've spent the night in but never fully explored.

Saturday we were up early for a direct flight over (thank you, Southwest!) armed with coffee (for me) and Mad Libs to pass the time. Truth be told we never made it to the Mad Libs.

It was all about Spring Training for us today. We stopped at a Greek Cafe for lunch on the way to the hotel and in true Kristen & Michael fashion took a quick nap to make sure we could make it through the night game at Camelback Park.

Michael grew up a Yankee fan, pulling for the Atlanta Braves. Lots of you probably remember the days when TBS was the only station that carried baseball and it was always the Braves..always starting on the :05.  

I bleed black and gold for every major league sports but last night it was all about the boys in blue as we watch the Dodgers take on the Cubs in a great Cactus League match up. The home team won 6-5 and we enjoyed a beer, a dog and some peanuts while watching the game.

More soon! 

Here We Go Again...

T minus 22 hours! 

We're off to our favorite destination with some old favorites and new adventures on our "to do" list.

Join us again this year for our week-long Arizona vacation, minus the road trip.