Week 4: Grand Canyon to Sedona

On Friday 1/17, I decided it was time to leave the Grand Canyon and head to Flagstaff, AZ.  I was excited because the Grand Canyon South Rim, Flagstaff and Sedona are relatively close which limited driving time to 136 miles and 3 hours.  This part of the country is simply spectacular!

Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff is one of those places I’ve wanted to visit for a long time.  Since the drive was so short, I went straight into historic downtown to check things out. Trooper and I walked around town for a couple of hours, found a new pair of hiking boots at Aspen Sports, met some locals, and ended up at Macy’s European Cafe for a vegan BLT and delicious mocha (note here that fake bacon is pointless).  I found a KOA just north of downtown that is located at the base of Elden Mountain giving T and I a good early morning hike Saturday before heading back into town.  I stopped by a local favorite called Martanne’s and enjoyed chilaquies (thank you Jared Jelsing for the suggestion!).  It looked a little questionable but was delicious and ended up being lunch and dinner.  Flagstaff is a cute hippie college town with a lot of great shops, cafes and restaurants, but I found myself somewhat uninterested and unsettled.  Over the years, I romanticized Flagstaff in my head but now that I was there, I just wasn’t feeling it.  After only one night, I decided to push on to Sedona.  

Chilaquies and fresh squeezed OJ at Martanne's... ironically the only photo from Flagstaff.  I believe they are tortillas, eggs, cheese, onions and my addition of chorizo with sides of hash browns, rice, beans and a tortilla... yes please!!

Sedona

The drive to Sedona was only 25 miles on route 89A which gives the Pacific Highway a run for its money!  It was steep, curvy and tight.  Fortunately, there were so many cars heading to Sedona for MLK holiday weekend, I wasn’t the slowpoke keeping everyone from their destination.  The red rocks started showing up around Oak Creek Canyon and I knew I made the right decision to leave Flagstaff.  I suppose this is a lesson for the remainder of my journey: if I’m feeling it, stay; otherwise, push on to find a place where I'm feeling it!  Sedona was indeed one of these places.  The red rocks have a warmth and beauty to them that is mesmerizing.  I learned that over millions of years, sandstone and limestone were left by a receding ocean.  The sandstone was covered by iron oxide and through a natural process, rust formed.  All the beauty comes down to rust!

Sedona red rocks... amazing welcome

Sedona homes nestled nicely into the landscape as to not disturb the amazing views

Just another amazing view of Sedona

Coffee Pot Rock in the center (looks like a percolator facing right)

New Friends
I drove right to Rancho Sedona RV Park because it was highly rated and what an awesome place!  It is located on the creek just below ‘Sedona Uptown’ allowing me to walk into town and the Tlaquepaque market area.  Within several minutes of pulling in, I met Jane who lives at the RV park.  At first sight, she made me giggle with her Jesus sweatshirt, cowboy hat (that is too big for her), pink sparkly sunglasses, and Precious in a puppy Bjorn (Precious is a 5 pound Maltese).  We started chatting and next I knew, the sun was setting and hours had past.  Her story is an interesting one; going from a rough childhood to Reiki Master to Indian Reservation Singer to born again Christian.  I thoroughly enjoyed her company and looked forward to spending time with her in Sedona.  After Jane left, I ran into David and Margaret from Ontario.  I met them at the Grand Canyon just a few days earlier when I was waiting on the rim for the moon to rise.  It was great to see them again and compare notes from the past few days.  Even better, they live close to Banff and Jasper, so I will have a place to stay next fall when I pass through.  I knew Sedona would be a magical place!

Jane and Precious

Schnebly Hill rocks behind the RV Park

Marg's Draw Hike

Saturday, 1/18 was my first night in Sedona and also the first night I didn’t need heat in the RV.  It was perfect weather for “camping”!  Sunday, Trooper and I went out for a 3-hour hike on Marg’s Draw.  It was one spectacular view after another.  Jane warned me about Javelinas which are pig-like desert dwellers that if cornered can do some damage.  One of the locals told me males can get up to 80 pounds!  Fortunately, we didn’t see any or smell them (apparently their stench is so bad you’ll smell them far sooner than seeing them).  It was sunny, warm, and wonderful!  After the hike, I left T in the RV and walked to “Uptown” to check out the tourist area.  My two purchases included buffalo jerky and a bottle of Arizona Syrah (what else does one need and who knew they grew wine grapes in AZ?).

Hike start with excited pup

Beautiful sunrise and "rusty" trail

Check out Snoopy Rock on the right... he is on his back facing up with his feet to the very right of the photo then his belly and nose

T off leash loving the chilly morning and different smells 

Another beautiful view

Beautiful morning light on Schnebly Hill

Lunch spot and loving the new hiking boots

Our turnaround spot

Sedona purchases

Local Tour

On Monday, I was blessed to have Jane drive me around for a local tour.  She took me to Cathedral Rock, Airport Drive (a local fav to get a 360 degree view), and Chapel of the Holy Cross.  The Chapel is built into the red rock and is an impressive sight (thank you Alice Frye for the recommendation!).  The sun was setting so I got some great photos, including some climbers who (illegally) were on top of Cathedral Rock. That night, I took Jane to dinner as a thank you.  We ate at a Southwestern place called Javelina’s and enjoyed delicious steak fajitas and margaritas!

Jane and I on top of Airport Drive

Cathedral Rock... one of the most photographed sights in AZ 

Cathedral Rock at sunset

Elephant Rock... see it?

Chapel of the Holy Cross at sunset... absolutely breathtaking to see in person

Backside of Cathedral Rock at sunset... see the climbers on top of the spires to the very left?

Thankfully I had my high zoom lens... what a place to watch a Sedona sunset!

Beautiful sunset before dinner... see Elephant Rock on the very left?

Delicious dinner and drinks before saying goodbye to Jane and Sedona

Sedona is known for its spiritual energy vortexes, which are believed to be spiritual locations where the energy is right to facilitate prayer, meditation and healing.  Sedona also has one of the highest concentrations of UFO sightings in the US.  Some people believe the aliens are attracted to the magnetism in the red rock spires.  After four days, I saw a lot of beauty but no UFOs… at least, I don’t think I did.

Final Thoughts
I was sad leaving Sedona and what I'll consider the west coast because much of this section was alone time in nature's most beautiful locations.  I feel incredibly blessed to have seen so many amazing things in a short time, and even luckier because places like Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Sedona are now a part of me.  I have a lot of driving ahead of me but also many friends and family that I will spend time with and reconnect after far too long.  This part of my adventure will be different, but a difference that I am very much looking forward to!

See you soon ;)

Week 3: Death Valley to Grand Canyon

The drive out of Death Valley took a long time with the dry and brown landscape never-ending.  I was desperate for trees and coolness so decided to push through to northern Arizona.  My route took me on highways 127, 15, 164, 95, 163, 68 and 40!  After 7 hours of driving, I stopped in a small town called Seligman to give my eyes a break and enjoy a triple decker club sandwich.  The sun was setting with a beautiful pink hue giving me a much needed second wind to continue to Williams, AZ.  This town is located on Historic Route 66 and is considered the gateway to the Grand Canyon. 

Williams, AZ "Gateway to the Grand Canyon"
Trooper and I spent Monday, January 13th walking around Williams going to the post office for a package from my dad, looking for a pair of hiking boots (Death Valley did them in!), and hanging out at a local coffee shop that was recommended by several merchants.  Cafe 326 makes a mean mocha and their croissant BLT was heaven!  I chatted with Linda at Western Outfitters for a while and eventually she invited me to her house that night for dinner.  I ended up not going because I met Susan, George and George’s mother who are retirees from southern CA with a gorgeous 42’ diesel pusher and two dogs.  George even spent time troubleshooting my navigation system (which is still not working).  I am very touched by the openness and generosity of “strangers” that I’m meeting along the way.  Williams is a great little town to visit if you’re around the Grand Canyon.

Grand Canyon

On Tuesday the 14th, I headed north on 64 to the Grand Canyon South Rim.  When I was in Death Valley, I purchased the National Parks Annual Pass which waives all entrance fees and is a great buy if you’re planning to visit more than 4 National Parks, Forests, Preserves, etc. in a year.  With the pass, I was able to stay in Mather’s Campground for $8/night (no hookups) and what a great place!  Shortly after pulling in, I saw a baby Elk and Mule Deer.  Since the weather has been so remarkable, I forget that it’s off-season, but it has given us very quiet and peaceful accommodations.  

Enjoying a peaceful campsite and beautiful sunset

Baby Elk; Momma's behind the tree

Mule Deer meandering through the camp

The South Rim

The next day Trooper and I walked the South Rim for hours.  There were a few spots that were crowded, but walking 30 yards quickly separated us (apparently people on tour buses don’t walk very far).  Everywhere you walk and look, there is another photo to be taken and views to be enjoyed.  I was surprised by how easily you can walk out to the rim... carefully.  The Grand Canyon is absolutely a place that should be on everyone’s list and now I understand why it is one of the World’s Natural Wonders. It’s hard to describe being in a place that is 6 - 70 million years old (huge geological debate over the age), 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide and over a mile deep! 

T & I enjoying an amazing day

Trooper enjoying a beautiful South Rim Hike

Me taking a picture of my shadow taking a picture

Looking north at Bright Angel Canyon

Bright Angel Canyon closeup

I wonder what lives in that cave

Colorado River on high zoom

Me as close to an edge as I was comfortable with

Mules used for canyon treks... you couldn't get me on one of these going down steep switchbacks with cliffs on both sides!

A tired dog is a GREAT dog!

More Canyon Photos
These are photos of peaks and canyons that I was unable to name, but worthy of being posted... 

Moon Rising

I met Amala and Emily who work for the park service, one at the Grand Canyon and one in the Smokies who I can look up when I’m on the East Coast.  They recommended a hike to watch the sun set and moon rise.  For the first time on this trip, I got on my mountain bike for a fast way to get to the rim location and get back to the RV in the dark.  I’m not sure if it’s the fact that I haven’t ridden in a while or the altitude, but riding was a struggle!  After an hour of waiting, I saw one of the most amazing sights of my life… a full moon rising over the Grand Canyon.  It is a sight forever engrained in my mind.

Me & the Trek... FINALLY!

Sun starting to set 

First sighting of the moon... I was crazy excited to see a full moon!!

Closeup... need I write more?

Me cold and ready to get back to the RV after an amazing experience

Kaibab Trail

Thursday morning, I headed back out on the bike for Kaibab trailhead (another recommendation from Amala).  Kaibab is a Paiute Indian word meaning “mountain lying down".  It is a great trail that drops 2,000' in 3 miles making a great descent but challenging return.  I met several backpackers that were making the 5,000' descent to the Colorado River to camp; something that I would love to do in the future.  I enjoyed being in the canyon instead of on the rim and the climb made for a good night’s sleep!

Trail start; nice switchbacks!  Many people get through the first few then turn back

Nice trail and even nicer view

Cold start

But soon warm enough to remove layers and switch hats

Ooh Aah Point; the first official turnaround spot

Looking out on Plateau Point (you can see the zigzag trail leading to the sandy colored point)

Cedar Ridge; the second official turnaround spot

Cedar Ridge looking back at the 1,200' elevation gain/loss

Grand Canyon Raven (twice the size of common Crows) 

Aloe plant... I think

Satisfying lunch after a steep and long climb back to the rim

Final Thoughts
After 4 days in the Grand Canyon all I can write is that spending time alone in nature's beauty is magical and powerful, and I highly recommend giving yourself that gift.

Enjoy and until next time....