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 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.
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| 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 |
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| Sedona homes nestled nicely into the landscape as to not disturb the amazing views |
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| Just another amazing view of Sedona |
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| 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!
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| Jane and Precious |
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| 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 |
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| Beautiful sunrise and "rusty" trail |
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| 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 |
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| T off leash loving the chilly morning and different smells |
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| Another beautiful view |
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| Beautiful morning light on Schnebly Hill |
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| Lunch spot and loving the new hiking boots |
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| Our turnaround spot |
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| 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 |
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| Cathedral Rock... one of the most photographed sights in AZ |
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| Cathedral Rock at sunset |
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| Elephant Rock... see it? |
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| Chapel of the Holy Cross at sunset... absolutely breathtaking to see in person |
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| Backside of Cathedral Rock at sunset... see the climbers on top of the spires to the very left? |
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| Thankfully I had my high zoom lens... what a place to watch a Sedona sunset! |
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| Beautiful sunset before dinner... see Elephant Rock on the very left? |
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| Delicious dinner and drinks before saying goodbye to Jane and Sedona |
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 ;)
I couldn't see Elephant Rock?? Maybe it's just the lack of sleep that's blocking my "artsy" self. ;-P I saw Snoopy though! How was the Buffalo jerky? Did you like? Photos are so pretty and calming.
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