Arizona, United States
We planned on reasonable departure time for our outing for today. We weren't in any hurry, but wanted to make sure we had sufficient time to do what we wanted without being rushed. We had to deal with a few issues my accident caused before we left for the day, which the time difference actually made easier. The insurance company arranged for a rental car and I had to call to confirm pick-up day. ( Everything is being taken care of with my car, so I don't need to be concerned about it.) Keith had to figure out a Plan B for his weekend trip to the Ratio Christi Symposium, as the plan had been to take his car, which was going to be driven by someone else going and they were going to pick him up in Baltimore after we landed next Friday. That was now out because we had it and I needed it to get home.
We went to Whole Foods to get things for a picnic lunch. Just as we got there, the Auto Body shop called to let me know that they received the authorization for the insurance company to give an estimate on the damage and they needed my okay to disassemble the car to survey the damage.
We got sandwiches from Whole Foods and left for our destination.
Today's destination was Oak Creek Canyon which is between Sedona and Flagstaff. The road climbs 4500 feet and gives beautiful views. We stopped at he Visitor's Center just to see a map of the area as the one we had wasn't detailed enough. The drive is beautiful, with the road switchbacking up the mountain. The leaves are just starting to turn and in another week it would be a full bloom of fall colors. We stopped at Oak Creek Canyon Vista, which gives views into the canyon. There are also Native American crafts there to buy. I bought a pair of beaded earrings. We then drove back down to see if the West Fork Hiking Trail had any space left to park. There wasn't, so we will come back later during the week.
Instead, we drove on past and stopped at one of the picnic spots along the road and ate our lunch at a quiet table with the noise of the babbling Oak Creek and views of the red sandstone in front of us. We looked at our map and decided what to do since the hike was out for the day.
We decided to do Saturday's activity instead and add a trip to Jerome and the Tuzigoot National Monument to do on Saturday.
We stopped at Midgley Bridge for the view and discovered that there was a 1/2 mile Vista trail down to Oak Creek, so we took that down. It was very peaceful by the creek and we were glad we did it. You can hike all the way here from Sedona, but that wasn't on our agenda.
We drove back into Sedona and meandered the shops for the afternoon. They have just about everything in this area in terms of souvenirs. There are also a lot of sightseeing tours you can book. We went back to the timeshare and changed into our swimsuits to go swimming. We sat in the Jacuzzi instead.
For dinner, we drove out to the Enchantment Resort for dinner at Che Ah Chi. The resort gives stunning views on Boynton Canyon. We sat outside and enjoyed a lovely dinner.
Waha
2017-10-08
It is mind numbing to try to imagine the forces that etched and carved those dunes. The layers of rocks, crevices, etc. are hard to describe unless you see them in person. Are you going to try to go to the Grand Canyon at some point? We went to the East Entrance and stopped at the view points along the way. Also, I gathered a sack of fresh sage from the side of the road for my neighbor who loves using it as a room freshener. Of course, it was well dried when we got back home. Enjoy the vacation. I know there are horse rides, bicycling and of course golf for those who enjoy those activities. I prefer horseback riding. Love the photos and blog.
njbeaglemom
2017-10-08
No to the Grand Canyon. We took the kids there 13 years ago and spent a week whitewater rafting down the canyon. Horseback riding is Monday :)