Tom, Ruth & Oliver’s Excellent Sedona Adventure
I have a Time Share. I was not foolish enough to buy one – it was an inheritance. One thing about a Time Share – you have to pay the ‘maintenance fees’ whether you use your points or not. Ruth indicated a desire to spend some time in Sedona and fortunately our time share has a resort there. So last year we booked four days there for early May as sort of a delayed birthday gift for Ruth. We brought along Ruth’s service dog, Oliver, a black standard poodle.
Ruth surprised me by suggesting we go my car, a distance of over 1200 miles. Hey, I like road trips. So on Monday morning, bright and early, we were off on the first leg of our adventure. Okay, driving from The Woodlands, Texas to Santa Rosa, New Mexico is not exactly an adventure. Ruth’s car, Ginny, eats the miles comfortably. We listened to audio books as we crossed the great state of Texas and entered New Mexico where the countryside begins to resemble the classic image of the West.
Santa Rosa is about the last place to stop on I-40 going west before you reach my old stomping ground of Albuquerque. Between the two there is a lot of open prairie but not anything in the way of a motel for over a hundred miles. The sun was still up but after 750 miles we were ready to stop. While enjoying a dinner in town Ruth suddenly remembered that she had done an energy project there some years before. Strange how our various wanderings somehow crisscross.
The long day of driving on Monday meant we had time for some diversions on our scheduled arrival day in Sedona. I convinced Ruth to take a side trip to Meteor Crater, the impact site of a meteor some 50,000 years ago. There is not much to see at this privately owned natural phenomena: just a gigantic hole in the ground. Still, it is impressive.
We stopped for lunch in Winslow Arizona which was “such a fine sight to see”. We had a healthy and delicious meal at a charming café and then walked across the street to the little memorial the locals put up referencing the old Eagles song, ‘Take it Easy.’ Winslow is a neat little town. Adding to the pleasure of the visit was that it was not summer yet and was a comfortable 80 degrees with low humidity.
We did not linger; Sedona was calling. The road down from Flagstaff is beautiful, winding, and descending. Sedona itself is not very large, about 15,000 people with an average of about 25,000 tourists on any given day. The town is centered on what they call the Y, an intersection of highways 89A and 179. Sedona has very strict building codes. Everything has to be brown stucco/Spanish which sounds boring – but it isn’t. Even the McDonald’s has that look, complete with teal colored arches on the side of the tan wall. I saw no buildings more than a couple of stories high. The architecture blends well into the surrounding red rocks and gives the town a relaxed and calm atmosphere. Sedona is surrounded by fabulous red cliffs which change colors as the sun rises and falls. Think Monument Valley with a neat little town filled with art galleries, cool shops, and nice restaurants right in the middle. Sedona has the reputation of being a very ‘spiritual’ place with mysterious Vortexes which are said to supply psychic/mystic powers. More on those later.
We found our resort without too much trouble; we had GIS and Sedona is not that big. Check in was easy and in short order we had our key cards and the three of us were ready to move in. We had a two bedroom lockout suite. That allows people to either share their rooms or lock the connecting door. I slid the card into 3014 and found a very nice, large, comfortable room. There was a nice little kitchenette, a dining area, and a big bedroom and bath. We started settling in at once. I went over to our ‘other’ room, 3015, the bedroom that connected to the suite and found to my astonishment that we were in the smaller spare bedroom. We had a full kitchen, utility room, spacious dining area, living room, porch, and a master bedroom with an enormous whirlpool bath (big enough for two). All in all we had about 1500 square feet – larger than some homes I have owned. We were close enough to the pool and resort center and had a good view of the cliffs as well. All in all, it was a wonderful place to stay.
We reviewed some of the offered tours at the center and got some advice on places to go and things to see – we signed up for a jeep tour the following evening and Ruth got an appointment at a spa. Then it was off to the grocery store to pack in provisions such as eggs, wine and shredded cheese for Oliver. Ruth then wanted to rest a bit so I took Oliver out in the car and we went exploring some of the many well marked trails in the many parks and open areas around Sedona. We took a short hike together for a mile or so and then headed back to home. Instead of going out we decided to just get a pizza. There was a place, Pizza Lisa right at the foot of our street. I got an unusual pie, a Sicilian, which included a white sauce, artichokes, and thinly sliced lemons (!) on a thin crust. Washed down with some good wine it was delicious.
The next morning, Wednesday, we started early. I had to. All of my life I have tended to get up at first daylight. Arizona does not do daylight savings time so it is not only two hours later than Texas, it is well east of the rest of the people who are on Pacific Time. That means the sun comes up early; like 0515 early. This was not a big problem as we both tend to go to be early, but still…. The result was that I was bouncing out of bed and making breakfast before 0600. We headed out shortly thereafter to see the sunrise at the Sedona airport. Adding to the excitement was the so-called Airport Vortex located near one of the turnout vistas, although there was not a marker as such for the vortex center. The Airport Vortex is supposed to provide male energy but I didn’t notice anything. But what a spectacular view! As I mentioned before, the sun changes the colors on the surrounding landscape making for an ever-changing vista.
We were back in time for me to drop Ruth off at her spa, NAMTI, while Oliver and I found another trail to hike. Oliver behaved admirably during the entire trip, never once misbehaving. Often people in restaurants would be surprised when we got up after eating to discover there had been a dog tucked away under the table. That said, Oliver is not an outdoor dog. He likes walking, of course, but after about half an hour or so he starts looking to go back home. He probably would have liked it more it I had dared let him off the leash; it is not as much fun for a dog when he is constrained to the steady pace of a human. We walked the trails everyday but we never got in more than a couple of miles. Too bad because the trails are well marked and easy to hike, well, at least the ones I got to try. There were some more challenging ones that I would like to try (sans poodle) next time.
Oliver and I picked up Ruth from her spa treatment and poured her into the car. We ate a late lunch at the Paleo Café, the only restaurant I have been in that has a cave motif. There was more than just grilled meat on the menu. We had a more or less standard (but delicious) sandwich and a ‘paleo bowl’ that mixed chicken and various greens and veggies. We enjoyed it very much.
After a restorative nap, we took an evening jeep trail ride. Our driver, Sid, drove us up way back up into the hills over some four-wheel drive trails, regaling us with stories of the area’s history, explaining some of the local landmarks, and providing commentary on plants we saw along the way. We ended up at a rustic cabin out in the wilderness. The owner had homesteaded the place back in the 19th century and lived there, herding cattle with his bride. The family held on to the land deep into the 20th century before selling most of the original holdings. We cut through a little path through dry thorn brush behind the cabin for about a hundred yards and abruptly we were standing next to the fairway of a new lush golf course. Ah, progress.
That evening we ate a late (for us) dinner at the Barking Frog, named after a local species of amphibian who, after a rain, has a croak that sounds a bit like a Chihuahua. Or so I am told. They had splendid Prickly Pear Margaritas and excellent food which in combination had us heading back to our rooms and straight into bed.
On Thursday, we had thought to drive up to the Grand Canyon which is only a couple of hours north but instead decided to do a local loop. We drove past Cathedral and Bell Rock and other fine scenery. We dropped by Montezuma’s Castle, some long-abandoned pueblo ruins which is now a National Monument. I was very impressed with the location with sheltering cliffs and a cottonwood tree lined river. It was easy to imagine people living here. No one knows why they abandoned their homes over six hundred years ago.
We headed back west to drive up a mountainside to the old mining town of Jerome. A copper mining boom town late in the 19th century it almost became a ghost town before being discovered by artists and folks who appreciated the scenic views. I heard that the best way to see the little town, which is built literally on the side of a mountain, is to park at the bottom, walk up the three steep flights of stairs, and then work your way down, shopping and checking out the little art galleries on the switchbacks that zigzag through the little village. We could see a place that had been recommended, Haunted Hamburger, just above us. It didn’t look too far. Looks can be deceiving. It wasn’t very far but it was seriously uphill – three flights full. However, the walk was well worth it. We were early enough that not only did we get a table outside in the cool mountain air, we got one right up against the edge. The waitress filled us in on the ghost which haunts the place, which she had personally experienced, and brought us delicious beverages and great big, juicy hamburgers. We were only able to eat about half our lunches as we stared out into the clear dry mountain air. The rock formations in Sedona were clearly visible 25 miles away. Once again, good food and excellent beverages had us heading for the bed for some serious napping as soon as we got back. Afterward Mr. Oliver and I were able to get a little hike in while Ruth continued her nap.
The entertainment that evening at the resort was a guitar-strumming singing cowboy accompanied by his wife on the harp. It sounds corny but they were actually quite good. Besides, there were free s’mores there. We decided not to go out for dinner after our heavy lunch; I just went out and scored another excellent pizza from yet another local fine dining establishment.
Friday would be our last full day. We started with another sunrise visit to the airport vista where we watched hot air balloons floating over the valley. Our plan this day was to do some shopping and visit a medium/psychic advisor. Ruth was there early for her reading. While she did that I walked around visiting some of the many art galleries in the vicinity. I was especially intrigued by one that featured metal and ceramic sculptures. Some were (frighteningly) almost affordable. But then, where would I put some of these wonderful objects of art?
Ruth was delighted with her reading which was very positive. In that happy state of mind, we relocated to the shops in an area called Tlaquepaque. There was a lot of art there and not a few bargains. We had lunch there, another delicious meal. In the afternoon, we drove to ‘uptown’ Sedona around the Y and spent a pleasant couple of hours drifting along visiting shops and generally enjoying the day. The weather was, as it was for all of our stay, very pleasant – highs in the mid 80’s and lows in the mid 50’s with low humidity and sunny days. After our excursion Ruth went back for a nap and Oliver and I walked the Coffee Pot trail for a while. Not only is there art for sale, there are artists practicing their craft all over town. We even ran into one on the hiking trail, painting beneath an umbrella.
We decided to have an early Friday appetizer/dinner at Mariposa’s overlooking the red “sand dune” mountains. Sitting on a covered patio, watching the sun lighting the red cliffs of Sedona from the west enjoying a nice malbec was splendid. That night we lay in bed comfortably watching a documentary on the life of Walt Disney. Okay, it wasn’t clubbing in some hot spot, but it was awfully pleasant.
The next morning was our last; we needed to check out by 1000. We arose a bit later than usual before having a big breakfast at the Coffee Pot restaurant (founded by old movie star Jane Russell), named not for the beverage but the big rock formation (not Jane’s the mountain’s). We checked out on time and cruised down to visit my old college friends Janet and Dave Moore who live in Rio Verde on the northwestern corner of greater Phoenix. On the way, we stopped at an In-and-Out Burger, something we have not done since we moved from California.
Janet and Dave were most gracious, welcoming us into their home. There had been some concern about how our dogs would interact. No worries there; it was like doggie summer camp. They got along great. We sat in their lovely home chatting until it was time to go to a local block party. Let it be said: Rio Verde knows how to put on a great party. All sorts of beverages including frozen Margaritas. I had the unexpected pleasure of meeting and talking with Lieutenant General David Fridovich who was the senior Green Beret in the Army. What an interesting man, though most guys in his hazardous line of work are. I have met a fair number of genuinely tough guys and quite a few natural leaders in my profession. General Fridovich was both. As is common in the breed he was both polite and articulate. The party was a great ending to our trip.
Of course, we still had the 1200 miles to drive home. We left Rio Verde early and drove all the way to Ft. Stockton arriving in the gathering rain and darkness. The next day we cruised home, passing through Fredericksburg to get Texas peaches, then on the way and were home by 1400.
All in all, it was a wonderful vacation. Even the long road trip was pleasant. Sedona was peaceful and relaxing with excellent food and drink and a lot of things to do. We hope to go back next year. Maybe on that trip we can make it up to the Grand Canyon.
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