FINAL DAY IN SEDONA

Saturday, February 25 - We took a ride to Cottonwood this morning. Before we arrived at our destination, we stopped for breakfast at Pepe's Cafe. What a great place to eat. The staff was great, and the food delicious. The price is right too. Much cheaper than eating in Sedona.

Driving along SR 89A, we came to a place called Simply Amazing, and boy was it. This place had so much stuff, it was difficulty to know where to begin. It was a combination Mexican, antiques and plain old junk. We didn't purchase anything, but enjoyed just walking around an seeing all the owner's treasures.

There was a section of free stuff. Nothing there we could use either.

Upon arriving at Old Town Cottonwood, we found out that we might be arriving too early. It was 10:00 a.m., but many of the stores were still not open. We walked the street up one side and down the other. We were able to visit a few shops. Marsha found some agates she has been looking for so all was not lost.

The highlight of our visit was the Hippie Emporium. This place was a blast from the past. Just about anything you can image from the 60's and 70's. Yes, they had bongs, beads, tie-dyed clothing, etc. We both remembered either having or using most the stuff in the place. Lots of laughs.

There is some money here in Sedona. As we drive around, we see the biggest houses. We know land is very expensive which makes these homes even more expensive.

Marsha wanted to take a few more photos of some rock formations. She was able to get pretty close to them and took some great photos.

Coffeepot rock.

Chimney rock.

And then the rain appeared. In the next photo, do you see Cathedral rock way out there. She was disappointed at missing this one.

Because we knew we would be doing some more sightseeing, Marsha taped the opening day of the Cleveland Indians Spring Training. We think we can say that Tribe fans are looking forward to another super season. The answer is....Yes, we won 8-2.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y'all back real soon. Have a great day!

ENJOYING THE BEAUTY OF SEDONA

Friday, February 24 - We woke-up to 25 degrees here in Sedona, AZ, this morning. We are over 4500' above sea level, and it is still winter here in the mountains. Our waterline was frozen this morning so we had to bring in our hose and let it thaw out. Even then we had to wait until the hydrant thawed out before water was flowing again. Guess the lady in the Elks Lodge was wrong yesterday when she said not to worry about freezing water lines. Luckily, we had water in our holding tank and we were able to get ready for our sightseeing day.

Paul has not done well at this altitude with his recent heart problems, so we decided to forego any hiking. Instead, we did a driving tour of the amazing mountain vistas. Everywhere we turned is another beautiful red mountain view. Unfortunately, most of the pulled-outs are packed with visitors. We aren't too thrilled with the congestion. Everything is very crowded.

We stopped at almost every pulled-out for pictures and to walk to the viewing areas. We visited Bell Rock, Castle Rock, Snoopy Rock, Camel Rock, Chimney Rock, and the overlook on Airport Road which is right behind our campground. These are all very beautiful sights but unfortunate the crowds disappointed us.

Bell rock.

Do you see Snoopy?

We really enjoyed the drive out State Route 89 through Oak Creek Canyon towards Flagstaff. This is known as one of the most beautiful drives in America. We drove to the top of the mountain at over 6400 feet. Yep, there was some snow up there but not much. 

Oak Creek Canyon.

The Native Americans For Community Action were selling there wares. The mission of Native Americans for Community Action Inc. is to provide preventive wellness strategies, empower, and advocate for Native peoples and others in need to create a healthy community based on Harmony, Respect, and Indigenous Values. We really enjoyed talking to them about their beautiful work. The temptation was too much for Marsha. She couldn't resist buying a couple gifts for some lucky people.

We then stopped for lunch at the Cowboy Bar. Delicious food. Marsha loved the boot as a beer tap. 

We will let you add the caption to this one.

After lunch we walked around downtown stopping in several of the little shops along with the hundreds of other tourists. Prices are a bit high for us. Paul did find a t-shirt he couldn't live without. 

 Paul was a bit confused about what this guy was saying.

The town is full of sculptures. They are in front of many of the stores. All are very nice.

Birdwoman.

Red Rocks and the Cowboy Artist.

The Dance.

After “shopping,” we returned to the campground to relax for the remainder of the day and to let Bella, our cat, out to enjoy the sun.

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Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y'all back real soon. Have a great day!

RED ROCK BEAUTY…SEDONA, AZ.

Thursday, February 23 – We set off early this morning heading west on I-10 through Tucson and Phoenix. We then connected with I-17 to travel up the mountains to Sedona, AZ. The Ford F-350 got a nice workout today!

Our first taste of the red rock.

We are staying at the Sedona Elks Lodge. They have seven gravel sites with 30 amp electric and water. The sites are a little off level but are manageable. We have site #7, an end site. Temperatures are suppose to drop into the lower 30's tonight, but the lady in the lodge said not to worry about the water freezing because it is for such a short period of time. Highs for the next couple of days are in the low 50's.

Looking left.

Looking right.

Right across the street.

After we set-up our site, we headed to a nearby Visitor's Center for some maps and information. We then headed downtown to checkout the eclectic shops and restaurants at Tlaquepaque. Not much here for us....pretty ritzy. We did stop for a drink at a local craft brewery, and visited a couple nearby shops.

Sedona is a beautiful place, that's for sure. Red rock cliffs everywhere we look. So amazing, but we can't help feeling like its been spoiled. Way over built. Too bad someone, long ago, didn't have the foresight to make this area a National Park.

We made one stop at The Chapel of the Holy Cross, one of the premier stops and rightfully so. What an amazing Church. Parking is at a premium. Fortunately, they were running golf cart shuttles from the lower parking areas up to the Chapel. It is a Roman Catholic chapel built into the buttes of Sedona. The Chapel has a contemporary look and juts out of two red mounds on a spur of rock that is 200 feet above the ground.

The Chapel is intimate and very simple. Apart from two tapestries on the wall, the only color in the Chapel are the flickering candles.

The Chapel is surrounded by some of the most beautiful red rocks in the area.

We have quite a sightseeing plan for the next couple of days and hope to get in some short hikes so stop back and tour Sedona, AZ with us.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y’all back real soon. Have a great day!