After having driven through Sedona one time and I knew I had to come back. There was nothing in particular that I had in mind when I wanted to return, just that I wanted to see the red rock at sunset and to walk around the main visitor area. Sedona is known for a lot of weird things in Arizona, including energy portals and people who speak telepathically with dolphins… No matter what you think though it has breath taking views and truly red rock! I say this because this was Paul’s (my long time partner) first time seeing Sedona.
Paul is color deficient, which means he can’t tell certain colors from each other, usually browns/reds/greens/pinks/purple. For his most recent birthday I got him a pair of Enchroma glasses, which help colorblindness by using lenses that are tinted a certain way. On the way up to Sedona we got to save a little money by crashing on the couch of an old friend Phill (Who we plan to see again once the snow sets in!). On a side note this was my first time having Jack in the Box!
That night we wondered around the “city center” I guess you would call it to find a good bar. We settled on this place right on route 66 called Flagstaff Brewing company. While we were there we overheard that the bartenders name your tab based on an obvious descriptor, like Mr Clean. We never found out which name they stuck us with which is probably for the best. I really enjoyed the pear cider that they had, which was sweet with a bit of bitter (not really a beer fan), and french fries which made a good end to the night.
The next morning we were off to the Arizona Snowbowl to ride the scenic lift up on the last day before it closed. (The tickets are $5 cheaper per person when you buy them online!) Before heading up we grabbed a drink from the bar and sat on their deck to soak in the fall scenery. After hearing a foreigner dad rushing around asking if anyone would like hot chocolate or coffee I couldn’t resist the urge to get my own hot chocolate. Now with our warm beverages in had we boarded the lift for our 30 min ride to the top.
Being in the silence of nature is one of my favorite things. I fee like being surround by nothing but trees and the wind really has a cleansing and calming effect on the soul. Being constantly bombarded with everything that is in this world right now (especially politics) is so trying and tiring and I feel like that really is the source of all the chaos in my life.
Once we got to the top of the lift (which we had to exit very quickly in order not to be leveled!) we took the short 1/4 mile hike to the top to look out over the Arizona Snowbowl. After giving him a minute to look out over the mass amount of color changing trees I gave him his new Enchroma glasses. At first the color difference wasn’t the drastic but over the last few weeks of constant wear the differences are more pronounced and easier for him to see.
In order to get from Flagstff to Sedona we took one of my favorite scenic drives from Flagstaff to Sedona on 89A. Its a winding road through mountains and trees on each Side. We stopped for some locally grown apples which I made into the most delicious tiny pies. Fall is one of my favorite times, especially for the color. My favorite part would have to be coming into Sedona when Paul was shocked that the red rock was actually red!
IAfter racing the sunset to Sedona we found a place to park so we could walk around in the shops. I have to say I am disappointed with the number of “cookie cutter” tourist shops that Sedona has, but there are few gems hidden along the main strip.
We ended up doing a couples wine tasting at Made In Arizona which was a lot of fun. Our host was a lot of fun and we ended up getting a bottle of their Kokopeli Moscato (which at $28 is the most expensive bottle I have ever bought haha) and two sandblasted wine glasses as souveniers! Paul always comes away with hot sauce of course! We wound down the evening at the local pizza place before the long, dark, drive home.
This was a go at a first post, we’ll see how it evolves and I’ll add some photos in later!
-Kaela The Adventurer
AdventureBox 