After a casual morning, the bulk of the day was spent in
and near Sedona. Sadly, again, Diana
could not join us.
If one is looking for great scenery, great food (like the
Secret Garden Café or Taos Cantina), and has high hopes of acquiring a
locally-crafted coffee mug per some childish vacation rule, this town is
wonderful. Tlaquepaque (Tuh-LOCK-uh-POCK-ee)
is great for artists and allowed me to secure yet another mug for my collection.
The Oak CreekCanyon Brewery is here. While we did not visit the brewery, their brews are
available throughout town. I recommend
the Pale Ale (#1,273). The Pale Ale (#1,274)
from
the Grand Canyon Brewery was pretty well done, too.
On the other hand, if one wants to get swept up in the
nonsense that is New Age stupidity, book your flight to Sedona now. Astrology. Palm readings. Oh goody.
Maybe you could go find the vortex at the Airport or Bell Rock and strengthen
your masculine or feminine side. Maps
will get you there. Oooooooohh. It is even claimed that these spinning
bundles of energy explain the twists and turns of a juniper tree branch. Yes,
that’s right, folks! Mystical tornadoes from
Oz, that you can’t see, twist trees!
Wow……..
Now if only real tornadoes would carry these hucksters
away, or least pilfer their voter registration cards from their wallet or
purse. Rational, honest people are trying to cure cancer and deal with a host of
other worldly woes. Stop your nonsense. You are perpetrating a fraud. Go
directly to jail. Do not pass go and quit collecting 200 bucks from the folks
you bamboozle. Stop it.
Just north of town sits Slide Rock State Park. Originally one of the regions first
homesteads (European, anyway), the enterprising Pendley family (their home is pictured below) managed some
impressive irrigation projects to allow the growing of produce in the
valley. Before long, vacationer cabins
were built and it became a destination for those fleeing the heat. By the
1980’s, the State of Arizona bought it for use as a park.
After cooling our feet in the racing waters (that have
carved slippery chutes that give the park its name), we enjoyed a short hike
along the cliff trail. (No rails, by the
way. If you walk over to the edge, it is
a 20-foot drop to the rocks below.
L-a-w-s-u-i-t?). While not really
bird-productive, the park provided Natalie with her life bird Say’s Phoebe. It was putting on a show on the walk back to
the car. The viewing distance was less
than 30 feet.
Even though I suck as a photographer, the gorgeous red rocks of the region make for some wonderful colors as the sun sets.
If you really want to see what Sedona can be through the eyes of non-idiot photographers, go here.
In any case, Nat, Marge and I were back in Scottsdale after nightfall.
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