Sedona

I had my first over-night adventure to Sedona, Arizona. I stayed in a cabin off a narrow winding little highway through Coconino National Forest. The weather the afternoon I arrived was simply perfect in the high 70s/low 80s with a nice cool breeze and sunny skies. My cabin was part of a bed and breakfast and the owners were the nicest couple. They gave me a map and multiple ideas for ways to spend my afternoon.

So my first stop was a beautiful shopping and arts area. A brewery was recommended to me...so that was my first stop. Nothing like a refreshing beer on the perfect day.

I sat on the patio and had the seven dwarfs (7 mini beer steins, as seen in the picture, to taste all their award winning beers). An excellent choice I must say. After the beer I drove around a took in the scenery. Red rocks everywhere! This was taken near a chapel famous in Sedona for being built into the canyon by one of Frank Lloyd Wright's students. Later that night I opted for a prickly pear margarita. Yummy and pink! My trip to Sedona was prompted by wanting to take a hot air balloon ride. I was picked up at 5AM. The desert really does get cool at night it was nice waiting on my patio, quite a change from the blazing valley of Phoenix. There were 5 balloons total to take off. You can see a balloon being inflated in the picture above. As some have heard the balloon I was to ride had a large tear in the top of the balloon. So needless to say I did not get to ride in a hot air balloon. I was very disappointed. p.s. They found the tear before we every left the ground.

A pink jeep tour was recommended to me by some ladies from the hot air balloon fiasco. So I was on my way off-roading by 8AM. This is me standing on Submarine Rock in the middle of a canyon. There was a very nice couple from North Carolina that kept taking my picture for me. I didn't even have to ask...they would just say, "Give me your camera. That's a good picture." I have decided when I retire that I am getting my own jeep to go off-roading. The jeep tour was a great alternative to my aerial tour. I really enjoyed it. We did 45 degree angles and everything! This is me up on Chicken Point towards the bottom of the canyon. It was very windy at this point in the canyon. Needless to say the trip was wonderful even though it didn't go as planned. I recommend that everyone take a trip to Sedona at least once. Apparently the rest of the world likes to visit here in their retirement years. I was one of the minority of young people. Made me feel young and vibrant!