Wow! What. A. Day!
So much done. So many fabulous experiences! We even ate in a McDonalds without Golden Arches, but that’s for later!
I’m not adjusting to the time shift as much as Jane & Charlie, so still waking at 2am local time. That’s when I write these ramblings, but that suits me, the Fam’ and my own objective – I basically want to see as many sunrises and sunsets as I can over this amazing land.
This morning, I snook out on my own at around 5am with my camera and walked from our hotel through a deserted West Sedona towards Downtown and watched the sun rise over the stunning geological marvels that surround us.
Arriving back, Charlie & Jane were awake and Charlie had his customary dip. He’s decided his target is to swim in every pool at our accommodation. (He’ll kill me for uploading the photo).
Breakfast was an unusual setup, and having asked Thor (who was pool cleaning) for guidance he said to check his office window. Sure enough through his little sliding window we clouds help ourselves to pastries, fruit, yoghurts etc. So we did, and decided to leave our keys, checkout and set off somewhere more “scenic” to eat it.
With bags packed in my new arrangement (which freed up more user friendly camera storage space – these things make a difference!), we headed in to Downtown and ended up parking on a rooftop car park. Which bearing in mind it was still not 7am, was unsurprisingly deserted.
More scenic?! A car park? Yep. The views were incredible. And basically the same as the posh hotel we stayed in when last here 18 years ago with Janes Mum and Dad. We had intended to stay at L’Auberge again until we saw the prices (which when we were looking to book were £450 a night!) Bloody hell, we must have got a deal of the century last time!
From there, given nothing was open I decided that we should check out Airport Mesa, as it was less than 10 minutes away, and blimey I’m glad we did.
The short rocky hike to the summit is well worth it. 360 degree views of the surrounding landscape, and with it still being early, still had a nice warm cast to the light. If you go, for us this is a “must do”.
I happened to be wearing my City shirt, and was asked by an American, if I was Scottish “based on my accent”. I explained we are from Manchester. An Aussie then chipped in and began telling the Yank that the Jocks shirt was a soccer shirt and that we had been playing in the US this last week. In fact “Manchester” had been playing in Phoenix down the road. Plastic Man U fans get everywhere.
Having avoided pushing him off the cliff edge, but sickened by the encounter, we headed back to Downtown for just after 9am so Jane & Charlie could have a mooch in the wonderfully eclectic shops. Sedona attracts certain types of folk who believe that the surrounding rocks emanate a transcendentally mind-altering “vortex” and some of the shops appeal to those people.
Even at 9am the temperature was around 34degC and Charlie seems to be struggling today with the heat, and combined with our light breakfast, I suggested McDonalds if for no other reason to be able to say we’ve eaten in a Blue Maccy Dees.
Apparently, town planning felt the yellow of the “Golden Arches” didn’t suit the adobe colouring of much of the Sedona architecture. So they went for blue.
That over with (it was fine, but the McMuffins were still just McMuffins), we started today’s proper adventure with the Oak Creek Canyon Scenic Drive up to Flagstaff. We had hoped to stop at Slide Rock State Park, but they were queueing in the highway to get it, so we bailed on that one. Glad we did, as we saw the canyon park just a bit down the road. All I can say is it looked remarkably similar to Bolton Abbey on a May Day Bank Holiday Monday.
After a series of switchbacks and more climbing, we stopped off to look back down the valley. We remember this from our trip with Ann & Arthur in the summer of 2000. It was that trip that, combined with our honeymoon, has inspired this itinerary. We loved that holiday, but as much for their company as the scenery. We do miss them.
Back in the car and a short drive up into Flagstaff, where we drove past our hotel and onto Historic Route 66! With Chuck Berry on Spotify we trundled through Historic Downtown, and headed out onto the I40 and towards Winslow.
When we set this trip up, we had always planned to visit Meteor Crater “again”. In fact, we had even considered scattering some of Arthur’s ashes here, because he had put it as a “must do” on the 2000 trip. Last time however, we arrived at the gates to be told that it was closing and got turned away! We were all gutted. None more so than Arthur. Legal and logistical reasons meant we didn’t scatter ashes, but we do think we’ve closed that loop for him.
We got there in plenty of time this trip! Enough time in fact for “Larry” to invite us on a “guided rim tour”!
Any photos we take won’t do it justice (as is the case for most of these “big views”). To give scale it’s as deep as a 66 storey building and if you look at the white patch in the centre that’s a mine shaft area the size of a football pitch. With a telescope, you can make out a 6’6” astronaut suit.
After our “rimming”, due to the intense heat, we headed inside to watch a short but interesting film on its formation, but mainly because of the air conditioning tbh.
We also got to stroke the largest remaining piece of the asteroid, that weighs over a tonne and is valued at $3-5mil.
As we watched on, storm clouds rolled in and we began to see downpours, thunder and lightning, and having seen and done everything at the Barringer, we headed back to Flagstaff. I had intended to drive the extra 50min round trip just to see who the girl in a flatbed Ford was looking at that was “standin’ on the corner in Winslow, Arizona”. But I didn’t.
Hotel. Rude reception. Bad mood. Chilled for an hour.
Then went to the Texas Chainsaw Whorehouse Grill (its not actually called that, that’s a nickname from our Florida hols), and despite missing our usual partners in crime, did “the usual” and had a great steak, left more food than we ate, paid, and came back to the hotel.
Must mention that when Jane ordered her Sangria Margarita, the waitress asked her for ID. Doesn’t surprise me, even though I know she’s quite a bit older than 21! Whilst I won’t reveal her age, the reasons for this big trip are the fact it’s our 25th wedding anniversary, and that Janes next birthday has a zero at the end.
Jane and Charlie crashed out, but I had another revisit to do, so back in the car and off up the big hill to Lowell Observatory. Had a fabulous geeky couple of hours up there, watching satellites go by, looking at Saturn, Jupiter, Pluto and the Moon.
Back down the hill, and crashed out with the rest of them. Grand Canyon tomorrow and a nice double stopover, so a driving break for me.
Oh, by the way, we love the car, it’s brilliant! We are quite glad fuel is relatively cheap here though!
Ouch!
See you at the big hole, tomorrow!