Hitch up the wagon folks, or at least the
VW people mover. Next stop the red rocks and
vortices of
Sedona, a compelling kaleidoscope of a town nestled amid some of the most spectacular southwestern scenery you'll ever lay eyes on.
The picturesque Oak Creek Canyon serves as a 23 mile appetizer for the main event.
At the half way point of the canyon, the aptly named Slide Rock State Park serves as an oasis in the dry Arizona desert. And not just because it conveniently has a row of vending machines lined up adjacent to the prime photo ops. The river meanders over a natural slide of red rock - in summer apparently it's nature's own Wet n' Wild.
No swimming today. Which is a good thing for those who can't swim.
Rock tests the temperature and finds things a little too cool for his tastes. On the other hand, the vending machines are serving beverages up just the way he likes them. Eyesores in a State Park never tasted so good.
Mei can be forgiven for not seeing the "Don't destroy the park in the quest for tacky photos" sign. They must have been obscured by the vending machines. Or perhaps they're on the other side of the ginormous parking lot.
First look at
Sedona. This from the scenic Red Rock Crossing. Cathedral Rock towers in the background. The Rock towers in the foreground.
Look, I can jump as high as that rock. Well, one Rock anyway.
Rock searches in vain for the "crossing" part of Red River Crossing.
Under a big moon, you can almost feel those
vortextual energies surging around. Where's my unbuttoned hemp poncho and bamboo sandals when I need them?
They don't make scenery like this out east.
Prickly! Rock's fascination with cacti can only end badly. Remind you of a certain blog?
The best hike in
Sedona. Heck maybe the best in the southwest. The ascent up Cathedral Rock. The trail, or rather the line of footholds in the sheer red cliff, winds its way up the foundation of the aforementioned red rock formation and affords spectacular views on the way.
Fire up Magnificent Seven theme, you don't get more western than this.
Only half way there? Rock seems to anticipate his readers' sentiment.
Jump if you're sick of seeing red rocks.
Rock is an expert at pointing out the obvious.
More eye candy from the way up. Rock wishes he had a little more tangible form of candy in his pack.
Magnificent.
Don't worry, we're not going all the way up. The trail tops out half way up the rock formation.
Seen this before? Thought so. And we're not talking about on
http://twophatkiwis.blogspot.com either.
Rock scopes out some more photo ops. Surprisingly they look suspiciously like the last ones.
Looking west, into the setting sun.
As the sun sinks below the far off buttes, the reds get... well... redder.
After a hike like that, there's nothing like finding your room includes a spa, hot apple cider, and freshly baked cookies. More importantly it includes a spa that you can see the
tv from. Mei knows where she's parked for the night.
Hpmh, who needs the outdoors when you have a big ass
tv?
And a crackling fire! The best thing about this fire is it comes with a convenient off and on button. Now that's roughing it.
Sedona by night. Uptown
Sedona is a mix of kitsch and...
uhm... kitsch. But in a good, Main Street USA kind of way.
Who would have thought one would find a Korean BBQ joint in the middle of steak, burger, and enchilada country?
I'm dreaming of a desert Christmas... Actually, just one where Rock actually gets me something decent will do.
Showdown at high noon. Doc Rock and the Wuhan Kid have itchy trigger fingers. Must have something to do with not finding
breaky yet.
Bang! Bang! Bang! She's deadly shooting from the hip... as well as the mouth.
The new law in town. You don't mess with the Rock.
Hmmm... looks a bit like Taco Bell. I wonder if they have a drive through?
Nothing like the quaint streets of a pseudo border town.
It's hard to keep the increasingly strained western narrative going when the frontier outpost has... rollerbladers? Go figure.
Well, it's not quite the Trevi Fountain, but hey, gotta give some points for originality.
The cowhands take a breather after the muster. Mei seems to have lost her cowboy hat on yonder mesa.
Up close and personal with the local wildlife.
Yep, still too cold. Bring back the apple cider.
Chief Soaring Eagle gets ready for the pow wow.
This is Snoopy Rock. See it? He's lying on his back, with his ears sticking up?
No wonder all the rich folk want to replace the landscape with their own six garage monstrosities. My artificial mesa is bigger than yours!
Why fancy running into the TwoPhat crew on the red rock trail. Christmas comes early out in the desert.
You can read all about the first 973 at the TwoPhat blog. For the other 27, try back next week.
Mei shares a yarn with the locals in downtown Scottsdale, a suburb of the sprawling metropolis of Phoenix.
Is that a non-Starbucks coffee? We surely are in the wilderness folks.
In a desert, is this really the best use of water? In a blog, is this really the best use of space?
Old town Scottsdale. The only cowboys you'll see around these parts are in the multitude of Remington prints adorning the walls of the many galleries peddling a slice of the 'real' west.
You can spot a greenhorn from a mile away. They tend to think it's a good idea to lean on cacti.
Zhu meets zhu. Just don't mention that superb caramelized pork belly you had the other day...
The picturesque Oak Creek Canyon serves as a 23 mile appetizer for the main event.
At the half way point of the canyon, the aptly named Slide Rock State Park serves as an oasis in the dry Arizona desert. And not just because it conveniently has a row of vending machines lined up adjacent to the prime photo ops. The river meanders over a natural slide of red rock - in summer apparently it's nature's own Wet n' Wild.
No swimming today. Which is a good thing for those who can't swim.
Rock tests the temperature and finds things a little too cool for his tastes. On the other hand, the vending machines are serving beverages up just the way he likes them. Eyesores in a State Park never tasted so good.
Mei can be forgiven for not seeing the "Don't destroy the park in the quest for tacky photos" sign. They must have been obscured by the vending machines. Or perhaps they're on the other side of the ginormous parking lot.
First look at Sedona. This from the scenic Red Rock Crossing. Cathedral Rock towers in the background. The Rock towers in the foreground.
Look, I can jump as high as that rock. Well, one Rock anyway.
Rock searches in vain for the "crossing" part of Red River Crossing.
Under a big moon, you can almost feel those vortextual energies surging around. Where's my unbuttoned hemp poncho and bamboo sandals when I need them?
They don't make scenery like this out east.
Prickly! Rock's fascination with cacti can only end badly. Remind you of a certain blog?
The best hike in Sedona. Heck maybe the best in the southwest. The ascent up Cathedral Rock. The trail, or rather the line of footholds in the sheer red cliff, winds its way up the foundation of the aforementioned red rock formation and affords spectacular views on the way.
Fire up Magnificent Seven theme, you don't get more western than this.
Only half way there? Rock seems to anticipate his readers' sentiment.
Jump if you're sick of seeing red rocks.
Rock is an expert at pointing out the obvious.
More eye candy from the way up. Rock wishes he had a little more tangible form of candy in his pack.
Magnificent.
Don't worry, we're not going all the way up. The trail tops out half way up the rock formation.
Seen this before? Thought so. And we're not talking about on http://twophatkiwis.blogspot.com either.
Rock scopes out some more photo ops. Surprisingly they look suspiciously like the last ones.
Looking west, into the setting sun.
As the sun sinks below the far off buttes, the reds get... well... redder.
After a hike like that, there's nothing like finding your room includes a spa, hot apple cider, and freshly baked cookies. More importantly it includes a spa that you can see the tv from. Mei knows where she's parked for the night.
Hpmh, who needs the outdoors when you have a big ass tv?
And a crackling fire! The best thing about this fire is it comes with a convenient off and on button. Now that's roughing it.
Sedona by night. Uptown Sedona is a mix of kitsch and... uhm... kitsch. But in a good, Main Street USA kind of way.
Who would have thought one would find a Korean BBQ joint in the middle of steak, burger, and enchilada country?
I'm dreaming of a desert Christmas... Actually, just one where Rock actually gets me something decent will do.
Showdown at high noon. Doc Rock and the Wuhan Kid have itchy trigger fingers. Must have something to do with not finding breaky yet.
Bang! Bang! Bang! She's deadly shooting from the hip... as well as the mouth.
The new law in town. You don't mess with the Rock.
Hmmm... looks a bit like Taco Bell. I wonder if they have a drive through?
Nothing like the quaint streets of a pseudo border town.
It's hard to keep the increasingly strained western narrative going when the frontier outpost has... rollerbladers? Go figure.
Well, it's not quite the Trevi Fountain, but hey, gotta give some points for originality.
The cowhands take a breather after the muster. Mei seems to have lost her cowboy hat on yonder mesa.
Up close and personal with the local wildlife.
Yep, still too cold. Bring back the apple cider.
Chief Soaring Eagle gets ready for the pow wow.
This is Snoopy Rock. See it? He's lying on his back, with his ears sticking up?
No wonder all the rich folk want to replace the landscape with their own six garage monstrosities. My artificial mesa is bigger than yours!
Why fancy running into the TwoPhat crew on the red rock trail. Christmas comes early out in the desert.
You can read all about the first 973 at the TwoPhat blog. For the other 27, try back next week.
Mei shares a yarn with the locals in downtown Scottsdale, a suburb of the sprawling metropolis of Phoenix.
Is that a non-Starbucks coffee? We surely are in the wilderness folks.
In a desert, is this really the best use of water? In a blog, is this really the best use of space?
Old town Scottsdale. The only cowboys you'll see around these parts are in the multitude of Remington prints adorning the walls of the many galleries peddling a slice of the 'real' west.
You can spot a greenhorn from a mile away. They tend to think it's a good idea to lean on cacti.
Zhu meets zhu. Just don't mention that superb caramelized pork belly you had the other day...
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