We made it back late last night from our weekend of travel to and from Sedona, AZ, with some (but not enough) actual Sedona time in the middle.
Heading up, we took a back road route we have never taken before from home through Globe, then a path from Globe to Show Low that I have driven solo before, but more than twenty years ago. This road goes through the beautiful Salt River Canyon, that in any state that didn't already contain the Grand Canyon would be considered a major landmark. From Show Low we want to Taylor to very briefly visit friends, because we were already running behind schedule.
Heading out of Taylor, we traveled across the amazing Mogollon Rim before descending into Payson. We had dinner there, then made the rest of the trip to Sedona through the dark of night.
When we awakened in our hotel on top of a mesa, we saw what we couldn't the night before--the breathtaking red rocks and green trees and the incredible views that greet you around every turn. After breakfast we made the short trip out to Red Rock Crossing to see Cathedral Rock across Oak Creek--there's a picture below, then browsed around the shopping/gallery area of Tlaquepaque, where there were many spectacular things we couldn't come close to affording. After lunch and a little more shopping in Uptown, we headed for The Well Red Coyote, a wonderful indie bookstore, where an enthusiastic crowd gathered or my supernatural thriller seminar.
Later we ate at the charmingly funky Red Planet Diner, and saw The Taking Of Pelham 123 (which was really good--tight, taut, terrifically constructed, with solid, non-stop suspense).
Sunday morning (after a great breakfast at the Coffee Pot) we had to head home, via Phoenix and Tucson. The scenery on interstate 10 wasn't nearly as grand as it had been on the way up. But as always, we're glad to be back on the ranch, where this morning the Gambel's quail couple that lives here brought their new chicks for a drink from our pond.
