SISTER RAIN SEDONA WEEK
4/5
The last time I was in Sedona was a month before going blind in late 2012. Returning last May was a milestone for me which I documented in the post, “Red Rock, Paper, Scissors, Past, Future.” Here, however, I want to share with you my favorite things to do in this incredibly beautiful place. That’s the thing though; wherever you go or whatever you do, as terrific as the meal or as exciting as the adventure may be, you look around and what lies before you in every direction is all that truly matters. But a gal’s gotta eat and a guy’s gotta see all that he can see, said the blind girl.
Here is My Sedona with an important disclaimer: I have only been to Sedona in January, May and October. Use caution outside if the temperature is too high!
ON YOUR WAY FROM PHOENIX:
Rock Springs Cafe –
This restaurant is known for its pies but everything is tasty. The servers are always friendly and it’s a nice break on your drive from the Phoenix airport to Sedona. Be sure to get some pie to go!
WHERE TO STAY:
If you possibly can, stay somewhere with a view. Sedona is too spectacular to spend money on lodging without a red rock in sight. They are everywhere, so finding at least one window framing a formation should not be difficult.
COFFEE & PASTRIES:
Layla’s Bakery-Cafe –
The coffee offerings are some of the best I’ve had anywhere, the pastries will make you swoon. The outside seating area is so inviting you will want to stay all day. The staff is very kind and friendly. None of us need a new coffee mug but they have a very unique selection. Their t-shirts for sale have fun sayings on them. For instance: “Bake The World A Better Place.”
Sedonuts –
This is not your Dunkin’ or Yum Yum, friends. The donuts here are HOLEY GOOD with creative names: Zebra Stripe, It’s Nutty, Cookie Monster, Chocolate Red Rock. Send your travel partner to pick up breakfast here, make yourself a mimosa while you wait. Find some outside space at your home away from home, then enjoy your Sedonuts fare in your pj’s!
BREAKFAST:
Coffee Pot Restaurant –
Home of 101 omelettes, including the peanut butter, jelly and banana, a favorite of frequent customer Elvis Presley. There is usually a wait for breakfast but it is worth it. If it is not too hot, request the patio. Their coffee mugs are a work of art.
DINNER:
Cowboy Club –
Their steaks are delectable and my husband says their mashed potatoes are to die for. Ask to sit outside or even better, at a table right by the opened doors. TRY THE CACTUS FRIES!
Pago’s –
Great Italian food out by Bell Rock. Nice respite from the crowds around town.
ICE CREAM:
Black Cow Cafe –
I have been coming here for ice cream for over 15 years. Their Belgium Chocolate in a waffle cone is my favorite! Nothing says vacation like ice cream after dinner.
MUST SEE:
Chapel of the Holy Cross –
A Roman Catholic chapel, where all are welcome, is an architectural masterpiece, built into the red rock buttes. When driving on the main road out a ways from the church, even when you know where to look, it can be difficult to locate embedded in the formation. As you travel up its actual street and catch your first glimpse, you are amazed. Who dreamed this? Who built this? How?
Parking is in what I’ll call a lower lot below the chapel. A curved, flat sidewalk takes you up and around until you reach the large outer area of the church. From here, you can see right through the smoky glass doors to the outline of the magnificent cross at the altar, behind that, large windows. Beyond lies Sedona. Before or after entering the chapel, be sure to go to both sides of the exterior of the building to look at the expansive view.
No matter what your beliefs, the interior of the church is the ultimate setting for quiet reflection. I try to live my life in gratitude, but when in Sedona, in the Chapel of the Holy Cross, my multitude of blessings cause me to weep. I never want to leave, such is the feeling of peace I experience there without fail.
Be sure to take the stairs near the entrance to the tiny gift shop below. Even if you are not interested in a souvenir, it is an odd realization that you are standing inside a red rock butte. I did purchase a few small photographs of the church, one a terrific shot taken at night. The woman who checked me and my purchases out told me she took the picture with her cellphone one Christmas evening. She just wanted to see the chapel lit up. Her decision is our gain. Be sure to ask for Bernadette and her photo.
Airport Mesa –
A must stop to watch the sunset. It draws quite a crowd with good reason: a better observation point of this region full of gorgeous vistas there may not be. The large group of people who come here for the close of another day join together to create a festive mood. Many evenings a talented musician, Fiddler on the Rock, performs, his artistic stylings add to the party atmosphere. And when the sun makes its final descent behind a red rock monolith, the moment is met with cheers.
McDonald’s –
This is the only McDonald’s in the world with turquoise arches. In fact, this location is one of only four with arches that are not golden. When built in 1993, Sedona’s council asked McDonald’s corporate to change from its traditional golden arches so as not to contrast with the striking red rocks.
ROCK FORMATIONS:
Most of the red rock buttes have been named. Many are obvious while others result in you feeling as if you are taking a Rorschach test. And failing.
Coffee Pot Rock –
My favorite. It looks like a coffee percolator. My husband and I have spent hours over the years driving around trying to get as close to it as possible. I think we have succeeded, as you can see by the photo at the top of this post.
Snoopy Rock –
I have seen Snoopy Rock previously, but during our most recent time in Sedona, he was front and center from our deck.
Lucy Rock –
We just found Lucy Rock on this trip. She is above Snoopy, to the side, looking down on him. Some say her shape also brings to mind Darth Vader’s head. Have the two of them ever been seen together? Hmmmm . . .
Boynton Canyon –
The road to Boynton Canyon is Mister Rain’s favorite of anywhere he has been. We put a giant mural on one wall of our home office / spare bedroom of this exact spot. There is a point where you round the corner and there you are, in a canyon, surrounded by sweeping walls of red rock. As you continue to drive the panorama may alter slightly, but you remain in the warm embrace of formations that researchers say are over 300 million years old.
The substantial representation at home shows the double yellow lines front and center. I love that it depicts the future ahead. You cannot see what is coming, but the extraordinaryness right here, right now demands that you keep going, to search for more.
WILDLIFE:
My initial encounter with the wildlife of this area was during my first trip to Arizona in the late 90’s. I was in Scottsdale for business, renting a car on a Sunday to drive to Sedona for the day. Stopping at a lookout along the way, I saw signs warning of poisonous snakes and insects, with large pictures of a scorpion and snake, neither of which are part of the state’s tourism campaign.
A week in Sedona recently resulted in sightings of the following:
1 Jackrabbit – 1 Snake – 6 Javelina – 8 Lizards – 8 Mule Deer. You are no doubt familiar with all these creatures except perhaps the javelina. It’s pronounced ha-vuh-lee-nuh. I always thought they were wild pigs, but upon researching this writing, they are actually “pig-like”, what they and their family species are consist of long scientific words. What I can tell you about is a night in May on the elevated deck of our rental home in Sedona. I am inside, my husband opens the door, telling me to come outside. There, below us in the backyard, were four javelina. This house is situated on a hill with a view of downtown, yet removed enough that it is very dark at night with few lights nearby. It is perfect for star gazing which is what Mister Rain was enjoying when he heard snorting. And he knew. During a previous visit to Sedona, a javelina had run in front of our car while we were driving around. Given the location of our rental property this week, we were not surprised to see . . . I mean hear . . . them. My husband took some pictures and there the javelina were.
ADVENTURE:
Pink Jeep Tour –
There are several companies offering jeep tours in Sedona. Our investigation led us to Pink Jeep Tours and we were not disappointed by our choice. We decided on the Scenic Rim (bumpy) and Broken Arrow (rugged) combo for a three-hour tour, Gilligan. Pink Jeep was started by a woman 63 years ago. I love that.
Our driver and guide was Kyle. He was excellent. This is a terrific way to learn and ask questions about Sedona. It allows you entry to parts of this unparalleled landscape that would otherwise be inaccessible.
Hot Air Balloon Ride –
Although balloons are not permitted to fly over Sedona town limits, you can still get a uniquely exceptional perspective of the enormous red rock formations. There is nothing quite like the early morning quiet as you smoothly soar over a wakening world.
SIDE TRIP: JEROME, AZ
Jerome is an old mining town 27 miles from Sedona. It is also known as a ghost town. If you have the time, I highly recommend you make the trek. I will readily admit, however, that we do not visit Jerome for the “BOO’s!” or the copper as much as the burgers and the adjacent drive.
Haunted Hamburger –
If the entirety of Jerome is built on a hill then this restaurant is on the hill’s hill. You have to park on the street below, then climb a considerable amount of stairs to reach your destination. Just follow the tantalizing aroma of a burger haunted by nothing more than deliciousness.
Ask to sit at the outside counter. You will probably have to wait for any table, but you will not be sorry to spend the extra time for this prime spot. From this counter seating, you can see for 100 miles. Life is always good but sometimes it is perfection.
State Route 89A –
Take this road up Mingus Mountain, elevation 7,915 ft. 158 curves in 12 miles, no shoulder except for some lookout spots. You just keep climbing with every turn in the road offering an even more awe-inspiring sky view. And guess what? What goes up, must came down.
I hope you have the opportunity to visit Sedona some day and while there, you try out a few of these suggestions. When you love something, you want to share it. That is what I have tried to do not only in this post, but all week. Just like your people, find the places that make you feel good, that keep you coming back for more.
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