We had to pack up the truck with all of our luggage as we were going to spend the night in Phoenix, to catch an early morning flight out. Again, packing the truck is like luggage Jenga, but the guys got it done, with no injuries this time!
With all bags, and people, loaded up we headed out to one last hike in Sedona. Cathedral Rock was our choice for the morning.
The parking at Cathedral Rock is very limited, so the city has setup a shuttle system to use. You park in their lot and take a shuttle to the trail head. No one is allowed to park at the actual trailhead. We met three guys with ropes and helmets on the same shuttle. They had much more adventurous plans than we did!
We made it to the trailhead and began our hike. It is listed as a moderate hike, and being more of a rock climb than a hike. I read that if you are hiking with sticks, to be sure that you can still carry them with your hands free, as there are a couple of spots where you need your hands free for three-point style climbing.
Dean shot some video at the very start of the trail head.
We all continued with the rock climb. Each of us moving at our own pace, trying to find what we thought to be the best way to ascend the butte. Clint definitely proved himself to be the most agile when it came ot rock climbing on this trip. At Bell Rock he made it higher than the rest of us. The girls and I made it to 'Big Crack' and chose that to be our stopping point. The three guys continued onward and actually made it to the End of Trail (as per pictured sign!). It was a great hike/climb that we all enjoyed.
Agave plants
Cathedral Rock
While we were all still hiking
Just a little steep
The Big Crack- Dean already scaled, Nicky deciding
Made it to the top!
What victory looks like...
Camera lessons at the peak!
The view from the top of Cathedral Rock
Doing what he loves
Sign says it all!
Island of Isolation, AZ style....lol
Wren that wanted Dean to feed him
View of the peak from below
Mole
Once we made it back to the trail head, waited on a shuttle and made it back to the truck, we were all hungry. It was just after noon and New Years Day, so we were hoping we could find an open restaurant in Sedona, before heading south to Phoenix. Kip has mentioned Mole on our tour the previous day, so I plugged that into our Google maps and we made our way there. It was our lucky day because they were open and could seat the six of us right then.
What a fabulous experience this restaurant turned out to be! The Mexican dishes we enjoyed were the freshest food that we've had in a while. The guacamole appetizer was the best guac we've ever had. We totally forgot to snap a picture- we were so hungry and it was so visually appealing! We enjoyed chicken, asada beef, and portobello tacos. Their beans and rice were delicious as well. The guys picked up on the end of the LSU vs Wisconsin while we waited on food. It was a great New Years lunch!
CHAMPIÑON TACOS
Tigers Win!
Before heading to Phoenix, we wanted to take in a few shops in Sedona. We found a parking spot at the Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village. We walked around a bit, peeking in the various shops and enjoying our last few minutes in Sedona.
Phoenix
After shopping, we began the drive south to Phoenix. We were planning on stopping at Montezuma Castle National Monument in Verde, AZ. As it turns out, the site was closed due to the holiday. We drove near just to see if we could see any part of it from a distance. We think we saw the area, but were not completely sure, as it was a good distance away.
As we got closer to Phoenix, we finally saw saguaro cacti all along the landscape. These only grow in Arizona and only in the Sonoran Desert. Water and temperature are key factors as well as elevation. Dean and I had not seen any 'in the wild', even with our previous visits to Arizona. Of course, we had to stop to get a few pictures of these guys as well as other cacti near them.
Once we located our hotel in Phoenix we got the truck unloaded and then began our search for our last supper location. We found a local brewery, as we all know that Clint is a fan. Fate Brewing Company was a winner for us! We enjoyed some brews, pizza and burgers. We watched Alabama lose their bowl game as we finished our meal.
Our flight leaves AZ just after 7 am. It has been such a great trip. We realized on our drive home from MSY that we had not even established a safe word for this trip. To me, this speaks to the ease that we all get along and for the respect that is shared amongst our sixlet! We are blessed to live in the country that we do, to be able to travel as we want with who we want. Until our next trip...
A few years ago Emily, Chelsie and Kirsten went to Sedona and booked a Pink Jeep Tour. They all spoke so highly of the experience that we decided to book one also. We booked the Broken Arrow tour. It was a 90 minute tour in the Broken Arrow area. Kip was our tour guide. We drove for ten minutes on the highway and then were off-road the remaining time. It was an awesome experience! It is listed as moderate when it comes to bumpiness. It was just great. We stopped at several locations for brief hikes and photo opportunities.
Snoopy Rock (bottom right third)
Outlaw Grille
After our Pink Jeep tour we decided to walk around the downtown Sedona area. We did some light shopping and then ordered food at Outlaw Grille. We had burgers and beers! The burgers were delicious as well as the fries and onion rings. 10/10 recommend!
Sedona Airport Overlook
Through our research leading up to the trip, we had come across numerous postings about the Sedona Airport Overlook, which was just two minutes from our AirBNB so we decided to enjoy the sunset from that location. We have always been fans of sunsets, with some of the most heartfelt ones happening on the water at Lake Verret. In Sedona, the day had been a bit cloudy, but it still did not disappoint! Incredible views from above the Sedona area. We stayed for a while to watch the sky and landscape change over the passing minutes. Absolutely gorgeous!
The Hudson
In the group of reservations made months ago, was dinner at The Hudson. We all read over the menu as well as reviews from previous diners to get an idea of what was offered. We were quickly ushered to our seats upon arrival. The restaurant has a very cozy atmosphere. We ordered cocktails and brews. Kip, of Pink Jeep Tours, had recommended the pretzel appetizer so we ordered that as well as the spinach and artichoke dip. Both were very good! Each couple ordered a salad and a chicken pot pie to split. The serving sizes are beyond generous here. The split salad alone could have been the meal. None of us were ready for the chicken pot pie that was delivered to our table! Each pie was an 8 inch pie! We could have easily split one pie amongst the table; we had three pies in all!!!! It was delicious with a puff pastry crust and incredible filling, but there was no way that we were going to finish off these. Clint came the closest, but there was still 1/4 of the pie that was boxed up to bring back with us. During dinner, Dean and Clint worked on a few shooting suggestions with the iPhone. Knowledge is power!
We were all a bit tired and decided that we would sleep in. We had coffee on and breakfast ready as everyone woke. We enjoyed bacon, egg and cheese biscuits as our start. We also fixed turkey and cheese sandwiches to bring to enjoy as we hiked. We headed out around 9:30.
Chapel of the Holy Cross
Our first stop was Chapel of the Holy Cross. This was a perfect first stop. It is a slow approach as it is a popular stop for visitors. We slowly creeped up on the church. We all hopped out of the Expedition and walked up to view the church while Dean slowly drove to the top, turned around and was going to drive back down where we would meet him. Parking was impossible as there were limited spots and very few people leaving. As it turns out, on his descent, a gentleman motioned to him to have his spot, so he was able to park nearby and come meet us at the chapel. It is a small chapel, but it is so beautiful. We all entered and sat silently in prayer. It was the second anniversary of my parents passing (yesterday and today) so we lit a couple of candles in their honor. We've all had losses that were weighing heavy on our hearts and this location just seemed to soothe us.
We got a few great pictures of the surrounding landscape and made our way back to the truck.
Raven Caves Trail
We were planning on hiking Cathedral Rock today but that was not an option. It is a very popular hike and we would have needed to be there earlier in the day. A quick check of the All Trails app revealed a trail that was just ahead of our location so we decided to give it a try. Raven Caves Trail was unassuming in regards to the parking lot (maybe 6 spots) and there was not even a sign of any sort.
We unloaded and started out. The trail was under a mile long, but took us through a couple of small caves at the highest elevation. We also hiked down to Oak Creek and spent some time there. It was not a planned hike but one that we all thoroughly enjoyed.
Once we finished our hike, we sat and ate our turkey and cheese sandwiches.
Bell Rock
After lunch we drove to a hike near the area. Bell Rock was just that. Of course, the parking lot was completely full, resulting in Dean having to circle a few times. The three girls needed the restroom, so we hopped out as soon as the circling began.
There were two 'toilets' in the parking lot to be used. Becky went in one, Kecia attempted the other, but quickly turned around and decided to wait for Becky to be finished. We were laughing and gagging all at the same time. A gentleman walked up, needing the restroom also. We told him the second one was available. He commented there must be a reason that you guys are not using it, so I'll wait also. We all had a good laugh. As it turns out, he and his family were leaving after the restroom break. We made a deal- he could go ahead of us to use the restroom and he would give us his parking spot! Score!
It was a busy day on the trail but we went out and did our thing. We all hiked up Bell Rock. Clint went the closest to the top. Once we were all done hiking up, we found a great spot to sit and enjoy the views and some Bourgeois beff jerky. Becky also had a great idea for a photograph of she and Steven. It was quite amusing. I captured some video of them 'in action.'
Something isn't right with my hoody....lol
We headed home after that hike. It was an amazing afternoon taking in all of the views. Dean had been suffering with a slight back ache, so Clint needled him on the living room floor before dinner. It's great to have such knowledgable friends!
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
