Mid March we traveled through Arizona to get to Utah. We love Arizona, especially when you start in Tucson and go all the way up. Coming from Pennsylvania, you don’t really get a true change in topography. Arizona is so much different. Many of my next posts will capitalize on Arizona because we adventure a lot through the state. I say adventure, because we just get in the car, and go. There is usually an end destination, but the stops, sights and adventures on the way are all up in the air. Lots of u turns made, lots to see, all with a little one running ahead of us.
Sedona is a popular destination in Arizona. We love Sedona, how could you not love Sedona. It is so freaking pretty there. That drive into town is just stunning, like stick your head out of the window like a dog stunning. However, the town itself is quite busy now. This has increased over the past 6 – 10 years and there is a real different feel when you enter the actual town. Outside the town, Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Snoopy Rock, The Chapel of the Holy Cross are all amazements. The nature is still the same and we have done some small hikes around and slightly up these mountains with our wee wonder. Always a plethora of rocks to gather and weigh down my pack, twigs to serve as magic wands or walking sticks or antennae. It is amazing to see nature come alive through her eyes.
This visit to Sedona, we wanted to do something a little different. We decided to try Slide Rock State Park. In itself, it is not something “different”, “odd” or “unusual”. It is a quite common activity, one that many, many do; however, it was new to us. Being that we visited in mid-March, the weather was lovely, really lovely, but the water was chilly. I lie. It wasn’t chilly. It was actually turn your feet blue then red cold. But, let’s start from the beginning. The drive into the park was simply breathtaking. You think Sedona is gorgeous, drive through Oak Creek Canyon. With only a $10.00 donation request, we parked our car and headed to the creek. There was a small hike/walk. It was fun, lots of open space for our cooped up tot to run and jump and swerve and curve. We passed by some really cool old relics: two mid century cabins that were so quaint and showing natures decay. We did a little peeking and voyeurism, looking in windows, wondering where they slept. How fun to be able to stay right there with the creek within feet, the sounds, the smells, the mountains. And all over the cottages: lizards. Lizards galore!!! Lizards are cool if you didn’t know. They also had some seriously old and seriously cool machinery there on display. Markers described them. Not shockingly, little girl wanted to hear all about them and my husband, an avid fan of the old and technical, loved explaining them all to her (until she heard hoots and hollers from the creek and then it was a beeline to the rocks).
After a quick restroom break, these were very large and very nice might I add, it was down to the creek. A little mental image: the whole idea is a nature made water slide people and just cruise down. It is just that. The top was more crowded than where we were which was the middle and bottom. We did not want to slide. Well I did until I felt how cold it was (I am sure that mid summer it will certainly not be that cold). However, the part in which we stopped was perfect, rocky smooth beach right up to the clearest water ever. We walked across the rocks and headed down the left edge, looking at trees, and rocks, making pictures with water on the water’s edge and then finally heading back. We let her play in the water some more as we defrosted our tootsies on the rocks. FYI – it is slippery so if you have some type of water shoe, wear it. Some of the rocks were treacherous. Also, we put a life vest on our sweet girl. She is not a great swimmer and the current was strong and it was slippery. I envisioned her falling and the current sweeping her away and so I put one on her. She certainly was not the only one with a vest on, although many children did not. I felt more comfortable since she was in the water a lot on her own.
After we dried off, changed and stopped for a water break right near the mountains, we headed back through town and out a bit and had a great meal at Tortas de Fuego. If you enjoy Mexican cuisine, stop at this place. It is only marked with an orange and black sign saying Mexican Food. It is attached to a mechanic. It is amazing, with the perfect amount of delicious, homemade, authentic, relatively inexpensive food with enough heat to leave your lips burning in the right way. It was a pretty amazing day full of water, rocks, fun, adventure and good food. We will see you soon, Sedona!!
Sedona is a popular destination in Arizona. We love Sedona, how could you not love Sedona. It is so freaking pretty there. That drive into town is just stunning, like stick your head out of the window like a dog stunning. However, the town itself is quite busy now. This has increased over the past 6 – 10 years and there is a real different feel when you enter the actual town. Outside the town, Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Snoopy Rock, The Chapel of the Holy Cross are all amazements. The nature is still the same and we have done some small hikes around and slightly up these mountains with our wee wonder. Always a plethora of rocks to gather and weigh down my pack, twigs to serve as magic wands or walking sticks or antennae. It is amazing to see nature come alive through her eyes.
This visit to Sedona, we wanted to do something a little different. We decided to try Slide Rock State Park. In itself, it is not something “different”, “odd” or “unusual”. It is a quite common activity, one that many, many do; however, it was new to us. Being that we visited in mid-March, the weather was lovely, really lovely, but the water was chilly. I lie. It wasn’t chilly. It was actually turn your feet blue then red cold. But, let’s start from the beginning. The drive into the park was simply breathtaking. You think Sedona is gorgeous, drive through Oak Creek Canyon. With only a $10.00 donation request, we parked our car and headed to the creek. There was a small hike/walk. It was fun, lots of open space for our cooped up tot to run and jump and swerve and curve. We passed by some really cool old relics: two mid century cabins that were so quaint and showing natures decay. We did a little peeking and voyeurism, looking in windows, wondering where they slept. How fun to be able to stay right there with the creek within feet, the sounds, the smells, the mountains. And all over the cottages: lizards. Lizards galore!!! Lizards are cool if you didn’t know. They also had some seriously old and seriously cool machinery there on display. Markers described them. Not shockingly, little girl wanted to hear all about them and my husband, an avid fan of the old and technical, loved explaining them all to her (until she heard hoots and hollers from the creek and then it was a beeline to the rocks).
After a quick restroom break, these were very large and very nice might I add, it was down to the creek. A little mental image: the whole idea is a nature made water slide people and just cruise down. It is just that. The top was more crowded than where we were which was the middle and bottom. We did not want to slide. Well I did until I felt how cold it was (I am sure that mid summer it will certainly not be that cold). However, the part in which we stopped was perfect, rocky smooth beach right up to the clearest water ever. We walked across the rocks and headed down the left edge, looking at trees, and rocks, making pictures with water on the water’s edge and then finally heading back. We let her play in the water some more as we defrosted our tootsies on the rocks. FYI – it is slippery so if you have some type of water shoe, wear it. Some of the rocks were treacherous. Also, we put a life vest on our sweet girl. She is not a great swimmer and the current was strong and it was slippery. I envisioned her falling and the current sweeping her away and so I put one on her. She certainly was not the only one with a vest on, although many children did not. I felt more comfortable since she was in the water a lot on her own.
After we dried off, changed and stopped for a water break right near the mountains, we headed back through town and out a bit and had a great meal at Tortas de Fuego. If you enjoy Mexican cuisine, stop at this place. It is only marked with an orange and black sign saying Mexican Food. It is attached to a mechanic. It is amazing, with the perfect amount of delicious, homemade, authentic, relatively inexpensive food with enough heat to leave your lips burning in the right way. It was a pretty amazing day full of water, rocks, fun, adventure and good food. We will see you soon, Sedona!!