Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Photo’s are here or you can just click on the photograph above.

1. New Mexico

New Mexico photos are here.

Our planned 12 hours in Santa Fe in mid-September was an unexpected wash-out! It should have been beautiful but we had timed our trip with the summer storm of the year and drove through monsoon rains from Albuquerque Airport to Santa Fe. The deluge only ceased for 10 minutes from our arrival into town at 5pm and then continued right through to our departure the following morning. Since the town was drenched, I have no photos at all of Santa Fe and not much to report other than dinner at “Radish and Rye” and breakfast at Old Town icon “Cafe Pasqual’s” – both excellent.

It was a long 6 hour drive leaving in the ongoing monsoon and heading for Ouray, Colorado. The route took us across New Mexico via Abiquiú, the former home of Georgia O’Keefe. There was a brief respite from the rain and an unexpected gap in the gloomy grey clouds with sunshine and blue sky at Red Wash Canyon which served as a timely reminder of how stunning the landscapes in the southwest can be on a sunny day! Apart from that brief reprieve, the monsoon rains continued all the way through Durango, Colorado until we reached our beautiful rental house in Ouray – home for the next couple of weeks.

2. Colorado

Colorado photos are here.

Ouray:

a. Off-roading in the San Juan Mountains! Probably our favorite mountain range in the USA. Apart from hiking, it is also very well-known as a major region for off-roading which we did in a very silly little OHV Can-Am X3RR Smart Shox which looked like something straight out of a Mad Max movie. We rented it from Colorado West Jeep Rentals in town and we loved it! We set off early around 8am in the freezing cold and started our day off-roading towards Imogene Pass. I’m not usually one to wax lyrical about vehicles but I have to say, it’s an awesome machine with its weird, bendy, flexible suspension – great fun for traversing piles of huge rocks, crossing wide crevices and streams and navigating through steep, rugged forest tracks. In fact, the OHV was far more exhilarating than the last time we went off-roading in the San Juans 6 years ago in a Jeep Rubicon!

It was an absolutely fantastic day with river crossings, waterfalls and otherworldy views up at 13,000 feet at the summit of Imogene Pass albeit the early morning mountain air was very chilly (there was ice at the top of Imogene Pass). Being inappropriately attired for what would later turn out to be a sunny and warm day, I had to appropriate Geoff’s old padded winter jacket without which I’d have near frozen to death since the OHV is a vehicle almost entirely open to the elements without windows, nor windscreen and with very little in the way of side doors … hence my untrendy emergency outfit 😉. The ascent to the summit is breathtaking and after we had taken the obligatory photos next to the “IMOGENE PASS ELEVATION 13114 FEET” sign, we descended back into the moonscape-type terrain with mountain views as far as the eye can see. Instead of heading straight to Yankee Boy Basin, we followed a very narrow, rocky route up through the forest and over gnarled tree roots barely wide enough for a couple of hikers side by side (let alone a Mad Max vehicle). Eventually, we popped out of the trees at an emerald green lake in Silver Basin. The owner at Colorado West Jeep Rentals had told us about the perfect spot for a picnic lunch so we continued uphill past the larger lake until the rocky terrain plateaued with magnificent views of the surrounding mountains. A little further on (and following the track to the right) we found the small upper Silver Basin alpine lake he had recommended where we sat in a virtual amphitheater on a warm rock by the water with our tuna sandwiches. Absolute silence with no sign of life other than a few chipmunks scuttling over the rocks – perfect. Returning to relative civilization back down at ground level where we had entered the forest, we continued onwards towards Governor Basin (which we had also visited 6 years ago). However, the route was closed due to maintenance so we retraced our tracks and ended our afternoon in Yankee Boy Basin. In July this is one of the most spectacular places we’ve ever been with the mountainsides covered in millions of multi-colored alpine wildflowers – see here for that post! Yankee Boy Basin is magical at any time of the year with its glorious views and the rushing waters of Twin Falls where we sat enjoying the solitude until it was time to head home after an epic day exploring the San Juan Mountains.

An absolutely brilliant day! We love off-roading in Colorado – fresh air, incredible scenery, splattered in mud and freezing alpine river water with just the right amount of bone-shaking and solitude to know you’ve been on an adventure!

b. The Blue Lakes Trail at Mount Sneffels Wilderness Area is close to the small, attractive town of Ridgway. Reaching the trailhead takes about 50 minutes from Ouray which includes a long 30 minute drive on a pitted, muddy, winding dirt track which takes you into the mountains. For us, the dirt track was pretty treacherous since we’d had a lot of rain in the preceding days and the route was slick with thick, slippery mud which added to the early morning excitement of being on an ice-rink but with a steep descent to possible death off at the side of the track 😉.

This mountain range is absolutely beautiful! The trail is a bit of a workout (even much younger hikers were struggling more than we were) but it is particularly tough on Floridian lungs at these oxygen-thin elevations😉. For much of the 3.3 miles to the Lower Lake you ascend steep switchbacks through the forest which was quite pretty with the start of fall colors. Unlike many hikes in the area, you are effectively “tree bathing” in a spruce forest for most of the climb with only occasional sections of open terrain and meadows as you near the end of the steeper ascent. These meadows were flower-filled in July when we last visited. From up high, there are views over Mount Sneffels and down into the valley with steep mountain faces all around you. It’s a very impressive mountain range. Eventually, you emerge from the final short forested section to the dazzling emerald green Lower Lake. If you find yourself a rock to rest upon and look way up from the lake to the top of the ridge opposite – that would be your next ascent! The round trip hike to the summit at the Upper Lake is 8.5 miles with a total elevation gain of 2,506 feet. Even the hike to the Lower Blue Lake (which sits at 10,980 feet) is not to be sniffed at with an elevation gain of 1,800+ feet (plus, of course, the same descent).

We hiked this trail before in summer when there were beds of brightly colored wild flowers surrounding the lake. For this alone (plus the probability of sunnier weather in July!), I preferred the hike in summer. The colors are less bright in fall (think more browns and golds rather than pinks and purples) although the lake itself is still emerald and when the breeze subsides the reflections of the dramatic glacial basin in the water are still breathtaking. Overall, however, we didn’t do too well on weather hiking in the Sneffels! Whilst it was sunny in the valley when we started the ascent, the clouds over the mountains were thickening quickly as we hiked up through the forest and once we’d reached our destination at the lakeside they remained heavy without any sunny breaks. Just as we sat down on a log to eat our lunch and admire the autumnal view, it started to rain, so given the declining weather conditions we hot footed it back down the mountain before we got drenched! Even on a good day the 6.6 mile round trip to the Lower Lake is not insignificant. If it had been better weather we might have given the upper trail a go, if we’d been feeling brave! In all, our 6.6 miles including lunch and water breaks took 5 hours – 2 hours 45 minutes up and 1 hour 45 minutes down. Not bad for a couple of 60 year old sea-level dwellers struggling for oxygen! 😉

I would do this hike again in a heartbeat but summer weather would be my preference – so long as you can avoid any unexpected Coloradan heatwaves 😉!

c. The Ouray Perimeter Trail is a fabulous elevated loop track with 360° views across the small historic town and surrounding mountain peaks. Whilst there is a lot of relentless elevation and descent as you circumnavigate the town, you get significant bang for your buck. There are fabulous expansive mountain views, waterfalls (Cascade Falls and Baby Bathtubs) and a high suspension bridge over Box Cañon Falls way beneath you. The hike itself starts with a steep ascent on the trailhead opposite the Ouray Visitor Centre and passes over rocky ledges, across bridges and through coniferous and aspen woods. The area is renowned for its “quaking aspens” whose autumnal oval yellow leaves shimmer in the breeze. I absolutely love them! Highlights of the circular hike are the varied terrain (which keeps it interesting) and the views from the summit at 8,500 feet at Highpoint Lookout. During the second leg of the track (on the far side of Box Cañon Falls) the trail is even more interesting with some rocky ascents, narrow ledges under rocky overhangs and towering mountains. It’s only just under 6 miles to complete the circle but it feels longer with the elevation gains and even in mid-September it can get pretty warm up there in the sun!

By contrast, for a bit of flat ground-level exercise (which is almost non-existent in these parts), there is the Uncompaghre River Trail loop which runs a couple of miles around town and back which is good for a down day.

The iconic 25 mile Million Dollar Highway which runs between Ouray and Silverton is unforgettable! It features countless sweeping curves which follow the contours of the mountain pass. Notoriously, there are steep drop-offs without guard rails at the side of the road which require a fearless hand behind the wheel 😉. The initial section of the road close to Ouray is not for everyone! As you descend into the valley there are roadside streams and moose grazing in the marshlands in fall. Amongst various stops along the route, Crystal Lake was particularly beautiful. It is a small body of water which is so calm that it reflects near perfect mirror images of the surrounding mountains and the striking Red Mountain, in particular. The lake feeds into Red Mountain Creek which is characterized by its deep orangey/red rocks. In fall it is particularly scenic with a myriad of shades of orange and red of the various waterside foliage and, of course, its spectacular shimmering yellow “quaking aspens”. The highway is also a prime location for moose spotting. We walked the short 2 mile track behind the lake and could see a family of moose in the centre of the marshland stocking up on berries. We also watched them at a much closer range down at the roadside where they had wandered one afternoon when we were driving past. They were no more than 30 feet away from us and totally unfazed by the clicking of camera shutters and excited attention they were receiving from the gathering roadside crowds. Fabulous!

e. Old Town Ouray, is quite attractive with its Wild West ambience and ornately painted historic 19th century Victorians (such as the “Wright Opera House” and the white painted clapboard “The Western Hotel”). The small town wedged into the narrow valley bowl between the alpine mountains. I love this part of Colorado, however, with the best will in the world, I wouldn’t rate it highly for its food or shopping nor, indeed, its food shopping. The only food supermarket in town is “Duckett’s Market” whose offerings are dire. For a wider range of produce it is far better to drive 20 minutes to Ridgway to “The Market at Ridgway”. “Ouray Meat and Cheese Market” has interesting foods, chutneys, spice rubs etc and we bought some frozen Mahi but we’re used to fresh fish back home so frozen doesn’t really cut it. As I said, Ouray really doesn’t have much – there is the “Artisan Bakery” (OK for bread and baguettes but not desperately exciting) and “Mouse’s Chocolate Shop”. We didn’t eat dinner out at all this trip because we don’t eat meat and it’s not an area particularly known for fresh fish (except perhaps river trout if you’re lucky) and certainly it’s not very inspiring for vegetarians – hence self-catering is the only option for us in town.

Silverton:

a. The Old Town of Silverton is very pretty with brightly painted Victorians in shades of purples, oranges and pinks. It was established in 1874 as a high-altitude mining hub during the gold and silver boom for which the region is particularly famous. It was a highly prosperous town, linked to Durango by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad in 1882 which facilitated the transportation of heavy ore and mining equipment. During the Wild West era, Blair Street (running parallel to main Greene Street), was the red-light district which even today shows little reminders of its once checkered past. Silverton is a small town but worth an hour of aimless wandering and a coffee and cake at Bear Coffee (which was very good). As the mining industry declined, The Sunnyside Mine in Silverton was the last to fall into disuse in the 1990’s and today the town in its entirety is a National Historic Landmark which thrives instead on tourism, backcountry recreation such as off-roading and hiking and the historic narrow-gauge railroad which now carries tourists (rather than silver and gold ore) back and forth from Durango.

b. After you’ve had a wander through the Old Town, you really should take the rough, dirt track through the valley to Animas Forks. Whilst it is only 12 miles it takes 50 minutes to drive and you can’t do it unless you have an SUV (at the minimum). We did it in a Hyundai Tucson which was less than ideal (and more than likely in direct contravention of our rental agreement 😉. Thankfully, Geoff is a very proficient off-road driver so he managed it just fine. In the absence of a high clearance SUV you’d probably prefer an OHV or a Jeep since it does require navigating some fairly tricky rocky sections with steep drop-offs. The scenery through the valley running alongside the Animas River is beautiful. The river itself runs with clear turquoise water dammed in places with the flotsam and jetsam of logs and tree trunks fallen during winter avalanches. At the far end of the rugged track lies the preserved, historic, mining ghost town of Animas Forks where you can meander through old wooden shacks (former homes and business properties) with views over the abandoned mine at 11,200 feet above sea level. Unbelievable that the town once bustled with 400-500 residents and boasted saloons, a hotel, a post office and its own newspaper in the height of the gold and silver mining boom! Even if you’re not riveted by ghost towns, the journey there is easily half of the fun!

Telluride:

We only did a quick side-trip to Telluride (see here for more on Telluride in the summer). Since the weather wasn’t looking encouraging once we’d arrived in town we opted for the very short (¼ mile), steep (350 feet), walk uphill along the shale and rock track to the base of Cornet Creek Falls where the water cascades 80 feet over the top of the surrounding red rock canyon. It’s worth the short scramble because it’s one of the easiest walks in town. There is also a free gondola in town which takes you up to the mid-station high above town where you can walk to an overview or take any of a handful of trails either down into Mountain Village or back down to Old Town Telluride. Given the gathering of the storm clouds, we didn’t stay long and took the gondola back down to town again. Short trip – in better weather we’d have spent more time there as it’s a cute town with lots of waterfalls and hiking.

3. Utah

Utah photos are here.

Utah is a seriously cool state – OK – it also comprises of hundreds of miles of absolutely nothing but dry scrub and dust but when you reach any of its National Parks, the payoff is spectacular. Destinations like Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park, Bryce Canyon National Park and Monument Valley are uniquely Utah! Whilst you have to work for some of the views we saw – you don’t have to work quite as hard compared with parts of Colorado.

Moab area:

a. Moab town is an odd place. In the middle of nowhere but crucially located between 2 of Utah’s most famous National Parks – Arches and Canyonlands. The hotels are (unsurprisingly) very overpriced. We stayed at the Hilton Hoodoo (part of the Hilton’s upmarket Curio Collection) which, once you’ve added on the nightly addition of $90 for taxes and town fees, is more expensive than a night in a posh hotel in the Caribbean 😉. This Hilton is not really worthy of the Curio Collection status but it’s probably still significantly nicer than the ubiquitous cheap and cheerful motels which line the main drag through the small town. Moab itself is very touristy, as you might expect. There are row upon row of shops selling t-shirts, dream catchers and Native American jewelry which tourists love in these parts. Decent food is pretty hard to come by (don’t expect much at all if you’re a vegetarian or a healthy eater of any kind). “Desert Bistro”, walking distance to the Hilton, was a standout but expect to pay elevated prices since your fresh fish is flown in daily. “Josie Wyatt’s Grille” at the Hilton was reasonable but you can expect your salmon to be frozen from the Atlantic and priced well out of synch with the rest of the USA. You just have to grin and bear it if you want to visit these 2 iconic National Parks! On the upside, “Dos Mas Cafe” is excellent for coffee, homemade cakes and snacks. If you want oatmeal for breakfast anywhere in town, however, you’re in deep trouble. The only place in town serving it is “Bonjour Bakery and Cafe”. In our nearly 30 years of living in the USA, I don’t think we’ve ever been anywhere where oatmeal is not standard fare for breakfast in hotels and restaurants.

We didn’t explore the shops much as it’s not our thing but, if, after all of the hot, tiring hiking in the parks, you are in need of a great massage – try “Healing Pathways Massage” on the main route out of town – not the most salubrious of premises in an unassuming strip mall next to a flooring outlet but the proprietor certainly knows what’s she’s doing!👍<

b. Arches National Park – the best light in which to see the dramatic red rocks is in the early morning or late in the afternoon but, if you elect to join the crowds to witness sunrise at Delicate Arch, then you’ll want to be up at 5am with a lamp strapped to your forehead so you can navigate the dirt tracks out to the famous 52 foot tall free-standing Delicate Arch – the symbol on Utah’s license plates. For various reasons, we didn’t do this particular sunrise trek. We entered the park on our first day mid-morning. As we drove through the main entrance and started to ascend the steeply winding route into the heart of the park, the views of the surrounding canyon and red rock spires were breathtaking. Arches National Park has the world’s highest concentration of arches in the world (some 2000). There are also giant balanced rocks and towering fins. Our favorite section was Park Avenue, Courthouse Towers and the La Sal Mountains Viewpoint for the wow factor. In this section, you pass through a dramatic canyon flanked by towering rocks as tall as skyscrapers. The entire drive through the park out to the farthest point where Landscape Arch is located is amazing with grand sweeping vistas, sandy deserts and yellow-flowering Rubber Rabbitbrush plants flourishing along the roadsides in the dark red sand. We did a couple of hikes in Arches but it’s hot and very dry (unless it’s winter) so even a couple of miles felt like 10 😉. The walk to Balanced Rock is mercifully short – confusingly the rock isn’t balanced at all but forms part of the same eroding mudstone rock beneath. Still, it is impressive at 128 feet with the upper boulder the size of 3 school buses and weighing 3,600 tonnes! We visited Landscape Arch, in the Devil’s Garden area, which is remarkable since it is a very delicate arch (the thickness at the narrowest width is only 6 feet) but it is wide – spanning 300 feet across the canyon. Our absolute favorite arches were in the Windows section and specifically, Broken Arch. The Windows are easily accessible without a long drag through the desert scrub and hence are popular. They are also located close to Double Arch which is great for climbing into the loop arches for cool photos. The car park for both sections was jammed in the late afternoon when we visited but if you time it right you might get lucky (as we did) and enjoy the Windows almost entirely alone. The late afternoon light after a stormy day was fabulous – the view through the North Window was absolutely otherworldly as the sunlight caught pillars and rock formations in the distance. Unmissable! The following morning we trudged through the scrub and sand to visit Broken Arch which was also lit perfectly in the early morning sunlight. We were pretty much alone hiking there since everyone else was likely tied up doing the long hike to and from Delicate Arch (as mentioned above). Unfortunately, we ran out of time to visit Delicate Arch – if we’d had another sunny morning forecast, we might have visited at sunrise but it’s a long 3+ mile walk in the jet-black pre-dawn hours so we made the easy decision to choose sunrise at Mesa Arch in Canyonlands instead which turned out to be unlike anything we’ve ever experienced before (see below)!

c. Canyonlands National Park probably deserves more time than we had available. Our top priority before leaving Moab was to see sunrise at Mesa Arch (in the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands). Geoff was none too thrilled when he was turfed out of bed at 5am to drive 50 minutes in the pitch black. This region is part of the International Dark Sky Community so it’s really very dark at night and large animals roam the terrain so it can also be quite dangerous. Having arrived at the small parking lot for the trail to Mesa Arch, we then had to navigate through scrub and canyon with the assistance only of a small flashlight as we searched for the famous arch in the dark. The route has its various dangers in the dark and we also had to find the arch without careering over a cliff edge into the inky blackness. Admittedly, it’s only a ½ mile loop but when you can’t see what you’re stepping on (or off!) and you’re in an effective race with a dozen other flashlight-guided photographers bobbing through the darkness to reach the viewpoint and bag the best spot, it’s more stressful than is actually good for you at that time of the morning! Still, once you’re in position, f you take a moment to tip your head back and look up into the bright stars you are reminded what a magical experience it actually is. Anyway all of this was just to stand cheek-to-cheek with professional photographers and tourists alike in the bitterly cold pre-dawn wind for 45 minutes whilst we waited for the sun to break over the distant horizon. When it does, you will witness the awesome phenomenon of the sun lighting up the entire underside of Mesa Arch in fiery oranges and reds. It is an undeniably impressive sight when the arch is glowing like embers in a hearth and even Geoff had to concede it was an experience worth getting out of bed for once he’d thawed out 😁. Since we were there in Canyonlands after sunrise, we made a brief stop at Green River Outlook but nothing was going to compare to Mesa Arch on fire! 😉.

d. The Dead Horse State Park Overlook towering 2,000 feet above the Colorado River is one of Utah’s most iconic sunset locations. Whilst the landscape which spreads out at your feet is located on the same mesa as the Island in the Sky district of neighboring Canyonlands National Park, it is not part of the National Parks system. Hence, there is a $20 entrance fee which was well worth paying in my view. The parking lot fills up quickly for sunset, so get there early. The views are immense – across rugged desert canyons and a dramatic looping sweep of the Colorado River. The fading evening light changes rapidly across sections of the canyon so you will need to move quickly to catch it as it lights up canyon walls and rocky outcrops. Absolutely breathtaking!

Bryce Canyon area:

We rented a new, modern house in Hatch (a very small one horse town about 15 minutes outside of the town of Panguitch – which isn’t much bigger!). The main advantage of staying there (a 40 minute drive to Sunrise Point in Bryce Canyon) was not having to stay in Bryce Canyon City itself which is effectively a strip mall with awful food and one-night stay motels. Much as I love Bryce Canyon the accommodations in the area are generally pretty depressing so we kept our visit fleeting allowing us only 1 intervening day to explore it. The last time we visited we saw sunrise and hiked 12 miles down into the canyon and then on the Fairyland Loop which was unbeatable. This time we were lazy and chose sunrise again with the 4 mile hike through Queen’s Garden Trail and the Navajo Loop Trail. Not a time of day we typically like to be awake but we were getting used to it and when you get views like those at Bryce Canyon with its towering, skinny, orange hoodoos glowing in the first rays of sun break, it’s definitely worth the utterly freezing 5am start. It was so cold hanging around at Sunrise Point that we were dressed for the Arctic (we remembered how cold it was from our last visit so we went properly prepared this time!). We were both in 4 layers, long pants, 2 sets of gloves, fleece hats and a comforter/duvet ‘borrowed” from our rental house which was draped over our shoulders as we waited for sun to rise over the top of the surrounding hills. I think Geoff would have liked to have called it a day at 7:30am but I convinced him to wander down amongst the hoodoos for a few minutes which culminated in a 4 mile circular hike with a comforter strapped to his backpack … that was a first 😉.

Food in the region … it’s pretty tough to find decent food let alone if you’re self-catering. Even in Panguitch (the centre of civilization for these parts) the supermarket was so dismal we didn’t bother to buy anything and went in search of restaurants instead. We aimed for “Cowboy’s Smokehouse” (by far the best reviews in town) but on a Friday night at 6pm we weren’t going to get a table for a couple of hours so we crossed the road to a dodgy-looking Mexican place called “The 89 Table” with sticky tables and even stickier menus. Given the alternative was a box of Little Debbie Mini Donuts and a bag of Doritos from the supermarket, we took our chances and it turned out far better than expected. The ambience was certainly pretty uninspiring but the veggie fajitas were actually very good. The following day we planned better and turned up at “Cowboy’s Smokehouse” at 5pm which was still busy but our wait time was not so long that we’d have died of malnutrition. If you stick to basics like local trout and baked potatoes, again, it was better than I had feared!

Monument Valley:

Thankfully, we didn’t have to be up before pre-dawn for sunrise at Monument Valley because if you stay right there at the Indian Reservation and just fling open the drapes and step out onto the balcony you’ll have a perfect view overlooking the iconic “Mitten” buttes and spires. Although the accommodations are not exactly up to usual Gardner standards at “The View Hotel” it was (probably 😉) worth it for a one night stay. It is the only hotel within the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park so you’re out of luck unless you want to drive for miles to be there for sunrise. Even if you’re staying at “The View Hotel” at their highly inflated prices for little more than a roadside motel, you will also still have to pay an additional entrance fee to enter Navajo land which cost us another $20. The decor and design of the hotel itself is stuck somewhere in 1990 (if I’m very generous) which is a striking underachievement since it was actually built in 2008 😉. And, whatever you do, don’t touch their food – breakfast looked like prison gruel. We had been pre-warned since the restaurant gets some of the worst reviews I’ve even seen in my life for both dinner and breakfast so we went prepared with our own food. And if you fancy a beer whilst watching the sun go down, you can expect a very overpriced alcohol-free version as the sale, service, and possession of alcoholic beverages are all strictly prohibited across the Navajo Reservation as a matter of tribal law and public policy. We stayed in one of the hotel’s overpriced King balcony rooms. Great for sunset but for sunrise it was still better to sling on some clothes and wander down to the rim walk to catch the light on the tip of the mittens. From our room it would have risen directly behind the mitten which wasn’t really what I was looking for. Anyway … we had no desire to linger at the hotel a moment longer than necessary so we were off as soon as the sun had risen!

4. Arizona

Arizona photos are here.

Sedona:

We had rented a very posh house in Sedona overlooking miles of red rock canyon with endless outdoor dining and seating options, corn hole under the shade trees and a jacuzzi on the back terrace. The multi-million dollar views from the living room changed constantly with each passing cloud, storm cell and burst of sunlight – it was quite mesmerizing watching the shifting light and morphing cloud formations across the dramatic red rock landscape. We were rained in with Storm Rachel for 2½ of our 10 days! Before the stormy weather set in we hung out with our Yankee amigos from Ohio (Don and Sue) for a week in the hot and dusty desert celebrating Sue’s “big” 70th birthday!

Highlights of Sedona:

a. The theme of this trip out west turned out (somewhat unintentionally) to be sunrises! And where better to celebrate a big birthday than in a wicker basket dangling 3,000 feet above the Verde Valley at 6.30am 😉. Hot air ballooning over the red rocks of Sedona was positively serene and unsurprisingly pretty spectacular as we drifted silently through the valley surrounded by grand vistas of red rocks catching the early morning sunshine. We booked our excursion with “Red Rock Balloons” who were very professional, friendly and informative. Our 90 minutes or so airborne felt as if it were over before it started, so entranced were we all by the changing light over the vast landscape beneath us. Our return to earth (dragged along the middle of the main road out of town!) was followed by a champagne toast to celebrate our safe landing. Not inexpensive but definitely one ticked off the Sedona bucket list!

b. Somehow (maybe when they were at a weak moment of post-ballooning glow) we managed to talk Don and Sue into some pretty crazy off-roading (a first and, I suspect, a last for them)! We rented an exceptionally overpriced 4 seater OHV from “Outback ATV Rental” who (with hindsight probably oversold both the quality of the off-roading experience and the vehicle itself). The day, however, started early on the Broken Arrow Trail which was undeniably beautiful. We bounced up the dirt track through the red rocks canyon to Chicken Point, then onto Sliding Rock and Mushroom Rock all of which had great views. This part of the day was excellent. Following the advice of the rental company we then crossed through town onto a pretty boring, searingly hot and back-breakingly rough and bouncy trail called Outlaw Trail. It was roughly 2 hours of our life which none of us will ever get back crossing terrain as bleak as the Australian Outback with the added risk of herniated discs all around from the bumpy ride. Not a trail we’d recommend despite the hype. The grand finale was much more exciting although I’m fairly sure Don and Sue had their eyes closed all the way up and down the 10 mile Diamondback Gulch Trail which is notorious for its dramatic 300 foot descent into the deep, rocky gulch followed by a steep 400 foot climb out on the other side of the trail … pretty cool!

c. The town of Sedona is desperately overrun with day trippers and tourists – the traffic crawls slowly through town and I’m sure the locals must hate it – it’s chaos. The shops downtown aren’t really our thing since we’re not great tourist shop shoppers and we aren’t drawn to the mystical healing aspects of the region. I quite like the rock and gem shops but draw the line at $3,000 for a small glittery side-table ornament. We were tempted by the Tlaquepaque Arts Village because of the pretty architecture but you would do well to avoid it from mid-morning onwards due to the hordes. Good restaurants in Sedona book up weeks ahead of time (at least they were for our 10 days in early October which is clearly a very popular time of year to visit). You need to be prepared! We ate at “Shorebird” – great food, good cocktails, too expensive (welcome to Sedona!) and slow service but we enjoyed it. “The Hudson” was even better although we could never get a booking regardless of the time of day we arrived. We ate late lunch and early dinners on three separate occasions without being able to secure reservations. We either got a table straight away or sat at the bar sipping margaritas for 30 minutes waiting for a table to come available. The food is excellent and well worth the wait. The view from the terrace over the canyons and the town is fabulous (coveted territory we were never lucky enough to bag). We would highly recommend it. For relaxation or to fill your time because it won’t stop raining (the never-ending Storm Rachel) “Tai Chi Massage” in town is very good!

d. Hiking in Sedona didn’t appeal in 90°F during our first week but when the temperature subsided a little we did our first hike. We parked at the famous “Chapel of the Holy Cross”. If there’s a more ugly lump of concrete anywhere in the USA, I’ve yet to see it. The place is ghastly – inside and out – and yet it draws coach loads of visitors. Its only redeeming feature is its unusual location – wedged into a rocky outcrop. Anyway, the 1.4 mile return Chapel Trail wasn’t desperately exciting either and we wouldn’t repeat it. However, our second and third hikes were magnificent. The storm clouds parted late afternoon on our penultimate day so we drove 20 minutes down the Red Rock Scenic Byway to Bell Rock Trailhead. A short but immensely beautiful trial with views stretching to infinity over the red rocks and the Cocinino National Forest. We scaled part of the rock face of Bell Rock but since it’s pretty steep we descended and wandered around the flatter section for views of Courthouse Butte. The late afternoon light was perfect. On our final day we headed out to hike the 2.6 mile Teacup Trail to Coffeepot which we loved. It’s a 2.6 mile roundtrip which starts at the Sugarloaf Trailhead and comprises rocky terrain with narrow, sloping sections and some rock scrambling. It was cool with blue sky and sunshine – perfect hiking weather – and the panoramic red rock vistas towards Capitol Butte and Chimney Rock in one direction and Coffeepot in the other were stunning.

Jerome:

One sunny morning I dragged everyone on a mystery road trip via Cottonwood to Jerome – one of Arizona’s prettiest towns. It isn’t far to drive to Cottonwood itself but it was barely worth parking up for! Things were looking up considerably by the time we started wandering the historic streets of Jerome. It’s as touristy as it is possible to be but if you ignore the junk shops (they’re not all bad, in Jerome’s defense – there are art galleries and homemade pottery stores 😉) it is quite an interesting place! It is a historic copper mining boom town located way up high on a hillside overlooking the dusty valley below and the towns of Cottonwood and Clarkdale. It was founded in 1876 on Cleopatra Hill and had expanded to 15,000 residents by the 1920’s. It became an effective “ghost town” once the mines closed in 1953 before artists and crafters were drawn to the area in the 1960’s and 1970’s resulting in a resurgence of life and a desire to refurbish the older buildings. Ultimately, their efforts paid off and the new residents were instrumental in achieving National Historic District status for the small town. It’s nice enough for a sunny afternoon, lunch and a beer in the saloon! However, I had read about somewhere even more intriguing, insanely touristy but highly photogenic which I thought might appeal to the boys – the “Gold King Mine Ghost Town” which we all loved! It’s funky and a bit crazy with wooden shacks from the mining days, an old mine from the 1890’s, thousands of historic relics and artifacts which have been artfully collated to create interesting tableaus of the era. There is mining equipment, an old Stamp Mill for crushing ore, a working sawmill and a Blacksmith. There are hundreds of rusty old vintage trucks, motorcycles and cars slowly falling apart amongst the weeds and rattlesnake nests 😉. Even better, they have a small-holding of cute chickens and goats foraging in the undergrowth. If you want to pay an additional fee, you can also pan for gold! I can’t deny it’s a massive tourist trap but we could have spent hours there pottering pointlessly if it weren’t 90°F in the blazing sun!

Flagstaff:

The town of Flagstaff (with iconic Route 66 running through its centre) lies at higher elevation than Sedona at 7,000 feet, so it is considerably cooler than baking hot Sedona which was a blessed relief! It is a small mountain city also known as the Gateway to the Grand Canyon. We took a trip up there, passing through Oak Creek Canyon en route, for coffee and lunch and we finally saw some fall color. Sedona was still green even up to mid-October when we left. Flagstaff is home to the Northern Arizona University and the historic Lowell Observatory (where Pluto was discovered). We stopped for coffee and cake (which was very good) at “Cedar House Coffee Shop and Bakery” on the main road into Flagstaff before you arrive in the old town. Old Town has some cute buildings and the aspen trees were bright yellow with leaves blowing in the breeze around us and falling to our feet – it was also 75°F – so we were all very happy! We had lunch on the sidewalk tables at “Urban Pine Eatery” and meandered through the streets (don’t get too excited – this is a very small Old Town!) admiring the 19th century Western architecture. The centerpieces of the town appear to be the facade of the “Weatherford Hotel”, the “Hotel Monte Vista” and the “Babbitt Brothers Building” which are conveniently located on the same intersection with “Urban Pine Eatery” so you can enjoy the historic view over your veggie flatbread!

Final thoughts on our month out west for fall … Colorado (we continue to love it and would go back to Ouray, Telluride and the San Juan Mountains in a heartbeat either for July for the wildflower bloom or for fall mid-September through mid-October; Utah is still hot, dusty and dry as a bone at the beginning of October (good enough for hiking very early or towards sunset!); and Sedona was ridiculously hot in early to mid-October with torrential rains from Storm Rachel which lasted for a couple of days before being replaced with spectacularly gorgeous mid 60°F-70°F weather which was perfect for hiking. It’s a fabulous hikers paradise when it’s not 90°F and dry as a desiccated bone! Next time around we’d think about mid to end of October into mid-November and hopefully catch some of the cooler weather alongside more of the fall colors in the Oak Creek Canyon gorge.

We’re happy to have escaped the worst of the summer weather in Florida but, after 5½ months traveling across Europe, the UK and the Wild West states of the USA, it is finally time to go home for the winter season! It’s been a blast but we need to rejoin reality back in the Sunshine State! 😊