September in Sedona, Tucson, and Other Hot Places

Looking forward to more!

Love the tip about the rental car restrooms

When we awoke the next morning, we found that our lovely room had a patio. Opening the door, we were treated to a view of the close Santa Catalina mountains and the grounds of the hotel. We looked down through natural vegetation (they take justifiable pride in their naturalized landscape -- it's desert, but lush at the same time) and could see a pool area beyond.

This was our day for Nogales and Tombstone. It's about an hour to Nogales from Tucson. We parked in a fenced-in lot next to the border named Fred's (about $4) and walked a couple of blocks into Mexico.

There's been so much press about the violence, drug wars, and gangs in Mexico. We didn't see any of that in Nogales, at least in the area the tourists visit. We did, however, see a lot of businesses and restaurants that have had to close their doors since we were there last year. The tourists are coming back, though. Aside from walking around, buying some knick-knacks and OTC meds, we didn't do anything special. The restaurant we planned to eat at had gone out of business.

I had taken the time to learn a little Spanish, using a series of language CDs. When I tried to speak the language, I was just blown away by the friendliness I received in return. One person took me around to various things, teaching me the names. Others shared their experiences with having to learn English to get a job there in Mexico. Overall, it was a lesson in how rewarding it can be to reach out even a little bit, and how alike we all are. I am ashamed to confess that I am only proficient in English. Since I've been back I've made a much better effort with Spanish, at least.

From Nogales, we took a jaunt over to Tombstone. It only took about an hour to get there, and maybe an hour from there back to Tucson. Now, Tombstone IS touristy. Those dirt streets are really just asphalt with dirt strewn over them. No, I don't want to buy a ticket to see you get shot (daily) at 3pm. Still, it is a historic spot, and a lot of fun for a few hours. We all came away much better informed about "the fight at the OK Corral." If you ask me, there were no "good guys vs. bad guys" there -- this was not a nice place or time to live. A good lesson that life doesn't neatly divide into black hats vs. white hats.

We got back to Phoenix in time to eat at El Charro before heading back to our hotel http://www.elcharrocafe.com. This place we love; others may be less infatuated, but I am unabashed. Since we live so far away, we indulge when we get to Tucson. Anyway, it's a Carne Seca thing...

That night, we were able to stoll the resort, have a glass of wine, watch a bit of Nanny McFee at the pool, etc. Wish we could have stayed there longer, actually.

**NEXT -- SAGUARO NATIONAL FOREST AND SONORAN DESERT MUSEUM**

Today was our day to begin the trek to Sedona. We had all day to get there, with plenty of time to to visit the Sonoran Desert Museum and the Saguaro National Park. It's about 1-1/2 from Tucson to Phoenix, and then another 2 hours to Sedona.

SONORAN DESERT MUSEUM

We've stopped here a few other times, but this was the first time that the temps were not so oppressive. For those who are not familiar with it, it's a wonderful museum/nature center/zoo about 1/2 ourside Tucson at the edge of the Saguaro National Park. It's a great place to take the kids, where they can see all sorts of indigenous wildlife in a naturalized setting. There's also a great hummingbird aviary -- I had a tiny little bird who kept hovering right in front of my face (guess I may have been to close to its nest). Here's a link: http://www.desertmuseum.org/

A couple of tips here: Go early in the morning, when they first open. It's not so hot, and the animals are more active. Carry water, and wear sunglasses and a hat. Here's also a good time to discuss cactus spine removal kits. The last time we were here, DH wasn't paying much attention when he got out of the car, and backed into a cactus. It took days to get all the spines out. So this time, I came prepared with a little kit. Although this visit was incident-free, we did use it later in the week. Here is what we found the most useful:

Cactus Spine Removal Kit:

- Magnifying glass
- Tweezers
- Travel-size hand sanitizer (put on skin after removing spines; reduces irritation/infection)
- Rubber cement or wood glue (this is really great for getting out those tiny, hard to see ones; put it in your skin, let sit a minute or two then peel off. Do NOT use superglue or the like; it will just bond the cactus spines to your flesh).
- small fine-toothed comb (for the large spines)

Allow a couple of hours at a minimum, preferably 3-4. They sometimes have kid's activities, so watch for that as well. By the way, the gift shop has some floppy hats and nice cactus dish gardens. There is a cafeteria-style restaurant as well.

SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK

We pulled out of the Sonoran Desert Museum and headed through the Saguaro National Park. Once through the Park, you will be able to get back to the Interstate and head toward Phoenix.

We didn't spend any time outside in the Park (did I mention that it was hot? This was Labor Day weekend, in the low 90's, and surprisingly humid for the desert.) But in the Visitor's Center, there is a really good movie about life in the desert. At the end of it, the screen rolls up to reveal a glass wall that overlooks the Park. Really well done, and only about 10 minutes long. We purchased some Five Amigos salsa (green) for later consumption in Sedona (it's quite good).

Between Phoenix and Sedona, we did make a stop at the pie place at Rock Springs for a beer. It's a traditional stop, although I think the quality of the pies has declined since it has become so well-known. The first time we stopped there, in 1996, it didn't even have air conditioning. Now it does, so it's a chance to cool down and stretch your legs. Can't speak to the quality of their restaurant, although I should mention that "mountain oysters" are on the menu... http://www.rockspringscafe.com/pies.html

By the time we got to Sedona, it was around 4pm, just right to check into the Los Abrigados Resort, our home for the next week. I'll get around to that with the next post...

Really enjoying your report. Hope to one day visit some of the same places in Arizona. Thanks for taking the time to write it.

"Rubber cement or wood glue (this is really great for getting out those tiny, hard to see ones; put it in your skin, let sit a minute or two then peel off. Do NOT use superglue or the like; it will just bond the cactus spines to your flesh)" - this is what we needed! We didn't know a prickly pear was named so for a reason Oh, did our hands hurt!

Waiting for your Sedona part of the report.

dayenu, I was just reading YOUR trip report, it's excellent. Those prickly pears are good eating, if you can get past the spines. It's worth assembling that little "kit" and keeping it in your daypack as you hike or glove compartment as you drive around. We, too, learned the hard way.

Where we stayed:

Should have put these in earlier, but hopefully others might find them helpful.

Tucson: Westin La Paloma http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1001

Sedona: Los Abrigados http://www.ilxresorts.com/resort/los_abrigados_resort_spa

dayenu, Los Abrigados is right there at Tlaquepaque. We stayed there as a timeshare, but they also rent units by the night.

We had been to Sedona in July on a day visit during our trip to Phoenix for my long-overdue graduation as well as the fall previous, so we knew about the road construction. Plus, this was Labor Day weekend, and it all sounded like a recipe for congestion. So...we took 89 into town instead of 179, and this was much better - no construction, and we didn't have to turn left into the resort.

Our friends had never seen the red rocks and were quite unprepared when the gray rock and scrub abruptly turned into gorgeous red spires. Last year we stayed in West Sedona at Sedona Summit, and that view is spectacular. This year we stayed right in the middle of town at Los Abrigados, which made it very convenient for enjoying all the galleries, shops, and restaurants.

Sedona is beautiful. It's very artsy. It's also a tourist trap. Shop after shop of the same kitsch, no different from other tourist areas. Not surprisingly, most of those shops are owned by the same company, under different names. So for us, an afternoon in the shops area is plenty.

Since it was Labor Day weekend, there was a lot going on, booths set up on the street, musicians, etc. I do have to say, this was a lot of fun. We stopped at a booth selling roasted corn on the cob right outside a BBQ place (narrow alley, the Q is at the back, with the smoker behind the building). We went back the next day for BBQ -- while the eatery is exceedingly modest, it was actually some of the best food we ate there.

As daneyu's trip report noted, Safeway is a good stop. They have free internet there, with a few tables and chairs where you can sit. They have very good tomato basil soup in their deli area, and a decent selection of wine at fair prices. Another fav of ours is Cafe Jose's, popular with the locals and great prices (they have a $3.99 huevos rancheros breakfast).

The resort has a couple of restaurants, and we ate there several times - Joey Bistro and Stakes & Sticks. Joey's has a pasta night special, where you customize your own pasta (like Macaroni Grill has). Since we used Sedona as a base for other excursions and usually came rolling in tired, it was nice to have a decent place to eat right there.

**Next up - our excursions, day hikes, and a flash flood..**

MONTEZUMA'S WELL, MONTEZUMA'S CASTLE, JEROME

While a GPS is very handy for helping you find your way, it has also led us down some strange pathways. Turns out the "shortest route" to Montezuma's Well National Monument was down a rough dirt road. Now, DH always likes to explore the road less travelled, but this one had him wanting to turn around. It was the "roughest d*** road I've ever driven in my life," according to him, but that may be a bit of an exaggeration.

MONTEZUMA'S WELL

A Park Ranger once told us that Montezuma's Well was one of those places where you were sent either to pay your dues until you could earn a post at a place like the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest -- you know, somewhere with a flush toilet and some place to find shade. It's worth a visit -- there are some cliff dwellings dug into limestone cliffs around a deep well-like lake, and an ancient canal that fed from it to some farmlands. But be warned - it's really hot. And arid. No running water or flush toilets (there is a pit toilet with hand sanitizer...)

We've been there a couple of times, though, and still find time to take another look. So don't be put off. Do wear good walking shoes and bring water. What you see and learn here is a good lead-in to Montezuma's Castle National Monument.

MONTEZUMA'S CASTLE

http://www.nps.gov/moca/index.htm

From the Well, it's about 30 minute to Montezuma's Castle. And the roads are all paved, yay! Here is where you take your potty break, there are flush toilets, and air conditioned visitor's center with some very interesting exhibits, and a loop trail that will take you past the ruins.

These are some of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in North America. They're set way up high in some limestone cliffs, and it's really an amazing site.

JEROME

By now we're ready for a beer. It takes about 30-40 minutes from the Castle to Jerome. From a distance, you can see this town stuck on the side of the mountains like a cluster of barnacles. Up, up, up a winding road, until it spills out into an old restored/maintained historic town.

There's a really great museum/state park building that you can normally visit to learn the history of the area and see some really neat stuff, but it's closed for renovation. We've been to it, though, and I think that really "made" the experience for us. Too bad our friends missed this experience. If you go to Jerome and the museum is open, please don't pass it by. It's only a few dollars to get in, and you won't regret it.

Although we were deprived of the museum, we gladly settled on a historic saloon for a cold beer. Heaven! A/C, cold beer, tons of atmosphere...what more could one ask? Well, for the men in the group, the answer is "a junkyard." And that's basically what the old Gold King Mine is, a combination junkyard/ghost town filled with an endless collection of antique machinery and artifacts, inhabited by chickens, goats, one donkey, and an old codger who spends his time feeding lumber into an old sawmill.

It's $5 to get into this place, and you should plan on an hour or two there. Some of the cars and equipment has been restored, some is left as is. There is one old Harley Indian cycle that looks to be in the latter category. Imagine my surprise when I saw the old guy ride away on it...

After the junkyard, the guys were persuaded to visit the shops. This is an old copper mining area, and there is some nice jewelry/artwork to be had. I got a lovely hair barrette with matching earrings. We didn't stop for lunch this trip, but there are a few places that would justify a stop. Instead, we headed back to Sedona (again, about 40 minutes away) to rest, relax, and stroll around town in the dusk hours. Oh - we found that most businesses close up shop and are not open in the evening.

DAY HIKES AND MISC.

There are lots of places for hiking in the area. Mostly we opted for walks of around an hour or two. I wish I could remember all the areas, but you can easily get little guide maps that will point them out. We also drove up 89 past Sedona to the Dairy Queen -- that's where the Native American vendors set up to sell jewelry and small crafts. In years past, they used to make their jewelry right there. As with the town itself, it now appears to be a corporate job. All the stalls offer the same stuff, and nobody makes their own. Too bad.

There was also one of those lead booths set up promoting timeshare tours. We were finally persuaded to take a tour of a place (not inspiring, I won't bother to describe it) in exchange for 3 tickets on the Grand Canyon railroad. So that set us up for our trip to the Grand Canyon later in the week.

**TO COME - Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, and the Giant Meteor Crater**

***FLASHBACK***

I forgot to mention... on the way to the Sonoran Desert Museum, we came across a huge tarantula crawling across the road. That brought the car to a screeching stop (good thing the road was deserted!)

Sounds like a great trip so far. We did find some Native American women making their own jewelry and using seeds they had gathered locally in the parking areas of the overlooks at Canyon de Chelley, a nice change from the typical factory produced stuff.

Thanks for the memories

THE GRAND CANYON TRAIN RIDE

As I mentioned already, our Grand Canyon trip started with a timeshare presentation when the lady at the promo booth offered us three Grand Canyon train tickets if we would go on a tour. With three tickets we only needed to buy one. There are different levels of tickets; we had the basic coach class. You pay more for cars that have any type of food or beverages.

We had to leave Sedona early to catch the 9am train and were looking for some breakfast food before we left. The only food was at a $11 buffet of all you could eat at their train station. We ate that but wouldn't recommend it. Next time we would eat elsewhere and leave a little earlier. The trip was about an hour and half from Sedona to Williams going up the crooked road Rte 89 - hopefully you wouldn't run into a bus or slowpoke.

The train ride starts in Williams, Arizona. The ride to the Grand Canyon Station is a bit over two hours. It was fun and the train had entertainment on the way up and back with with singers and comedians. It rattles up an antique track to the canyon and can't go very fast, a little like the White Pass Railroad in Alaska. Problems: You are stuck in your car and they charge a real premium for the privilege of riding in a car with food/drink. We thought that a dining car or a club car selling refreshments would be a big improvement.

There was a pretty hokey show before we boarded, featuring some sort of cowboy shoot-out. We observed briefly and left. Also, on the way back they have train robbers (also hokey) and a Native American musician who sang pretty well in Italian, French, and Japanese....it was really different, so I bought two CDs from him.

You have about 3 hours to visit the big ditch and eat, which probably is the right amount of time for most people. When we got there it was drizzling; the sun came out at the end of our stay and the colors were very brilliant. We spent our time walking the rim and then caught the shuttle back to the hotels for a drink and appetizer in the lounge overlooking the canyon. We actually had two very good picture-taking views of the canyon, with clouds and a bit of distant lightning.

Although we love to drive it was probably best we didn't - nowhere to park and the pollution. There were 50 people in our traincar; multiply that times 10 cars, so that adds up to a lot of cars NOT running around and polluting. It was a longish day, as we left about 6:30am and got back to Sedona about 6:30pm.

Almost forgot - here's the link for the train: http://www.thetrain.com/grand-canyon-train-5677.html

PETRIFIED FOREST & THE GIANT METEOR CRATER

This was the other longish day for us. We've been to both several times before, and I think we might have looked for something else to do if it had been just us, but our friends really wanted to visit the Petrified Forest and the meteor crater. I just wish we had time to do Antelope Canyon, but perhaps next time.

To get to the Petrified Forest, you basically go up to Flagstaff and head east. There are 2 entrances, near Holbrook and then farther east on the interstate. The travel time is about 2 to 2-1/2 hours. We motored up to Flagstaff on I-17 and then east on I-40 to Holbrook. One side of I-40 was shut down, making it a single lane at 45 MPH drive - that slowed us down a bit.

We took Rte 180 east out of Holbrook and came in the back door of the forest. This was the subject of some "discussion" between DH and I. I wanted to first go all the way to the east entrance, and then work our way back to Holbrook, having lunch there. But since DH drives the car, he won this one -- his plan was to end up at Rte 66 (there is a little monument and an ancient car) and then get onto I-40 and head west.

**NEXT & LAST POST: THE FLOOD AND LEAVING SEDONA**

On the return trip, we visited the Meteor Crater. It is very apparent what it is, and is not at all some tacky tourist stop. NASA used it for training its astronauts, and there is quite a bit of ongoing research. It/s also where the movie "Star Man" was filmed. If you get there early enough (we just missed the last tour), you can walk along the rim with a guide. The kids would enjoy this as well. www.meteorcrater.com/

FLASH FLOOD!!

You might have seen this one on the news, where a deluge in the Sedona area caused a 100-year flash flood. I’ve read so much about how quickly the waters can rise in the desert environment, but the reality is overwhelming.

We had spent this last day doing some day hikes. One spot was south of Sedona, hiking along the creek. We came upon a place with hundreds of totems(?) made from stacked stones, and beyond that , what looked like a spiritual circle of some type. It had been so very hot and dry there, we joked that a group must have been casting a prayer for rain. Little did we suspect..

We went on another trail that began out of Sedona itself (there are lots of little trails) that took us through an area with some cactus. This is where I got my chance to use my cactus kit, when my friend brushed up against one of these most formidable plants. I set to work on her, removing the majority of spines (there must have been thousands! hundreds, at least) there at the park.

Our friends reasonably decided to repair to their unit to continue the triage and relax for the rest of the day. DH and I decided to head back out looking for another scenic trek close to town. And we did find one, taking a road very close to our BBQ place up into the hills. There was a sign that led us to a dirt road, promising a trail in about a mile and a half.

By that time, clouds had gathered, and we were beginning to see lightning on the mountains and fat raindrops on our windshield. Still, we were caught up in looking for that last little hike and didn’t really make the right connection…until we saw a car or two coming from the trail and leaving at a fast clip. At that point, “flash flood” occurred to us. We got to the little parking lot where we could turn around, and did.

On the road that we had just come in on, there were already rivers of water beginning to rush across the road. We did get back to the road safely, though. So, we thought, let’s hit the Safeway for a bottle of wine and something to snack on, then just relax in our rooms (we had a 1-bedroom place). It wasn’t too far to the grocery store, maybe a couple of miles. But, oh quickly things began to change.

Sheets of rushing red water began to cross the road, from right to left. As we went into Safeway, it began to hail. We quickly made our purchases, and ducked through the hail back to our car to head back to Los Abrigados. It was getting worse, and there were large rocks – boulders, almost being washed into the main road.

We took the back route to the hotel, but found that the road was already being washed out. There was a building to the right, with people inside who could not get out, as the water was rushing past their doorway 3-4 feet deep. Needless to say, cars and trucks outside were already beginning to be washed away.

We turned around back to the main road, and took the front way in. Just as we were turning into Tlaquepaque Plaza and Los Abrigados, the floodwaters burst upon the scene. We couldn’t turn in, and couldn’t move, so we just watched the disaster unfold.

People began running out of the Plaza, trying to move their cars out of harm’s way. Those who made it to their cars had time to get in and start the car, but that was about it. By that time, the water had risen high enough to begin to float the cars away. People were trapped in their vehicles. Cars quickly began to pileup on other cars, wash through the Plaza, and down into Oak Creek. We sat there, horrified.

At its worst, I guess the water was 6-7 feet deep in the parking lot. And as quickly as it rose, it receded, leaving several inches of red mud. We learned later that the sales building was flooded, with people trapped inside in that cold muddy water up to their necks. Of course, it was out of the question for us to get back to our room. We did eventually, and my souvenir from Sedona is a brand-new pair of hiking shoes tied Sedona red. Nobody died that I know of, although the devastation of property was enormous. A blip on the evening news, and less than an hour to play out.

**LEAVING -- SEDONA TO PH0ENIX AIRPORT: WE HEAD FOR YELLOWSTONE**

We had an early morning flight out of Phoenix to Salt Lake City, were we would spend the second half of our vacation in the Yellowstone and Grand Tetons national parks. I absolutely hate running late, and so we left extra early. Good thing; there was road construction on I-17. We sat for about 1/2 hour waiting for an escort vehicle at one point. In the end, we were just on time to the airport -- but not early.

I'm switching to the Montana/Wyoming boards now to post the rest of this, but I will post a link tomorrowfor those who are interested in following the rest of this debacle.

Wow, that is so scary about the flash flood. Thank goodness you are okay.

Thanks for the report, I guess they mean it when they say check local conditions before venturing on flood prone areas!