Arizona Adventures

When I was little and we still lived in Ohio, I spent some time with my aunt and uncle, on my own. They didn't have kids, and I got to be the big girl spending the weekend away from my parents. It was only a couple of times, I am sure, because we moved away when I was 7. But here's what I remember- we always had cocktail hour, with drinks (shirley temples for me, of course) and snacks before dinner. And I have this memory of feeling like a big girl, having my own adventure; this time together always stuck with me. Apparently, after returning home fromm one weekend, I informed my parents that it was cocktail hour when the clock struck 5, and my mom called my auntie wanting to know what she did to me! Maybe that's where my appreciation for cocktails and good food stems from?

I headed down to visit them and the sun in early May. We shared some good food, cocktails of course, and spent some time getting caught up. I had forgotten what the warmth of the sun feels on the skin. I was happy! On Friday we were headed to Sedona for a girls side trip- I had never been and was super excited. On the way into Sedona, we stopped at Montezuma's Castle. An inspiring example of the ingenuity of a people living in the area over 1000 years ago. This castle was built into the side of the mountain; high enough to protect against an invasion, and large enough (20 rooms) to house the large family. Just amazing to think about how they constructed the castle, and how it was used over the years. And another reminder of just how lucky we are to have all of the modern conveniences of our times, and not having to rely on the land for survival. Is that a good thing, or a bad thing? Likely both, for different reasons.

Driving into town, the red rocks of Sedona looming with colors so rich they almost appeared fake. It was so picturesque. We were staying with my auntie's friend Donna for the next 2 days, and stepping out on her patio, Bell Rock loomed in the distance. Just magnificent. We drove through town, and as we drove by the 'vortex' , I silently wished for the spirtual energy thought to pulsate through the vortex to spin off into my atmosphere. I had no idea that Sedona was known for UFO citings, and to be filled with energy hot spots, places of spirtual enlightenment or energy. That evening, we had a lovely dinner in town, and I enjoyed getting to know Donna and learning about all of her artistic hobbies. Donna makes jewerly and was kind enough to let us play and make some of our own glass pendants, to cure in her kiln. Super fun, and I could totally see how that would be a great little hobby one day. These pendants are ready for the kiln.

The next day we drove to Page, near the Utah border. We were going to Antelope Canyon, a slot canyon on the Navajo reservation. The canyon is a natural break in the earth; if you didn't know it was there, I don't know that you would notice it (unless you dropped in. that you would notice!). We went to the lower canyon; Donna is also a photographer and said we could get better photos and with less people around. We were required to have an Indian guide escort us down into the canyon. The descent begins and it just feels so awkward- you're walking in a crevice that's probably just 18 inches wide- just enough to have one foot in front of the other. Then you just start walking, slowly descending into the canyon, and then you have to stop because the sandstone formations that greet you are so stunning, so amazing, so breathtaking. We started our hike around 11 am, probably the latest you'd want to, given that the sun would soon makes its way over the canyon, casting its rays on the sandstone. Which is lovely, but with less light, the colors are so much richer-- hues of blues, pinks, streaked with white. The hike was about 1/4 mile long, and we ended up about 100 feet down in the canyon. A fairly easy trek; the only real issue is possibly scraping a bare leg trying to navigate the slighter of the canyon passages. What an experience, so rich in the natural beauty of the area. When I thought of Arizona, I just thought of cactus and tumbleweeds (which I do find beauty in), so this was an unexpected surprise.

Our drive home from Sedona included the scenic route through Jerome, a cool artist town perched at about 6000 feet. We walked in and out of the galleries and I found a few treasures to bring home. A fun dinner party that evening with some of their friends, and the return home to Seattle was already here. Thankfully, I had a later flight home on Monday, so we were able to spend some of the day together, tooling around Tubac, getting lunch and one-last-margarita! All in all, such a great vacation. Wonderful to spend time with family, eat and drink well, meet a new friend, and see the beautiful landscape of Arizona. And one of my biggest takeaways always? How lucky I am to have this relationship with my auntie, and how I can't wait to have a girls weekend alone with my niece soon, where we have adventures and are able to forge a similar close relationship.