We left the Phoenix hotel at 9:30 in the morning, which was already beginning to warm up. When the kids commented, I told them that it would soon change as we went up in elevation towards Flagstaff. We weren't taking the 17 up straight, we were going to detour through Sedona & Oak Creek Canyon, some of the prettiest spots in AZ.
And it was so! Gradually transitioning from saguaro, shrub and other assorted dry things to pines and oak and wildflowers, the trip up grew cooler and more amazing. Seeing those red rocks thrust in fascinating layers from the ground and dusted with green trees, we just kept saying "Wow!" and "Amazing!" I was very glad from that moment, that we decided on this route.
Weird (OK, annoying) thing of the day: Roundabouts. Apparently Arizonians like to go round and round. I know, there is a purpose, etc., etc., but I never much cared for roundabouts, even during my time in Massachusetts. And in Sedona, you'd go through one, only to go through another! Jonathan and I figured we went through at least 6. A little excessive, IMO.
We went through & past Sedona (we'd backtrack later for lunch) and on to Slide Rock Park in the Oak Creek Canyon. Red rock and trees surrounded us on all sides as we wound around the mountain roads. It wasn't far out of Sedona and, luckily, easy to spot from the road (I get lost & turned around easily, that's why I have a GPS).
One problem: the weather. Large banks of grey clouds gathered overhead, often obscuring the sun. We had planned on a day of water play on the sandstone rocks and in the creek. It was just too cold! Jonathan took it in stride, but Analiese was very disappointed. After cajoling her into walking down to the creek, she discovered very cold water (and later said she was glad we hadn't gone in).
Still, climbing the rocks in and around the creek was lots of fun. It was Jonathan's camera day (we have two) and he I took lots of pictures (just you wait) of our pretty surroundings. He also played scout and figured trails and ways to clamber over the uneven rocks. He was a big help, giving us hands up and down (I'm clumsy).
After we'd enjoyed Slide Rock, we backtracked a little to Sedona to check out a place Karla Freeman had recommended to us - Red Planet Cafe. Just normal diner food, she'd said, but quite an ambiance.
It was quirky all right. You'll just have to see the pictures to believe me. The outdoor railing was in the shape of space ships, the chairs had alien heads etched in them and the table tops sported planetary scenes.
Inside was even stranger. Ceilings adorned with spaceships and alien tableaus, paintings, posters and busts of sci-fi figures were all over the walls. And then there were the signs. At the entrance: Welcome, Earthlings. At the wait station: Wait here, please, Earthlings. At the outdoor patio: No smoking in Area 51, please. (Polite aliens) Etc., etc.
But for all the kitsch, it looked tired and worn. The indoor seating in the booths and such, while a silvery retro, were torn and patched with duct tape. Everything looked like it had seen better days. The counter, covered with supposed genuine alien-encounter photos, was scratched and liquid had seeped under, blurring and distorting the pictures.
The food? Eh, OK. Hamburgers, chicken fingers, that sort. I had tortellini and it was swimming (really, they gave me a soup spoon with it) in Alfredo sauce. Oh, and a pineapple shake, which I couldn't resist. It was good.
After that, full and exhausted, we wound our way through the canyon again to Flagstaff. On my GPS, part of the road (which was put down to 15 mph) looked like an intestine x-ray. I am so glad my kids are good travelers!
Our evening ended with a lot of rest and relaxation in the hotel pool & jacuzzi (so Analiese got to go swimming after all - to her joy) and an early bedtime. I needed it!
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