The day after visiting Montezuma, Jerome and Tuzigoot we ventured out to Sedona. I just love all the red mountains. (like everyone else) It was a 17 or so mile easy drive to the town. I am amazed how many roundabouts they have now. We went thru 25 if we went thru 1. I was shocked how many stores had been built since ’89 but i guess that is progress of sorts.
We parked around the old part of town just prior to heading out of town on the northern end and started looking for a breakfast joint. Prior to finding breakfast we were found by what I will call a “Sedona hawker” It seems that one out of every four storefronts are in business to resell tickets for the four things that tourists must want to do. The pink jeep tour, the Trolley, the Train or the Helicopter ride. I kid you not, there were so many of those shops I wondered how anyone could pay the rent. This guy was pretty smooth, and almost sucked me in. Talking about a new camping spot right in town that he can get us. What he failed to mention was it was a timeshare place we would have to endure the few hours of high pressure sales. We said we would stop by again on the way back to give him time to get us an RV Site. Luckliy I looked the place up while at breakfast/lunch and found out I wouldn’t ever want to stay there, let alone sit thru the sales presentation.
Afterward we wandered thru many trinket shops and art studios but it all looked somewhat tourists chic…
After a non existent breakfast at a Panera Bread clone business that stopped serving breakfast at 10:30.. Ala McDonald’s… we wandered back to the car on the other side of the street to miss that smooth hawker…
I have to say that the views from town of the red mountains were incredible. Once we got back to the car and headed toward the Red Rock Loop road out west of downtown. Just a gorgeous road that was supposed to go down to a large pool on Oak Creek and small water falls. The gal at the ranger booth told us that this time of year it’s pretty dry, but once the monsoons start, next month that would be an awesome place to be.
On the way out of Sedona we went looking for the chapel. Once we found it we were in awe of the surroundings. You must park at the bottom and walk up to the chapel and it’s worth the hike. Incredible views from all sides. There is even a gift shop underneath the chapel, just take the inside stairs down one flight.
