Well, after a pretty rocky start to our Arizona Spring Break, we finally landed in a pocket of paradise, otherwise referred to as Sedona. Maybe it was all due to the mysterious cosmic forces that emanate the red rocks (Sedona is said to be home to more vortexes than anywhere on the globe), or maybe it was the fact that our lovely little hotel, The Arabella, had heat, or maybe it just felt good to be out of the car and stretch our legs, but we LOVED this charming little city surrounded by red rocks. The air was fresh, the sky was blue, and the margaritas and fresh guacamole definitely hit the spot for our well-traveled souls. :)
We had 36 hours to explore all Sedona had to offer and we packed in more hiking than I expected to do on our original itinerary. I think we were just ready to stretch our legs! We walked the city for a bit, devoured some Mexican food, and then definitely got lost on Marg's Draw trail directly behind our hotel. Turns out trails in Sedona are a bit different than the trails we're used to. We off-roaded too long and realized we were very lost just as the sun was setting. Of course, visions of dead phones, no water, rattlesnakes, and pitch black trails miles from our hotel were all circulating in my mind after our previous few days. ;) We eventually found a house on a bluff, climbed their barbed wire fence onto their private property, and took the road back down to where the lights were. We were getting a little desperate!
After some wine, some hot tubbing, and a very good night's sleep, we got up before the sun to start our day at Cathedral Rock. The weather was perfect and it felt good to try a challenging climb first thing in the morning. We didn't make it to the top this time, but decided we now have a reason to revisit. Mila just wasn't having it, and Beau stayed back with her while Cruz and I trudged up further. There, on a small cliff waiting to see if Cruz and I were going to make it, they met Joanna, a woman who also bailed halfway up. They kept each other company and we all climbed down together. I'm still not sure which was harder - the climb up or basically sliding on your bum back down!
Our next hike was Soldier's Pass, a 4.5 mile trail that takes you through some of the best Arizona has to offer. We chose this one because it sounded like it had various features to keep us entertained all day long - and it did not disappoint! Offering gorgeous views of the red rocks, a number of water features, and a secret cave only found off trail, this was such a great trail to spend the day on.
We found the cave! Success!
We worked up quite the appetite and had the best tacos and Mexican Cokes to follow, then explored Tlaquepaque, a Spanish inspired arts and crafts village in Sedona. We had the best afternoon! We let the kids pick out a souvenir, ate some yummy gelato and sipped beers on a pretty terrace, tried on silly hats, and walked until our feet had nearly forgotten how much time we had spent in the car the day before!
And last but not least, Airport Mesa trail for more hiking, more vortexes, and one killer view. Hiking, tacos, hiking, tacos pretty much filled up our time in Sedona, and we wouldn't have had it any other way.
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