I am writing this entry on November 25. We arrived in Los Angeles on Thursday, the 20th
and actually made it to the Pacific ocean yesterday! It’s been almost 4000 miles of U.S. highways
and byways! We are enjoying Mary Ann’s
daughter Sarah, her husband Brian and their two boys Ethan and Brandon as well
as soaking in the California sun! But
more of that story will have to wait until a later blog entry.
All the way through the trip, we’ve been trying to pay
attention – not just to the beauty of nature nor just to the fascinating
variety in our human family, but also to what is going on inside
ourselves. After the mountains of
Colorado, the wonders of Arches, Canyonlands, and Zion National parks, and then
the expansiveness of the Grand Canyon, we both knew that we needed a change of
pace. So we headed down to Prescott,
Arizona (the other mile-high city) and arranged for a room for 5 nights.
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| EL GATO AZUL RESTAURANT |
Prescott not only offered us a place to regroup, but also
a taste of city life, warmer temperatures, and proximity to several places of
interest for day trips.
Prescott’s
restaurants were a treat - especially the discovery of this little place, El
Gato Azul (“The Blue Cat”).
Not only
were the tapas tasty, but the jazz group was excellent.
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| JAZZ GROUP AT EL GATO AZUL |
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| EMBRY RIDDLE U. LIBRARY |
Prescott is home to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
where Brian went to school and became certified as a professional
pilot. The city is also known for its
many walking trails. The city web site boasts 68 miles of trails while the U.S.
Forrest Service has around 450 miles of hiking trails within easy access of
Prescott. Our choice for a day’s
enjoyment was the Watson Lake Trail. You
can see why! It was an amazing choice!
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| FIGHTER PILOT IN TRAINING |
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| WATSON LAKE TRAIL |
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| WATSON LAKE TRAIL |
Another day we headed to Sedona. Another great place for
a hike! The Airport Loop Trail nearly
took our breath away as we walked on the very edge of a precipice that would
just ruin your whole day if you made one false step. And we were so glad we didn’t miss the Chapel
of the Holy Cross, built into the rocky mountainside. It was certainly sacred space. And how about shopping in the Tiaquepaque
Mall! A beautiful Mall (didn't even
know
that was possible!) where you can no more pronounce the name than you can pay
the prices!
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| AIRPORT LOOP TRAIL |
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| AIRPORT LOOP TRAIL |
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| CHAPEL OF HOLY CROSS |
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| CHAPEL OF HOLY CROSS |
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| TIAQUEPIAQUE SHOPPING MALL |
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| JEROME MAIN STREET |
On another day, we traveled to Jerome, Arizona. The road
alone is an adventure! In the late 19th
century, it was a booming copper mining town of 15,000 population who offered these
thirsty, lonely miners all of the saloons and extra-curricular activities those
men craved. So, when in Rome…we ate at
the Bordello Restaurant! Now-a-days, the
only things on the menu are things that satisfy the taste buds and the
surviving 448 people make it the largest ghost town in the country!
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| BORDELLO MENU |
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Three hundred and eighty miles later, we drove into Sarah
and Brian’s drive and have been enjoying the “family time” that our distance
apart makes all too rare. Hope you all
have a wonderful and gratitude-filled Thanksgiving!
2 comments:
Happy Thanksgiving to you both. As always, thank you for sharing your journey.
As ever a wonderful entry. The Arizona trails look amazing, I never think of Arizona and hiking going together (have never been to Arizona I should add)> Very belated happy Thanksgiving, what fun to celebrate with a far away family. Heather Roberts
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