Sunny Sedona (Road Trip out West Post 4)

One of the highlights of our trip was taking a day trip from Williams to Sedona.  The drive through the Coconino National Forest from Flagstaff to Sedona was beautiful.

 

 

I especially loved driving through the City of Sedona.   It was so pretty and pristine! I did not take a single picture of the city itself but wish that I had. The cute little shops and cafes made me want to return again one day just to walk around and explore.  The natural beauty of the red rocks that surround it was breathtaking.  

 

I had made a list of a few family friendly hikes to do there and we let the boys decide which one to do.  They chose Cathedral Rock Trailhead.  It is listed as a moderate hike and is just under 1.5 miles round trip.  It takes about an hour to get all the way to the top.  It starts out rather easy with a gradual incline but then gets much steeper.  At some places you are having to use your hands to help you get up.  It was a little strenuous but doable.  The boys loved it and said it was their overall favorite hike of the whole trip. 

 

Driving to the parking lot.  There are two and you have to wait your turn to get a spot.  We only sat about fifteen minutes until someone left so we could park in their space.

 

starting our hike

 

They were so excited!

 

 

This was probably the hardest part because it was straight up and very narrow. 

There are several flat spaces along the climb to stop for pictures or to just take in the beauty of the area.

We made it to the top!  The views were incredible! 

I could have sat there all day and just stared out at the scenery.  

From the top there is a short walk over to a cliff where many go to take pictures.   There was actually a line of people waiting their turn.  We all took turns taking each other's photos.  The boys hung out on the flat rocks while we walked over.  It was not quite as dangerous as it might look, but if you have a fear of heights I would not recommend it.

starting the hike back down

 

I hope to get to return to Sedona one day.  This was just one of many cool hikes in the area that I would love to explore.  Sedona is definitely one of my new favorite cities.  It is just beautiful!!

Once we got back to the car we had a quick lunch picnic in the shade.  To keep expenses low on this trip we purposely stayed at hotels that offered free breakfast and we had picnic lunches most every day.  We had flown packs of refried black beans with us from Guatemala because one of the boys favorite sandwiches is black beans spread on bread.

 

It was fun to see this sign as we were driving away from the trail.

 

We passed Chapel of the Holy Cross also as we were driving away so we decided to stop and see it.

the chapel up on the hill

views from the top

 

We stopped by Dairy Queen for ice cream before we drove back to Williams.  I savored every bite of my Reece's blizzard!  This was the boys on the hour long drive back.  They play hard but then they crash hard too. 

 

That night we went out for supper at the Pizza Factory in town.  They had the best bread sticks!!! We then came back to the hotel and all relaxed in the hot tub.  It was a perfect way to end the day and my muscles thanked me after that hike.  There was 80% chance of snow predicted for the late evening and early morning hours.  We went to bed with a lot of anticipation of what we would see the next morning.  

 

Next I'll share about that amazing day.  It just so happened to be our 25th wedding anniversary.  We were off to the Grand Canyon to celebrate.  I could hardly sleep!!

Route 66 (Road Trip out West Post 3)

We left the Hoover Dam driving towards Williams.  Along the highway we passed a car on the side of the road with a flat tire.  David immediately pulled over to help.  Turns out it was a family from Honduras.  He was able to communicate with them in Spanish, get their tire changed, and help them get back on the road.  I was thankful for the conversation that it provided and the seeds of the gospel that he was able to plant.

 

Our next stop was for lunch in Kingman.

 

We ate at Five Guys and then made our first trip to Walmart.  The boys and I could not wait to get there!  It was one of the things we were most looking forward to about our visit to the U.S.   We picked up some supplies as well as snacks, bottled water, and picnic items for the trip.

 

back on the road

Next, we made a stop in Seligman to see the birthplace of historic Route 66.

 

We went in many of the stores, talked to several of the locals, and of course took numerous pictures.

 

 

 

Off to Williams.  They were so tired.

 

 

 This sign made us happy!

Getting off our exit we could see snow capped mountains in the distance.  We stayed the next two nights here at the Days Inn by Wyndham Williams which is just ahead.  It was on the edge of town and about a mile from the town center.  We chose it because of the online deal that we found and also because it had an indoor pool and offered free breakfast.  There was a Mexican restaurant next door that we walked to for supper.  The kids swam a while in the pool and then we all headed to bed.  It had been a very long day!

 

Next up I'll share about our day trip to Sedona.