Drive Home From Tucson

Friday December 29

Packed up and drove to Tucson via Phoenix .  We met an Up with People friend of Brad’s for lunch and my niece who was out for the PSU bowl game joined us.  Then we drove to our AirBnB in Tucson for a week of riding.  

Saturday December 30 

We had an awesome day riding the Shootout.  We hung out downtown after the ride watching bowl games.  We ate at Time Market and Gentle Ben's Brewing Company partaking Cervezas and Cesar salads.  

Our week of riding in Tucson did not happen as Brad’s bike was stolen.  We reported the incident knowing we would not see his bike again.  We hightailed home disgusted; stopping along the way to visit Brad’s brother in San Antonio.  Surprisingly his bike surfaced a couple weeks later on a craigslist-like web page; letgo.com but the police could not recover it before being sold.  

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8PHYbtzxqmGWgABFA 

Christmas Road Trip Out West Wrap Up

Tuesday December 26 

Ride to Jerome 

We rode to Jerome, leaving house at 11:45 Jerome at 524w

Ober pushed on to Mingus at 7032

I rode circles in Jerome for a bagel but none to be found.  I rode down to Cottonwood and no bagel shops, either.  I detoured to a Mexican bakery and bought a molasses cookie in the shape of a pig and the molasses pig carried me to Sedona.  Home by 4:15 pm

Wednesday December 27

Brad and I hiked but my lazy arse could not hike an more than an hour. I plodded down the trail. I thought I would slip and fall from my tiredness.  We ended up at Famous Pizza for beers.  I am renaming the Stone Mikail Russian Imperial Stout to Fall Off a Cliff RIS as that is how I felt all day.

Thursday December 28

We rode down Dry Creek Road and back.  Went for a drive and detoured at the Oak Creek Brewery and had the snake charmer ipa and a taste of scotch ale.  Then we detoured for a happy hour margaritas at Mesa Grill at the airport and had an amazing dinner at Elote.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/eYNiwZCHoqWizvuG6 

Devil's Bridge, Sedona Sunrise Hike on Christmas

As someone mentioned on a hiking page, Devil's Bridge is one of the most popular hikes in Sedona.  If you are looking for quiet solitude, you won't find it here.

Cars park up and down each side of Dry Creek Road, up and down Long Caynon Road and fill the trail parking areas, too.  

Initially, we were going to hike Doe Mountain Trail but Brad and Rachel wanted to see Devil's Bridge.  We pondered, turned around and was the first car in in the Mescal Trail parking lot.  

Since we were hiking at sunrise, we had the trail pretty much all to ourselves except for a couple or two coming down from Devil's Bridge.  The Devil's Bridge hike provided us with a little rare gift of quiet solitude on Christmas morning.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/wcENirHP5f9c6dww2

Sunrise Hike Christmas Eve on Brins Mesa Trail

I am testing out sharing an "album" through Google Photos as we took many pictures on our two sunrise hikes in Sedona.  Christmas Eve we hiked from Brins Mesa Trail to Soldier Pass Trail to Cibola Pass Trail.  Starting before sunrise allows you to enjoy the beauty all to yourselves and engage with the wildlife that live there, too.  We saw a Mule deer from a far and I spotted a beautiful coyote.  The mule deer pictures are before the dead tree and "tall shadow" pictures; #35 if you count them.  My coyote picture did not turn out so I added Rachel's picture in this post.  Rachel and I took hundreds of pictures so the hike took us over three hours.  Nathan and Brad were taught with us while Max, his mom and grandma and Art when to see Star Wars.

We were the first car in the parking lot but there were a few people on the hike that live along the trail head.  Other than a couple or two with their dogs, we did not see anyone until we came back on Soldier Pass Trail.  Sunrise temperature was 45F degrees and I thought I would be cold but I took off my fleece vest within 30 minutes of hiking.  We started climbing on the hike but with the dry air and jeans, I was comfortable in my urban clothes until 10 am when the sun warmed the land.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/PBaOfNhpNAha2YDi2

Sedona Hiking

Family arrived around noon and we chowed down vegetarian crock pot chili and turkey sandwiches.

After unpacking, we all went hiking at Fay Canyon Trail except Brooke who was sick as a dog.  

Dinner was at Bella Vita Ristorante with a wonderful lounge crooner, Anthony Mazzella.  Our meals were tasty and decent portions, too.  I had Pappardelle Funghi assorted mushrooms in a champagne, truffles, shallot cream sauce.  

Holiday Prepping in Sedona

Rise and shine with Rodney Yee Yoga, Michael Hedges, lounging, errands and a short hike.

I prepped meals and snacks for the family. Usually Roxanne or Nancy or Eli hosted us for the holidays (missing you Eli). We have hosted at our house in Lancaster but it was just Eli or Nancy and Art when they were in town.  So it is our turn to host a party of nine, including us.

Prepping started at 7:45 pm after Friday night dinner with brads mom and Art.  I love to cook but to do it in someone’s else kitchen is disorienting which can add time to preparing the dishes.  I had to find the proper utensils, pans, knives and storage containers.

Thursday, I used the garbage disposal and it seemed to work well.  Since the owners didn’t mention the garbage disposal in their house notes, I thought cool!  At the same time, as I chopped cilantro, green onions and cracked 18 eggs - I thought maybe I should not use the disposal.  You know where this is going.  My couple hours of prepping meals turned into a whole night affair.  Call me Josephine the plumber. 

I was all beside myself as Ober was in bed from smokey prickly pear mescals.  I am one that cleans as I cook and the sink was backed up.  I tried to stay on task but I was fixed on fixing the clog as I wanted to run the dishwasher before bed.

I finally unclogged the disposal with basic plunging.  I finished cleaning and chopping the vegetables and prepping the dishes.  Dishwasher ran and nothing else exploded or leaked.  

Sunset hike before Friday night dinner

Cleaned the green beans, prepped six pounds of mashed potatoes (used some potato water and milk) and prepped the vegetarian chili for Saturday's lunch. I read that you make the mashed potatoes with everything but the butter.  When you make the meal, you add the butter to keep the mashed potatoes tasting fresh. 

Able to prepare the Breakfast Enchiladas ahead of time, too.