TOOTSIE ROHLS: May 2006

Kendra and I took a weekend trip two hours north to Sedona two weeks ago. I needed to recharge after working an unGodly amount, plus we just needed to get away from it all and be together. We booked a room in the Super 8, if you know our honeymoon story you know how we feel about motels. The drive up was nice, watching the landscape go from desert, to hills, cactus as far as the eye could see, and then there we were, red rock everywhere. I can only imagine what the grand canyon must look like, driving into the valley where Sedona is Kendra made the comment, "people who have never been to the Grand Canyon must think this is it." It is a small mini Grand Canyon, the cliffs and trees, red rock and water had a calm that was very inviting. As soon as we got there I saw a neon green sign on the side of the road, something something sale hand written on it, so I wiped around and we went to our first yard sale in Sedona. Kendra and I used to do it all the time in SB but haven't had much opportunity in Goodyear, and figured we would start our relaxing trip doing relaxing things. We also soon found out that the prices in SB are very near the prices in Sedona as far as yard sales go. Moving on we found this cool shopping area tucked away down by the creek side, it had lots of fancy shops and high priced art but the buildings and landscape made for some great pictures and hand holding. Check in wasn't for a few more hours so we stopped and asked a few questions about local hikes, you can do anywhere from short mile hikes to overnight stays. We found one we wanted to do, paid our 5 dollar fee and started up a dirt road to the trail head. On our way we stopped a man driving a pink jeep and asked if our altima would make it on the dirt road, "is it a rental?" I told him no and he said I would have to take it slow. It was about five miles to the first trail head we saw and we decided to stop and get out. The one we were hoping to get to was another 10 miles down the road, and at a bumpy dusty crawl of 10 mph we opted out of the hour long drive. The hike was a "moderate" two mile round tripper. It was great to get out, I have done a few hikes in the White Tank mounts in Verado, and was up for the challenge. Half way up you have to sign and date a book so if you get lost they know when you were there. I learned that I need to take more water on hikes with me, and that Kendra can hike with the best of them. We almost missed the whole point of the hike, Devils bridge is what its called, and as we neared the top there is a fork in the path, we took the one to the right which takes you up a steep incline, and onto a plateau overlooking the valley below. (see pic of me and K below)After spending a few min catching our breath and enjoying the view we started to head back down the trail. I thought to myself, why would they call it Devils Bridge if there wasn't anything resembling a bridge anywhere around. Then as we reached that same fork I thought, hmmmm lets just take a look around this corner, (and it really was just right around the corner), Devils Bridge. Nice, we almost missed the whole purpose of the DB hike by taking the high road, since when did the high road become the wrong road?

After getting back into the car and making the dusty ride back to town we checked into out hotel room, changed and hit the pool. There we were, just the two of us, I took a quick dip and then laid down with my feet in the water. I woke up an hour later and smiled, garage sale-hand holding-hiking-quick dip-sleep and sun, I was happy. We cleaned up and searched for somewhere to eat, that somewhere was back at the shopping area described before, some good food, conversation, I lost my sunglasses, and then back to bed so we could rest up for the adventure that was to come.

The next day we got up early and asked the front desk where would be a good place to go. Jerome she said. Jerome is an old mining town set on a hill side above the Sedona valley. Complete with mine shafts, a bit of a ghost town, and a ton of history. We spent most of the day walking the hilly streets enjoying the day and sights. Buildings half decrepit make great pictures. Some of the more historic buildings have placards out front telling of their past, old hotels twice burned down, two story building facades were all that remained. A building for women of "ill repute" was a block off the main street, with "husbands alley" leading down to it. Some of them had been purchased and refurbished, like the old theater that once played silent movies. It reminded me of the theater in Claskanie that my mom dreams of reawakening and what that might look like. The hotel that burned down was a two story hole in the ground with an ornate fence in the front. The new owner was taking up collections for the rebuilding of it and had trash cans and buckets set on the basement floor so passers buy could test their aim and help rebuild history a penny at a time. As I was reading the history on it an old man and his wife were trying their hand at tossing change into the outhouse toilet, the man threw his coin, it bounced off the fence and right down his wife's shirt, the look on her face as he reached to retrieve it, right there on the street, was priceless. After a sufficient amount of walking we made our way back to the car and were heading out when a sign that read, Ghost Town --->, caught our eye. We headed up the road to the old mining shaft now turned gift shop and paid our two dollars to tour the grounds. (see pics below)

It takes moments like this to recharge and reconnect. Kendra and I are doing great, both very busy in our respective jobs. Kendra is showing the DMB (Verado) head hanchos she works for, how lucky they are to have her. They needed a way to attract people to the welcome center where she works after the model homes have been moved out of the down town area because phase two is starting soon. She purposed that they get a trolley and give tours of the area, homes and future resort location that ended at the welcome center, they ate it up and she has written the script for it and will be giving the tours starting next Saturday. She has also heard from a few mothers of small children around Verado that want their kids to be in dance classes but there just isn't anyone giving them. Hello! Kendra placed an add on the community web page and has received several responses already. Can you imagine, Kendra teaching dance to children? I am so proud of her for how she has stepped out in the last year, she is so smart and talented, and it's amazing to see how God is using her where she is at.

Scroll down to view some of the pics from the weekend. Love you all.

Kendra took this one. This was an old mining spot in the hills above Sedona and Cottonwood. It has been turned into a "ghost town." I loved this place for all the photo ops there were, it has been turned into more of a graveyard for cars and trucks than anything else, you can see the old mine shaft where they dug for gold and copper, there are shacks and lean-to's set up with authentic items from the time period. But I was more into the trucks, thanks to my father. There were all kinds there, and in all states of life and scrap. Studebakers that I have never seen before, and I have seen a lot based on my fathers interest in them, and my searches for all things Studebaker for him. We will have to devote a whole day, maybe two, next time my parents come, to letting my father wonder around his heavenly waste land. Pedro Gonzales Gonzales Gonzales was there greeting all the guests, near the saw mill that had been placed years after the miners had gone. This area is by far my favorite place I have explored here in AZ. I have yet to make it to the real ghost towns, the grand canyon, and camping in flagstaff, but this, this is number one.