“Take time to do what makes your soul happy.” That’s the quote on the wall at Wildflower Bakery in Sedona (where I ate breakfast today) and I couldn’t agree more. Being outdoors, taking pictures, and enjoying the world is what makes my soul happy and is exactly what I did today.
My day started with another sunrise, this time at the uber-popular Airport Mesa. This place is so popular they have now built a parking lot and charge $3 to park (unless you can grab one of a handful of free spots by the overlook). It is a 0.6-mile walk from the parking lot to the overlook, where there is a small knoll to climb with near 360-degree views of the surrounding area. In the distance, by Doe Mountain where I was yesterday, were several hot air balloons. The sunrise was somewhat obscured by clouds but I enjoyed the brisk walk and was ready for breakfast by the time I got back to my car.
Breakfast consisted of lemon ricotta pancakes at Wildflower, a small bakery chain similar to Panera Bread where you order at the counter and they bring your food out.
After breakfast, I made a stop at the Chapel of the Holy Cross (where I witnessed a woman fill up her water bottle from the holy water), then grabbed my backpack from my hotel and headed to the Fay Canyon trailhead. The Fay Canyon trail is about 1.2 miles long and ends abruptly at a tree with a sign that says, “End of Trail”. You can scramble up a little further to get a look back down the canyon but the light wasn’t very good for pictures from that angle.
The light was good, however, for some pictures at the Fay Canyon Arch, accessed by an unmarked spur trail that climbs up a rocky cliffside to the arch. It was a scramble to get up, but wow! I couldn’t stop thinking, “This is so cool!”, once I was underneath the arch. The views of the red rocks framed inside the arch were incredible. My pictures surely don’t do it justice!
After hiking back to the trailhead, I drove back to my hotel and spent some time relaxing and reading a book on the balcony.
I’m not much of a Mexican food person, but when I walked by El Rincon in Tlaquepaque yesterday, it looked really good. Which is how I found myself sitting on the inviting outdoor patio enjoying chips and salsa, a pulled chicken quesadilla, and a sarsaparilla for dinner tonight. And flan for dessert, of course.
My last stop of the day took me back to Airport Mesa to watch the sunset. The place was mobbed but the top of the knoll where I was this morning wasn’t too crowded and I enjoyed watching the setting sun light up the red rocks.
Traveling with Laura 