I continued to meander north through the sites in Arizona. I stopped at Montezuma's Castle only because every intersection had a sign and after the second one I figured it was calling me. Not really, but maybe I shouldn't miss it. Lovely cliff dwellings, concrete path, too many tourists and not enough parking. I wasn't sure if I was disappointed or relieved I wouldn't have to hike straight up to see them - they were inaccessible with viewings only from the lower, well-manicured park.
Sedona. I visited the tiny village of Sedona about twenty-five years ago. It sure has changed! However, it's so well-maintained with beautiful roads, flowers all over, gorgeous buildings most of them matching each other, and, of course, spectacular views of the red rock mountains surrounding the valley. Is there any poverty here? I don't think so. I saw one house that was big enough for a small town to live in! Whole Foods, natural health stores, and unfortunately, gluten-free bakeries.
The first day I went on the Little Horse hike and followed the Llama-Blue Rock Loop. Again, doing more than I planned, convinced I was lost, encountering friendly mountain bike riders, and outstanding scenery.
The next day I headed to Uptown Sedona to see the town. The best time to avoid smelly tourists would be at 7:30am! Most shops and restaurants don't open until 10:30a-11:00am, but I'm not interested in buying or eating. I loved the peace and quiet.
Again, trying to make my way back to Free Parking Lot Number 6, I once again got lost making my walk five times longer than anticipated up into the residential hills! Not much is more satisfying that spying Big Blue from afar when one's feet are hurting!
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