TRAVEL BLOG: ARIZONA GET-A-WAY

There is always a few girlfriends that no matter what you do or say, you know you can travel with them and there will be no drama. I’ve been lucky enough to have a few good girlfriends along the way that I’m able to share these laughable memory filled experiences with.

Sedona & Scottsdale

Diane & Audrey’s Arizona Adventure

The planning started at my girlfriend Audrey’s (mom of 4) kitchen table as she made me breakfast and her young son entertained me with his own rendition of feeding me breakfast. – Audrey and I have been friends since we were sixteen years old.  With both of us heading towards our 50th birthdays – her first! We decided a little girls trip was called for. We made our decision quickly - Arizona for four days over the Easter weekend (my 86 year old Italian mother was not pleased to say the least). Expedia was our gateway. We were able to book our flight, hotels and a car all on the spot. Watch out Arizona!  Heads up! One small hiccup we didn’t realize the car pick up was not at the airport. Always double check location pick ups when renting your car online.

Day 1:

The first leg of the trip was the 2 hour drive from Scottsdale to Sedona (201km). We plugged in our phone and sang to Bon Jovi as like in our youth ‘Dead or Live’ was sung like no other. What we were not expecting half way there was the drop sheet that fell out of the sky of the rock formation. We were in awe of the Rocks as we continued to drive through, it was breathtaking and we hadn’t even arrived yet.

It was a bit of a lost and found until find our hotel “Poco Diablo Resort”but once we arrived it was great. The staff were helpful and friendly. Our hotel was 10 minutes outside of the main core. Expect some traffic in around Tlaquepaque Village has parking and lots of it! Across the street from the village was all your ‘new age’ shops. An interesting shopping experience in all. What we hadn’t anticipated was the majority of the shops closed at 6pm. We found a Mexican restaurant in the Tlaquepaque village called ‘El Rincon Restaurant Mexicano’. We ordered a Corona and tacos which hit the spot and then headed back for an early evening… because of course we couldn’t shop everything was closed!

Day 2:

The next day was an early start. We were going hot air ballooning. NBD as my kids would say! Wake-up call was at 4am.  Pick up at 4:30 am! Yikes! (Nobody tells you how bloody cold it is at 4am in Arizona… but now I have so remember hoodies are a must, or some kind of sweater you can wrap around your waist, because once the sun starts to rise, you will begin to swelter once again.)

We booked this experience with “Red Rock Balloon Adventures” before we left. Now don’t be alarmed when they ask for your information and one of the questions is your weight! If you’re having a ‘little heavier than I’d prefer’ period, think about it as a safety feature for air ballooning and don’t LIE! I believe they ask so they can balance out the basket and it is an actual basket that you climb into. Watching the Red Rock Adventure Team put the full unit together is an amazing sight. They assist you into the basket and up… Up! Up you go. You are up in the air for about an hour and a half in total. The scenery is breathtaking – it leaves you speechless. Nothing your eyes could ever imagine. The moment was full of wonder – real, pure wonder - God was right there – smack in the middle of this beautiful scene. Even though we were sharing the basket with 14 other people, and a pilot, it was one of the most peaceful, quiet, personal experiences I had ever had. The Tour Team ended the adventure with a continental breakfast (on the ground!) and glass of champagne that included a toast with “The Balloonist Prayer”.

It was all done by 10:30am and we were soon having coffee at a small cafe. It’s so early!

What to do next?

For the next part of our day, we flew by the seat of our pants so to speak.

We had seen a bunch of jeep tours and thought that would be a good fit for our Arizona adventure! We called “Earth Wisdom Tours” and got set for our afternoon tour of the rock formations.

The jeeps hold a minimum of 6 people. We were lucky enough that there was no one else wanting a tour at that time of day and it became, by default, a private tour. Our guide was an interesting character named Peter who had a wealth of information about the legendary stories of each rock formation. Ask for Peter! He also took us to a Vortex. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I understand it is an energetic pull. On the first visit, Audrey said “I just want to sit here, under a tree”. Our guide said that is the effect of the vortex. Audrey sat. Me? Nothing. We continued on, while Audrey sat under her tree. We approached an overlook and I immediately felt like I had to go a different direction. I excused myself for the information our guide was giving me and said “I really want to go that way. ‘The pull’ lead me to another overlook that had a post that said “May peace prevail on Earth”. That resonated and it was definitely a need that came over me to head in that direction.

By the time we arrived back at our hotel it was dinner time. Our plan was to have a drink on the patio, freshen up, and go to ‘Cucina Rustica’ for dinner. Drinks turned into one too many and we ended up eating junk food and drinking while watching movies and chatting all night. Perfection.

Day 3:

We wanted to go check out the ‘Chapel of the Holy Cross’ before heading back to Scottsdale. We arrived at the gate of the chapel …that was still closed. (Head’s up - Check schedule for visiting hours). We were not the only ones who had thought it may open earlier, in fact we were about 10 cars back waiting for the gates to open. Once you arrive at the chapel, you will find it to be a quiet environment with many people who take a few minutes in the chapel to reflect.

On our way out, we stopped at a small breakfast place called ‘The Red Rock Café. It was jammed but since we had nowhere else to be we waited and it was worth the wait. Across the way was a market and we decided to do a little shopping. What’s a girls trip if there isn’t a little shopping!

Back on the road to Scottsdale and on to our next hotel, ‘The Scott Resort and Spa”. It was a beautiful place to spend our last two days. It had a Cuban feel. The resort has a spa on the grounds and I recommend you book your treatment beforehand because it is popular.

We checked in and headed down to ‘old Scottsdale’. The area is all unique boutiques and let’s just say I am glad we travelled light with only a carry on, or my suitcase would have been jammed.

That evening, we made reservations at the ‘Elements at the Sanctuary Resort’. It boasts the best sunset viewing in town. It did not disappoint us.

Day 4:

We opted to sit by the pool and just enjoy the day. Recharging from our busy days and ready to take on the realities that were waiting for us back home. But not before we recounted our adventures of this trip – recent memories that had us outright laughing.

Day 5

Up and ready to head to Phoenix Airport, drop off the car, and breakfast before boarding the plane.

Four Days goes by very quickly. We probably could have packed our trip with more things to do - a hike or more nights out in Sedona - but sometimes you just have to go with the mood. I think we balanced recharging with adventure well and of course it gives me more of a reason to return and explore more!

Until we meet again, Arizona.