Red Rocks and Blue Sky

October 5^th,  Sedona, AZ

In Sedona, you could feel the warmth in the sun but once you were in the shade it was immediately cool.  I was thankful for this during our hike in Fay Canyon.  We set off with water, camera and hiking boots strapped well.  We had been told some steep climbing might be in order and they weren’t kidding.  Most of the hike was along a

sandy path with scrub oak, mesquite and juniper trees as well as red rock surrounding us.  It was beautiful and for a while, mostly mild ups and downs.  We came upon the rock cairn that heralded the trail up to the arch.
We could just barely see above us but from there it only looked like an alcove in the cliff.  We began our scramble in what was essentially varying steep grades in a red rock wash.  We really had to pay attention since some of the rocks weren’t stable and others simply slid under our feet but up we went, feeling the heat and drinking our water.  Everywhere we looked the scenery was breathtaking. 

Blue sky, red rocks and evergreens with occasional flashes of yellow from flowering cactus. 

They were blooming again in some places due to the excessive amount of rain that had fallen a couple weeks ago, throwing the whole area into a false spring of sorts.  Many of the locals were surprised at how green everything was at this time of year. 

We finally made it to the top and saw the huge gap behind the ledge that made it into an arch.  I sucked in the thinner air and welcomed the shady area we

had worked so hard for.  It was amazing the views from up there and Joyce was snapping away with the digital camera.  I was really glad we had made time for this hike and we both hoped some of the photos might be worth blowing up. 

The way down had its own difficulties but we picked our way down carefully and headed back into Sedona.  I was feeling like things had worked out as they should with our trip, even with the change of itinerary.  I had forgotten how nice this special place was and it was made even better by introducing Joyce to it for the first time.  We did have a full day but we didn’t feel rushed and made our way over to this unique shopping area called Tlaquepaque.  It is a network of buildings that resembles old Mexico with shops situated along little alcoves and alleys; art, restaurants, and specialty stores. 

We had only one store in mind…..Vom Fass.  It is an exporting store located in a select few places that specializes in fine olive oils, vinegars, wines and whiskeys.  What makes this such an above average shopping experience is that it’s a tasting emporium.  A friendly customer service person comes over and lets you have a small sample of whatever you are interested in, obviously with the hopes of a purchase to be made.  For us, it was all about the olive oil and the Scotch.  These samplings were all excellent but considering we were still needing to be conscious of the Mini’s storage space we kept it to one of each.  They packaged up our liquid gold very carefully for us and we headed out of town for one last mission…sunset photography.