January 2018
Sedona is truly a magical place – these amazing red rock formations sitting like sentinels all around the town are breathtaking. Throughout the day the colors and shapes change with the light. I loved painting there and can’t wait to go back!
It was my second time in Sedona, and this time, I found an inexpensive hotel that has gas fireplaces in the room and a view of the rocks. Next to the hotel is a lovely Thai restaurant and also a Morrocan restaurant which I haven’t yet had a chance to try.
My first morning I had to scrape frost off my windshield as it was 34 degrees when I set out to catch the sunrise. But the photographers were already set up when arrived, waiting to catch that first glow on the rocks. By the time the hikers showed up, the photographers had left and I was still working on my painting. As soon as the sun rays arrive, the temperature changes and by afternoon it was in the mid sixties.
I wanted to try out different hotels so my second night I stayed at the Little Quail Inn that has a lovely little garden with a hot tub. The next morning when I came down to breakfast I was greeted by a man with a cane and a big smile. He is the owner and he told me that he had been an entertainer and worked night clubs all across the country. The breakfast room was covered with photographs of him with famous actors – John Wayne, Mary Tyler Moore and many others with whom he had worked. I heard him give his five minute talk about three times that morning –each person who arrived got the story which he repeated verbatim with the same jokes and big smile. But the second morning he stayed longer with me and another couple and went into more detail about his life in Indiana were he grew up very poor and taught himself to tap dance which he did on the corner while selling newspapers. He was a fascinating character!
I also met Native American women selling jewelry by the side of the road. They told me they drove two to three hours to sell their wares in Sedona. Everyone I met was friendly and talkative. There actually are a number of people from the East coast – Richie from New York, who told me about the drumming that happens on the full moon at cathedral rock by the Native Americans, Douglas who is out there painting and who showed me some good vistas, the man from New York via Calcutta with his group of friends now living in Tucson and the baker who I met on my way home who was so excited that I knew about the storm of ’78 in Massachusetts. There is also a farmer’s market on Sundays. It’s small but one can buy hummus mixed with cilantro and jalapeños and a stand that sells about ten different types of delicious samosas! When I talked to the vendors I found out that most of them live and farm in the Phoenix area and they do the Saturday markets in Phoenix before coming up to Sedona on Sunday.
The ride from Mesa (where I live) to Sedona is beautiful but I decided to explore the longer route home this time. I wanted to see the old mining town of Jerome which sits on the side of the mountain at 5,000 feet. It was abandoned years ago and then turned in to a little tourist town with shops selling copper objects, both new and antique, wine tasting bars and breweries and of course the expected knick knacks. Surprisingly enough I had the best Moroccan red lentil soup I’ve ever tasted in that town! And the vista of the valley below is striking with Sedona’s red rocks in the distance. The town is perched on the edge of the mountain feeling as if it might just fall off.
From there I continued on the old road that leads over the mountain to Prescott. It took me even higher (7,000 ft) into fir trees and where I saw patches of over snow. I guess when summer comes I now know where to go!
Wishing you all a wonderful 2018!
Marrin