Sedona and Zion National Park

Thursday morning we got up, had our breakfast in the hotel, and then headed toward Hoover Dam.  It’s not far from Henderson, NV.  We got there about 9:30 a.m. and were surprised that even that early there were quite a few people.  Saw lots of different state license plates (we're keeping track to see if we can see all 50) and lots of people from different countries on bus tours.  It appears there are bus tours specifically for different people groups.  Some had people who were all speaking Spanish.  Others, were all Asian people.  It is very interesting to observe all the different people groups.  Here is a photo Doug took at Hoover Dam.

From there we headed southeast, destination Sedona, AZ.  Sedona is one of our favorite spots because it is so different from Newberg and because of the beautiful redrock formations all throughout the valley of Sedona.  We stayed 2 nights at a rental in someone’s home.  It was delightful and our hosts were great people.  We had lots of room; a living room, space for a desk/eating, separate bathroom, and bedroom.  We also had space outdoors for relaxing.  Our hostess suggested a nice hike for us, which we did first thing Friday morning.  Here is Doug as we started on the hike. 

The   hike ended at a place called Redrock Crossing.  As you can see from this photos, we were able to sit on the rocks and cool our feet off in Oak Creek.

Next, we headed to a little shopping area in Sedona called Tlaquepacque.  It is built to resemble an authentic Mexican plaza/courtyards.

 We had a delightful lunch of spinach salad with bacon balsamic dressing and ate outside.  I did some shopping while Doug took a nap in the car.  Last time I was in Sedona I saw these wind sculptures and fell in love with them.  I’ve seen them other places, too, but this time I just sat near the gallery and just watched the gentle breeze flutter all the sculptures.  This is one of my favorites.

 In the afternoon we took a trolley ride through Sedona and Oak Creek Village.  It was quite interesting.  We learned a little bit about the history of Sedona and saw some things we hadn’t seen in our previous 2 visits. 

Before heading home, we stopped at the chapel of the hills, which is located about ¼ mile from where we stayed.  This chapel was built as a place for people to stop and worship the God who created all the beauty that surrounds the place.  It is very special  with a wonderful atmosphere.  Doug and I stopped to pray for a bit.  A nice couple from Belgium took our photo just outside the chapel.

Here is a look at the chapel from down below.

 We’ve had some really nice weather, although it has been a little on the hot side.  Most days the temperatures are above 90 degrees, but it is a dry heat.   So, by evening we are pretty wiped out.  Last night we decided to purchase our dinner from the grocery store.  We had coconut shrimp and green salad followed by cookies and caramel, cookie ice cream.  Not bad for cooking it ourselves. 

We’ve had a wonderful time in Sedona, but all good things must come to an end.  

Saturday morning we got up early and headed north.  The drive took us from Sedona through Flagstaff, up to Zion National Park and then down to St. George, UT.  We saw such a diversity of landscape.  Wow!  The whole earth is full of God's glory.  We had originally planned to travel to Moah, UT and see Arches and Canyonlands, but last night, looking for accommodations in the area, we discovered pretty much nothing was available unless we were willing to pay well over $200/night.  So, we decided on our different route.

The first place we stopped was the Navajo Bridge crossing the Colorado River.  This is really the beginning of the Grand Canyon.  We decided not to go to the Grand Canyon this trip since we've seen a couple times before.  The Navajos have a couple selling booths near this bridge, so we bought something for one of our grandsons.

Stopped for lunch at 8,000 foot level and then proceeded on to Zion National Park.

Zion is my favorite national park so far.  It has such grandeur and yet, inside the park, it is quite peaceful.  Unlike Yosemite, Zion only allows people into the valley on shuttles.  This leaves the valley uncluttered and much more enjoyable to explore.  Doug and I rented two bicycles, rode the shuttle up to the far end of the valley, then rode mostly downhill to exit.  It was probably a 45 minute bike ride and so enjoyable.  A few photos:

What a great day!  Arrived in St. George, UT around 7:30 p.m. and found a very nice Best Western in which to spend the night.

Tomorrow?  Who knows.