adventure | Our Adventures

“Sedona has long been regarded as a place both sacred and powerful. It is a cathedral without walls.” — Visit Sedona
“Sedona is beautiful, but your soul is even more beautiful. There is a reason why you came, Though you may not know it now. So, please open your ears and listen.” — Ilchi Lee

Sedona has been calling us for some time, with its iconic red rock formations, natural attractions and history. So finally we booked a flight, secured lodging at a cute little B&B, and we were off. We landed in Phoenix and the temperature was creeping over 100 degrees. Grabbed our rental car and headed north. In the next two hours, we gained over 3,000 feet and went from flat desert to pine forests populating hills and canyons. And finally we crested one last hill, and there in front of us were those famous red rock monoliths….and they all have names….Bell Rock, Courthouse Butte, Snoopy, Cathedral Rock, Chimney Rock, Coffee Pot Rock. These rock formations just seem to leap out of the earth. The city of Sedona is built among these formations and we agreed, Sedona is probably the prettiest city we have ever seen.

The Grand Canyon

Our first full day in Sedona, we headed north another two hours and came to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Heidi had never seen this wonder….as we walked closer to the view-point, I asked Heidi to close her eyes….I took her hand and led her to the railing. “Open your eyes!!!” The look on her face was priceless!!!! What an awe-inspiring sight. We stayed several hours walking along the rim trail and ooggling at the views.

Heading home we took a different route, through miles of Ponderosa Pine and then down the Oak Creek Grade…steep and windy, but oh so beautiful. We were told not to take this road if it was raining!!!!

Chapel of the Holy Cross

And before we returned to our B&B, we stopped at the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Completed in 1956, built on Cocinono National Forest Land (requiring a special permit obtained with the help of the late senator Barry Goldwater) at the cost of $300,000.00. It is a working Roman Catholic Church and one of the most popular attractions in Sedona.

Montezuma’s Castle and Well

Just south of Sedona is Montezuma’s Castle, a cliff dwelling that provided shelter for the Sinagua Indians during flood seasons. Built over three centuries, it is five stories high and houses up to 150 people. There is no connection to the Aztec Emperor it is named after. (the structure was actually abandoned 40 years prior to Montezuma’s birth) Prior to 1951, there were ladders allowing visitors to climb into the structure. This was discontinued due to safety concerns and damage done by visitors.

A few miles north of the Castle, is Montezuma’s Well. This is a natural spring that generates over 1.5 million gallons of water each day, and has been doing so for thousands of years. This area was home to many prehistoric groups up to 11,000 years ago. Built into the wall of the sinkhole are small cliff dwellings where the Sinagua Indians lived. Lots of snakes about and while we were there a 3 foot black-tail rattlesnake was captured. We were able to see it tagged and measured, and learned so much about rattlers from the snake rangler. Fascinating.

Jerome, Wickedest Town In the West

Jerome was founded in 1876 on Cleopatra Hill, and the town boomed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries due to massive copper deposits. In the 20’s, the population peaked at around 15,000 residents…the town boomed! But in 1953 the mine closed due to unprofitable copper prices and Jerome became a literal Ghost Town, with less than 100 residents. But during the 60’s and 70’s an artistic rebirth happened. Today the town is filled with artisan shops, restaurants, and historical and haunted locations, and is now home to close to 500 people. We LOVED walking about this little town, something different and interesting around every corner. We ate at the Haunted Hamburger with a dynamite view of the valley below.

The Gold King Mine Ghost Town

Just a mile away from Jerome was the Gold King Mine. In 1890, Miners dug a massive 1,270-foot shaft searching for copper, but miraculously struck a rich vein of gold. The Haynes Copper Co. established a new mining camp distinct from the main town of Jerome. About 500 people called this home. Eventually the gold ran dry and the mine flooded and closed in 1914. The site sat dormant for decades until it was purchased by Don and Terry Robertson. Don then started collecting all sorts of things….cars, trucks, dentist office, school house, sawmill, on and on and on….quite an eclectic collection. Don’s descendents now take care of the property that has become an authentic, open-air ghost town. It was so fun to just wander about and gawk at everything on this property.

Good times were had in Sedona. Definitely a lovely spot!!!!

Sand, water, sunshine and good company are sometimes all you really need. – Anonymous

A year ago, in the midst of a cold, dreary day in February, we thought how nice it might be to spend a month somewhere warm. We envisioned ourselves in Hawaii, going to beaches and eating tropical fruit, sipping Mai Tais. We contemplated places like Palm Springs or spots in Arizona where the sun seems to shine all the time. Florida, the Caribbean, Costa Rica or Belize. All nice warm spots….but we settled on Todos Santos, our favortie spot in Mexico and somewhere we know so well.

Now to decide on a place to call home. We looked at apartments, hotels, and private homes. And by chance, we came across a beautiful home a short distance from the beach, killer views from the top balcony, a heated pool, and available for rent the entire month of February. We read the reviews, all sterling. We debated the pros and cons….we couldn’t find many cons. We talked to the owners, asked a lot of questions, and ultimately decided to rent the house. We booked our flights, reserved a car, and started up a packing list. Now all we had to do was wait for February!!!

February 1 we get a ride to the Wenatchee airport, and for the first time in a long, long time, we actually checked a bag….we were staying a month so we thought we might need a few more items. Quick flight to Seattle, grab a bite to eat and then board the plane to Cabo. Normally in Cabo we zip through customs with our carry-on bags, but we had that checked bag to collect. The conveyor starts up after about 20 minutes and bag after bag come rolling by….but not ours. Conveyor stops. Another 15 minutes or so and more bags begin appearing. And second to last ours arrives!!!!! Yeah!!! Next stop to collect our rental car and the 90 minute drive to Todos Santos and our “home” for the next 28 days.

Casa Mila was the perfect home for us. Two bedrooms inside, each with their own bathroom, the larger with an outdoor shower. A fully stocked kitchen and a little bodega off the side with an extra refrigerator and a washer and dryer. The dining room and living room occupied the same large space and all along the front was a covered deck looking out to the ocean. At one end of the indoor courtyard stood the spiral staircase that leads you to the rooftop sitting area. Down below was a heated pool and a separate, private casita with a kitchen, bathroom and a king bed. The parking was inside the gate, across the road from us was a boutique hotel and restaurant located right on the fresh water lagoon. (We had access to the kayaks)

We pretty much had the place to ourselves. One week we had our daughter come and stay….she loved having the casita all to herself. We had invited some friends down, but sometimes life gets in the way and they all had to cancel. So there we were with all that room and mostly just the two of us….it was heaven. Every night, and I mean every night, we made our way up the spiral staircase to the rooftop siting area…usually with a glass each of red wine, and we watched the sun set and the sky turn color. With binoculars we gazed at whales surfacing just off shore. And although by the end of February, the whale sightings began to wane, when Jamie was there we were entertained one night by some juvenile whales surfacing and slapping their fins at the surface of the ocean….just offshore and it went on for close to thirty minutes. Remarkable!!!!

We had only one goal for ourselves this trip…and that was to just relax. And that is pretty much all we did. We went into town every now and then to eat out, to grocery shop, to grab a drink, or to shop at the many shops. We had to go to the Todos Santos Brewery to watch the Seahawks Super Bowl game against New England. That was fun…hanging out with a raucous pro-Seahawk crowd, and I do believe the Bad Bunny Fan Club was in attendance. One evening we went for dinner at the Todos Santos Caffe and were entertained by a local musician, Chris Paulson. We found the Tropic of Cancer Monument and ate at all our favorite spots. Almost everyday we made our way to the beach and took long, long walks.