Super-fantastic Journeys

 Sedona is a place where you can step into another world that allows you to self-center and remember everything you enjoy most. Whether it is time to sit in nature and renew your energy, enjoy great food and drinks with friends, or get your adventure on and explore the miles of trails and canyons, Sedona will have what you are looking for. Sedona is about 60 minutes south of Flagstaff, Arizona, and about 2 hours north of Phoenix.  You can take multiple routes to get to Sedona, each of them being designated as a scenic byway. Where we Stayed: We stayed in a very nice townhome that we found on Airbnb, located within walking distance of the downtown Sedona area.  It was ideal to leave the car parked and easily walk down to the Sedona Beer company or hit many restaurants and shopping.  The accommodations were very comfortable, and working with the management company was easy.  The unit was immaculate and well maintained, so we felt good about our stay.  The kitchen was also well stocked wi

 Bridges are an amazing engineering marvel.  The desire to get from one side to another has caused humankind to span some pretty amazing gorges, rivers, and other natural wonders.  Bridges can be attractions in themselves as you are traveling across the United States.  This made me curious to learn what are the 10 highest bridges in the United States, and how many have I been across. Let's Look at the Top 10: 1. Royal Gorge Bridge - Colorado - Crossed It At a height of 955 feet, the Royal Gorge Bridge is more of a tourist attraction than a bridge that is used for the purpose of transportation.  It is located near Canon City, Colorado, and spans the Arkansas River below. It was actually the highest bridge in the world when I visited it in my youth, a title it held until 2001 when it was surpassed by the Liuguanghe Bridge in China.  The bridge is a suspension bridge and the span length is 1, 260 feet.  A steel structure holds wood planks that make up the deck.  It was completed in No

When you think about visiting the desert you do not think about all the diversity of plant life that calls this place home.  Take the cactus, for example, there are over 2000 different species of plants that are classified as cactus.  The Tucson Botanical Gardens provides visitors with an opportunity to explore much more about the plants that can be grown in the area, and to see and learn much more about the mighty cactus family. Located on five acres in the middle of Tuscon, the botanical gardens presents visitors with the ability to stroll through different gardens and enjoy the well-curated plants and sculptures that can thrive in the desert.   While we were visiting in November 2020 the gardens had a special exhibit called  La Calavera Catrina  which featured large colorful sculptures celebrating the rich culture celebrated during Dia De Los Muertos.  The exhibit was created by the Denver Botanical Garden and was featured here for the first time as a traveling exhibit. When you ent

 The rock formations around Sedona Arizona make it a hiker's heaven. The red rock makes exploring by foot an ideal way to experience the area and see the sites from new perspectives.  These are the hikes that I have completed in the Sedona area.  I have many more that I want to return to hike again on future trips to the area.  If you are here during the summer months I highly recommend getting up just before the sun and try to be out on the trail at sunrise.  The benefits of this are that the hiking temperatures are much more friendly and if you are lucky you will actually be able to find a parking spot at the trailhead. It is important to know that for any trailhead that is developed in the area, meaning it has a restroom, you are going to need to have a Red Rocks access pass.  The pass is $5 a day and multiple day passes are available.  Some of the more popular trailheads have a kiosk where you can purchase a pass with a credit card, but others may not have this convenience. The

 Tuzigoot National Monument is a 53-acre site managed by the National Park Service near Clarksdale, Arizona.  The site became protected as a national monument in 1939 and is an example of the culture and housing of the protects and honors the ruins of a Sinagua people from 1125 CE to 140 CE before they moved north and east to what is now part of the Hopi reservation. This is a fee site for the National Park Service and will require payment on most days.  We were very lucky and happened to hit it on a free park day. Normally the fee is $10 per adult, children under 16 are free.  The fee is good for seven days and will also allow you to enter Montezuma's Castle National Monument. When you arrive and park in the loop lot you can head up the steps to the visitor center.  The visitor center has some interesting displays about the people who inhabited Tuzigoot and some items that were found when the site was excavated.  There is also a nice gift shop located in the visitors center.  Ther

 Page Arizona was established as a temporary work camp in 1957 when the Glen Canyon Dam was being constructed.  Now it serves as a hub for many of the outdoor activities that are in this area of Southern Utan and Northern Arizona.  We planned our trip to have about 24 hours to explore the area around Page Arizona, and now I realize that you could spend a week or more here and still not experience everything the area has to offer.  The town has just over 7,000 full-time residents and is all about tourism in the area. Where to Stay: There are numerous places to stay while you are in page with a wide range of pricing.  The hotels have been built along the north side of town on the hill so that they can claim to have a view of Lake Powell as a part of their marketing. We stayed in the Courtyard by Marriott Page at Lake Powell .  Wow, I would hate to be the one who answers the phone and has to say that name a hundred times a day.  The Courtyard is a very typical property for Marriott and t

When you see pictures of Antelope Canyon you cannot help to put it on your bucket lists of places you want to experience first hand.  The great news is that this is an easily accessbile item from your list that you can experience with a trip to Page, AZ. Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon that has been created in the sandstone by floodwaters that come from the surrounding area when it rains.  The rainwater is funneled into this thin canyon through a small crack in the and as it's path is constricted into a smaller space, the force of the water carves the slot canyon.  As you stand inside the canyon you can see the waves of rock that have been created by the water flow.  At times the canyon is only wide enough for a single person to walk through and then it will open up into a small room.  The walls can reach up to 120 feet above you and they can limit the light, or at just the right moment the suns rays will find that path through the rocks and create a single ray of light to the can

 If you have ever sat in your office looking at the Microsoft screen saver and said to yourself that you want to visit one of those photo locations before then Horseshoe Bend is an easy and accessible trail that will take you to one of those locations.  Horseshoe Bend is a location where the Colorado River makes a 270-degree bend, carving out a landscape that is inspiring and unforgettable.  You can easily combine a Horseshoe Bend hike with a trip to Upper Antelope Canyon in a single day and still have time to travel to your next location. Horseshoe Bend Trail Distance: 1.4 miles Trail Type: Out and Back Elevation Gain: 380 feet Time: 45 minutes Difficulty: easy All Trails Map The trailhead is well built out now due to the number of people who visit this location.  There is lots of parking available and there is an entry fee of $10 now.  While Horseshoe Bend is technically in the Glen Canyon Recreation Area, the National Park Pass does not work for entry to the trail.  The trailhead is

Arizona is a diverse state and it's National Park Sites are no exception.  Arizona plays host to a wide variety of National Park Sites from the ancestral homes of the Anasazi to the wide landscape views of the Grand Canyon. Arizona is a state with amazing rock features and the inspiring dessert plans that pull out every drop of moisture from the dessert they can to grow and bring life to a dry landscape.  I was fortunate to get to travel around Arizona a lot as a kid and went to a number of the National Parks sites as a youth.  I am only reporting as visited the sites that I have gone to since I started this project and have pictures of my own to share.  The sites are ranked by in my order of preference and of course I have my bucket list of sites I still need to visit. #1 Grand Canyon National Park The Grand Canyon is an amazing natural wonder and is something that everyone should have the opportunity to experience.  The challenge is the crowds of this very popular nation