PJ and I took a quick trip to familiar places to observe our 33rd wedding anniversary. Two overnights May 24-25) at La Posada in Winslow, two overnights (May 26-27) in Flagstaff.
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| PJ on right side of picture; this is the end of the creek-hike at Tonto Natural Bridge. |
Started off in Winslow; enroute we stopped at the Tonto Natural Bridge and hiked all the way through the creek; then lunch in Pine. La Posada really works for us; great dinners (and breakfasts, and lunches) at John Sharpe's Turquoise Room throughout. We took a room in a different area than prior visits; looking across the south lawn right toward the train tracks. We thought this was great, though also learned that this room was the manager's suite back in the day (hotel guests - almost always train passengers - preferred not to have the trains so "present" on their stop-over, it seems).
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| Our room was on second floor - with turquoise-colored triple-doors opening onto south lawn. |
We did something different on May 25 - took a short day trip up to the Hopi reservation. This part of the world resonates with us. Hadn't been there since a memorable trip with the kids in the early 1990s. The drive alone is stunning - amazing, wide-open countryside between Winslow and Second Mesa. We drove over to Third Mesa; hadn't really contemplated shopping, but saw some delightful silver bracelets for PJ at a tiny building/shack there (and ended up buying a great one). I haven't spent time in third world countries but think there must be some overlap; little kid (a charming little hustler, actually) runs out and offers a walking tour of Third Mesa; we end up walking ourselves, but do go into his house, talk to the family a bit, and bought a $5 beginner/primitive version of a kachina from the kid. Which was neat. I have no idea what the economy is like up there - but the houses/shacks don't look promising at all.
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| from our room at La Posada . . . |
Lunch at Second Mesa (Hopi Cultural Center); then drove over to First Mesa, which is where we had the fine adventures on our 1990s trip. First Mesa is a rather eye-popping setting; its history also is hard to beat (one of the villages has been lived in continuously since around 900; two other villages were founded after the 1680 Pueblo Revolt, how cool is that?). Go to Google Earth and just type "first mesa arizona" in the search bar and then move around for views from different vantage points, this gives at least some sense of how this is set up. Bought a most interesting kachina from some local artist, and we were truly happy to do it - his explanation of the various decorative elements was priceless.
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| That's Third Mesa in the middle distance. We (mostly) honored Hopi no-photography practice. |
Most of our Flagstaff dining was at Criollo Latin Kitchen - we continue to have great luck there. Took a hike up the beginner portion of the Humphrey's Peak Trail on a gorgeous day (May 27). Breakfasts at Macy's per usual. We continue to much enjoy Flagstaff visits, wandering the downtown areas, etc. Stopped through Sedona on the way home for a delightful creekside lunch at L'Auberge.
Most of all: it's quite a lucky thing for me to be observing #33 with PJ.
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| Driving toward Second Mesa from Winslow. We love this type of landscape, for whatever reason. |
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| My v. cute little wife; we are heading back to Winslow from Second Mesa. |
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| Humphrey's Peak Trail - beginning stages (we are returning to trailhead here) |
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| Creekside at L'Augerge. |
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| From a cottonwood root. |
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