some April - May - June wanderings

PJ and I had some fine wanderings recently.

To Flagstaff in late April for a Gregory Alan Isakov concert.  Stopped in Sedona on the way up to try out a new trail (a loop on the "Hogs" trails) - lovely as always in Sedona though this particular route won't go top of our list.  PJ and I had a great dinner at Brix in Flagstaff.  CPG, PJr and Pat Herrera joined for concert - fun day - including some phone time as CPG and Dharma wheel and deal on house purchase.  Dark Sky Brewery impresses.  But Isakov has lost his way, at least in our view.  Hiked on Mt. Elden as well.

McMillan's (Flagstaff)

Not much photography, here's a Sedona trail look:


via GIPHY

Dark Sky Brewery was a success; better-than-expected dinner at some new Italian place (Flagstaff).

Cooperative weather allowed us another trip up to Spur Cross on May 7 - and this time we did the full Elephant Mountain loop.  A favorite place.  Cloudy/cool conditions.  Epic brunch follows at Richardson's - green chili pork eggs benedict, yes!  Pairs well with Sculpin-on-tap.

Elephant Mountain - Spur Cross Nature Conservancy

We get out to the Superstitions on May 16 and hike the Peralta Trail for the first time in several years.  Supremely cooperative weather.  We agreed that this trail is even nicer than we recalled it.  Mid-week hiking kept the crowds down and simplified parking.  Amazing place.  Followed by lunch at another amazing place - Arizona Wilderness brewery.  My little designated driver was quite helpful (not to mention a fine hiking companion).  Here's Weaver's Needle:


via GIPHY

Superstitions + AZ Wilderness = strong combination.

Unusually fine atmospheric conditions in the Superstitions.  We need to get out there more regularly.

Celebrated wedding anniversary #37 with a road trip to our favorite Laguna Beach hotel - three nights, great weather, we walk the town relentlessly but offsetting calorie intake not a problem for me.  Meals at our usual favorite spots.  Shopping trip at the outlet malls on the way home.  Another delightful trip.


via GIPHY

So many meals at Nick's . . . 

A short staycation at FoundRe hotel in downtown Phoenix over 10 June weekend.  The usual:  wandering, eating; weather warm but manageable.  Much enjoyed our walk (and visit) to the Phoenix Art Museum, then light rail to Arrogant Butcher for a surprisingly good lunch.  Our favorite dinner was at Breadfruit.  Had a tour of the Cafiso's construction site - pretty fine location (and basically next door to our hotel).  Fun getaway.

Top - Match restaurant (in the hotel).  Bottom - life on the rails.

Winslow and Jerome (touring with PJ, June 4-8)

PJ and I took a delightful tour of Northern Arizona June 4-8.

Saturday, June 4

We hadn't driven the Beeline Highway for many years - spectacular scenery.

Stopped at the Tonto Natural Bridge State Park (enroute to Winslow). Some photos in the slideshow, plus video below. This was surprisingly entertaining - though for some reason, we had low expectations. Arrived around 11:30a -brilliant sunshine, temp in upper 70s, perfect. Nice trails, decent exercise. Very dramatic (by our standards) working our way through the rocks and creek under the bridge itself.



Then lunch on the patio at something called the Rimrock Grill in Pine, Arizona (about five miles up the road from the Tonto turn-off). Odell IPA on tap. Hit the spot, and then some.

Then onto Winslow. We had our misgivings about spending time in Winslow, but had seen positive reviews about the La Posada Hotel and its restaurant - the Turquoise Room (plus a feature on some TV travel show). So we booked two nights in what must be the best available room (242) - about the only room with a small balcony, with the room just open in a newly-remodeled section of the hotel, overlooking the front entry, new gardens and plantings, etc.

La Posada is a delight - we were thrilled with our stay there. I don't know how they do it - every detail is thought through carefully and then executed to perfection. It's almost overwhelming trying to take in everything they're up to. Descriptions available via the hotel website and plenty of other online review sites.

My stab at a quick description: The place would be delightful if it were just the hotel with restaurant. But then there all these additional layers that make the experience so rewarding. Architecture by Mary Colter (we're familiar with her for Grand Canyon work) - this hotel is intended to be patterned on a traditional hacienda, and it really works. Supposedly her favorite project. Santa Fe RR history. Harvey Hotels. Harvey Girls (still use the uniforms in the restaurant). 1930s and 1940s hot spot - TWA stopover in addition to the trains. Rapid decline after WWII; converted to lowly RR offices, treasures auctioned off or sent to dump. City of Winslow in rapid decline after a bright start. Renovation of the hotel starts. Associated artists, starting with renovator's wife. Tinsmith. Gardener. Turquoise Room. Painstaking restoration, new elements. Gorgeous public spaces consume so much of the hotel - how does this make $? Freight trains passing through constantly - a plus, enhances the atmosphere, evocative RR sounds. With Winslow still struggling - this gem in a tough area.

The restaurant is ridiculously good. PJ stuck with the prime rib and filet at dinner on our two nights and was well rewarded; I had elk medallions with some sort of black currant reduction on Saturday, then the MVP dinner on Sunday (quail, elk medallion with some other treatment, tamale with bison). Somehow the chef incorporates all sorts of native elements, fresh local ingredients, delightful meats. And this is in Winslow!! Breakfasts and lunches also just a delight.

Also on Saturday: we walked into downtown Winslow. Not a good sign when the best attraction is based on a 1970s Eagles tune (per photo stream).

Sunday, June 5

Three delightful meals at Turquoise Room, per above. Warm weather. Visited Homolovi Ruins State Park. This isn't terribly interesting - or maybe it is, after all. Incredible site overlooking the Little Colorado River. Open, desolate territory. Lots of unauthorized digging on the sites as folks sought pottery in prior years.

Spent much of the afternoon and early evening relaxing around the La Posada property - too much to look at, will need to go back. Also spent some time driving around Winslow neighborhoods, which was interesting.

In addition to meal description above: had two of their famous appetizers with Sunday dinner. A Hopi woman makes a traditional "piki" bread that is indescribably light. Not possible to re-create. The chef also has a squash blossom appetizer that is just delightful.

Monday, June 6

More time hanging around La Posada for breakfast, etc. Found a book for me and a really nice bracelet for PJ at the gift shop. Reluctantly checked out.

Lunch at the very-well-reviewed Tinderbox Restaurant in Flagstaff (less than an hour west of Winslow). Cool, breezy, delightful in Flagstaff. We walked the downtown area - which merits further exploration. Bought a six pack of Lumberyard IPA at the brewery.

Then drove down 89A through Sedona to Jerome (yet another spectacular drive), where we stayed two nights at the Jerome Grand Hotel. Walked the town a bit after checking in; enjoyed the view and a drink from our patio (per photo stream); dinner at Asylum in the hotel. Perfect weather.

Tuesday, June 7

Breakfast at Quince. Then to the Woodchute Trail (10 or so miles south of Jerome), got there around 11:00a or so. PJ was talking about going all the way to the lookout point (about 4.5 miles one way from where we parked) - and she meant it. I think she scampers rather than hikes. Conditions were just delightful, the payoff views can't be beat. This was fun. Lunch at Grape per usual; then mostly relaxed at the room until dinner at Asylum.

We're a little concerned with the Jerome Hotel and Asylum - not progressing. Or maybe it was an unfair comparison after what we experienced in Winslow.

Wednesday, June 8

Breakfast at Flatiron Cafe in Jerome - nice. Walked the shops awhile in Jerome - nice. Decided we needed to continue our pattern of lunch in a different town every day - went up to Sedona after checking out of the hotel. But we didn't have great luck finding a lunch place and ended up at the Oak Creek brewery location in Tlaquepaque. Which was ok. Walked around Sedona a bit, then worked our way home. But not before stopping at BJ's at Desert Ridge for dinner around 7:30p, where we had surprisingly good food and a nice conclusion to our trip.

I do enjoy traveling with PJ. This was a great trip, with Winslow the best part.

Short road trip

PJ has been putting in a bunch o' time at Mayo in connection with a transition of elements of its paper record keeping system to electronic. But now that phase is over. So we went to Sedona for a short, fine trip. Drove up on Sunday October 17. Stayed two nights at the "Orchards" lodge - we've been there a couple times previously, we like the views, and we like the access to the L'Auberge facilities (which are creekside right down the hill). L'Auberge has done a tremendous amount of renovation and expansion since our last visit, and we thought the changes look pretty good.

As sometimes happens on our travels, we find a restaurant we like and pretty much stick with it. This time around, it was the L'Auberge restaurants. Had dinner there Sunday night in the main dining area - PJ had a delightful filet, I had the finest duck dish we've ever run into. Most enjoyable. After a Monday mid-late-morning hike, we ate lunch creekside at the same restaurant - simply a lovely setting; a beautiful, sunny afternoon. When it came to Monday evening, we went to the new bar/lounge area of the restaurant - sat outside on the porch - under a bunch of trees, close enough to hear the creek, with rainfall sounds all around - quite nice.

Our Monday hike was a new one for us - Brins Mesa Trail. Just what we were looking for - easy access, reasonable workout (including a scramble at the end which isn't really part of the trail, it's 4.5 mi roundtrip, 1000' or so elevation change); nice scenes along the way; spectacular payoff view at the end. Especially if one takes the "scramble" portion.

All that being said, in the end we're not huge Sedona fans. Having sampled the parts of Sedona we like, we lit out Tuesday morning after coffee and spent the rest of our day in our old favorite, Jerome. Walked the shops a bit; ate lunch at Grape; then headed back to Phoenix.