|
10:39 pm - Vacation -
Day 5 (Sedona)
 On
the way to Sedona, we stopped at a fascinating place just off Highway 17 in
the Verde Valley. Built into the walls of a cliff a hundred feet above the
valley stands a five-story, 20-room dwelling called Montezuma's Castle
that was built by Sinagua farmers early in the 12th century. The first
settlers mistakenly thought it to be Aztec in origin, hence the name. It was
to be the first of the many towering wonders we were to encounter on the
Sedona leg of our trip.
 One
of our golfing partners from yesterday mentioned that he worked for a
well-known airline and that he and his partner had traveled extensively
around the world. They declared that Sedona, Arizona was probably one of the
5 most magnificent areas they had ever visited. Well, I haven't traveled as
extensively as they have, but I must say that I've never seen a more
remarkable sight than the entrance to Sedona. Towering red cliffs seem to
shoot straight from the ground to the sky. Sedona's red cliffs were apparently
once located on the sea bottom, and the entire region pushed up after plates
in the earth moved sufficiently. Marine fossils can be found most everywhere,
and the characteristic red in the terrain originates from an iron substance
that surrounds each particle of rock that rusts after exposure to oxygen.
Rusty rock makes for beautiful scenery.
We arrived at the DoubleTree Sedona Resort in plenty of time to do some
sightseeing. Beth was very interested in the energy Vortex phenomena related
to Sedona, so we immediately set off for the nearest one at the local airport
called, appropriately enough, the "Airport Vortex."
By the way, the airport is some 4000 feet above sea level and appears to be
quite an interesting place to attempt to land a plane. I'm not convinced that
I'd like to actually fly into Sedona and land on top of this particular
plateau.
The first thing we learned about the Sedona Vorti is that you better plan to
do some rock climbing in order to get to them. The one at the airport was
quite a hike. I made it to the top of the rock, but as we were told by a
friendly waitress later, the actual Vortex is apparently located on the next
level down, where Beth stopped and enjoyed the view. There were a number of
persons on both of these levels sitting in the Lotus position and meditating
or just taking pictures with their families. I have to admit that I didn't
feel anything special although Beth did say she felt some tingling in her
fingertips. The vista was striking and relaxing, however. For a couple of
differing views (both philosophically and photographically) on the Vortex
phenomena check out The
Sedona Vortex at hiddenmeanings.com and About
Sedona at sedonavortexconnection.com
On the way back to the hotel we decided to visit to Tlaquepaque
(Ta-la-ka-pa-kee), Sedona's arts & crafts village. Named for suburb of
Guadalajara, Tlaquepaque's boundaries enclose more than 40 shops featuring
thousands of unique items. At night during the autumn months the Festival of
Lights turns night into day in this interesting little shopper's community.
We had a wonderful lunch at RENÉ at Tlaquepaque. After relaxing over a
couple of bowls of a wonderful Southwest Vichyssoise and some Shrimp
Quesidillas (and, of course, a nice bottle of '98 Sonoma Cutrer), we returned
to the hotel. But not for long.
We rested for a few hours and Beth checked out the hotel facilities. The
suite in which we are ensconced is quite nice and, had we not been housed in
such magnificent accommodations at the Pointe Hilton at Tapatio Cliffs, I
would be quite impressed. As it is, our view from the window, while still
showing some splendid scenery, is on the parking lot side of the building as
opposed to the golf course side where the bluffs are quite spectacular. Hey,
with the discount prices we're paying, I certainly not complaining.
Later, after a quick drink at the hotel bar (Maker's Mark for me, Talisker
for Beth), we headed to L'Auberge Restaurant at the L'Auberge de Sedona inn
near the uptown area. At least the directions seem to indicate it is near
uptown Sedona. It's actually at the bottom of a very dark and well-hidden
road that drops you nearly into Oak Creek. The lovely restaurant and some
romantic little cottages are nestled next to the babbling creek  in a beautiful wooded area. The food and the
service are done in a wonderful French tradition that is certainly not inexpensive,
but we aren't planning on doing this every day of our lives, so we're going
to enjoy it while we can. Unlike fast-paced American dining where customers
are shuffled in and out as quickly as a microwave meal, this type of European
dining may take several hours and presentation is everything.
When Beth called ahead to inquire about dress, she was informed that ties
weren't required. Guys, wear a tie. I'm sure the restaurant is trying for a
more relaxed atmosphere, but this type of dining is special and should retain
its formality. We decided to skip the 6-course Prix Fixe even though the idea
of having the sommelier match wines with hors d'oeuvres, an entrée and
dessert had its appeal. We instead decided to order à la Carte and Beth
savored the Les Côtes d’Agneau Grillées au Thym Frais et Pistaches (Grilled
spring lamb chops with thyme sauce and pistachios) while I chowed down on
Les Médaillons de Veau à la Gousse de Vanille et aux Amandes (Sautéed veal
loin with a fresh vanilla bean and almond sauce). We matched our dinner
with an enjoyable '96 Sterling Merlot chosen from a wine list with more than
400 entries and later decided that, for once, we really didn't need to also
consume a dessert drizzled with chocolate and adorned with raspberries.
During the meal, I was fascinated by the liltingly rushing sounds of nearby
Oak Creek and truly wanted to investigate further. There appeared to be a
small trail through a few stands of trees and I talked Beth into taking a
walk down the path once we finished dinner. What a beautifully romantic spot.
Very peaceful…and a perfect ending to a long and wonderful first day in Sedona.
|