Saturday's plan called for a trip to Sedona. This is the Door County of Arizona. Start with some beautiful geography and add some artists and other people hungry to separate you from your money, and you have the essence of Red Rock Country. To get a good taste of the area, we started with some switchbacks on Hyw. 89A and wound our way up to a small town hanging on the side of a mountain called Jerome. This is the ultimate artist paradise. Gallery after Gallery of priceless art work. By priceless I mean nothing was marked. In the galleries that did have prices listed, it would take your breath away, more so than the thin air. Don't get me wrong, it was nice stuff, just not worth hauling down the mountain at what they were asking. At that altitude the view was awesome. A person can see all the way to Flagstaff!
On to Sadona, indirectly via a Red Rock Loop Road which passed through the Coconino National Park. Got a little nervous when it turned to gravel as it wound through the mountains, but it was a small loop through relatively flat land. The scenery through there was fantastic. Then back on Hyw. 89 to Sedona where there was some lively discussion of where the ripoff shops were located in Sedona. After some discussion and aimless driving around, we pulled into a small parking ramp. Shirley and Diane headed for the shops, Paul and I spotted a tavern to hydrate ourselves from the long drive. The menu posted on the outside of the tavern only listed wine, no beer. I was getting a little concerned, I hoped this wasn't too snotty of a place that they wouldn't serve beer. And if they did, I didn't know how much they were going to rip us off. I knew we were only going to have one beer in this neighborhood, but it would be nice if I knew ahead how much damage to the wallet would be afflicted.
In we went; cool, there's a bar on the left. Double cool; they have tap beer! Triple cool; it wasn't just Bud and Miller Lite. One of them was Fat Tire, that's a good one, but wait, there's a an Oak Creek Amber on the end. Never heard of that one. I asked the bar tender if that was a local brew, and he verified it was. In fact it was from Oak Creek, AZ which was just down the road a piece. I ordered Paul and I each an Amber and watched the bartender draw two beers into what looked like wine glasses, only with shorter stems and larger bowls. That's when I got concerned about the price. What's wrong with a frosted mug like most normal taverns?
Took a sip of this unknown beer, and it tasted fantastic! A new local brew discovered, well worth the trip....or so I thought. After the first sip, the motor on the woman's mouth seated to my left started up never to stop until I chugged the last swallow of beer and ran out of the tavern with Paul. Now I am never one to encourage conversation with strangers, and I didn't do anything to encourage this woman to start, or to continue this one sided conversation. I quickly acquired the trapped feeling I would get sitting in some senseless meeting at work. You know, the conversation is going nowhere, there is nothing worthwhile being said, nothing being accomplished, and your losing minutes of your life that you will never get back again. And yet, you can't leave. At work it was because you were being paid, at this bar, it was because this was a very good beer, and I won't chug down a good beer that I've paid to much for. So there I was, trapped. While half listening I gleamed from her that; she was a few years older than me, owns or manages a shop in this shopping center that sells pet toys or supplies, she drinks here everyday at lunch, and orders a sandwich to go, her best friend works for her, but is a lousy worker, and there is a 17 year old on their first job that is the best employee she's got. She moved to San Francisco, but couldn't get the Oak Creek Amber, and that is what she missed the most. Now all of that delivered while I was facing forward or facing toward Paul, on my right. Never uttering more than a periodic 'Oh Ya' trying to be at least a little polite. WOW, at least the beer was good!
Back on the road with a stop off of Mission Road to view a Catholic church built into the side of a mountain, then a scenic rest stop where I took more pictures. Then we finished the day with ribs and a burger in a Chicago style sports bar in Scottsdale on our way back to the Park. This wrapped up what looks like the last good weather day that Diane and I will see before we fly home on Tuesday. Today, Sunday will have a high of 61, with thunderstorms and showers off and on. By Tuesday they are calling for a high temperature of 59. It's a good way to start getting acclimated to Wisconsin weather. In fact, it sounds like the differential in temperatures might be the smallest it's been since I've been here.
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