The Grand Canyon

Once we finally left the Salton Sea and got lost by taking a few wrong turns which led us to having a GREAT, inexpensive buffet lunch at some obscure El Centro casino - - Patrick and I continued our road trip to Arizona via 'the road less taken'. Patrick really believed that mapping out our own mapquest road map (more or less by crow's flight) was going to be much quicker than the map it originally gave us using main freeways. I pointed out that it said it was about 2 hours longer driving according to the map, but Patrick responded that also according to the map it said that it was only about 40 miles longer which shouldn't be that bad.

Well....it turns out it DID take a lot longer and a harder trip on my little 1.5 cylinder Scion XA hatchback (which we opted to take due to my excellent gas mileage). We had to cut through many miles of twisty, slow mountain turns which really slowed us down - but the bright side of it all was that we got to see the little towns off the beaten track. P and I love seeing that kind of stuff! :)

 

For example, taking the long route we went through the main street of a lovely, small town with a big square and town hall lined with trees. The buildings on the main drag were old-fashioned brick with cool pubs and older hotels with tons of character. We both agreed we would have loved to get out and walk around had we more time.

Another treat was driving (not too far from Sedona) the town of Jerome. An old mining town, it is amazingly built into the side of a mountain - you'd have to see it to really appreciate it. Not only that but it was ridicuously quaint, with a touristy, nice small main street and, of course, a spectacular view. It kind of felt like the suburbs of San Francisco.

 

Enough chit chat of the drive - we finally pulled in that evening to our hotel - the Best Western - I recommend it for location and amenities. Starving we drove into the main street of Sedona - I've been there previously (see blog) and know my way around decently. At 9pm, it was freezing - with a biting wind - in the 40s and hardly a person in sight. A far cry from my previous trip in the warm spring time.

Still, we had a good Oaxacan Mexican meal and walked the shops that were still open before hitting the hay for our early rise.

 

Which brings me to our day at the Grand Canyon! Less than 2 hours away, it was a must-see - my 3rd time there and P's first. Boy, was it cold, though! Whew! The sun was out most of the time, but it was very windy and cold. Everyone walking around had on mittens, hats and scarves.

P, of course, with his new lenses and camera was ready to take pictures. We went to several different viewpoint locations where we could then walk off by ourselves so to get away from the crowds.

But my favorite stop was at a lookout tower that wound itself up 4 levels and had great painted murals inside and offered fabulous views outside. I highly recommend going there. There is also a great giftshop right there as well as access to trails.

Unlike my last suicide trip where my ex Italian and I spontaneously (and stupidly) decided to hike in 1 day in the heat the entire trail down to the Colorado River and back - - Patrick and I only descended a couple hundred feet down the South Kaibib Trail. Stopping to sit on a rock and take in the scenery at one point I turned to him and commented, "Now after doing the Inkan Trail in Peru, I see a big trail and I just want to keep going no matter what." He agreed that one day with more time we'd love to hike and camp at the bottom of the canyon - it will be a strenuous one, but I am pretty determined about doing it.

In a race with the sun going down we rushed to a viewpoint that was recommended to us. Patrick really was hoping to get great shots of the sunset but unfortunately it was a little bit of a let-down in that the sky didn't change the colors this time of year that it does in the summer. Still, we had a fabulous full moon - but, boy - did the temperature drop in a snap!! Suddenly it was low 30s with a stinging wind that kept us chilled all the way back to Sedona - even with the heater on full-blast. It was a colder wind than normal we were told - but it didn't stop our adventure to one of the Seven Wonders of the World!

 

Click on slideshow below!

Grand Canyon

P n E at Joshua Tree

It was another lovely Spring weekend memory made with my Patrick. This time we packed up my gas-efficient Scion and headed out to the Southern California desert park of Joshua Tree. Only 2 hours away, I try to go every spring as I love desert, dry heat, hiking and camping. Patrick had never been and this is the best time of year to go, so it was a no-brainer.

During a most-enjoyable drive up P entertained me for once (hahaha) with some stories of his youth in the Navy. I love it when he tells me stories, as I am very good at it myself and it runs in my family and culture. Story-telling runs in his Irish culture as well, but P doesn't have E's "gift to gab". :)

We stopped off first in Palm Springs – also a first for my man. The weather was perfect – warm, about 88 degrees – but not too hot. We parked, and strolled around the main street, stopping in galleries and boutiques that caught our fancy. It was such a charming afternoon there! One interesting thing we both noted was how gay-friendly (“Frisco!!”) the town had become. They even had a “Hamburger Mary’s” bar there – it was HUGE in Hillcrest, San Diego. Being the Gay Man’s Best Girl Friend that I am, this accelerated my good mood to an even better level.

Eventually we made it into the Park – after making us drive the long way around it to the 29 Palms Northern entrance – oopps! It was late afternoon – the best time to take pictures. Patrick is becoming increasingly involved in his photography and this trip was definitely an invitation to partake in it.

Joshua Tree Park is interesting. One is able to enter at one entrance and drive completely through to the opposite side. In doing so, you can see and enjoy the different ecosystems and plant growth according to the elevation. We started out in flat lands with many Joshua Trees and then enjoyed the famous Jumbo Rocks in the middle of the park – which have a red sheen at sunset – (but there was too much cloud-coverage that day). Many rock-climbers flock to the rocks nowadays – I couldn’t believe how many were scrambling up those HUGE boulders like spiders. Very cool.

Eventually we ascended some hills where it definitely got cooler and I had to break out my jacket. After enjoying the view (but not the strong, cold winds) – we headed back down again to see a different desert terrain with blooming, tall Ocatillo bushes. All very stark but lovely.

Early the next morning we got up early to embark on one of the several hikes. We chose to do the short 2.5 hour loop to Mastedon Peak. Along the way we got to enjoy 2 natural oasis’ and an abandoned gold mine. The weather had cooled – perfect for hiking. I think Patrick took about 500 pictures! We will definitely head back again in the Fall.
Click below for my short photo gallery slideshow!

Joshua Tree 2007

Spontaneity in 1 of the 7 World Wonders..

If you read the previous entry you understand that I had gone to Sedona, Arizona with my ex boyfriend, Mik. After a couple days spent there we then drove another couple hours to one of the Seven Wonders of the World: the Grand Canyon. I had been to the GC as a child with my family. I have vague memories of how my high school-aged track star oldest sister, Ceci, saved some Boy Scouts who got stuck and highly dehydrated hiking back up the Canyon on a hot summer day. We heard their cries for help and Ceci shot off running a couple miles back to where we knew help was. That said, being only about 6 or 7 years old at the time I certainly didn't hike the Canyon.

Well, as usual I go for extremes. This time, not only did Mik and I hike the Canyon. But we ended up hiking all the way to the Canyon floor and back UP in 1 day. Kids: do NOT try this at home! It was one of the stupidest, exhausting, most irresponsible things I have ever done. That said: it was extremely exhilarating and AMAZING!! A true adventure!

What ended up happening was not planned. I feel like I need to point that out. Mik and I had never planned on attempting to hike down and back up in 1 day. I knew enough to know that especially during the hotter seasons, hikers can risk death trying to hike too much in 1 day. Well, Mik and I set off carefree as usual. We kept going and figured we'd turn around when needed. Meanwhile we came across hikers slowly coming back up. They were hurting. And resting a lot.

Well, next thing we knew we were going along at a good clip and actually could see the Colorado River. We looked at the time and decided to go for it. Nuts. I am telling you. Something that is supposed to take a full day to just descend, we ended up going there AND back in just under 8 hours. I am thinking it might possibly be a record?!! Now, let me explain: we had to run some of the downwards trail to be able to make it back up by nightfall. And we also didn't have on heavy, bulky hiking gear - in fact, all we had was a couple snacks, our camera and a medium bottle of Gatorade each to drink. Still: it was a dumb idea and we are lucky it worked out as well as it did.

That said, I DID destroy my right knee completely doing that hike. The terrain became very uneven and rocky as we got lower and lower (since it isn't traveled as much as the first 1/4th of the trail, it doesn't get worn and smoothed out.) That was rough going. But we couldn't complain about the great hiking weather. It got chilly once in a while and even drizzled on us but most of the times it alternated between being overcast and sunshine breaking through. We couldn't have done the hike if it was any hotter or drier.

The Canyon is surreal. So beautiful and large. Just amazing. The textures and colors are extraordinary. We were rushed and focused on the trail but we certainly still enjoyed the beauty. We were amazed at the splendid Colorado River at the bottom. Almost green in color, it was lovely and there was a sandy beach where some Europeans where camping out. They thought we were crazy going right back up after only spending about 10 minutes at the floor. They also eyed our Gatorade doubtfully and commented that was not enough fluids for us to come back up with. But what could we do? We would have loved to stay down below and enjoy it, but we had to get back by nightfall and to our car - we didn't want to be locked inside the park gates.

Well, what we DID do was become human camels. I had NEVER had to preserve liquids the way I did on that hike. It was...painful. I was really hurting and limping on my right knee. Going up was harder due to cardiovascular reasons, but it WAS easier on my knee than going down. Mik had a slightly easier time than me - well, he IS younger and in GREAT shape. With about a third of a way back up to the top I had ran out of liquids and he gallantly gave me the rest of his. It was really hard. But I will tell you: it felt like we had the whole Canyon to ourselves. It was just AMAZING. It was so quiet, hearing only the wind and our own voices. And also once it got late wildlife actually started coming out to feed. Can you imagine? A major tourist attraction and we had it to ourselves!!

But we weren't safe yet. The sun was going down and although we could see the top, we knew we had a bit to go and we had no flashlights and parts of the trail are narrow and on cliff sides. Well, I will tell you that by the Grace of God we finished the last half hour of the trail in pure darkness. And right when we got to the top we saw and took a picture of a sign that said to NOT attempt to hike in 1 day what we JUST did. Moments later a torrential rain and wind down poured on us as we tried in vain in the darkness to search for the roads that led to our car parked less than a mile away. We were exhausted, tired and starving. Our legs were aching and I was limping. I admit that I started getting really worried. Then an angel appeared in the form of an employee who saw us in the street and took us to our car. It was very possible we would not have found it that night. We were extremely fortunate.

As much as I do not condone our spontaneous and reckless behaviour, I must admit now that we are safe that I am very pleased to have had that last adventure with my Italian, Mik. No one else would have been stupid enough to do it with me. And it was amazing to share it with him as our last hurrah. Blessings to him and his new girlfriend. I shall always remember his sweet temperament and unconventional ways. :)

The Grand Canyon

Click on Slideshow!

A spiritual time in Sedona, Arizona

By the time I visited this lovely desert haven, my Italian ex boyfriend, Mik and I had mutually decided that after close to 5 years it just wasn't going to work out. It's hard to move on from someone you are so used to and who knows you at your best and worst. And here I was just shy of turning 30 and for the 2nd time in my young life having another relationship of 3+ years end. That said, Mik and I were still on good terms and meanwhile, he had very generously (and without my being consulted!) invited his childhood friend, Neno, from Italy to live with us for a few months. After about 1 month of this very crowded setting Mik and I decided we needed some fresh air and took a free couple days at a timeshare resort in Sedona, Arizona. Like I said: we were still on amicable terms and we definitely already knew how to travel well together. (We also both needed a break from taking care of Neno - whew!) So this was to be our last trip together before I moved out.

I came to love Sedona's awesome beauty. I HIGHLY recommend it - the Spring is perfect! Summer, I hear, the heat is almost unbearable to be outdoors, and I know that it snows in the winter. We were there during perfect weather. It was right up our alley (neither of us like cold vacations). One of the big draws to Sedona are the natural red tones in the region. Driving and exiting the freeway, heading west after a couple bends in the road you suddenly spot the majestic red hillsides. You can imagine how picturesque it can be at sunset. Everything is red!

We stayed free at the Hyatt Pinon Point timeshare. Wow - what a great place! Definitely the nicest timeshare we had stayed in. It was set up like an upscale condo - complete with large kitchen (we saved money by driving to a nearby store and mostly cooking inside the whole time), living room, 2 TVs, great stereo system, fireplace, huge bathroom with huge shower, separate large round jacuzzi bath with jets, tile flooring, patio and balcony with great view if you were on the 2nd or 3rd floor like us. We didn't go but there was also a gym and the pool with 2 Jacuzzis were beautiful and modern.

As nice as our housing was, the real treat was being outside in Mother Nature. Another big draw of the majestic red mountains is the fact that for whatever reason Sedona is a major vortex capital in the world. A vortex is the funnel shape created by the motion of spiraling energy. The vortexes in Sedona are swirling centers of subtle energy coming out from the surface of the earth. They characterize Sedona as a spiritual power center. The energy of the vortexes interacts with whom or what a person is in their inner self. Some strengthen your female or male side. Very interesting stuff! It resonates with and strengthens the Inner Being of each person who comes within about a quarter to a half mile of it. This resonance occurs because the vortex energy is very similar to the subtle energy operating in the energy centers inside each person. We were able to get a map to the several that are in Sedona. Some are longer hikes than others. But the interesting fact was that as we approached closer and closer to a Vortex, the Juniper trees that dotted the region would actually twist due to the spiral-like energy. Sedona is now a center for Spiritual Awareness and Evolution. Mik and I eat up this stuff! There were New Age shops in the very quaint main street where we bought some cool crystals - I really believed mine worked by the way (but that will need to be another blog).

One memory I won't forget was during one hike when he was in front of me about 10 feet as we walked the trail ledge of a cliff. Suddenly I saw Mik in mid-stride with his left leg swinging in the air - do a strange, exaggerated leap forward. "RATTLE SNAKE!!" And indeed it was! It was nearing sunset and it was coming out from under some rocks where it had probably been sleeping during the day in the shade. Mik had almost placed his left foot on the rock on top of it when he saw it and thus did the dramatic hop forward! (See web photo album for picture.) The ironic thing is that since I had met Mik he has been intrigued with seeing a California Rattlesnake. Well, here was his final opportunity! And thus, Mik and I enjoyed a couple otherwise peaceful and spiritual days hiking beautiful trails and meditating at the couple vortex sites we reached. I definitely plan to go back!

Sedona, Arizona

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