Sedona: Christmas with the Red Rocks

After this trip, most of our baffled friends have declared us as a completely crazy family. For a family with kids who just got back from a month long trip from India, battling jet lag, settling down, getting back to work - within a week we were back on the road braving a seven hours long drive. 😃🙈 But, then why not?! 

Sedona has long been on my DH's list ever since we started living in SoCal a year ago. He kept bringing it up and I kept shooting it down weary of the long seven hours drive. But, how does one deny during the holiday season - and there I was agreeing to his plans at 11:00 a.m. on the Friday morning and being on the road (packed, booked, showered and lunch-ed) by 1:15 p.m.

Ha!

Day 1: Sedona - here we come!

Having left post lunch, the first day was just about driving, driving and yet some more driving - and kudos, kudos and yet some more kudos to DH! Ideally we would have halted and rested twice in a seven hours journey - but, with time difference playing against us we just stopped once at Yuma. We didn't feel like anything fancy so dinner was an early one at Chipotle. Back on the road, I caught on some sleep as the kids and DH yapped and laughed about the movie, Bad Guys. 😃 Soon after it was my turn to take the yapping job as the kids feel asleep and we drove the final miles into the lit-for-the-season Sedona late into the evening. 

DH had booked us at the Los Abrigados Resort and Spa having bumped across it at a good price as last moment giveaways. It's centrally located being right next to the Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village, just a few mins drive away from the Sedona downtown and about ten mins of drive away from most of the popular red rocks. 

Day 2: Cathedrals - Nature made and Man made

Cupcakes and more! 😍

Now every family has a rooster who wakes up first, and for ours it's our 6 year old Abesh - and this morning wasn't any different. And every family has a sleeping beauty, and for ours it's our 7 year old Rupkatha - and once again, this morning wasn't any different. 😀 Whispering and giggling, sonny boy, DH and I made plans for the day. Soon we were all showered and were hop-skip-and-jumping the minute walk to the The Secret Garden Cafe for breakfast. It's highly recommended with ample seating both indoors and outdoors, laid back ambience and simple scrumptious grub. It was the first time, both my kids were ordering from themselves (bless them but, stop growing up). Rupkatha ordered the Avocado toast, Abesh the house soup of Mexican meatballs and DH and I shared the Garden's breakfast - each of them really really good. 

We decided to spend the rest of the morning tootling around the Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village. It's full of art shops, boutiques, jewelry & nick-nack stores. But, mind you they are EXPENSIVE. Choose an earring to find a $100 tag, DH said he saw a coin pouch for $625. Wow - insane! So, we settled for just window shopping, oohing and aahing at the beautiful things around. The marketplace itself was beautifully decorated with Christmas trees and lights all around - adding to our happy and chirpy moods. Foodies as we all are - we visited the Cake Couture Coffee and Desserts. The coffee there was really good (as always we shared a large Latte) and we picked their salted caramel, mango passionfruit & vanilla bean cup cakes - special mention to the vanilla bean (Abesh's pick) one. 

Finding Peace

Next day being Christmas day, we expected almost all eateries to be closed. So, we went to the local Safeway next and got some groceries. From there we drove to the Chapel of the Holy Cross. A cosy chapel built in the early 1900s atop a hillock. We parked at the bottom at the first spot we found (remember we were fighting the long weekend crowds) and walked up to the chapel. The view from there is breathtaking with columns and turrets of red rocks all around. The Chapel itself was quiet and peaceful and the exotic location just added to the serenity. The children lit prayer candles celebrating the holiday mood. 

Reflections!

Lunch was simple ham and bread on the go we'd bought from the grocery store. Next we went to the spill-over parking lot for the Cathedral Rock - probably the most popular red rock formation near Sedona. We boarded the shuttle from the parking lot to the trail head. This is something the kids always enjoy. 😊 The trail to the bottom of the Cathedral rock is very quick and easy; but, that's when the challenge begins. Initial parts call for a bit of rock climbing and scrambling, however, after a certain point it's almost next to impossible for children. So I had to put my foot down as things got too risky despite being tagged the 'worst Mom in the world'. 😃 

Tiredness was getting to us by now and we just had enough energies for the last stop for the day - Airport Mesa for seeing the sunset. One thing I really liked that despite it being fairly crowded, the insta-clickers weren't there at all which was a huge saving grace. It was bone rattling cold out there as we watched the setting sun bathe the red rocks with a palette full of colors. A musician called the Fiddler on the Rock played cheery holiday carols on his violin - adding to the magical Christmas eve! 

As the sun said good bye and Santa's reindeers started their journey, we went back to our resort. Trotted back to the Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village to dine at the Mexican eatery, El Rincon. Slightly more expensive than its usual counterparts, it's fairly popular nonetheless as the food is really good. We were lucky to get a table for four very quick and soon were seated next to a heater with warm blankets to snuggle into. Rupkatha got a cheese quesadilla kids meal, Abesh a fried chicken kids meal and DH and I decided to share their Green Chile Navajo Pizza. It was our first time trying Mexican Pizza and what a hit!  

With that we decided to call it a night and came back to our room to snuggle in! 

Day 2: It's Christmas Day! 

Red, white, green, golden and just us!

The morning began with excited kids finding out that Mrs. & Mr. Claus were smart enough to drop their gifts in Sedona at our hotel. It was the perfect cosy Christmas morning, as I made a quick eggs and toast breakfast for everyone. Warm and fed, we decided to head to the Bell Rock early to skip the crowds that would mill in later on. Once at the Bell Rock, again it's an easy and quick hike to the bottom of the rock. And once again, that's where the challenge began. Rock climbing some, rock scrambling some we came to a point where it seemed we could go no further with the kids. We took some pics, oohed and aahed; and that's when I noticed the yearn in my kids' eyes - the yearn to go further. The pluck in me pushed me to find that path ahead and soon all four of us were climbing higher and higher. It was so much fun! The view only got better and soon we were rock scrambling next to little white beds of snowy ice. 

Their Om Mani Padme Hung mode! 🙏

The hike down was especially fun packed (a little panic packed for DH and me) as the kids started sliding down rocks. We stood to catch them like little balls just in case they failed to check their speeds. After that, we visited the Amithaba Stupa where stood a statue of the Buddha and stupa (a square structure considered to be the body of the Buddha). It was our first time visiting a Buddhist prayer venue in the USA. We walked around the trails to get some steps before heading back to our hotel. 

Lunch was simple home cooked pasta and ham. Post lunch, DH went out to complete the unfinished challenge at the Cathedral Rock. The kids and I set out to explore the resort and went to the park on location. The Oak Creek passes next to the resort and we walked and played at the green park next to it. In one word it was magical. Fall leaves around, children's happy laughter, sun on my shoulders - what more could I ask for. Back in our room, we waited for DH to come back. Soon he was home and we set out to explore the Sedona downtown. Of course it being Christmas day, almost all stores and eateries were closed. However as luck may have it, the Made in Arizona store was open and we stocked up on some cactus jams and jellies. Once more we soaked in the beautiful sunset and headed home for dinner of left overs and home made sandwiches. 

Day 3: Curtain Fall 

Learning history the best way!

Showered, breakfast-ed, packed and loaded into our car - we were all set to start on the long journey home. Just this time, we halted four whole times. 😃 Our first stop was at the Montezuma Castle National Monument. Just about forty minutes away from Sedona, it's one of the must visit places in the area. Built nine hundred years ago, it is a five storeyed pueblo (native Indian village) tucked away in hidden carve under a cliff.  There is a paved path up to the view point. One cannot really go inside the pueblo. At the end of the trail, you can get close to the walls but, of course no climbing on it for sure. There is a little walk around the area and on the nice crisp sunny winter morning, it was really nice. 

Information: As of December, 2022 the entrance fee is $10 for all adults. However, it is free if you have the America the Beautiful pass.

Back again in our car, we decided to stop at the next town for lunch - New River. Craving for some Thai food, I chose Nara Thai - just a few minutes off the freeway. It wasn't really anything mind blowing, but, a quant child friendly little place where you'll find your run of the mill Thai food. Though I would mention their chicken Tom yum soup if you're a soup lover. Drove and drove some more for a gas and coffee halt at Gila Bend. And then again, drove and drove some more as we halted at the last big town before San Diego, El Centro for some dinner. We chose a Korean fried chicken joint, ChicMac - just a few minutes off the freeway. Of course special mention to their soy fried chicken and also their spicy pork buns. Kids were happily nibbled away at their mac and cheese. 

Some time into the final lap home, the kids fell asleep and finally we were back to our home sweet home; though secretly wishing we were still in the beautiful Sedona - until again! 😊