SIDETRIP TO SEDONA

COLD FRONT CAME IN LAST NIGHT...IT WAS ALL OVER THE TV...TODAY'S HIGH N THE LOW 80'S MAYBE 79 ON SUNDAY...AND I FORGOT TO PACK A SWEATER!!! BUT IT WAS CLOUDY SO I DECIDED TO TAKE A TRIP UP NORTH TO SEDONA. FOR THOSE UNFAMILIAR, IT S THE HOME OF RED ROCKS AND THE OAK TREE CANYON (A BABY "GRAND" SO TO SPEAK). I WAS SITTING NEXT TO A PHOENIX NATIVE ON THE FLIGHT IN AND HE TOLD ME THE WEATHER GETS DICEY UP IN SEDONA AND FLAGSTAFF DURING THE "WINTER", BECAUSE OF THE HIGH ELEVATIONS. SO NATURALLY I LEFT HERE IN A SLEEVELESS T-SHIRT AND SHORTS BECAUSE IT WAS 75 IN PHOENIX AT 9 AM.

LET ME TELL YOU, PHOENIX IS THE FIFTH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY(LEARNED THAT READING TOURIST INFO), BUT IT IS SO SPREAD OUT IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE. THE SKYLINE IS DWARFED BY THE MOUNTAINS TO THE NORTH AND EAST. PLUS I'M BIASED BY YEARS OF LIVING IN THE SHADOW OF THE NEW YORK CITY SKYLINE. FLAGSTAFF IS 164 MILES NORTH OF PHOENIX AND SEDONA IS CLOSER BY ABOUT 30 MILES. BY THE TIME I REACHED HALFWAY ON ROUTE 17, I WAS AT 3000 F00T ELEVATION AND THE TEMPERATURE HAD DROPPED TO 68 DEGREES. BY THE TIME I REACHED SEDONA, IT WAS 54 DEGREES AND RAINING AND THE WIND WAS WHIPPING UP PRETTY GOOD. PLUS I WAS NOW AT 4000 FOOT ELEVATION... THE SCENERY ON THE WAY UP THE MOUNTAINS WAS SPECTACULAR!! BECAUSE I WAS CRUISING AT 75MPH (THE SPEED LIMIT) I REALLY COULDN'T GET TOO MANY PICTURES UNTIL I GOT TO SEDONA.

AFTER TRESPASSING ON SEVERAL PRIVATE PROPERTIES (ALL FOR THE SAKE OF PHOTOGRAPHY) I OBTAINED SOME BREATHTAKING PICTURES OF THE RED ROCK FORMATIONS AROUND THE TOWN. BECAUSE THE WEATHER HAD TURNED SO NASTY (NO, I DIDN'T BREAK DOWN AND BUY A SWEATSHIRT) I DECIDED TO CUT THE TRIP SHORTER. (I WILL GO BACK AFER I MOVE TO SEE SOME SNOW FOR THE DAY). I DID WALK AROUND TO SHOW MY IMPERVIOUSNESS TO THE COLD WHILE THE NATIVES AND TOURISTS SHIVERED IN THE COATS AND HOODED SWEATSHIRTS. (PLEASE, 54 DEGREES IS STILL SHORTS WEATHER BACK IN JERSEY. LET'S SEE HOW THEY COPE WITH 10 DEGREES PLUS WIND CHILL!). I BONDED WITH A GUY IN A NEW YORK T-SHIRT. WE DISCUSSED THE "COLD" WEATHER.

I ALSO LEARNED THAT PEOPLE IN ARIZONA CAN'T DRIVE IN INCLEMENT WEATHER EITHER. BUT I GAVE THEM THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT BECAUSE THEY ONLY SEE AN AVERAGE OF 8" OF RAIN PER YEAR. (TOURIST INFO). SO IT WAS 54 AND RAINING WHEN I LEFT SEDONA AT OVER 4000 FEET. AT 3000 FEET IS WAS 68 DEGREES AND THE RAIN STOPPED AND SUN WAS OUT AND IT WAS 78 DEGREES ABOUT 55 MILES NORTH OF PHOENIX. IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE OUTING!

I FINALIZED MY APARTMENT LEASE AND CANCELLED THE OTHER PLACE (THE WOMAN WAS SHOCKED I PICKED ANOTHER APARTMENT). I AM INCLUDING A LINK TO THE "CORNERSTONE RANCH" SO YOU CAN SEE MY NEW DIGS. GOING TO WATCH THE REST OF THE BASEBALL GAMES NOW AND GO OUT TO EAT... SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

http://www.rent.com/rentals/arizona/phoenix-scottsdale-and-vicinity/chandler/cornerstone-ranch/434576/