Two and half days in Arizona

Until almost 4 years ago, Arizona, Washington, Minnesota, Nevada or even Florida (and more..) were just some names of mildly familiar states of the US! It was only after I started traveling in the country that the giant puzzle of what's what and what's where began to unravel on its own!

With another long weekend on the anvil, we got cracking on our vacation planning. After much brainstorming over 3 way conference calls, we agreed on Lake Tahoe, but a few days later we had to rethink our plans due to adverse weather conditions up in California. We weren't ready to face snow on this mini-vacay.  We decided to drive to our neighbors in Arizona and discover the marvels at Sedona and Flagstaff. Boom. Our last minute change in plan did not leave us with the luxury of planning our ‘sorties’ ahead of time and we were in a ‘go figure’ kind of situation which, I must say, was fun! Barring the excruciatingly long drive from LA to Flagstaff, Arizona pleasantly surprised me with its breathtaking landscapes, natural beauty and tales of history. The state is laden with history being home to numerous Native American tribes.

The first day of our trip was Christmas day (and an extremely cold and snowy one) therefore many national parks and spots remained closed but that did not put a damper on our enthusiasm. We headed straight to Walnut Canyon National monument and stealthily entered the area while ‘no entry’ signs flashed into our faces. I experienced the first snowfall of my life although I have played with snow before. We spotted some old ruins and cave dwellings.

Outside Walnut Canyon 

It was a long drive back to the city. With snowfall and a biting cold, some hot spicy Indian food was in order. I was excited like a kid in a candy store to find my favorite veggie momos on the menu of the Nepalese restaurant we decided to dine at. The following day, we went down to explore Sedona. We were quite fascinated at the contrast between Sedona & Flagstaff which are not that far away from each other! Majestic pink rock formations welcomed us. With a brief stretch break in its charming artsy downtown, we headed straight to the Red Rock State Park.  

Bell Rock

It was a beautiful day with a nip in the air punctuated by abundant sunlight. I love such days. We got our hiking gear on and chose a couple trails to get the heart-rate pumping. The overlooks gave beautiful views of the rocks. A true riot of colors and a medley of shapes. Piping hot chili and sandwiches were ordered to satiate our hunger post hike. The temperature started to drop later in the afternoon but we still managed to catch quick glimpses of the Bell Rock and Cathedral Rock. We spent the rest of the evening downtown looking at local art and craft.

View - Hike - Red Rock State Park

Our wanderlust reached another level when my friend dropped the pin on Wupatki National monument situated not too far from the Flagstaff city center. The drive to these historical ruins was spectacular with stunning views of partially snow-capped San Francisco Peaks. It felt like we were turning pages of a historical novel while gazing at the vast expanse of citadel pueblos, Lumaki and Box Cox Canyon ruins. Far off at the horizon were splatters of pinkish-yellow hues which was the Grand Canyon! We went further inside the ruins to the main Wupatki National monument’s offices soon after to open another treasure trove of history! What we saw was remarkable. We saw well-preserved settlements of over 800 years. A sense of discovery gripped us. I can jolly-well say that this was the highlight of our trip.

Wupatki Ruins

It was early afternoon and almost time for us to drive back home. We made a quick stop at the Sunset Crater National monument for some pictures. The drive back did not seem too long after all. Driving at sundown is beautiful, as always… to many more such trips together!