Steve and Tracy Visit Phoenix

Steve and Tracy came out to visit for a long weekend and we packed it with plenty of fun in the sun. The afternoon they landed we headed directly for the Glendale Jazz and Blues Festival and chilled out by the jazz stage. The highlight of the day was Dominic Amato tearing it up with his smooth jazz sax complemented by Thano Sahnas on guitar and a stellar rhythm section.

Their groove was infectious and we were all thrilled with the festival. The next day we headed north. The American Southwest is filled with scenic roads worthy of the venerable road trip but there isn’t always time available to cruise for days or weeks at a time to get away from it all. There are, however, shorter excursions worthy of rolling down the widows and letting the world roar by even if for just a day. One such trip is the back way from Phoenix to Flagstaff. Heading north on Highway 93 past Wickenburg the road winds through the small town of Congress and up the mountain to Yarnell. We grabbed breakfast at the Ranch House in Yarnell because, as with most small out of the way diners, the food comes piled high and service is provided with a smile. Continuing on to Prescott the road becomes a curvy and thrilling joyride leading directly to the courthouse square.

Pulling over to stretch our legs on Whiskey Row we did some window shopping and got some ice cream then headed further north. The pavement once again twists and turns up the mountain and passes through the eclectic town that was once home to a mining empire and is now filled with artsy shops and cozy pubs. The view from Jerome overlooking the Verde Valley was spectacular. Continuing north on 89A lead us through Cottonwood and into Sedona.

We stopped at the Chapel of the Holy Cross (built into the red rocks) then ate at the Cowboy Club and continued on our way.

The route through Oak Creek Canyon to Flagstaff has been mentioned in nationally published articles as one of the most scenic drives in the country, unfortunately though, it was already past sunset. On the edge of Flagstaff the road passes directly in front of the entrance to Fort Tuthill and we stopped there for the night. Although it was in the 80’s in Phoenix winter still lingered in the high country as there were still mounds of snow surrounding our cabin.

The city of Flagstaff is home to Northern Arizona University and is the gateway to the Grand Canyon. The historic downtown district houses numerous blocks of shops, bars, hotels and restaurants and we were all very pleased with our breakfast at MartAnne’s Café.

The small and funky eatery was the perfect place to fuel up with a Southwestern breakfast for the trip back down the mountain. The coffee was great and the fratelliquiles (pork and eggs wrapped in a tortilla and covered with green chili salsa) was phenomenal. More window shopping then we headed back to Phoenix. The next day we went to Christine’s restaurant, Toscana, and had a wonderful lunch and Chef Bernard gave Steve the grand tour. Christine surprised us by sending out her signature desert, strawberry shortcake. It is no ordinary shortcake mind you.

Hers is more of a cross between a scone and a sweet biscuit covered in fresh strawberries and topped with freshly made whipped cream. We also had a wonderful dinner with Corey downtown at a terrific Jamaican restaurant called Breadfruit.

The waitress was fantastic and the food was incredible, as was the conversation. Unfortunately their trip was quickly winding down as all good things must come to an end but I am certain there will be more good times ahead for us all.

Farmington, MO - State Parks

I went back to Farmington to visit mom in the hospital but the doctor adjusted her scheduled chemo dates so I was in town a few days prior to round 2.  If it were not for the new hairdo one would be hard pressed to believe that just a few weeks previously she had been hospitalized for a month of in-patient chemotherapy.  Still an energizer bunny.  Utilizing the days before her return to the hospital to explore a few of my old running grounds of the 70’s we headed out on a day trip to Elephant Rocks and Johnson’s Shut-ins State Parks. 

Named for the enormous size of the granite boulders scattered about the forest Elephant Rocks is a great place for a casual hike in the country.  There is a very well maintained trail that loops around the entire park and offers several scenic overlooks as well as access for those that wish to climb to the top of the rocks. 

 

Upon finishing the circuit we headed down the road towards the shut-inns and stopped for lunch in village of Caledonia.  Before eating we stopped in the Old Village Mercantile that is remarkably restored to its previous glory as a general store filled with dozens of barrels of old time candies.  The store has a coffee shop and bakery in addition to its large collection of antiques and quilts.   

It is truly an amazing place that you’d love to spend hours browsing in but we were still headed to another state park.  Johnson’s Shut-Ins is on the Black River and refers to a section of the river that narrows due to massive rock walls and in the river the swift moving current cascades over and around a maze of rocks.   

The first time I ever went to the Shut-Ins was to watch a kayak competition there while I was in high school.  I spent numerous summer days there cliff diving during the summer before I shipped out to boot camp.  In 2005 however, the park was devastated by a catastrophic flood and was not fully operational again until the summer of 2009.  A very nice boardwalk now leads out along the river making for easy access to a beautiful river experience. 

Shortly after our day trip it was back to Saint Louis and the isolation ward for another 30 days of chemo.  Mom was thrilled however, when she received a care package from Jennifer with Moose slippers that Jenn and Dustin picked up in a houseshoe specialty shop at the Mall of America during their relocation drive across the country.