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.
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