1st May Sedona, Arizona

Sorry about the dry old day yesterday - no pun intended - know I go on a bit sometimes. 

I suspect sensing my disappointment at not seeing too much history relating to the Dust Bowl era Gary sent me this link   http://video.pbs.org/video/2304010308   which I found fascinating - don't know if it will work un the UK.

Anyway, enough.  Meeting more bikers now – although it isn’t only bikers who come over and talk. A group today from Tucson suggested that as an antidote to the long straight slogs I should venture south 30 miles for a little detour to Sedona – apparently the road there was a real bikers road!

So, thought I would treat myself and instead of immediately setting off to follow the old highway I decided to have that day of total contrast. I took the detour and drove from Flagstaff to Sedona and what a difference. The 30 mile trip down from 7000 ft at Flagstaff to   Sedona’s 4400 ft is along a winding road through forests of the stately Ponderosa Pines and the ghostly looking Arizona Sycamore.

 In the main it is only a two lane road and its twists and steepness made stopping on a bike and getting the camera out such a palaver that I took few photographs of the actual road so can only try and describe it. Driving across Arizona was like having a three bar fan heater blowing in your face whilst someone threw buckets of kiln dried sand at you and occasionally swiped you around the head with a dead badger. The ride down to Sedona was along tree shaded roads, in a cool 20° C, with clear mountain air and someone spraying fabreeze in your face – ok, forget the fabreeze, but you get the picture!  

Only downside was that Smokey The Bear started laying down the guilt again with signs saying Forest Fires were down to me!

Sedona itself is a wonderfully relaxing town, yes, plenty of tacky shops now I guess but set in such ideal surrounds that you can forgive it that.

It has plenty of character, and characters… 

 some of them very friendly....

Others not so....

It is very “new age” which usually isn’t me but even cynical old me felt my soul bathed by the “vibes” of the red rocks around the town. 

It had wonderful street statues...

The little girls is a statue too....
 



 

 

And this was beautiful...

 

 

There were some really fun shops...

 

      which coincidently was the diagnosis the nurse gave me after my ride from Albuquerque!

 On the way back up the valley – which was an amazing run and great fun I was able to stop more and get these shots…  oh thanks to the guy at Rollies Cameras who helped me clean out the lens.

 

That's the road....

and that.....

 

Hence the continuing smug grin and the flies on my teeth!