Landscapes of Arizona

We just got back from a fun escape-the-winter trip to Sedona, Arizona. It was lovely. We went hiking nearly every day, visited an old mining town, and relaxed. With the weather in the low 50s, it was perfect for hiking, a bit chilly for our swimming (we did it anyway), and so refreshing.

Sedona's a bit of a strange town, with artsy folks mixing with new age spiritualists. I don't think most of them knew what to make of a family our size, but they were nice to us anyway. On one popular hike, with DH carrying Harmony in the backpack and taking the lead, and myself following as the caboose, we got quite a few comments from every single hiker that passed. I reassured them, "this is the last of us" as their mouths gaped open and they started asking me, "How many? Where are you from?" and "Do you ever sleep?"

With my new camera in tow, I got some awesome photos. And for once, I wasn't the only one taking photos. Lillian and especially Joseph both carried our old digital cameras, snapping up photos left and right. Some of them are pretty good, and I'm cheering inside because I know that for once I might be included in a photo or two from our trip.

I still need to get all the photos on my computer, and I'll post some of our family later, but in the meantime, here are some lovely landscapes from Arizona's red rock country:

Hiking at Red Rock Crossing near sunset was so beautiful.
The trees and river made me feel like I was in a fairy land:

One great thing about Sedona is that the town is set right in the middle of the most beautiful scenery, with beautiful views all over town. Yet just minutes away, you can take a hike and leave it all behind. Though a couple of the trails we chose were crowded, others were nearly deserted.

We stopped at Glen Canyon dam and got a great view of Lake Powell on the way down:

And went to the Grand Canyon on the way back:

Without visiting, it's really hard to get a feel for just how huge this canyon is. I think this photo puts it in perspective.