Mountains Sit in a Line

There is a level of difficulty presented by traveling with people, as enjoyable as their presence may be. Unless you're really lucky, everyone has different priorities, different interests, different concepts of time; the list goes on.

I love the idea of creating a list of places to hit while on a trip, and creating somewhat of a loose schedule by which to adhere. But I am also a realist and know that the odds of this ever happening on a trip are slim to none, particularly because I generally concede to others in the interest of not creating friction on a vacation.

So Arizona was no different. We took a day trip to Sedona, a city I'd last visited during the summer of 2000 and was excited to see again, as an older, more appreciative traveler.

Since I am a nerd, I read the silly pamphlets and brochures the hotel had handed out to us, and envisioned various things we could do in Sedona, some of which I shared with my family, albeit in an offhanded manner. Of these things, the item I most wanted to cross off my list was a drive down Oak Creek Canyon, a deep and stunningly beautiful gorge that runs through the center of Sedona. This never happened, and while I certainly didn't complain about it, I'm sincerely disappointed.

My thought process (on any trip) generally remains the same: this may be the only time I come here, and even if it's not, I want to capitalize on my surroundings. Why make the effort of traveling somewhere new and exciting, just to spend the days holed up in a hotel room watching TV, or generally dawdling around? To me, time is of the essence, and while I understand that this isn't a sentiment shared by all, it's still frustrating. It's tough to get two people on the same page sometimes, and out the door in a timely manner - forget about eight.

But I digress. Sedona itself was wonderful, even though it was far colder than I anticipated it would be. I'm so grateful I packed some winter attire. The weather variances in Arizona are crazy; in Scottsdale, the temperatures were in the mid-60s during the day, while two hours away in Sedona, temperatures were in the thirties, and there was even some snow lingering up in the mountains.

I appreciated the opportunity to see Sedona in the winter. While the stark redness of the rocks is unchanging no matter what the season, the experience itself (not to mention the pictures) was different under the winter sun. Climbing up the rocks was a lot more treacherous, for one thing. Sure, I feared that I might face plant while crunching through the ice, but it never happened. And even if it had, I still think I would have had fun.

So disappointment aside, I loved visiting Sedona again.

But if there's ever a third time, Oak Creek Canyon must be a part of the equation.