Monday Fun!

We'd done some touring south of Sedona yesterday, so today we decided to head north, tracing back along the route we originally came in on from Flagstaff. During the drive down, we passed several parks and points of interest and they were mobbed. We headed out this morning hoping that they'd be less crowded on a Monday morning as opposed to a Saturday afternoon. We knew there were several parks and trails, so we didn't overplan and figured we'd take it as it came.

Five minutes outside of town we crossed the Midgely Bridge, a moderately sized arched metal bridge spanning maybe a hundred yards across a creek.

We'd read that there were trails there, so we stopped to check it out. There was a trail down to the canyon bottom where Oak Creek runs. It was not too hot and not crowded at all, so we eagerly set off. It was level for a bit, but then turned downward. This trail was really rocky, with some areas of large stones you had to stair step down, and other areas of a lot of loose, small stones, perfect to induce sliding and tripping. Lots of nice cacti on the way down too.

At the bottom, we were alone at the creek and of course I had to stick me feet in. Cool and fresh. A little further down there was a large pool and it was so inviting. No, I didn't swim (yet) but waded and skipped some stones, while Robert looked on at me indulgently.

The trek back up the trail was actually easier than the trek down. Robert wisely pointed out that going down, your weight and momentum make you apt to slide on the loose stone. On the way up, you're not fighting gravity the same way. Maybe it has to do with traction. Either way, we made it up in one piece.

One of the most crowded places we had passed on our way into town on Saturday was a park called Slide Rock. I mean, the parking lot was full and there was a line of cars along the shoulder waiting for someone to leave so they could enter. Robert was driving, so I was able to glance into the park as we passed and I saw a creek, crowded with people cavorting in the water. It was in the 90's when we came in that day, so no wonder they were enjoying it. This morning, before we left, I read up on the park and became keen to visit it. Figuring it was now Monday morning, not Saturday afternoon, we shouldn't run into crowds like those we had seen earlier. We didn't. We parked and ate our picnic lunch. It was only in the 70's and was quite windy, making the idea of swimming a little less appealing. However, we made our way over to the side of the park where the creek was and walked down 25 steps. The creek was carved right out of the red stone...no dirt on either side for 20 yards or more. It had obviously eroded the rock for eons, so that the creek made a smooth, deep, and narrow channel. A natural waterslide!

This is what made Slide Rock so popular. You can sit in the creek and slide into this natural sluice which goes for about 30 yards. I really wanted to try it. Fortunately, the rocks along the creek were smooth and warmed by the sun and the creek itself was sheltered from the winds, so it felt more like the 80's than the 70's. I stripped down to my bathing suit and tentatively sat in the water at the creek's edge. Not gonna lie, it was pretty cold. I gradually got used to it and then I took the plunge. Watch me go!

https://www.facebook.com/tim.philpot.96/videos/896425999012048

It was cold, but fun. Chalk it up to Fear of Missing Out, but I didn't want to look back and say "I wish I had done that."

Seemed like it had been a pretty full day so far, but when we checked the time, we saw it was only 12:30. We hung out a bit more, took a short hike, then headed back home to regroup.

We did laundry and some other domestic stuff and about 4:30 headed out for the Taize service I mentioned in an earlier post. The chapel setting is so dramatic that it draws lots of tourists, but the crowds stayed outside during the service. This service is lead by regular folks, not clergy, so it has a more ecumenical feel, at least to me. Before we started, that music director asked folks where they were from. The responses ranged from Pennsylvania (us), to Florida, North Carolina, Maine, Colombia, Mexico, and Singapore, and many more. Then we began to sing and then sit in silence. We said a Psalm and heard a reading from James. More singing and some prayer, and then we were done. A service that is beautiful in its symmetry and simplicity. And is such a moving setting!

To cap the day off we had dinner at a real swank french restaurant in town. I had steak frites! Am I a lucky guy or what?