As I've written before on this blog, my job takes me to some interesting places in Arizona. But with two young children (6 years and 16 months) at home, non-work-related travel can be hard to come by. That's why it was such a treat when, earlier this month, my wife and I headed to Sedona and Flagstaff to celebrate our fifth anniversary.
Jen and I started out from Tempe around 9 a.m. on a Friday and were in Sedona before noon. At Tlaquepaque, we picked up souvenirs for the kids and had lunch at Oak Creek Brewery. We then checked out the shops uptown before heading to our accommodations: Butterfly Garden Inn & Cabins, about 10 miles north of Sedona in Oak Creek Canyon.
To call the cabins quaint would be an understatement. Frank and Nichole Garrison, the proprietors, put a lot of care into the property, and the result is a welcoming and cozy place to spend a weekend (or longer, if you have the means). Breakfast was delivered to our cabin each morning. There was snow on the ground when we arrived.
For dinner, we went to Timo, in Sedona on the grounds of Los Abrigados Resort & Spa (there's also a location in Phoenix). The agave salmon — served with roasted corn and edamame, plus a yellow tomato vinaigrette — was delightful.
We spent most of Saturday in the Flagstaff area. In the morning, we spent some time shopping downtown before eating lunch at Diablo Burger. Jen had the daily special, while I went for my all-time favorite burger, the DB House — blackening spice, pesto and a fried egg. It was delicious, as always.
We then headed to Walnut Canyon National Monument, where we walked the Island Trail while learning about the ancient inhabitants of this striking canyon landscape. As we explored the cliff dwellings, hundreds of ravens circled above the canyon.
After building a snowman so we could send a photo to our son (these things are important), we had cocktails at the Rendezvous at the Hotel Monte Vista, then went to dinner at Criollo Latin Kitchen, recently featured in Arizona Highways. Jen had the paella, while I opted for battered catfish tacos. Both were excellent, as was the flan we ordered for dessert.
Sunday morning, we got a surprise: a few inches of wet, sticky snow at the cabin. This may have been the first time my Honda Civic, a Phoenix "native," had snow on it.
We made it out of town without much trouble, and the snow melted quickly off the Civic as we headed back toward Phoenix. Our memories of this successful trip, though, will last much longer.
— Noah Austin, Associate Editor
All photos by Jennifer Austin.